It’s not a secret that I’ve been semi-stressed lately. Not so much stressed as in going crazy and off the deep end but stressed as in looking to find my niche. My niche wasn’t in Potsdam nor Oswego. I found my niche in VA but I’m not there anymore. I’m here in New Jersey looking to find a new niche and a new beginning. I thought my new beginning would occur 2+ months ago moving to Texas but that was short lived.
So alas here I sit today. I have been asked how I find my comfort zone and how I keep my stress to a minimum. If you followed my blog last fall when I worked in Oswego, you would know I did a lot of work in mental health. Out of all the topics in public and community health I think mental health is one of my favorites. Being mentally healthy is just as important as being physically healthy but often times overlooked. I don’t know anyone who considers themselves a healthy individual without being mentally healthy too.
Moving on, a big part of being mentally healthy is living without a lot of stress. Sure we all have stress and stress can be good or bad. However there isn’t a need to get worked up and find yourself restless at night because of stress. I don’t have a set amount of techniques and working out has never been a stress reliever for me but I can tell you what has worked for me. How you manage your personal stress ultimately defines you.
Here are some things I find helpful.
I like to wake up without an alarm (normally around 6) and have personal time to myself. When I was living in Oswego, my housemates weren’t up at that hour so it was personal time for me. My parents were sometimes up but I still had my own personal time at home. At my house here, Tim is sometimes up or sometimes not, depending on his training schedule. I know that I just need time to wake up, relax, occasionally drink coffee and just gather my thoughts. I am always much less stressed on days I have this time. Everyone needs their own personal time.
I’ve also found that getting out of my house works wonders for me. It’s also not a secret that applying for jobs is a long process. I don’t want to apply for jobs on the computer, sit at the computer for hours on end and then just hang out at the house (probably still on the computer). I try and get out of the house even to go get some coffee at the gas station daily. Since I don’t have a car I pretty much walk everywhere. Getting away from any situation and coming back often provides clarity and also a nice break for your mind. (I also found this to work well when I was studying or writing papers).
Another way that I have found to destress myself is to simply look at the future. In a few months finding a job won’t be part of my worries, nor will finishing unpacking or anything that is currently stressful in mu life. For instance, a few months ago I was stressed working 60+ hours weekly…now that is obviously not a stressor. As I said the other day, I’ve always been someone to look at an overall life plan. Things might be stressful now but I know they won’t be later. When I think about that then I find myself far less stressed.
Some people rely on working out to relieve stress and I can honestly say that isn’t for me. I don’t ever find myself less stressed if I’ve worked out but that could help you!
Question for you: What are some things you do to relieve stress?
I wish there was a button to just remove stress, wouldn’t that be easy? I think we all have our own stressors and way to go around them, but i agree that these are great ways to slowly remove them or at least attempt to.
Those are some good tips. my stress level has been through the roof and it just got higher yesterday.
Tyler found out he will indeed be active duty and got the branch he wants in the army. And I am so happy for him. BUT now everything I was concerned about (IF I move with him, quitting job, transferring guard units, etc.) has become a reality. And with the military, as you certainly know, nothing is ever certain so I can’t plan a damn thing. Hmph.
Oh my gosh. I am really sorry to hear that! I can only imagine the frustration.
The worst thing is trying to show that I truly am happy for him… it’s so much easier to let the frustrations and worries show through.
I think that’d very interesting that looking at the future destresses you. Whenever I look at the future, I get freaked out, worrying about what will happen/when and where we’re moving/where I’ll find a job/etc. I have to stay in the present or I’ll go crazy haha. Other things I do to destress include going for a walk outside, talking to Joe or my mum, sitting in silence by myself for a little bit, making sure I get me time every day if possible, reading/watching a tv show, or going for a run. Definitely depends what I’m stressed about, but one of those things usually helps
I watched this the other day and it has an interesting perspective on stress: http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend.html
I often feel pretty stressed, but then I realize that it’s 90% self inflicted. There are a lot of things I want to do, so I’m typically pretty busy but sometimes get overwhelmed. I need to remind myself that I like doing these things, and usually that helps. And if not, I find a good long sleep and getting out the mountains (or nature of some sort) definitely helps.
I agree! I think often times we are own worst critics. It’s hard for me to truly remember that sometimes!
I am definitely one where working out relieves my stress but it’s only because I realize the importance of certain things because it’s my “me time” I guess. I always feel better after a workout because the entire time I’m thinking about how to go about a situation and – for whatever reason – I tend to think more rationally about things. And I DEFINITELY agree with getting out every day even if it is to go get coffee. Looking back and even now, the days which are hardest for me are the days I sit around and let myself fester in my own head. Just going out and doing something puts my mind at ease. <3
I full agree with the getting up to have some you time in the morning. I know if I head out of the house like I’m going to fight a fire, I have a bad day. It’s like I can never get caught up. This morning, HuBs asked why I got up so early and I told him “Because that’s when I woke up.”
Also, this ties into it but sounds funny, I don’t lay in bed. It seems like if I lay in bed that I just drag most of the day. I don’t want to do anything!
I agree, once I’m up…I’m up, might as well get out of bed!
I love the idea of taking personal time to yourself in the morning. Sometimes I will procrastinate getting ready for work because I’m enjoying a coffee and reading or writing in the morning. Maybe I need to actually carve out time to do that, and then I won’t be late for work, either 😉
I agree! I’m also more stressed when I’m rushed. I hope you do get some personal time 🙂
I love my personal time in the morning–waking up, drinking coffee, and just hanging out for a bit. Most days, I wake up before my alarm too. When I feel super stressed, I usually talk to my mom; she always knows what to say. I’ve also been known to go for a quick run or hit the bike trainer like I did last night. 😉
I find that a quiet morning is basically a MUST when it comes to maintaining my sanity. If I feel rushed or stressed first thing in the morning, it pretty much sets my tone for the rest of the day. But if I can chill and have a lot of time to collect my thoughts first thing in the day? The rest of my day goes a lot better as well.
I have a stressful job – which impacts my ability to train and also to recover from hard training. One thing I’ve found really helps to reduce work stress is to keep very organized with my to do list/system. Every thing is logged and written down. That way I don’t wake up in the middle of the night thinking that I forgot something!
If only I could get up in time to have personal time!!!! I like my time alone. I like exercising because it puts me in a better, more positive mood, but my stress level is still just as high. I’m convinced my cortisol level is probably through the roof. I like taking walks or just meeting with a friend. It’s amazing what coffee with a friend can do for me!
Personal time is really key for me too and getting enough sleep. When I’m tired, everything is exaggerated and worse. I do find that working out relieves some stress, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. But you have a lot going on- moving is a huge stressor- and to have moved 4 times, wow! It always takes me about 6 months in a new place to start to find my niche and feel at home… it will come in time. It’s definitely taking me longer to settle in to NJ than I expected. Hope we can meet soon!