Finding Balance in the Face of Stress
How we respond to stressors, uncertainty, and change is often influenced, in part, by the countless experiences that we have had throughout our lives. Not only may we be shaped by what we have directly experienced, but we can also be influenced by how we have seen others react to stress, uncertainty, and change. For example, perhaps we have seen parents, teachers, friends, or spouses react with fear and anxiety, love and compassion, or anything in between. This culmination of experiences may have left us prone to a certain type of stress response. We could react with a ‘fight or flight’ response and experience things like strong emotions, anxiety, or urgency. We could also react with a ‘freeze’ response which may contribute to things like depression, avoidance, or disconnection. Sometimes it may feel like a struggle to find balance.
Stress, uncertainty, and change are unavoidable. If we are constantly responding to these inevitable parts of life with a ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ response, our sympathetic nervous systems may be working in overdrive and contributing to a sense of imbalance. To aim to respond with a more balanced approach we could focus on:
Mindfully facing challenges
Caring for ourselves
Activating our parasympathetic nervous systems
Finding balance in the face of stress, uncertainty, or change can mean that we are dealing with whatever is happening; we are doing what we can to support ourselves using self-care; and, we are working to soothe our inner selves and physiological systems through activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, or the ‘rest and digest’ system.
With these components in mind, when faced with stress, uncertainty, or change we may strive to respond with balance by:
Grounding Through Mindfulness
Mindfulness encourages us to become aware of the present moment with an open, non-judgmental curiosity. With a focus on the present moment, we are not being pulled into the future by worry or feeling stuck in the past. Rather, we are saying hello to the stress, element of uncertainty, or change that we face with a nonjudgmental interest in what we are thinking, feeling, and sensing in that moment.
To help us stay anchored in the present moment and more able to address stress in a balanced way, we can practice grounding techniques. For example, we could:
· Direct our awareness to the soles of our feet and investigate the sensations we feel
· Visualize ourselves as a tall, strong tree with roots flowing deeply into the earth
· Go outside and put our feet on the actual earth – dirt, sand, grass, clay
Using Well-Rounded Self-Care
Stress, uncertainty, and change can be really hard. To help us react in a balanced way, we may be benefited by doing what we can to support ourselves with kindness, care, and knowledge about what we know can help us in challenging situations. You may consider what types of practices and strategies have helped you in the past when faced with hardship, such as:
· Spending time in nature
· Preparing nutritious meals
· Speaking kindly to yourself
· Asking for support from others
· Committing to a healthy routine
· Getting good sleep
It may be helpful to remember that self-care can include those things that nurture us (e.g., warm baths and cups of tea) and also things that help us act or initiate change (e.g., boundaries and self-discipline). Consistently implementing a variety of self-care habits and practices can add up over time to buffer us against the obstacles we will face and perhaps allow us to respond with greater balance when they occur.
Calming the Inner Systems
To respond with balance, we may need to calm the sympathetic nervous system – the system that is responding to perceived threat by telling us to fight, flight, or flee. We can help restore balance to our physiological systems by activating the parasympathetic nervous system – the system that can help restore homeostasis within the body by encouraging rest and connection.
In addition to practicing soothing self-care strategies or any number of mindfulness exercises, a foundational and accessible way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system is to use the breath. For example, to practice we could:
· Stop
· Take several deep breaths, focused on elongating the exhalation
· Use counting to help (e.g., count to three on the inhalation and six on the exhalation)
· Check-in – Has your heart rate slowed? Has tension softened?
· Return with a bit more balance
Experiencing stress sometimes is not necessarily bad. We can Grow from Stress.
Let's Grow
If stress is not constant, it can present opportunities for personal growth. Responding to stress in a more balanced manner – including more self-kindness, use of support, curiosity, and openness - is an example of how growth could occur. If you would like support transforming stress into growth, reach out for a free 15-minute informational consultation and let’s see if Grow True is right for your needs. I want to support my clients on their personal growth journey toward greater inner peace through enhanced stress management.
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