How I Manage Stress
image by Alyssa Dawson
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been faced with a few stressful situations that have forced me to turn inwards and dig deep to find the best ways to support and take care of myself so that I can show up fully for my family when they need me. I have a toolbox that I pull from when I need to, and I thought it would be helpful to share that with you all!
My core foundation for taking care of myself always begins with sleep. Whenever I am faced with a challenging situation and find stress or anxiety creeping up, I make sure my sleep routine is dialled so that I wake up rested and refreshed. Over the last week when we were in the hospital with Charlie, this wasn’t necessarily an option but I slept whenever I could (for ex - he went to bed at 7PM one night in the hospital and I knew he’d be up multiple times so I tried to sleep at 7PM as well). When you’re stressed, your sleep is obviously impacted so prioritizing it really helps. I know when my anxiety is creeping in and I start to feel down that sleep is necessary for me (I realized this during both postpartum phases for me). My sleep routine is pretty simple now: stay off technology right before bed and read instead (definitely avoid social media) + dim the lights early and then I also take a little supplement cocktail of something called RelaxMax (which I get from my naturopath), magnesium and zinc (for immunity). I also call in the reinforcements when I need to - starting with Arrae Sleep (code is SOPHIE15) and then sometimes a prescribed sleeping pill (this is very rare but I always have it in my back pocket).
Building on top of sleep, the next thing I focus on is movement and fueling my body with nourishing foods. For me, movement looks like 20 minutes of pilates and about an hour of walking everyday. You might start to think this looks like a regular day in the life for me and that is true! These are wellness pillars that I subscribe to because they make me feel my best. One other thing I try to do is lean into how my digestion is feeling. When I’m stressed I find I either have trouble digesting or have a nervous stomach. In either of these situations, I try to stick to easy to digest foods that pack a ton of nutrients. So I do a lot of smoothies, soups, broths and comfort things like eggs with avocado toast (I like this brand of gluten free sourdough). I also make sure to continue my supplement routine of Seed (code is SOPHIEC15) first thing in the morning to support my gut health and then I use Arrae Bloat after meals or at night to keep my digestion in tact. During times of stress, I make sure to also keep taking vitamins that help with immunity like Vitamin C (Immune Support from Pique is my fave). Lastly when it comes to foods and nourishing your body, I usually switch out my second cup of coffee for Matcha since it has l-theanine which promotes calm and balance.
When it comes to my meditation routine, in times of deep stress I find sticking to a daily meditation routine of 20 minutes unguided first thing in the morning to be the most supportive for my day. It allows me to focus on my breath and take inventory on how I am really feeling. It’s also the one time of the day that I am not doing and I can just be. Journalling is also a really powerful tool for me. I like to write ~3 pages or for about 10 minutes when I’m really in it. I find by the end, I realize that everything is going to be ok even if it didn’t feel like it when I started.
The last thing I’ll touch on is the energy you choose to surround yourself with during this time. I think it’s important to really pay attention to the information you’re letting into your life. For example, if the news is something that triggers negative feelings and makes you feel worse, it might be time to take a little break. Or even switch to a paper newspaper which I find to be a more calming way to take in what’s happening around the world. Same thing goes for social media - is following this person serving you or making you feel more stressed/anxious/jealous etc? Pay attention to how things make you feel and take note of how you might be able to adjust and support yourself. I remember after Charlie had surgery, I didn’t want to go out for dinner because I found it really hard to talk to people that didn’t understand what we had gone through. I felt much more comfortable being home with the very small circle of family and best friends that I am lucky to have and who understood what had transpired.
One thing I know for sure is that life is going to throw you curveballs and it certainly doesn’t get easier as you get older, but if you are able to find a way to take care of yourself, you might be able to smooth out some of the bumps in your path that lie ahead.
xx
ps - some books that I find supportive during times of stress: