Let’s start with the acronym for Stress:
STRESS = Situations That Release Emergency Signals or Stimuli
Stress is something we all experience in our lives be that us as adults or our children and sometimes our children are the source of our own stress.
So how do you live with stress in your life without allowing it to be detrimental to your health and inner peace?
It really comes down to having a plan in place and go to strategies that you can use in the moment to reduce and cope with your feelings of stress, either big or small.
In times of high stress I have always found the following quote a great reminder of the control I have in each and every situation.
The situations that appear in our life are not always in our control, but how we react to it, now that is where our power lies. There are always going to be times in your life where everything goes belly up and your response to it is going to be the catalyst to what happens next.
This is especially important when dealing with our children, when they are acting in ways that cause us stress, it is because they are experiencing their own level of stress, so our reaction to it is paramount to again what happens next.
I am sure you are seeing a pattern here:
Situation > Response > What Happens Next
As you can see our response is the middle ground here which is a very important place to be and as such just as important to have the strategies available to you to gauge your response in each situation.
5 Strategies to Living with Stress
- Calm Tone of Voice – This is imperative for how you speak to yourself during times of stress and your children. This will allow you to calm yourself and those around you, aka your children.
- Deep Breathing – Your breath is the biggest natural asset that you have, using it to calm your mind in times of stress will allow you to think in a logical way. Use 4>4>4 method, breathe in for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 4.
- Smiling – Utilising another natural asset your smile, this will help to relax your muscles, notice more positive options and lower your blood pressure
- Stay in the present moment – Ground your energy through using this statement “I am Nicole; I am 42 years old, this is the present and not the past; I am safe here, today is Thursday” Using this statement with your personal information will bring you back into the present moment where you are safe.
- Gratitude Practice – Each day write down one thing you are grateful for and put it in a box and then on days of stress reading these entries will help to lower your stress levels. Another great thing to do as a family is read these entries on World Gratitude Day – 21st September.
Using these simple strategies in your daily life will help you and your children to start to self-regulate and live with stress in a way that doesn’t affect your health or inner peace.
Learn more about Nicole http://www.calmyourmindwellness.com.au/about
