"When we truly learn to manage our stress, it becomes the spice of life and a catalyst for self-improvement, rather than a cause of burnout and despair."
This quote is from the foreward of a booklet called "Stress, Depression & Insomnia" which came into my hands - it was included as a freebie in an iHerb package - the day after I had been to the doctor.
Stress management has to happen on 2 levels: the level of the body and the level of the mind.
On the level of the body it involves practical lifestyle adjustments such as eliminating caffeine, eating healthy and getting enough sleep, sunshine, and exercise.
Now I have been cutting back on coffee for a while, but was still having a cup before every shift. Since May 13th I haven't had any except on the occasional special occasion (such as when we went to LA DOLCE VITA, my favorite italian coffee and ice cream bar in Oslo on May 17th).
Getting enough sleep is a problem when I'm working several days in a row. I really need to average 8 hours per night to be truly rested, however I only come home from an evening shift around midnight, so it's usually 12:30 before I hit the sack, and my inner clock doesn't seem to want to allow me to sleep past 7:30 am. When I have a day shift I have to get up at 5 am, and just lack the discipline to get to bed on time the night before. Bah!
If the sun is shining while I am walking the dog, I'll find a rock or a log and sit reading or meditating while allowing the sun to shine on my face for 20 minutes.
From what I have read, the things to keep in mind regarding diet and stress are:
- regulating blood sugar levels
- flooding the body with anti-oxidants, enzymes, vitamins and minerals
- drinking enough water, about 2 liters daily.
I do this by avoiding refined carbohydrates, added sugars (and additives in general while I'm at it). To flood my body with nutrients I have a fresh pressed fruit or veggie juice, a green smoothie, a salad and a bowl of "pulp soup" (made from the pulp leftover from juicing) every day. To get enough water I bought a PBA-free camelback water bottle, and try to drink 3 of these daily. I am also currently doing a 3-day reboot (ie juice only fast). More on that later.
For exercise I am concentrating on Yoga, because it combines exercise with deep breathing and relaxation. I have found a great yoga resource: www.myyogaonline.com. It is a great way to get introduced to different instructors and styles of yoga. I find that what works best for me is Hatha Yoga, and Hatha Vinyasa Yoga. Other styles like Kundalini Yoga are too energetic, while Yin Yoga is too static for my taste.
On the level of the mind, stress reduction includes asking positive questions, forming affirmations, goal setting, time management, laughter, deep breathing (yoga), relaxation (yoga), meditation and mindfullness.
Positive questions I am asking myself are:
What am I most happy about in my life? Why does that make me happy?
What am I most excited about in my life right now?
What am I grateful for in my life right right now?
What am I enjoying most in my life right now? What about that do I enjoy?
What am I committed too in my life right now? why am I committed to that?
What can I do today to further my long term goals?
These questions lead to goal-setting (I plan to write a separate post on goal setting) which in their turn will form the basis for my affirmations. A tip I was given was to use affirmations for my windows, ipad and work passwords, because the act of writing works deeper into the subconscious, than reading. Also, being passwords I will be forced to use the affirmation regularly.
Time management involves planning my day. Also I need to stop procrastinating, and even if I am running late, to stop hurrying. What is past is past. It won't be changed by getting all stressed out. As my youngest daughter would say, I need to learn to "go with the flow".
Mindfulness is a new practice for me and my source of inspiration is Eckhart Tolle's book: "The Power of Now" . I have been practicing anthroposophical meditation for several years, but recently a new source of inspiration is a website/blog called "School of the Modern Mystic". Mindfulness and meditation together with yoga practice are the backbone of my stress management program.
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