8 tips to help you manage your stress

by Bronte Holding

You’ve probably heard of ‘stress management’ before…but what actually is it? Proactively managing your stress is the key to bringing yourself out of fight or flight mode and ensuring you are spending most of your time in a relaxed state. This is essential for avoiding chronic stress, recovering well, sleep quality, and our overall well being. So, here are our top tips on managing your stress! 

Breathing exercises

  • Practice deep breathing exercises to calm your nervous system

  • Breathing deeply tells our body that we are not in danger and allows us to tap into our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).

    • Try the 4-7-8 technique: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Repeat this for 2-3 minutes or until you feel more calm. 

Mindfulness and meditation

  • Engage in mindfulness or meditation to stay present and reduce anxiety. Here are some cues for mindfulness to help!

  • What are 3 things I can see?

  • What are 3 things I can hear?

  • How does my body feel right now?

  • Am I in physical danger right now?

  • You can also find helpful guided meditations on YouTube, Spotify, or apps such as Calm and Headspace 

Physical activity

  • Regular exercise releases endorphins, which improves mood and reduces stress

  • No matter how stressed or overwhelmed you are feeling, moving your body in a way you enjoy will improve your mood 

Note: Intense training can actually elevate our cortisol and increase stress - however this is the good kind of stress! The key here is making sure we bring ourselves back into our parasympathetic nervous system post-session. Try doing some deep breathing exercises on the way home from the gym to help with this! 

Journaling

  • Writing down your thoughts and feelings helps to gain clarity and reduce emotional stress

  • Consider making journaling a part of your daily routine

Time Management

  • Organise your tasks and priorities to reduce feelings of overwhelm

  • Invest in a cute planner or start a Google Calendar to help you schedule your week 

  • Prioritise your daily to-do list from most to least important, and be realistic with your expectations of what you can achieve in a day

Seek Support

  • Talk to friends, family, or a therapist about your stressors and emotions

  • You aren’t in this alone! Chances are, others will be able to resonate with what you’re feeling, or can offer advice that will help 

  • Our TWS community knows this best!

Nourish your body properly

  • Make sure you are eating lots of nutrient dense, whole foods, and limit your intake of alcohol and highly processed foods to reduce stress on your body 

  • Remember that dieting is a also stressor, so make sure you are spending most of your time at maintenance 

Prioritise sleep

  • Our sleep can have a big impact on our cortisol levels, and it’s a lot harder to manage stress if you’re not sleeping well 

  • Establish an evening routine to help prepare your mind and body for sleep each night 

  • Practice good sleep hygiene such as sleeping and waking at similar times each day, avoiding screens before bed, and keeping your room dark and cool 

Love TWS Coach Bronte x 

Back to Lifestyle