Stressors are a part of life, but they can be challenging to handle. As the pressure from life increases, we often feel like there's no end in sight. As foster parents, we have additional stress with the different requirements placed on us from inside and outside factors. However, there are simple healthy ways to cope with stress and avoid burnout. Here are seven suggestions to help you get through your day:
Exercise
Exercise is a great stress reducer. It's one of the last things on my mind while stressed out, but it helps! Exercise has proven to be one of the simplest ways to release feelings of frustration by releasing endorphins through physical activity. During your day, releasing endorphins helps you be more productive and happier.
Exercise improves cognitive functioning and strengthens the immune system. In addition, exercise is a natural method of reducing stress. Try adding some exercise to your day to help handle life's stressors. Exercise will help release tension and give you time to examine what is causing the stress.
Walking, listening to music, and dancing or playing with your pet are helpful ways to deal with day-to-day stress. Daily exercise for 30 minutes or more can increase the activity of your brain, making it easier to process stressful events that happen. Unless you enjoy running miles or lifting weights, simple exercises to get your body moving will help you reduce stress.
Meditation
Meditation is another simple way to reduce stress. It increases self-awareness and lengthens your attention span. Meditation is calming and a great way to reduce stress. Taking 10 minutes a day can naturally help you reduce your stress levels.
When I get the advice “take a deep breath,” it usually seems useless and cliche, but it works. Taking a few moments to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths has probably saved lives and prevented me from wearing an orange jumpsuit more times than I can count. Breathe in a pattern. It can help you calm yourself down.
Self-Care
Self-care is another effective way to reduce stress and help you feel happier. Caring for yourself is an important thing to do for yourself. Your mental health needs you to take time to care for yourself.
Pick up new hobbies, take yourself on a date, or go on a much-needed vacation alone to help you clear your thoughts. Doing something I enjoy by myself helps so much. Removing or at least reducing stress triggers can benefit your personal and professional areas of your life. Make an effort to put yourself first.
Sleep
Sleeping well plays a massive part in reducing your stress levels. Stress can cause you to lose sleep. The cycle of not sleeping well, being tired, and not sleeping well again will only worsen your stress levels.
Getting at least eight hours of sleep can improve brain function. When your brain is fully rested, you can better process and manage your stress. Before you lay down, dim your lights and turn off electronics such as television, cell phone, and laptop. Get into bed early enough to give yourself time to relax before you drift off to sleep.
Friends
Taking time to connect with friends can be a healthy way to manage stress. Stepping away from a stressful environment, even for a short time, lets you get out of your head. Distract yourself from negativity and stress by spending quality time with some friends.
You don't have to talk about your feelings or discuss what you're going through. However, sometimes I need to have regular conversations with my friends to distract me from stress. Shopping, joining a book club, staying in, or hanging out with friends will help reduce stress.
Time Management
Time management can be a critical factor in reducing stress. Keeping a schedule to manage your day can help keep you organized and allow you to make time for yourself, fun, and relaxation.
Schedule breaks away from work or school in your day to allow for tasks that will bring you peace and joy. However, don't overcommit to tasks that cause you stress. Instead, break up tasks into smaller steps and do something every day that you enjoy.
To help visualize your time, create a schedule that shows you what and when to organize your day to keep stress levels low.
Support
Reaching out for support is important to help yourself in times of stress. For example, reach out to a therapist and talk about stress levels and how you've tried to manage them.
Reach out to a family member, friend, or anyone you can speak with to help, even if they can only listen. For example, hearing yourself explain how you feel, trying to find out why you're stressed, and bouncing off ideas on ways to reduce the stress.
When I'm venting to a friend or my therapist, I pay attention to how I describe my stress. Never be embarrassed about reaching out for support. Sometimes you need to let it all out to understand what's going on.
We all have had times when we feel overwhelmed because of work, school, family, life, etc. In addition, you may cycle through emotions like anger, guilt, or sadness. Have a coping mechanism for emotions and stress to be the best for you and your loved ones.
Leave a comment below sharing healthy ways to cope with stress in your life.
