Sometimes negative personal stress can build up in your life until you feel overwhelmed!

Or you can go from a feeling of being calm to overwhelmed very quickly when several stressful events (such as: illness, death of a beloved, a cancer diagnosis, divorce, separation, hospitalization, injury, abuse, money problems, physical or social [humiliation, rejection, embarrassment] threats of danger…) happen at once.

Fear, worry and anxiety can lead to panic, irritability and more nervousness—you may be overly emotional and unable to sit still…or withdrawn, depressed, unemotional and lacking energy (your response is subjective—it differs for each of us).

But whatever your level of stress, there are ways you can cope:

Take a walk, either by yourself (and use positive self-talk in your head) or walk with a trusted friend (and share what’s happening in your life so you can get a different perspective). Exercise is a great stress reliever—it releases endorphins into your body AND helps you let off steam. By taking a walk you take yourself out of a stressful situation and return with a new frame of mind.

Take time to relax all your muscles in your body (tense and release all of your muscle groups with Progressive Muscle Relaxation).

Take a mental break and try to envision a relaxing scene (perhaps on a tropical beach or floating on cool, clear waters or a quiet place in the woods or a favorite childhood spot or sitting by a fire in a secluded snow cabin or a therapist’s chair or listening to soothing background music…) in which you feel at peace, free to let go of all tension and anxiety (use guided imagery…it’s like a vivid daydream. Stay in that scene as long as you like and enjoy your surroundings and when you are ready to come back to reality count back from twenty and tell yourself that when you get to one you’ll feel more calm and refreshed).

Or use mindfulness meditation (being fully engaged in the present moment) combined with an awareness of your breath.

And don’t forget about candle gazing—to create inner silence and peace.

In my next Blog post I’ll share how to take a mini-relaxation break. And I’ll talk about self-massage.

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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