Expert Tips: 4 Strategies for Coping with Stress

By dawnzy58 @Flickr

This is the second follow up to my post: 7 Creative Ways to Stop Feeling Like A Victim!.The first followup was on getting our creative juices flowing which was a very popular post.  Often our energy is blocked and some form of expression-drawing, singing, playing guitar can be a great strategy for coping with stress.  You’re thinking 4- only four ways-my stress is big!  I can say from experience having dealt with anxiety and depression myself,  doing this “stuff” and not doing it-when you work it-IT WORKS!

I think we (the U.S.) are nation of that is working too hard, too compulsively and that is a huge part of our current stress levels.  The current difficult economy, volatile world conditions (political acrimony, middle east, global warming impacts) are taking a toll and we need ways to relax and get some stress relief or our rates of depression and anxiety are going keep going through the roof.  According to,

[amazon_link id=”0553384066″ target=”_blank” ]Yoga As Medicine[/amazon_link] by Dr. Timothy McCall, M.D. “In the last 30 years, US productivity has doubled.  Part of that has come from the almost two hundred additional hours the average person now works annually.  Unless individuals and society are willing to examine some of assumptions the that foster this inherently stress-provoking way of life, they are unlikely to solve their problems with stress and stress-related disease.” I highly recommend the book by the way, I’m reading it now.

Strategies for coping with stress

1.  NEED LESS

As the paradigm continues to shift to what many are calling a “feminine” awakening (stressing connection to others and earth as primary, intuition as a way of knowing etc.)  one result is we, U.S. and industrialized world may be realizing we need less “stuff” or at least can we enjoy the stuff we already have.  Needing less stuff can be part of a strategy for coping with stress as we can work a bit less rather than driving ourselves to earn more to consume more.  Could this be behind the huge rise in minimalist books and blogs, here’s a short list:

ZenHabits.net

Bemorewithless.com/

Simpleoasis.com/

http://goodlifezen.com/

2.  DO LESS:

Look over your days, the last month.  Take time at least an hour with pen and paper, what activity can you eliminate from your life to give yourself more time and space to breathe?  Is that class you are taking really important now, must the kids take 3 afterschool activities a week? Try my instant download MP3:  Zen of Crisis, learn 3 stress relieving practices;  it’s contains:  a guided deep relaxation, calming yogic breath practice and walking meditation.  Each guided audio relaxation practice is 20 min or less!  And comes with a ten page pdf guide. It’s the price of 4 lattes at Starbucks! 

Can you cut out:

• A club membership-book club, networking group etc.
• TV watching.  It’s bad news to program you by the powers that be.

3. BE/MORE, QUIET TIME:

For a while I was living with and helping to care for a really smart 3 year old who was very rambunctious in the mornings.  I  taught him that even if he saw me, we’d say “hi” but I was still in my “quiet time.”  And the kid got it!  As this was a roommate situation, I would perhaps need to make a cup of tea early in morn and he and his mom would be up at the breakfast table.  I was able to make my tea.  He would greet me cheerily and stop,  and sometimes whisper to his mom “is Kala still having quiet time?” I’d smile back at him, he felt proud he understood what quiet time was.

We all need quiet time:  no TV, no radio. Nothin’  Even with kids one parent can watch the kids so each gets this time-it can be a 1/2 hour.  This is an excellent strategy for coping with stress. What to do with your quiet time?

a) PRACTICE YOGA: to counteract these negative effects of stress on your health, from[amazon_link id=”0553384066″ target=”_blank” ]Yoga As Medicine[/amazon_link]:

• More tired, poorer sleep
• Increased Cholesterol/ triglycerides/blood clotting
• fat deposited on abdomen
• increased blood sugar
• impaired function of immune system
• Increased resistance to insulin

b) MEDITATE– A recent study I wrote about showed actual physical changes  in the brain of those who practiced  mindfulness meditation for only 8 weeks.  That post gives links to free audio guides on meditation or read my posts on how to begin mediation as a way of coping with stress (new readers check out about page for my training in meditation and teaching yoga.)

• Breath Awareness Meditation-a detailed how to. If new to meditation work with this technique.
• MIndfulness Meditation-the awareness is broader than the breath awareness meditation
• 5 Reasons Mediation is Better than Sex, which includes specifics on walking meditation as well seated

4.  EXERCISE– really big one, I find if I feel in a funk or having anxiety a brisk walk gives me relief and does the trick.  Read about it why at NY Times: Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious.  Find some sort of exercise that’s fun for you, and one that if it’s winter and lots of snow on the ground you can do it anyway.  Huh hmmm like yoga! Get used exercise equipment or join a Y. If you live in an apartment building have you ever just run up and down stairs for cardio? It works.

For all three yoga, meditation and exercise you have no excuse- go to the library and get a dvd on yoga there are plenty, here are some from Amazon, [amazon_link id=”B000UUX2P0″ target=”_blank” ]yoga for beginners.[/amazon_link]  But there are lots of free resources to get you started.  And finally if you feel (as I have at times) that you are truly too busy to make time-then guess what  you are too busy! And you need to stop or a health crisis will stop you! Don’t wait for that to happen to you.  Incorporate even one of these tips to get some relief from stress and anxiety.

I just ran across some writing that I will share soon, and it has prompted me to add this:  this is beyond just individual health-we can be healthy and holy till we evolve our consciousness up to the heart chakra level and beyond!  We will remain heartsick, as will the earth.  Please see JOY OF LIFE MANIFESTO-for a sense of where we can all come from!  And please pass it on.

Add any tips please, that have helped you to cope with stress in the comments.

Namaste, Kala