Easy Wins for Overcoming Prolonged Stress

Coming to you today with some real talk about the circumstances we are finding ourselves in during this COVID-19 crisis. A time where taking care of ourselves has become of the utmost importance, not just for keeping our immune systems in tip-top condition, but to also keep ourselves mentally and emotionally healthy.

We all have a tendency during periods of prolonged stress to begin to normalize the anxiety, to feel like it will never end, and feel like we are losing our sense of control over our own lives. Lately, you might have noticed that you have been more fatigued, irritable, or entirely unable to satiate your appetite. Maybe you’ve felt like you haven’t gotten enough done in your day, or that you’ve lost productivity at work. You are not alone!

You are part of the global experience right now of feeling knocked off kilter. And although we know there will eventually be a point in time when we will look back on all of this with a feeling of relief and gratitude for having persevered, we must still figure out how to be present in the “here and now” and how to keep ourselves healthy and feeling grounded.

“The abrupt halt to life as usual, and the idea that things may never be the same has forced a rapid evolution in our collective self-identity. As a result, many people feel like they’ve lost their place in this world.” –Claudia Manzi, Vivian Vignoles, Camillo Regalia

Where to start

At WiseBite, we’ve been experiencing this same struggle and, through trial and error (our greatest teachers), have hit upon some meaningful strategies to keep ourselves feeling hopeful, energetic, healthy, and anchored. Here we give you five easy wins you can do immediately to start feeling your best. COVID be damned!

1. Catch up on your sleep

Sleep Hygiene

We know it’s not always easy to get the right amount of sleep, especially during stressful and unsure times. Try to aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night by introducing tools to help increase your sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is the variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have good, nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness. Get a white noise machine, invest in a comfy eye mask, or try aromatherapy using a diffuser next to your bed. Make your bedroom into a spa, a sanctuary, so that you can start to associate it with relaxation.

Meditation

This is one of the simplest ways to calm down your nervous system, even if you only do it for 5 minutes! Drop any preconceived notions about what meditation has to be or what it has to look like. The most important part of meditation is to create the ritual of setting time aside for yourself to sit and be silent. Meditating before bed is a great way to make drifting off to sleep easier. Download a meditation app, like Headspace, or pull up a video on YouTube and try it tonight.

Power down hour

The Power Down Hour, a secret weapon to better sleep, is crucial for regulating our circadian rhythms. These days, our rhythms get thrown off by exposure to blue light (you know, like when we scroll endlessly through the news...). Put your phone, computer, and any blue-light emitting screens away at least an hour before your intended bedtime. Pick up a book instead and peacefully lull yourself to better sleep.

2. Eat foods that alleviate stress & boost your immune system

Try incorporating more of the following foods into your diet and let them help you fight the good fight. Not only do they bolster your immune system and keep you feeling energized, but they also keep you feeling cool as a cucumber by working to decrease stress and anxiety.

• Vitamin C: Oranges, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, and leafy greens

• Tryptophan: Turkey, chicken, eggs, bananas, oats, and sesame seeds

• Vitamin D: Egg yolks, salmon, tuna, and mushrooms

• Omega 3’s: Salmon, tuna, walnuts, and chia seeds

• Fiber: Beans, green peas, berries, almonds, pistachios, flaxseed, broccoli, kale, and artichokes

• B Vitamins: Sweet potato, shellfish, beef, and eggs

• Magnesium: Spinach, squash/ pumpkin seeds, Swiss chard, lima beans, brown rice, almonds, dark chocolate (yes!), and avocados

3. Practice Joyful Movement

Exercise is undoubtedly one of the fundamental ingredients to maintain physical, mental and emotional health, as well as help you fight back against stress. But are you having a hard time jumping into your normal workout rhythm? Hear this: That’s okay! Our advice for those days when your body just isn’t feeling it; focus on the idea of joyful movement rather than exercise.

“Joyful movement is an approach to physical activity that emphasizes finding pleasure in the ways we move our bodies. It is in direct opposition to the philosophies that advise going to the gym to “earn” food or to pay penance for “unhealthy” food we’ve already eaten.” –Meredith, Made on a Generous Plan

Joyful movement can be anything you do to move your body that brings you happiness or helps you feel good. The key is to hone in on how your body is feeling and deepen your understanding of how to meet your body where it is.

Love dancing to music in your bedroom while you get dressed? Walking in your neighborhood after dinner? Playing on the floor with your kids? If you can’t seem to get yourself to workout and are feeling guilty about it, try focusing on the ways in which you are already moving your body that give you energy and joy. Recognize the work you are already doing! It is more important to listen to your body and find ways to move it that feel good than it is to force yourself to exercise when you just can’t find the energy or emotional wherewithal. Connecting this way with our bodies helps us meet ourselves exactly where we are in the moment.

4. Establish a daily or weekly routine

The beauty and power of a routine is that it helps us feel safer, because we know what to expect. It’s a way for us to exert some control over our lives, and becomes especially important at a time when everything around us is changing at speeds capable of inducing whiplash. And, the amazing part is that you can start tomorrow in creating a routine out of things you already do! Here are some ways to start incorporating more routine into your life:

Personal Routine

Take some time to think about the things you do during your day that are just for you. These can be things you do to self soothe, moments when you do something that makes you feel good like exercise or read, or even guilty little pleasures you take part in throughout the day (um, chocolate anyone?). You can approach setting up your routine by carving out 30 minutes at a certain time everyday to do whatever feels good in the moment, OR pick one thing you know you want to do every day, then choose a time each day to do it so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Need ideas? Try taking 20 minutes in the morning to sit quietly outside and drink your tea/ coffee, or read for 30 minutes in bed before falling asleep.

Social Routine

Especially right now, it is important to make time to connect with each other, by scheduling calls, video chats, or socially distanced hangouts outside (masks on, of course). The important thing is to keep this consistent by setting up weekly or monthly “hangouts”. Not only does staying connected in this way help to stave off the loneliness and isolation so many people are experiencing right now, it also keeps stress levels down and gets you out of your “norm.” Some of our favorite ways to connect with friends and family are online game nights (Jackboxtv is a blessing), virtual book or movie clubs, cooking together over Zoom, or just a good old-fashioned phone chat!

Work Routine

If you are lucky enough to still be working right now and are working entirely remote, it can be surprisingly disorienting (and exhausting) to be stuck at home all day. Try scheduling normal working hours for yourself per your industry, then stick to them! It is far too easy to let the work hours creep beyond your normal working hours. If you are going into your workplace and have some flexibility in your schedule, try incorporating moments into your day that are just for you. Try sitting for 5-10 minutes with a cup of tea, walking a lap around your building, or finding an empty room to sit quietly.

5. practice Gentleness & non-judgement

Possibly the most important thing you can do right now to reduce stress is to be gentle with yourself by practicing non-judgement. Acknowledge the sometimes colossal gap between how you want things to go vs. how they actually go, and be kind to yourself about it. I think it’s safe to say that going into quarantine/ self-isolation, we all had some very lofty goals for what we wanted to accomplish (learn Spanish AND finish War and Peace? I mean, come on… ).

Take a moment right now to tell yourself, “it’s okay that I haven’t done all the things I wanted to do.” Maybe you will get to each of your line items, but if you don’t...that’s perfectly okay. There is so much happening just under the surface in the world right now. Prioritizing the practice of non-judgement of your own emotions is key to understanding yourself on a deeper level, and allowing yourself to be authentically you in the moment. Stress comes in when we start pushing against what actually feels right and when we use the word “should” to direct our days.

“Mindfulness involves an attitude of radical acceptance, curiosity, and awareness of the present moment. It also includes an authentically nonjudgmental stance toward all things, no matter how “good” or “bad” the mind automatically labels them. It can be very challenging – even terrifying – for many of us to truly release judgment. For some, there is a felt sense of security behind the wall of judgment.” –Laura Schenck, The Mindfulness Muse

This isn’t something that happens overnight, but if you can start paying attention to when judgement or harshness towards yourself naturally pops up in response to a thought, you are already well on your way towards being a better friend to yourself.

Now that you have these five ways to overcome prolonged stress, choose one (yes, just one!) to focus on this week. Which one resonates the most with you? Comment below and let us know the things you have found helpful during this time.