Can you leverage your stress?

Juggling old obligations combined with our new and ever-evolving obligations can be very overwhelming. This may leave you feeling like you are on the verge of burnout. However, were you on the urge of burnout before this?

The new anxieties around our health, our family’s health, and the future of our economy can leave one feeling very worried and scared. Combine this with the fact that boundaries have been blurred between work and home life. All scrambled together with a multitude of other concerns. Concerns like, are our kids behind? Am I falling behind at work? Will you have a job next week? Do you even want to keep your current job? Will my marriage last much longer? The worry game of questioning has spread as quickly as the pandemic.

But it is time we get serious about being intentional and mindful. We must remain present and face life head-on with curiosity. But how do we do this? How do we face the cray without losing our way?

It takes actions consistently – over time – that yield the greatest results. This is a true practice at any time in our lives, especially now. You must take knowledge over the little things you are doing, day in and day out; it’s time that you shift your attention to these daily actions. What are you up to? Do they align with your intentions? 

Before we jump into daily actions that will support you with these anxieties, let me remind you that in times of stress, we can be led into periods of great value. When we are stressed, that provides a time of great involvement. The greatest growth. Stress forces us to look within, make changes, and shift. Stress helps us evolve when we look inward. Are you ready to look inward?

The biggest challenge regarding our current stressors is that pandemic, economic, and relational stress has gone way beyond our imagination! 

We cannot change the pandemic, but we can change how we view and deal with what the pandemic provides. We can choose to respond vs. react. We can choose to use compassion vs. criticism. We can choose to listen vs. blame. We can CHOOSE what we want regarding our thoughts, actions, and emotions. We have way more control over our well-being than we are led to think. So, let’s look inward at some actions we can take to stay mentally, emotionally, and physically resilient. 

1. Only put in your mind what you want to be a part of. Shift your news and shift your social media feed away from the negativity. Shift your conversations and actively control your inner narrative.
2. Treat your body like a temple. You will feel amazing when you take care of your body and nurture it with the right foods, water, rest, and supplements. Your immune system rises, and your energy lifts. So, limit the junk or even eliminate the junk. Take the time to intermittently fast and nourish your body with quality foods that fuel you.
3. Focus on only the things you do have control of. Your home, a hobby, your fitness, your children, your mindset, minutes in your day, your finances, etc. 
4. Breathe! Take time every day to clear your mind, and focus on the fact that life is happening for you and not against you! Breathe in love and light, and exhale any tension and stress. 

Remember, stress can serve us, and the stress of life may already be serving you. Maybe you have found a new way of being, a new way of working, a new way of viewing things that sits with you in a happier space. Let’s shift our mindset from “This stress is bad” to “This stress is pushing me to grow.” Look inward to what blessings these past couple of years have provided, and choose the good to focus on!