3 ways to reduce stress that no one else is talking about
As I’ve talked about in other blog posts, so many of us are experiencing chronic stress. Between a global pandemic, daily tragedies, personal traumas, and those annoying mini-stressors like getting cut off in traffic or scrolling across a provoking social post, we are inundated with pings that tell our cortisol levels to rise, moving us into fight or flight mode more often than we have evolved to tolerate.
As we know, it’s a very good thing that our bodies support us in this way, but when cortisol constantly spikes for a long period of time, our Adrenal Glands (glands that produce cortisol) begin to fatigue, causing us to be less receptive and resilient to stress.
So naturally, we want to find ways to reduce stress! Unfortunately, we don’t get taught these things in school, so what do we do? We turn to the Internet. When you hop onto Google and type “how to reduce stress”, you get advice like...
Do more physical activity
Follow a healthy diet
Minimize phone use and screen time
Consider supplements (like Adaptogens)
Practice self-care
Reduce your caffeine intake
Spend time with friends and family
Create boundaries and learn to say no
Take a Yoga class
Practice mindfulness
Spend time in nature
Practice deep breathing
Spend time with your pet
I’ve done everything on that list and more, but in my years of focusing on stress reduction and management, there are three unconventional tactics that I turn to again and again:
Ask yourself, “Is this productive?”
Take up a structured stress management practice
Follow the rhythm of nature
These three tactics have helped me not only reduce stress, but also manage stress and become more resilient to it. How, you ask? Keep reading and we will dive a little bit deeper into each:
Ask yourself, “Is this productive?”
We so easily get pulled away from our center when something that we perceive as negative happens. Like getting cut off in traffic or the server at the restaurant is not on top of their game or you drop of glass on the ground and it shatters hurling pieces of glass everywhere.
It’s so easy for the small stuff to get into our heads and take hold of our mood.
During these times we might notice that our body reacts to those events too - we might start to feel physically hot, we might start to feel ourselves shake, or we might notice a shallow breath.
When I begin to notice these patterns in my mood and body, that’s my cue to ask myself this question:
“Is this productive?”
Is continuing to feel this way going to help me move forward in my day? Is stewing in this emotion supportive to my physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing?
If the answer is “no”, that’s when I employ my absolute favorite stress management tool that is totally free, easy enough that anyone can do it, and works most of the time:
That’s when I take three deep belly breaths.
I close my eyes and inhale deeply through my nose, filling my belly and envisioning my breath reaching its depths. I hold it in for just a second and then I open my mouth and exhale audibly, feeling my jaw release, my shoulders drop, and my muscles relax.
Three of those helps center me and bring me to a place where I can refocus my energy in a more positive direction.
NOTE: This exercise is not meant to bypass big, important emotions. I am all for feeling our feelings, so if you feel that you need to spend some time doing that - do it! This practice helps me get out of sticky emotions that aren’t serving me and (let’s face it) may be an over-reaction to something small.
Take up a structured practice
When I first started my spiritual/personal development journey (that was partly a way for me to manage stress), I collected tools and practices like it was my job. Yoga, breath work, meditation, shaking, epsom baths, journaling, oracle cards, intuitive dancing - if it exists, I’ve likely tried it.
For a while, what worked for me was just waking up in the morning and intuitively deciding what I needed that day. But because of that, I had no structure and I spent more time figuring out what practices I should do that day instead of sitting down and doing something.
That is, until I found Tea practice. This is something I will talk about more in another blog post, but the reason this practice changed everything for me is because of the structure that comes with it. As my Tea teacher, Mariana Rittenhouse, says, “this is a complete practice”. The practice encompasses the masculine energetics of a prescriptive structure to begin and end the practice (which builds discipline and supports routine) and once you’re in the ritual, it is a completely open experience of drinking the medicine that is Tea and allowing whatever is needed to arise.
Having the balance of a structured container that also provides space for flow and feelings and presence is exactly what I needed to make daily self care/stress management more consistent and fulfilling.
But you don’t have to drink tea! Yoga can be a complete practice. Journaling can be a complete practice. Saying a prayer can be a complete practice. As long as there is a structured container that creates a safe space for you to feel, express, or just be present with yourself - that is a complete practice.
And don’t get me wrong - you don’t have to ditch the rest of your stress management tools. In fact, I encourage you to always keep them with you. I still practice Yoga regularly. I use breath work multiple times per day. I write down big hard feelings when they are desperate to escape. But Tea has become my constant because of how balanced and complete of a practice it is.
Follow the rhythm of nature
Growing up, I lived in Florida and spent a lot of time at the beach. Naturally, I met and hung around with a lot of surfers. The biggest lesson that they emphasized to me was “never turn your back on the ocean” - meaning, even if you’re sitting out beyond the break waiting for your wave, do not turn to face the shore because you never know when a rogue wave is going to come smack you in the back of the head. Sure enough, I got smacked multiple times before I truly learned that lesson. The point is that nature knows, nature has her own agenda, and we should always pay attention and flow with her.
As I’ve aged I’ve learned a similar lesson many times - the lesson that nature’s path is the path of least resistance. Nature has created annual, monthly, and daily cycles for us. Following the rhythm of those cycles keeps you in the flow of nature herself. For example, focusing on eating warming, easily digestible and grounding foods in the winter keep my digestion happy, while eating more fresh and raw produce in the summer cools me down and energizes me.
Food is just one way to sync with the rhythm of the seasons - activity is another. Have you noticed that there a fewer hours of sun during the winter? And that certain species of animals call it a year and hibernate during that time? That’s because we, being part of nature, are meant to rest during the time when there is less sun (our source of energy). So in the past couple of years, I’ve allowed that to happen, giving into the energetics of the seasons. During the winter, I do less. I move slower. I stay grounded. I stay home and allow myself to rest. And as we move to longer days, I take part in more activity.
Observing how nature works and following her lead has definitely made a positive impact on my stress levels and overall health, so I invite you to give it a try!
These are my three tried and true unconventional tips to help you reduce and manage stress. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so if you’d like to chat, DM me over on Instagram @michelle.westall.
