Stress - how to make it bearable, before you break down!

I was sitting at home two days ago with a pile of study and assignments in front of me and laptop when I started to get a pain that ran through my entire body.
Suddenly my head was throbbing, my back was aching from the very top of my neck to the bottom of my coccyx bone (including all of the muscles however big or small attached to it), my stomach was aching and a wave of nausea flushed over me. I took a breath and noticed that my shoulders were creeping up towards my ears, my neck was so tight that it looked like I had no neck (or I  had been playing rugby for the last twenty years and had taken growth hormone to become 'thicker' than the average 'rugby' bear!). I rubbed my eyes but it just made them more blurry - at that point I stepped away from the desk and sat outside in the fresh morning air to get my grip back on the world!
                            
After ten minutes I came back to my little desk space at the end of the large dark stained timber table where my pile of mess lay awaiting my return. I started reading over my notes. My focus then waned for a brief period where I took an out of body experience and saw myself from an outsiders perspective. At that point, I sat there with my earphones in listening to audio lectures, reading old assignments for reference to add to my current assignments, answering the questions to a test i was doing and taking interest in the questions my fiancee and step son were firing at me from the other side of the room.

I am a female - and us brilliant females are generally able to multi-task but it  just dawned on me how intense I had made my life out to be of recent times. At this current point in time - I am in the process of finishing off three different qualifications (Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach and Pilates Instructor), while my newest venture; Health Coach had started to send me through introduction tasks and readings. I was in the early stages of planning a wedding (which to me - seemed to be the busiest as I haven't booked a thing, but had a million different ideas and people offering help around me!), I was trying to work on my business development (keeping my blogs up to date, working on my marketing, online presence and content development), trying to be present to my beautiful family and friends (sorry Tim for the several nights of tears and anxiety over the last couple of weeks!!!), waking at 5am to get my favorite 'me time' routine done either running, Pilates or swimming and thinking of the looming school exam marking and reports over the next few weeks.

By this stage, it is safe to say (and often we don't realize how intense things are for us until we say it aloud or write it down), that my body and brain had noticed before my sense of perspective had - I was getting over-whelmed - BIG TIME!!!

Stress can do some pretty vicious things to our bodies and I was at the stage where I was feeling well on the path to a burnout; headaches, nausea, sore muscles, fatigue, anxiety, loss of libido, losing interest in the things I usually jump out of bed to do, taking days off work and feeling like I just needed to run away from the world to hide away from everything that was 'calling me'.

Sometimes it takes something drastic to happen or our bodies to start breaking down before we take action to try and help ourselves. Stress can increase your risk of many diseases, illness' and not to mention your enjoyment of life - which can be a tipping point for a whole other bucket of illness'.

The last thing you want to do is ruin the amazing things you have in your life (relationships, careers, interests, passions etc), because 'little miss perfect' wants to do everything at once!!

So - I thought I'd share a few helpful tips and things that you can do (even if it is only one of these each day to try and give your brain and body the time it needs to repair, relax, rejuvenate and learn how to 're-think' in a much more productive way.

I started yesterday with 30 minutes of yoga (thank you you-tube) with my windows and curtains wide open to the outside blue sky and flowers, read my book for 20 minutes and had a Cup of green tea. I felt like I had just had a massage for three hours, my limbs were lighter, my head was clear and I started to notice the things around me that I hadn't taken any notice of for the last week because I was so tuned into my own thoughts and 'to-do list'. So - proven (by millions) - here are a few things to try.....

1. Try progressive relaxation. All the way from fingers to toes—tense and then release each muscle group in the body (lower arm, upper arm, chest, back and abdominals, etc.). Once the body is relaxed, the mind will be soon to follow  !

2. Try some light yoga. The combination of deep breathing techniques and poses makes this activity  work to reduce stress, too .

3. Meditate.
The “mental silence” that goes along with meditate (try the smiling mind app or download one of the million Youtube clips) may have a positive effect on stress (especially work-related stress)   .

4. Breathe deep. Taking a deep breath has been shown to lower cortisol levels, which can help reduce stress and anxiety. Studies suggest deep breathing can also cause a temporary drop in blood pressure. Try breathing in for three counts through your nose and exhaling for three counts with a big puff through your mouth.

5. Spray some scents. Studies suggest aromatherapy can be a good way to relieve stress. Certain aromas (like lavender) have been consistently shown to reduce stress levels  .

6. Listen to music. 
Research points to multiple ways in which music can help relieve stress, from triggering biochemical stress reducers to assisting in treating stress associated with medical procedures   .

7. Laugh it off. 
Laughter can reduce the physical effects of stress (like fatigue) on the body    .

8. Drink tea. One study found that drinking black tea leads to lower post-stress cortisol levels and greater feelings of relaxation  .

9. Exercise. That post-exercise endorphin rush is one way to sharply cut stress.

10. Try guided visualization. 
Visualizing a calm or peaceful scene may help reduce stress and ease anxiety .

11. Chew gum. Studies suggest the act of chewing gum can reduce cortisol levels, helping to alleviate stress  .

12. Get a massage. Getting a good ol’ rub down may do more than alleviate physical pain. Studies suggest massage may also be beneficial for fighting stress. It may also help improve body image  .

13. Try self-hypnosis.
Research suggests hypnosis can help reduce anxiety. Plus, it’s a great self-mediated technique for stress-relief   .

14. Talk About sex, Baby.
Studies sex can actually decrease the physical symptoms of stress, like lowering blood pressure.

15. Take a nap.
Napping (for 20-30minutes at the most) has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, which aids in stress relief   .

16. Hug it out.
Hugging may actually reduce blood pressure and stress in adults  .

17. Hang with your pet.
Or, as we’ve put it before, just get a dog. Dog owners have been shown to be less stressed out—most likely thanks to having a buddy to cuddle  .

18. Do an art project.
Art therapy can potentially reduce stress related behavior and symptoms  .

19. Write it out.
Keeping a journal may be one way to effectively relieve stress-related symptoms due to its meditative and reflective effects. A gratitude journal can really help us put things in perspective, so pick a time every day to write down a few things that make you happy.

20. Take a walk.
A quiet stroll outside can do wonders for stress relief, especially when we step outdoors. Try not to rush, and take whatever pace feels most natural.

21. Kiss someone! Research has shown that kissing releases chemicals that ease hormones associated with stress, like cortisol. Forming positive relationships is also a key way to help reduce stress and anxiety.