International Stress Awareness Week 2021
Hey SMASH crew,
It is the start of a new month and it also happens to be International Stress Awareness Week. Below, we have shared some of our favourite ways to de-stress, but first it is important to know that not all stress is bad! Having some stress in our lives helps us get things done and enables us to cope in situations where we need focus, however too much stress can of course have a negative impact.
One of the biggest causes of stress is lack of sleep as our cortisol levels are naturally higher when we have not rested properly. It may be that we have one major cause of stress in our lives that then heightens feelings of stress when it comes to the minor things, or it might be that we overload ourselves with work or with the stresses of others.
We each deal with stress in different ways, step 1 is to recognise it so that we can do something about it. Below are the SMASH team's 10 favourite ways to help counteract daily stresses (in no particular order).
Take a few deep breaths - This is such a powerful way to re-set and reduce cortisol levels. Take anything from 1 minute to 10 minutes to really focus on the breath. Feel the sensations that the breath has within the body. Be conscious of how much of our lung capacity we are using. One of our favourite calming breath techniques is to inhale for the count of 4, hold for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 8.
Write a to-do list for the next day - Sam's favourite tip when you have a lot of things buzzing around your head! At the end of your working day, or just before bed, write a list of the things you need to get done the following day. It can done as a list or ideally, with timings next to each of the items. This will not only get it out of your head for the evening but it will help you to see where you can schedule in breaks and time for yourself.
Meet or talk to friends - These last couple of years have really taught us how important it is to stay connected. Chatting or meeting with a friend or family member can help us take a mental break from our daily stresses. Friends can be a great way to talk about what is on our minds or as a minimum, a welcome distraction!
Listen to your favourite music - The SMASH team are so lucky that we get to share a lot of our favourite music in our classes! Music can inspire feelings of joy, of calm, of energy and can even trigger happy memories. Maybe create a playlist of all your happiest songs, songs that help you relax or songs that get you dancing!.
Take some time just for you - Being "selfish" is often seen as a negative, but taking some true time for yourself is really important. If you live alone, it might be ensuring that you have a phone/technology detox at the beginning or end of the day. If you live with others, it might be taking yourself away for a long walk or having a nice soak in the bath!
Read a chapter of a good book - The SMASH team do a lot of reading as research for the mental health workshops we run for our corporate clients each month, but reading fiction is one of our favourite ways to switch off from learning and become immersed in another world. Sam recently joined our local library which offers ways to also borrow audiobooks and ebooks (who knew?!) so there are so many more opportunities to try different styles of reading!
Cook from scratch - We know that cooking is not for everyone! If cooking makes you even more stressed then maybe avoid this one! One of the best ways to eat nutritious meals is to cook a meal from scratch, ideally with locally sourced products. The more colour you can have on your plate the better. A general rule of thumb that the SMASH team read about recently is that if you do buy a pre-packaged item (maybe a pasta sauce or a ready meal) aim for 5 ingredients or less!
Keep a daily log of three things you are thankful for - This is one of the easiest and most powerful tips that we recommend as a daily habit even if you are the least stressed person in the world! It can be something you do in the morning or as a reflective exercise at the end of the day. Some days it will be hard to narrow it down to three things, some days, it may be as simple as "I am thankful for my lungs for allowing me to breathe". Writing your three things is a way to allow that gratitude to resonate with us and adding a "because...." to each of the things will really help us feel that boost in our happiness.
Move your body in a way that works for you - We say it in all of our classes and we mean it! In any SMASH class we never put any expectations or pressure on you to do things "perfectly". We always want you to stay safe and ultimately enjoy what your body can do. Moving your body might be that you lift heavy weights at the gym, it might be that you run 10 miles, it might be that you do a gentle yoga class or it might be that you put on that ultimate dance playlist and BOOGIE!!
Get outside into nature - There is so much research that shows how much of an impact nature can have on boosting our mental health. Taking a daily walk, ideally somewhere green can boost your creativity, your energy levels, your feelings of happiness and is a really great way to get the body moving. On particularly cold/rainy/windy days, it has been shown that watching nature documentaries can have a similar effect!
Many of us (including the SMASH team) have fallen into the trap of feeling like we always have to be busy in order to be successful in our work-life, but we can be so much more efficient when our levels of stress are at a manageable level. Fortunately many companies are becoming more and more aware of this and are offering employees time in their working day for "self-care" in the form of fitness, yoga and mental health workshops and resources. What are your favourite ways to manage stress at home or at work? Feel free to share with us!
Don't forget that this Sunday (7th November) Sandi is back for a special Yin Yoga session especially for stress awareness week! Starting from 5pm it is the perfect class to counteract all of the sweating and jumping that you get in a regular SMASH class!! So get some candles on, some cushions and a blanket and we will see you there! Use the regular Zoom link to join. For more information, read our Yin FAQs (and watch the accompanying video about props) here.
Sam, Ash, Sammy and Amy
SMASH Mind and Body
