Top tips to deal with stress. Switching off.

 By Sophia McDermott, Lifestyle Coach & Fitness Expert. 

Life these days is pretty stressful. Due to the speed of technology and a million and one ways we can be contacted everyone expects a response right away and this can add to the stress. Responding constantly to at least 5 or 6 different platforms all the time can get overwhelming and there is little time for space and peace.

As a way to cope with all the changes of the current times and the constant bombardment of texts, emails, messages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as the myriad of other ways to communicate, it’s really important to make time to switch off every day. It is like giving your mind a cleanse or a reset to clear out the junk that piles up from the overwhelmingly fast-paced, demanding lifestyle that we now live in.

There are a few different ways we can do this. Here are some things that I do that really help me, that I am happy to share with you.

1. Go for a walk in nature. 

Go to a park and connect with yourself and nature with a nice long walk. This doesn't have to be a workout, but getting outside will help to calm your nervous system and if it’s daytime, getting a dose of Vitamin D will be so beneficial to your body. Use this time to clear your mind or to process the day’s events with a little more clarity.

2. Do yoga.

Connect to your body with movement and your breath. This is an excellent way to get grounded and to switch off from the daily stress of life. Yoga is an active form of mediation and keeps you in the present moment which stops you from thinking about your stress. If gyms/studios are still closed in your areas then there are online sessions available.

3. Meditation.

The benefits of meditation are endless. Taking the time to meditate even 15 minutes a day has shown to have health benefits to your physical, mental, and emotional health. If finding a quiet time in the home or workplace is almost impossible, make it a point to visit a yoga studio that offers meditations to get that quiet time.

4. Rhythmic movement.

This is an active form of meditating. Swimming laps in the pool and focusing on your breathing is an excellent example of this.

5. Surround yourself with people who uplift you.

Emotions such as fear and negativity are contagious so if you want to stay positive or give yourself a bit of a boost be selective with who you spend your time with and invite-only positive and encouraging people in your circle who lift you up instead of bringing you down. Switch your phones off and be present with your friends.

6. Technology free timeframes.

I know some people who have technology-free days. Unfortunately, I am not able to do whole days but I do switch off my phone and have techno-free time periods. Give this a try. No phone, no computer. If you can go for a whole day without touching your phone, do it and spend the day connecting with awesome people or immersing yourself in nature and enjoying the simplicity of it.

If meditation is new to you, here are some great articles I have written regarding dealing with stress and mindfulness. Here I discuss the benefits of meditation and give you a step-by-step guide. These articles take you through the process so you can get into that deep state and learn to tune out and calm your mind.

How to Harness the Power of the Present Moment:

Read the article here: https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/how-to-harness-the-power-of-the-present-moment/

Discipline your mind and reap the benefits:

Read the article here: https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/discipline-your-mind-and-reap-the-benefits/