I suffer from anxiety. If I don’t monitor and address it, it can build into unmanageable stress. This leaves me with an inability to cope.
Stress is a natural response. It indicates you need to take action to address your stressors. As such in small doses it is a useful indicator. If you listen to your body, generally your head, heart, and lungs you can catch it before it becomes unmanageable. However, if unaddressed it can become debilitating. So how can you cope?
It is important to be able to build resilience in order to not only deal with stress but recover from its effects. Working in the justice sector delivering programmes for six years I found I had to devise strategies to build and maintain my resilience. I have found these strategies of great support in managing my anxiety.
Techniques I use to manage stress include my self-care strategies such as exercise, routine, and rest. I also found in the past that I tended to overthink situations causing unnecessary concern about something that may not occur or that I may deal with effectively. I find I work well under pressure. However, I then had a tendency to overanalyse my actions after. Some self-reflection is positive as it provides us with lessons to learn from. However, overanalysing can lead to unmanageable stress. It could provoke me to personalise situations and be overly critical of myself. I have found adopting mindful practices invaluable. This involves focusing on the present moment in immense detail using all your senses. The past is past and cannot be changed. The future is determined by our actions in the present.
Everyone is different and will have different methods to manage stress. I believe it is now more important than ever for us to address our strategies to build resilience. If you want support with building resilience book a Free No-Obligation Mindset Meeting here: Home | Chloe Mepham BSc Certified Life Coach.