Hey friend, I am here to share my top 5 coping strategies for stress. 

Let’s face it: Stress is no fun, especially when it has you bummed out, overwhelmed, burned out, and maybe even grumpy pants, and, well, you get the idea.  

Not sure if you have ever been asked, “Why are you so grumpy?” Or have you ever snapped at someone over something unimportant because you were stressed out? 

Stress can affect not just you but others around you as well. Learning how to control stress/ how to prevent stress in your life will benefit not only you but those around you as well. A win-win! 

Stress management tools will help so that stress doesn’t control you! 

There are so many stressors in life, and it is very understandable for you to feel the way you do. Breathe and give yourself a little credit. 

How many of these everyday stressors can you relate to?  

1. Money/Finances
2. Worklife
3. Kids
4. Husband
5. Relationships/Friendships
6. Never enough time
7. What’s for dinner tonight
8. Homework
9. School
10. Weight gain/weight loss
11. I wish I had time for myself/partner 

We are all different, and so are our circumstances and stresses. 

There is good news when it comes to how to avoid stress and how to control stress; it is definitely possible with the right tools and some practice. 

The driving force behind this post was to let you know that you are not alone when it comes to feeling overwhelmed by stress. 

The second reason behind this post was to give you some peace of mind in knowing that there are effective ways to help you cope with stress so that you can feel better and help improve your health. 

Before we get into my top 5 coping strategies for stress, I wanted to talk about the stress itself to give you some more understanding of why learning how to manage stress truly is that important and the harm that chronic stress has on your body. 

When we talk about stress, there are two main types of stress that we are talking about. Those are acute and chronic stress. 

You see, our bodies are very, very smart, and acute stress is one of the ways that our bodies react to a perceived danger. This is also known as the fight or flight response.  

“The sympathetic nervous system functions like a gas pedal in a car. It triggers the fight-or-flight response, providing the body with a burst of energy so that it can respond to perceived dangers. The parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake. 

It promotes the “rest and digest” response that calms the body down after the danger has passed.” According to Harvard Medical School. 

Once a perceived threat has passed, hormones return to normal levels. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to these healthy levels. Other systems go back to their regular activities.

Chronic stress, on the other hand, is the stress that we want to avoid or at least learn how to practice the stress management tools that I am going to share with you below. 

Unlike acute stress, which is meant to help protect you, chronic stress can be harmful to the body. Chronic stress is when your body stays in that flight or fight mode and does not calm down. 

This may happen because stressors are always present, and you always feel under attack; that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.

The long-term activation of the stress response system and too much exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all the body’s processes. 

This puts you at higher risk of many health problems, including but limited to:

1. Anxiety
2. Depression
3. Sleep problems
4. Weight gain or loss
5. Mood swings
6. Problems with memory and focus 

For these reasons and more, I am sharing with you my top 5 coping strategies for stress. And without further ado here are those strategies as promised. 

1. Meditating- Meditation is a practice that involves focusing or clearing your mind using a combination of mental and physical techniques, such as breathing exercises or specific movements. 

Meditation has been used for thousands of years for different purposes. Meditation has been proven to be a very useful tool in helping reduce stress and anxiety. 

Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. 

You can also use it to relax and cope with stress by refocusing your attention on something calming. Meditation can help you learn to stay centered and keep inner peace. This is according to the Mayo Clinic. 

The benefits of meditation don’t end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day. 

Friend, what I love about meditating is that anyone can do it. As for how long you need to meditate to help relieve stress. You can for as little as 5 minutes a day to be effective. 

You can meditate almost anywhere. It does have to be in some fancy or specific place. You can meditate in your car, at your desk, or pick a quiet place. It really is what works for you. 

2. Disconnect from technology for a moment- Disconnecting for even just 5 minutes can help you refocus and practice being present with yourself and in the moment. 

Technology seems to be ever-present, from cell phones to iPads and computers. Then there is this pressure to answer text, emails, and social media. Ugh, it can be stressful and distracting. 

By unplugging for a bit and don’t freak out here, I am not talking hours (unless you want, and that is fine too), it may help you become more productive at work and home. 

Unplugging also helps improve relationships by allowing you to be more focused on those around you. 

The picture below says so much in so many ways that is why I chose it. I hope you really take it to heart.

You can actually focus on the person or persons around you, giving them your full attention and strengthening those relationships. 

Unplugging from technology can also improve your sleep.  

The blue light emitted from our screens can suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep at night. 

By unplugging from technology before bed, we can allow our bodies to naturally produce melatonin and improve our sleep quality.

3. Spend some time in nature- I love this one; spending time in nature has so many health benefits in addition to reducing stress and anxiety. 

I like to think of spending time in nature more as grounding yourself. Spending time in nature has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health and improve your overall well-being. 

Research shows a link between exposure to nature and stress reduction. Stress is relieved within minutes of being in nature as measured by muscle tension, blood pressure, and brain activity.

Spending time in nature significantly reduces your cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Nature also boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production, which promotes that happy feeling.

Some other health benefits to spending time in nature can be increased energy, improved focus, and help you sleep better. All of which can help to control stress. 

4. Setting Healthy Boundaries- NO!! Learning to say no and setting healthy boundaries can help relieve stress. Sometimes, doing this can feel like a weight has been lifted off.  

It is more than okay to say no to things or people that do not support your highest good. Maybe it’s been one of those days, and you just want to stay in but are being pressured by friends to go out and “have fun.” 

It’s ok to take a pass. Taking care of yourself and giving yourself the time that you need in that moment is more important.

Setting healthy boundaries can help you to prioritize your own needs and even express those to others. Remember, you do count, and so do your needs and wants. 

You deserve the peace of time and should not have to feel obligated to say and or do anything that doesn’t serve your highest good and overall well-being. 

Setting these healthy boundaries can also help you stay true to yourself and may prevent you from being in uncomfortable situations that might cause stress. 

5. Physical activity- Yup, exercise can help you destress. 

Exercise can increase that feel-good hormone in the brain, better known as endorphins. Exercise also reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. 

When you get moving, it has an overall positive effect on your body. 

By getting some physical activity in, you are helping your body fight off stress and help improve digestive, cardiovascular, and immune systems. This is where the saying “exercise to relax” comes into play. 

There are so many different forms of physical activity that you can do to help with stress management, anywhere from a simple walk to a run, yoga, light weight lifting, or riding your bike; these are just a few ways to get active. There are so many other ways to get active. 

Those are my top 5 coping stratagies for stress but I want to thow anothe one in that is also very powerful.

6. Do something that brings you joy!!

What is something that puts a smile on your face, a pep in your step?

Put your favorite song on, have a glass of wine if that’s your thing. Or maybe a hot cup or coffee/tea. Spend just 5 min with yourself, no phone no talking just sit in the moment and take in.

Watch a good moive, go for a drive, these are some ideas of what to do that brings you that three letter word JOY!

From my heart to yours, I hope you put some of these coping strategies for stress into action and that they help you live a less stressful life.