I remember the days when I felt like my brain just wouldn’t switch off, like it was a machine, whirring away 24/7. My mind was plagued with all sorts of thoughts of what was going on in my life between my career, my kids, home, trying to juggle it all, the challenges I faced each day and how there always seemed to be too much that had to get done, but just never enough time. I constantly felt like I was so stretched and wasn’t doing anything as well as I wanted and on top of this, I felt guilty for not really being able to be present with my kids in the little time I did have with them, because my mind was always elsewhere.
Get up a little earlier and enjoy some peace and quiet – try to stay off technology for 10 mins as you drink your coffee or tea or water (you could try hot lemon water if you don’t drink coffee or tea) and just ‘be’. You could even do some journaling.
Plan your day – what is your intention, how do you want to show up, interact or act throughout the day.
What are your top 3-5 priorities for the day?
Remember to drink water throughout the day. Our days can get very busy and it's easy to be running from meeting to meeting, so have water close by or get a big jug to keep near you. Staying hydrated is important and helps your energy levels.
If you feel stressed or emotionally react to something throughout your day, use release writing. Just take a few minutes and write everything you are feeling. Don’t re-read, just tear it up and throw it out.
Movement is key – if you don’t do vigorous exercise, try even a short walk. It gets you outside and your body moving and gets some sun on your face. Practice mindfulness when you walk – instead of your brain whirring with everything going on, try paying attention to your surroundings.
Try taking some deep breathes and resetting your intention between activities. This only needs to take 30 seconds but can completely shift your energy.
Do some breathing. Take a few minutes out, close your office door or if you work in an open area, hide in your car or even a bathroom stall and spend a few minutes doing some deep breathing – breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breath out for 4, hold for 4 and repeat 10 times or for 1-2 minutes.
Compliment someone – their reaction will make you feel really good and flood your body with happy hormones.
Practice gratitude – before you go to sleep at night think about 3-5 things you are grateful for – can be anything from the love and support you have in your life to seeing a beautiful flower or sunset that day.
I encourage you to pick just a few of these and commit to implementing them each day to start gaining control back over your thought patterns. Initially it might not sound like it will have a big impact, but if you do these consistently over a few days, you will see what a difference they can make. Not only will your stress levels decrease in the moment, but over time, you will feel the reduction of stress throughout your day.