After the inauguration last week, a client told me, "I can't tell if I'm relieved, shocked, stressed out, or still bracing for disaster!" I'm sharing her sentiment (with permission) because this woman is NOT ALONE.
Anybody else feel like you're on a tilt-a-whirl of chronic stress?
Believing that we might get some relief soon feels like risky business. Our nervous systems have been on fire, and we're primed to jump at the slightest indication of trouble.
Chronic stress is a physiological phenomenon that takes time to alleviate. Feeling like you're still knee-deep in fight-or-flight is normal, logical, and unavoidable—especially since there are still very real threats to our collective health and well-being. So what do we do with this combo of hope and fear?
Look for balms and apply them liberally—some we already have, others we might want to increase. Take a minute this week to list three items in each of the following two categories, and see how often you can lean on them:
1. What habits do you already have that relieve stress?
2. What would you like to do more often to get some relief?
Write these ideas down. It gives you a much better chance of remembering, not only to engage with them... but to revel in and appreciate them too. We need every bit of love and comfort to get us through this time: every bath, workout, pet, friend, reading nook, passion project, or morning ritual we can muster. You have more options than you think!
Sarah
If you need ideas for what to try, here are 57 things you can do other than doom-scrolling from The Washington Post.
You can also find a lot of your own answers by digging into my new book: The Habit Trip. Your challenges, your solutions, your way.
Habit change is a science. It doesn't have to be painful. In fact, it should feel more like pleasure than pain. I can't go out for speaking engagements like this these days, but I'm booking virtual events for the spring. If the people in your organization need actionable methods to reduce stress and build creative, healthy routines (or if you're curious about private coaching), reach out! These workshops are turning out to be quite entertaining, even though we can't be together in person... yet!
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Past posts can be found HERE.