Oct

16

Staying healthy in stressful times

Filed Under Transition, Work life balance issues | 

Is what’s going on with the economy keeping you up at night? Are you worried and stressed? Given all that’s happening, you are not alone.

People who don’t have good self-care habits to begin with, find it almost impossible to take care of themselves at times of extreme stress. Health matters. Living with stress, not sleeping or eating well, not exercising, and always focusing on the negative will not make you more effective or solve your problems.

As you are reading this, take a deep breath and scan your body. Feel how the stress is affecting you. Where in your body do you hold the stress? What kind of thoughts do you have? What kind of self-talk do you indulge in? Are fear and anxiety rendering you helpless? Giving in to negative thinking will only result to more of the same.

Let’s start by taking inventory of what is good with your life. Hold on to it. Crisis will come and go. The one thing we can all depend on, is change. What matters most is you, your health, and those you love. Take care of these assets.

Pay yourself first!

  • Take the time for a walk without a destination. As you walk, breathe and look around. Take it all in and appreciate the present moment.
  • Exercise.
  • Sit down for a meal. I remember when I was in corporate, there were days when I forgot to eat. Then my blood sugar would go down and I couldn’t think straight. Eat something healthy. Don’t go for the quick fix. That’s what puts most of us into trouble anyway.
  • Laugh! Nothing like a good laugh to help us relax and shake anxiety.
  • Talk to the people who make you feel good.
  • Play with your kids, tell them how much you love them.
  • Take some down time and read a good book or watch a good movie.
  • Help someone who needs your help. Nothing like being useful to someone else for putting things into perspective.
  • Reflect on your past experience. No matter how bad things may look, most of us have been there before and we are still standing.

How do you stay healthy in stressful times? Go ahead and share.

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