How to take care of yourself when you’re stressed
Busy weeks are a normal part of life, especially in our current times. You’re trying to juggle work, family, household chores, friends and social commitments, and the extra curveball things that get thrown on your plate last minute.
Sometimes we can manage our calendars in a way that limits the stress and busyness of life, but sometimes it’s just unavoidable. When these weeks happen, it can often feel like all the good habits and routines we’ve worked so hard to establish just go flying out the window!
Why is it important to take care of your body when stressed?
When we’re stressed, sometimes our bodies can switch into flight-or-flight mode. When this happens (and when we get that anxious gut feeling), our body’s primary focus in on survival. It’s less focused on critical thinking and planning, which can be really helpful and important brain functions during stressful times. On the busy weeks when we’re balancing multiple schedules and commitments, we need our brain’s critical thinking and planning skills to keep up with as much as we can!
Since the relationship between mind and body is so interconnected and constantly active, it’s important that we take steps to proactively care for both as much as we can. By developing healthy routines with sleep, hydration, movement, and nutrition, we reduce our vulnerability to intense emotions when stress picks up. While the routines may waiver a bit in the busy weeks, they don’t have to fall completely away. We can still keep up with bits and pieces, just in a modified way. It’s not that we won’t feel the anxiety and frustration that stress can bring, but it will help it to not be as high as it could.
What helps the body to cope during times of stress?
In the video clip, Kristen Bunich, RD from The Intuitive Dietitian talks about 3 things you can do to support your body during stressful times. She talks about:
Scaling back expectations for exercise and focusing more on movement of any kind rather than meeting specific exercise minimums.
Leaning into meal prep routines or meal delivery services. YES, Kristen gives us permission to use the meal delivery kits!
Incorporate mindfulness into your eating during the busy day or week. Tune into your 5 senses when eating to notice how things smell and taste, and kick it up a notch by also incorporating breathing into that time.
How to take care of yourself during stressful times?
Now that you have some quick tips for taking care of the body during busy weeks, let’s talk about taking care of your mental and emotional health. There are 3 quick and easy things you can do to turn up the self-care, even in the busiest of weeks!
Make shower time into spa-time. Use those fancy products you were gifted once and are “saving for a special day”, light the lavender candle on your bathroom counter, and play some soothing spa music. You’re going to be in the shower anyway, so it’s only adding a extra minute or 2 to find those items and turn that to-do item on your routine list into a relaxing and recharging experience.
Turn up the entertainment on your commute. Be more intentional about what you listen to in the car on your way to and from all the places you need to go. The self-help podcast you’re listening to can wait for another time. Learn into that good old nostalgic music from your teen years, play the funny podcast that makes you laugh or at least smile.
Take 2 minutes for a daily gratitude practice. Take a brief time-out at the end of the day to reflect on a positive moment, no matter how little. Maybe you jammed out to some Backstreet Boys on the way home from work, or your morning coffee was just the exact right balance of flavor and sweetness. Maybe you got a text from a friend that felt encouraging and supportive, or maybe you saw a meme or reel on insta that perfectly captured your experience in the most fulfilling way. Doing this helps our brain focus on the highlights from the day rather than the stressful moments, which help reduce the intensity of negative emotions.
All of these are meant to turn down the volume on stress, turn up the volume on pleasant feelings, all without costing a ton of your time or energy.
If you want to learn about more ways to recharge your mental and emotional energy, check out what to do when relaxing isn’t working for you in this blog!
How do you heal your body from stress?
Using these short-cuts can help you survive those especially busy and challenging weeks without completely sacrificing your self-care. You’ll find you have a bit more physical, emotional, and mental energy to push through to the more standard weeks ahead!
Feeling like every week is becoming one of these chaotic and stressful weeks and you’re wondering “why do I feel so anxious”? It may be helpful to work with a therapist to explore ways to create a better balance in your life. Kimberleigh can help you clarify your core values and find ways to align your life and time more with the things that fill you up!
LOOKING FOR MORE SUPPORT WITH MANAGING STRESSFUL TIMES?
Kimberleigh Hagar, LCSW with Mindfully Balanced Therapy offers online therapy for women in NC, IL, & SC, specializing in overthinking, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome. Kristen Bunich, RD with The Intuitive Dietitian offers online nutrition services for women in NC and in-person in Charlotte, NC.
