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Every day women from all walks of life face stress to the point of burnout. Not the kind of stress that men face but a different and possibly debilitating kind. It is not better or worse. It just is… however the stress is real.
We juggle work, family, home, and community responsibilities in one big multitasking circus. The pressure or fear of not getting it all done, failing, or worse causes anxiety, sleepless nights, and for some, burnout.
Unfortunately too many of us feel stuck and hopeless or so overwhelmed that we either self-medicate with alcohol or turn to prescription drugs. These methods only make the problems worse but what are the alternatives?
Here are six ways to prevent and relieve stress without resorting to harmful medication or alcohol. Some may seem too simplistic and some you may already know about, but we can all use an occasional reminder about self-care.
Let’s get into the 6 Stress Relief Strategies for professional women who do too much!
What Stress Does to You
The body responds to stress by releasing stress hormones. These hormones make blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels go up. Long-term stress can help cause a variety of health problems, including:
- Mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Abnormal heart beats
- Menstrual problems
- Acne and other skin problems (WomensHealth.gov)
Guiding Strategy #1 – Say “Yes” to yourself often and make this your first priority.
Why? Because we put everyone else’s needs ahead of our own 85-90% of the time (this is purely based on my observations). Eventually we get burned out and begin acting out in ways that can be both damaging to our mental and physical health.
How? Start putting yourself first in small doses then upgrade the self-love treatment in practical ways. Make it a habit of putting yourself first and forget about what others think about your life choices.
Guiding Strategy #2 – Take 10 Religiously Every Day
Why? To give you the space to breathe, to decompress, and to get centered.
How? Set a timer for 10 minutes and shut the world out and take time to:
- Listen to music at your desk
- Rest your eyes on the car on lunch break
- Take walk alone outside around the building
- Breathe deeply whenever you think about it
Guiding Strategy #3 – Decide Your Happiness is #1
Why? Happiness is the gift you give yourself and can only come from within.
How? Choose to be happy and make it the number one priority. It sounds counter-intuitive but when you choose your happiness, guilt-free and confidently, everyone else is happier. You have probably heard the old adage:
This is true whether you are a mother or not. If the woman is not happy, often everyone around her follows her emotional cues.
When you make this choice, the rest of your life begins to feel manageable because you are no longer in last place on the happiness scale. You stop putting others ahead of yourself. You fill up first, after which, you have more to give the people around you without feeling resentful, used, and emotionally displaced.
Guiding Strategy #4 – Set Clear Boundaries
I cannot express enough, the importance of setting clear boundaries around your life. You have to draw a proverbial line in the sand and enforce the boundary you have drawn. Fuzzy boundaries do not work. You cannot let people over the line even occasionally. It sends mixed signals and you will not be taken seriously. Unclear boundaries will always be crossed and you will often feel violated.
What boundaries should you set? Well that is up to you.
How? I recommend that you get clear about:
- What makes you comfortable or uncomfortable
- What you like and don’t like
Set policies around your preferences and trust that very few people will violate your space!
Draw a line in the sand of your life and insist that others respect the line.
Guiding Strategy #5 – Take a Natural Supplement to Relax
Why? Our minds are always active with the next idea, plan, or problem solving. It may even go into overdrive with worry. It is hard to relax and give your mind a break. If you are like I am you are a high achieving woman with a million things going on at once.
The result is stress, anxiousness, irritability, and for some a mental breakdown. To combat this many are turning to anti-anxiety and anti-depressants like Prozac, Valium, Ritalin, Zoloft, etc. Though helpful for a time, the side effects can be too much for the body or addiction takes hold causing more problems.
Sometimes we need help relaxing…the drug-free way
How? Here are 3 natural supplements you can start using today to help you calm your mind and body, sleep better, de-stress without adverse effects or addiction.
- Valerian
- John’s Wort
- Magnesium
Guiding Strategy #6 – Implement Natural Remedies and Activities to Relax
Why? In addition to taking natural supplements you can incorporate simple activities into your life (often free) that will help you relieve stress.
How? Here are four things you can do today to get started:
Use Lavender – Buy a quality lavender lotion, potpourri, sprays, ice cream.
Get into the Sunshine – Turn your face and arms to the sun for a natural mood boost during the day.
Play – Run around with the kids or friends as well as play sports (tennis, swim, or bike). You will laugh, relax, and get an endorphin boost.
Listen to positive music – music has the power to alter our moods. Ditch the downer music and opt to listen to the following music in your car, office, and at home:
- Classical
- Inspirational
- Feel-good
- Oldies
- Dance/Party
The results of using these strategies are a healthier, happier, stress-free you! You will begin living a life where your sanity is saved (mentally healthy), you are depression free (emotionally healthy), your body is healthy (physically healthy), and your kids are happy/ the family thrives (family healthy).
Go Deeper. Get to Your Blyss.
The strategies in this guide are just the start. Are you ready to go deeper and experience ultimate joy? Are you ready to live life in a long-term stress-free and sane state of blissfulness despite the chaos around you? Are you ready to own your power and inspire your family with your calming influence? Join me on a FREE 30-minute discovery call where I will give you more strategies to begin living a Blyss Life© and enter into your joy.
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Samantha Gregory, the Serene Queen, is a recovering stress addict. She trains women to take radical steps to embrace the Blyss Life© through coaching, courses, and her Blyss Body Butter calming cream.
Ms. Gregory is also an author, empowerment speaker and coach, entrepreneur, trainer, and mom. Her purpose on the planet is to encourage, inspire, and empower women to recognize their worth, embrace their freedom, and attract love (and wealth)!
Get self-care tips for a more serene experience by follow Samantha on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Visit SamanthaGregory.com/blysscall to schedule your free 30-minute discovery call and begin the journey to Stress-Less living and Ultimate Joy!
