ORIGINAL: Balance In Me
By contributor Lori Lynn Smith
Where does stress originate?
If you ask 10 people where their stress comes from you’re likely going to get answers such as their kids, family, work, and especially money. These are stress factors that are common to most of us. There are many different schools of thought about where stress comes from. The fact of the matter is that stress is our body’s response to the demands that we place on it.
Stress and mental fatigue most definitely can take its toll on our well-being. This can be so much harder to handle than physical fatigue because of our inability to think clearly or express our feelings and frustrations. Worse still, mental stress is known to cause physical fatigue and illness, too!
Stress, mental fatigue and exhaustion can be a result of your work, family life, conflict, or even a lack of good quality sleep. Stress is a normal part of life so you’ll never be able to escape it. What really matters is how you deal with stress because everyone experiences stress differently.
Recently, I found myself in the middle of a big project at work, the normal work load was increased and the hours were much longer. This left me mentally tired and very low on energy. As luck would have it, then my long term relationship ended. Both situations can be tough to handle but to compound them at the exact same time that was a real hard.
But it was not an impossible situation and I could navigate through it and so can you very successfully with just a few strategies.
These strategies are definitely not meant to be hard and they should allow for significant stress relief.
- Relax your Mind and Boost your Energy. Relaxation is absolutely necessary to relieve mental stress and rejuvenate your body and mind. You’re probably thinking, “How am I going to do that?” Well, it’s easy, it really is. Here are some tips to help you reduce mental exhaustion and start implementing a relaxation routine:
- Carve out time for yourself. Spend time in a quiet room where you can reflect and get in touch with your spiritual side. My favorite place to go is the beach; if you go early in the morning when it is quiet and wonderful. Everyone has a different way of self-reflection. Some pray or meditate, others write in a journal or diary, while others simply allow their thoughts to gently release into the darkness and quietness of the room.
- Get plenty of good quality sleep. Stress and mental fatigue can exist no matter how much sleep you get, but sleep does help refresh your body and mind. Getting adequate good quality sleep will eliminate a lot of your day-to-day stress. After all, the body will have a chance to repair itself and recharge.
- Free your mind from the problems. While you might not be able to eliminate your problems over night, you can allow yourself a little time. Time to take your mind off of those things that are causing you stress. You can do this by working on a puzzle, reading or spending time with friends and family. Or perhaps you need to go out for a nice dinner or enjoy a relaxing weekend getaway to free your mind.
- Move your body regularly. Exercise causes your brain to release endorphins, which are known to make you feel happy. It’s like the body’s natural “high.” Even if all you can do is take a 15-minute walk, take it. That can be great alone time for you. Even this short time can make a really big impact.
- Breathe. I know it sounds too simple, but it is a wonderful tool. When things get rough, take deep breaths in through your nose; hold it for 10 seconds, then release. You’ll notice that this will relieve tension. I love to blow bubbles! You do the same type of breathing and you can enjoy bubbles!
- Take a day to yourself. Take yourself out to a movie, go to a museum or art gallery, or do something you’ve always wanted to do but never made time for. In doing so, you’ll be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of being alone. Honestly it took me a while to be able to learn to be alone, but it is worth it. Once you learn that it is okay to sit, do nothing AND enjoy it, you will schedule this time weekly.
Implement Your Own Strategies
These are just some of the strategies to combat stress and mental fatigue. You may already have some other methods that help you relax and find peace in your life. I highly recommend that you spend some of your alone time specifically looking for new strategies AND testing them out.
Pick the ones that make you feel great and leave the ones that are blah. Once you begin integrating these simple exercises into your day, you will begin to feel the weight lifted from your shoulders and before you know it, you’ll feel like a brand new person!
Lori Lynn Smith is a passionate and an authentic teacher who shares her real life experiences about creating a more nurturing and fulfilling lifestyle. On her blog LoriLynnSmith you can follow along while Lori continues on the path of transformation from Chaos to Calm.
