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BY LEIGH WEINRAUB
STEPS TO COMBAT STRESS
EACH DAY BRINGS INESCAPABLE TRIGGERS — day could make or break how you deal with everything psychological stimuli that prompt ( typically negative ) that ’ s coming at you .
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emotion . They fire at you constantly — from the news , from your phone , from Mother Nature , from your kids , from Zoom . You ’ re overloaded with triggers that repeatedly challenge your sanity .
You ’ re always going to have a response to those triggers , but lately , it has become harder to manage that response . As an action-based therapist and the founder of Mind in Motion , one of the things I teach my clients is that there is a space between a trigger and your response . That space is something you must recognize and own — it is your freedom , and it is your choice . You need to develop skills to put an extra breath between a stimulus and a response ( or a trigger and your reaction ). Here are three actionable steps to help do that and , thus , combat stress :
1CONTROL YOUR BREATHING : Rhythmic breathing
is the best way to increase the gap between frustration , irritation , fear and uncertainty caused by triggers . It regulates your chemistry so you can keep your poise and make calm , responsible choices in response to whatever way your day is testing you . By breathing consciously , you switch your physiology gears to the parasympathetic nervous system and the body will no longer operate in fight or flight stress mode .
“... go outside . The fresh air , outdoor stimuli and cardiovascular effect can radically restore your attention , attitude and behavioral response . Movement can be the cure to almost every psychological challenge .”
Try inhaling for five seconds , holding that air in for five seconds and then exhaling for five seconds . Do four sets of that each morning , four sets each afternoon and four sets as you ’ re lying in bed to fall asleep . Those 180 seconds of your
2PRACTICE GRATITUDE : There ’ s not a person out there who isn ’ t feeling the soul-sucking fatigue of COVID-19 and the overall stress of the unknown . When life is kicking your butt , one of the best counter attacks is to practice gratitude very deliberately . I wake up every morning at 7 am , and I write three things I ’ m grateful for . Usually it ’ s a person , a delicious meal and an experience of some kind . Then I send this list to my tribes ( which consist of clients , friends and family ). Make it a point throughout the day to not only identify why you have gratitude , but share the gratitude , as well . Within a few weeks you will notice so many moments throughout your day that are gratitude-worthy and unconsciously shift your “ lens ” to one of optimism .
3USE NATURE AS A POWERFUL HEALING
FORCE : When you ’ re in nature , you ’ re connected to something bigger than yourself — the universe . Lace
up your sneakers and go outside . The fresh air , outdoor stimuli and cardiovascular effect can radically restore your attention , attitude and behavioral response . Movement can be
the cure to almost every psychological challenge .
While you ’ re walking , find someone you can talk to . It
can be a friend , a therapist , a coach or a mentor . Don ’ t keep
your emotions and thoughts inside . Find your go-to person in nature to share what ’ s going on inside of you and get it out of your mouth . Communication and expression are extremely healthy for completing a stress cycle .
It ’ s important to realize that you must do more than remove yourself from a stressor , like watching the news . That ’ s only the first step . In order to heal the stress that ’ s living in every nook and cranny of your body — use nature , use movement and talk to somebody you trust . n
With a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University , Mind in Motion founder LEIGH WEINRAUB pioneered Walk-and-Talk therapy and has inspired organizations like Nike , NBC , UPS , Canyon Ranch , John Deere , Army West Point , Deloitte and Verizon . To connect with her , follow her on Instagram and Facebook (@ yourmindinmotion ) and visit getyourmindinmotion . com .
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021 ■ PULSE 55