Stress is a natural response our body has to challenges and pressures. It can stem from work, relationships, health concerns, or even small daily irritations—like that person who always interrupts you mid-sentence! Finding effective stress relief can make a world of difference in how you feel and can significantly boost your health and vitality.
Wouldn’t it be great to always feel at peace?
Many people who have never experienced severe stress might assume that they aren’t stressed. That’s why I prefer to redefine stress as simply problems. Everyone has problems, and the more we accumulate, the greater the pressure we feel. This pressure manifests as a psychological or physical stress response, leading to increased cortisol levels and, in extreme cases, elevated adrenaline.
The good news is that stress is manageable and treatable.
What does your stress look like?
Stress relief starts with understanding how stress affects your life. Recognising the signs of stress, such as irritability, lack of focus, or sleep disturbances, is the first step in taking control of your well-being. Everyone has different signs that they are becoming stressed. Don’t just look out for the typical ones, pay attention to figure out what your red flags are. For example, here are some warning signs you might not have thought of:
- Being petty or passive aggressive
- Ignoring people or avoiding them
- Complaining more than usual
- Back pain
- Saying no before even considering it
- Wasting excessive time on social media by doom scrolling
- Procrastinating more
- Never wanting to get out of bed
- Getting takeaway more often instead of cooking
- Skipping meals accidentally
- Eating more carbs or daily food cravings
- Relying on coffee more than usual
The most obvious sign that your stress level is getting out of hand is if you wake up around 3 am or 4am most nights.
Stress Relief
A key part of stress relief is making time for rest and relaxation. And Julia understands—it’s not always easy to stop and slow down when there’s so much to do. Rest doesn’t just mean sleeping; it can also mean engaging in activities that nurture your soul.
Julia Plamenig wants you to have a personalised list of ways to reduce stress, so you have effective coping mechanisms when things get tough. But don’t just pick an activity because it’s supposed to help with stress relief. If it doesn’t bring you joy, make you feel calm, or genuinely make you happy, it’s unlikely to create the hormonal response your body needs. The key isn’t simply doing the activity; it’s about how that activity influences your hormones and promotes relaxation.
How to reduce stress
If you notice red flags that your stress levels are rising or you’re feeling overwhelmed, make it a priority to create and follow a self-care routine as needed. Whether you need 20 minutes a day or two hours, the key is to focus on what works best for you. The goal is to find a coping mechanism or lifestyle change that effectively manages your cortisol levels and promotes the release of relaxation hormones.
Below are some stress management techniques:
For high-functioning individuals who can do anything they put their mind to
- Switching high-intensity training sessions for more gentle forms of exercise a few times a week
- Having one day off per week where you have limited expectations placed on you
- Outsourcing tasks you need to do by hiring someone so that you can be more productive and don’t waste time/energy on draining activities
- Scheduling in time to do nothing
- Using your time more wisely by avoiding draining activities (or people)
- Saying no to others instead of being a people pleaser
- Avoiding trying to do everything and always being perfect
- Letting go of the idea that you “should have,” “could have,” or “will do,” because life is too short to live in regret
- Delegating work with the understanding that it may not be as perfect as if you did it yourself, but it might still be good enough
- Prioritising your time with people who bring you joy and saying no to toxic environments
-
Prioritising activities that nourish your soul and help you unwind, rather than constantly focusing on tasks that move you toward your goals
The world is beautiful and will make you smile if you take the time to breathe it all in
- Watching a sunset or sunrise
- Going to a pretty viewpoint in your area
- Driving for no reason
- Sitting in a park
- Watching waves at a beach
- Walking somewhere beautiful
- Spending time in nature
- Forest bathing (shinrin-yoku): a type of meditative practice where you are calm and quiet among the trees, observing nature while breathing deeply
- Watching a river, ocean, or moving water as a meditative practice
Creating a safe space in your home to unwind
- Playing with a puzzle or board game
- Watching TV, Netflix, or videos
- Playing video games
- Drinking tea
- Playing with pets, or getting one!
- Baking
- Stretching before bed
- Creating moments without any activity at all to experience stillness
- Dancing in your living room or bedroom
- Listening to a podcast while not multitasking
- Writing letters to people you are angry or disappointed with but never sending them
- Telling chat GPT or an AI program about your problems to see what their response is
- Cozying up next to a fireplace, or on the couch with a water bottle
- Lighting candles and relaxing as you watch them
- Staying at home in the evening hours instead of always going out just because
Activities you can schedule in
- Avoiding having to rush by giving yourself an extra half hour in the morning before work or school (preventative measures)
- Taking a nap
- Booking a massage with a practitioner
- Booking an acupuncture session
- Scheduling into your calendar time to go for a walk along the coast
- Yin yoga class (this is the type of yoga that is only stretching and breathing)
- Gardening
- Joining a breath work class or meditation class
- Getting herbal supplementation to improve your vitality by a Naturopath. (Learn more about how a Naturopathic Physician can help here)
-
Blocking time off in your calendar each week for alone time to enjoy your hobby—or, if you prefer, to do absolutely nothing
New goals to keep you on track
- Falling asleep before 10 PM
- Waking up without an alarm clock every day because you go to bed earlier
- Trying not to think about work when not at work, or putting barriers in place so that you don’t
- Saying no to increased workload
Reducing stress is a skill set you can learn
When the number of problems in your life becomes overwhelming, the only thing that will truly reduce your stress is addressing those problems directly. No amount of self-care will eliminate stress if you’re in a traumatic situation or facing something deeply overwhelming. However, in the meantime, stress-reducing activities can help mitigate the negative effects of stress, giving you the strength and resilience to face your challenges head-on.
Understanding what is stress and how to manage it can help bring balance and peace to your life. For more guidance on health and wellness, consider meeting meeting with Julia Plamenig and getting personalised advice.