During times of extra stress (hello election week!), I find myself needing to be very intentional about how I respond to stress in healthy ways. I know that my default mode can tend toward doom scrolling and eating extra sugar, so having a different plan can ensure that I’m reminded of other healthier directions.
Here are some of the options I gave myself this past week:
- Rebounding: I recently bought a mini-trampoline (also called a “rebounder”), which is known to help with things like a healthy immune system. (One of my co-workers recently noted that they can tell my level of stress because of my purchasing of new exercise equipment!) This has been a fun and experimental form of movement that I’ve really been enjoying. It takes just a few minutes and feels playful whenever I do it.
- Reading: It won’t surprise you that immersing myself in a book is a go-to strategy for managing stress. I particularly like to be read to through an audiobook. Depending on my mood, I might pick a non-fiction topic to do a deep dive on or a highly detailed sci-fi or fantasy novel that requires me to really pay attention to understand the plot and characters.
- Running and Walking: Similar to what I mentioned above, movement helps me to mentally process and to distract myself. I often listen to audiobooks, music, or podcast episodes while running and walking. I also find that physical exertion ensures that I get a good level of distraction since I’m expending a decent amount of energy. For me, a good workout can also help with a good night’s sleep.
- Self-care: While I watched the election results come in this week, I painted my nails. I don’t take the time to do this very often, and it was a nice distraction that I could focus on while I listened to the news. It requires just the right amount of attention from my brain so that I feel balanced in taking in information without spiraling about it.
- Busy hands: Anything that can keep my hands occupied while I’m feeling stressed can be helpful. Fidget toys, putting on lotion or cuticle cream, or playing a game on my phone are all options that could work for this. When I’m busy with something else, I don’t pick at my cuticles and nails out of nervousness or anxiety.
- Cooking: I love cooking batches of soup in the background of doing other tasks. This past week, I made soup one evening so that I could smell it cooking while I was watching the news and scrolling social media. I love the sensory aspect of smelling the soup, but also appreciate having something homemade and healthy to eat throughout a stressful week.
What are some healthy ways that you deal with stress?