How can you release stress from being cooped up at home because of the COVID-19 virus and fuel your resilience? Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I’ve created 5 simple ways to release stress and build your resilience.
Caring for your inner health creates the foundation for success with any health project including weight loss. With these self-care strategies in your toolbox to release stress and build your resilience, you’re ready for everything else to fall into place.
5 Simple Ways to Release stress and Build Your Resilience.
Try one of these simple strategies each day and see which works to release stress and build your resilience:
- Visualize:
Take a breakfrom life’s cares. Visualize yourself in a favorite place or with a person you love. For example, close your eyes and imagine watching a sunset on a beach or picture yourself hugging a loved one.
- Affirm Yourself:
Affirmations are another way to quickly gain inspiration. Repeat affirmations as a powerful reminder of your vision for a full, authentic life.
Here’s how: Write affirmations and place them on your computer screen, mirror, or in your cell phone to pop-up at specific times.
Create affirmations that motivate you and are specific to how you want to experience life, your intentions, and your goals. State aspirations in the present tense.
a). Begin with an “I am” phrase about the desired quality of your experience:
“I am safe, joyful playful.”
b). Add an action you see yourself taking:
“I enjoy each bite. I stop eating before I’m full.”
c). End with a desired outcome and feeling:
“I am so thankful now that I’m successfully managing my weight.”
- Practice Gratitude:
Write a list of what you are grateful for as an amazing wayto immediately produce positive emotions. Notice the difference in how you feel. A great time for this reflection is before you go to bed or after you get up each day. Write down at least three things that went well and why. Then take a moment to be grateful.
Example: “I am so thankful that I can breathe.” Why? “I have a friend who has asthma and breathing sometimes is difficult for her.” This condition reminds me of my good fortune of being able to breathe easily.
- Meditate:
Why meditate? Meditation can bring you the inner calm and peace of mind of a sage. With practice you can live in the present more and more and free your mind of worry about the past or future. Meditation can take as little as a few minutes a day.
Here is one of the simplest forms of meditation, one I’ve practiced for many years. Sit comfortably with your eyes half open and count each breath as you exhale while allowing your mind to stay in the present. Continue until you’ve counted to 10 and then begin again.
Notice any thoughts or feelings that you have along the way. If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to the present. Repeat for 5 to 15 minutes (or longer). Meditation, when used as a daily practice, can expand your ability to be free of fear and worry as you focus on the present.
- Reflect:
Write in a journal: Reflect on your feelings, wants, and intention each day to discover what gives your life meaning. Remember your insights to weight management challenges, triumphs, and discoveries.
Need help creating a healthy lifestyle that includes creating ways to release stress and fuel your resilience? No worries. Give me a call. We’ll make an appointment to talk via Zoom video conference or by phone. We’ll see what’s right for you. Call 301-869-1787 or click here to set up an appointment as my free gift to you.
Resource
This exercise was adapted from: Robert F. Kushner, MD and Nacy Kusner, MSN, RN, Dr. Kushner’s Personality TypeDiet. St. Martin’s Press, NY, 2003. Handouts, Copyright, 2009.
To your Joy and Health,
Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian