Stress-Busters: 5 Useful Tips to Help You Cope

Some days can just be more difficult to get through than others, because life throws what I like to call “learning opportunities” our way when it feels like we need them. Because I am practicing speaking only positivity into my life, it is my goal to not refer to these moments as stressful; but the reality is they can be both physically and emotionally taxing! What makes the difference is how we deal with them. We can give in (as I almost did today after a particularly trying day at work) or we can go to our list of things that bring us back to a place of peace:

1. Walk away. One of the most helpful things you can do when encountering something that upsets you is to walk away from it. Take a walk, go to lunch, window shop or sit in the park if the weather permits. The important thing is that you change your environment, which may also help to change your perspective on the situation when later viewing it with “fresh” eyes.

2. Listen to music. This is where your “positive perceptions” iPod playlist comes in handy! Play things that uplift you or make you smile; they’ll help to lighten your mood.

3. Treat yourself to something small. Grab a coffee, tea or a smoothie. Pick up something that doesn’t violate your regular diet, but that you consider a treat. Many herbal teas, especially ones containing chamomile or lavender, are very calming. Today, I opted for a blueberry protein smoothie from my favorite natural foods store just to remind myself that I deserve good things, however small.

4. Talk to someone. Call a friend, a parent, your pastor or anyone who you can rely on to talk you through it, help you to calm down and aid you in coming up with solutions. If you’re a parent, sometimes even calling your child can help! The sound of my son’s voice brings me joy, and is always a gentle reminder of why I do so many of the things I do.

5. Read, watch or listen to something with an uplifting message. I like to watch/listen to messages from Gabrielle Bernstein because I find them to be empowering. She has a YouTube channel dedicated to Vlogs and recordings of her lectures. Immediately channeling these messages and flipping your thoughts around from negative to positive will go a long way in helping you to deal with the situation that has been bothering you.

We may not be able to break out into full-on meditation in the middle of the day, or go and work out when we find ourselves suddenly stressed out; but we can find comfort in little things, using tips like these, until we can fully deal with our emotions.

How do you combat emotional overload?