Thank you to Zappos for sponsoring this post. 
Happy Friday friends! We finally made it to the weekend and I couldn’t be happier. Chatting a little bit about stress + anxiety today. Over the years, I’ve found myself in short periods of stress and mild anxiety. Nothing debilitating, but there can be a couple weeks in a row where my stress levels are higher than they should be (due to deadlines, multiple projects, family responsibilities, etc…). I once read somewhere that stress is related to 98% off all illness. That pretty much stopped me in my tracks… everything from headaches, stomach issues, skin problems, lower mood, and relational problems… stress can pretty much be tied to them. So, over the years, I’ve developed a 4 things I do daily to reduce my feelings of stress and thought I’d share them with you today (maybe planning ahead to Monday……)….
1. Deep Breathing: I know this sounds so obvious, but it’s so helpful. When we breathe in through our noses and out through our mouthes, we’re allowing more oxygen to enter our blood stream which then causes our brain to release more endorphins (those little feel good chemicals in the body). When I find myself in the middle of a stressful situation, feeling overwhelmed, I will literally stop and take 4-5 deep breathes. And while it doesn’t always completely release the stress and anxiety, it does allow me to feel more centered and able to focus on the task at hand….
2. Take A Break To Play: When I worked with clients and families, I always recommended that they get out and do something fun together…. essentially, play. It doesn’t have to be for an extended period of time, maybe 20-30 minutes of something active to get those feel good chemicals going again. I do this several times throughout my day, and have it regularly worked into my schedule. I wake up in the morning to finish my workout…. and then in the middle of the day, Harper and I get out and play. And while I might have 10 other things on my plate, I always find that playing with her releases some of those stressed feelings. Jumping, coloring, dancing around, kicking around the ball with her…. laughing and smiling together…. it all helps me center myself when it’s time to get back to what needs to get done….
And, when I’m looking for a little “play” time I always reach for comfortable kicks. Recently, I’ve been loving these super comfortable + fashionable blush kicks from FitFlop. They literally feel like you’re walking on clouds (because they are designed to absorb shock and diffuse underfoot pressure), slip on super easily, and allow my feet to be comfortable during any activity… jumping + running after little miss, a brisk walk with our pup, or a morning of errands. I’m also obsessed with the blush color (although, they do come in tons of other colors options as well). I snagged them from Zappos.com (which is one of the easiest places to shop with their shipping + return policy).
3. Practice Some Positive Self-Talk: When I get stressed, or find myself a little anxious, I also find my thoughts aren’t the best… they’re thinking way ahead, catastophizing (thinking about the worst case scenario), and not in the moment. When that starts to happen, I acknowledge the thought (“I’m way ahead of myself and thinking into the future”) and replace that thought with something more manageable (“What can I do about the situation right now”) OR “I’ll never get all of this done….” replaced with “Let’s just take this one at a time….” If I’m thinking worse case scenario, I challenge that thought and ask myself what proof I have that it will actually turn out that way. II also find it helpful to acknowledge or think of time I’ve been equally as stressed and remind myself that I got through that time, so I’ll get through it all this time around.
4. Make A List + Cross It Off: I do this the night before and it helps so much. Whenever I know that I have a particularly busy day, where lots needs to get accomplished, I create a list. I prioritize the most important items at the top and make my way down. Then, I schedule in time to get each task done…. and cross it off as I go. Having a visual reminder of what needs to get done helps my mind not to get off task. Then, seeing items crossed off mentally makes me feel accomplished and gives me the motivation to keep chugging along.
(Outfit Details || Sneakers | Sweatpants | Tank | Jacket)
