10 Tips for Dealing with Stress

            It has been a stressful week for us. We are packing our apartment and moving back to the US. In between packing we are saying goodbyes and wrapping up work assignments. Needless to say, it has been an emotional roller coaster.

Sometimes, when we are stressed it can affect how we feel, act, and think. There are two main types of stress. Distress is a type of stress caused by negative life events (ex. death, divorce, loss of job etc.) Eustress is a type of stress caused by positive life experience (ex. marriage, new job, baby etc.) Unfortunately, our brains are unable to differentiate the two. Stress can lead to a lot of health issues including sleeplessness, weight gain, weight loss, depression, and emotional outbursts.

 When I was little, I had alopecia (a disease that causes hair to fall out). My doctor told my mother it was caused by me internalizing my feelings. It was a very difficult time for me, as I was in school and people would tease me about my bald spots. Since then, I’ve gotten much better with coping with my emotions. I no longer have bald spots, but I always worry that if I get too stressed I will start to lose my hair again. To read more about alopecia click here.

 We all feel stressed at different points in our lives, and we all handle stress differently. Today, I am going to share with you my ten tips for beating stress before it beats you.

1.      Deep breaths—close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths, in your nose and out your mouth. I learned this in yoga and it has been a blessing for me.

2.      Laugh--- read a joke or watch a funny YouTube video. Click here for my favorite this week.

3.      Journal--- keeping a personal journal is a great way to get negative thoughts out of your head. Another idea along the same line is to write a letter about whatever or whoever is causing you stress and tear it up into tiny pieces. (ex. Dear Coffeepot, I don’t appreciate you overflowing every morning. I need coffee—not a mess. J)

4.      Play with your pet--- my dog Lilly always knows how to cheer me up when I’m feeling down. This year has been especially hard, because she had to stay in the US while we were working abroad. Petting dogs is calming, and making them do tricks is entertaining.

5.      Go for a walk or run—Growing up with a big family made it impossible to have unlimited alone time. My way of getting some time to myself was by escaping for a run. Exercise releases feel good chemicals that can lower your stress and removing yourself from a stressful situation often allows  you time to cool off.

6.      Sit in quiet--- Put away your phone/ipad/ipod/computer, grab a cup of tea and just sit quietly in the fresh air. You will see so many things that you normally miss because you are too busy.

7.      Talk to a friend--- whether it’s at a coffee shop, on the phone, or in a video chat friends can help you work out your issues. I am so fortunate to have friends who are willing to stay up late and chat, hug me when I’m sad, and give me advice when I’m stressed.

8.      Sing---crank up the volume and belt it out. My family is a very vocal family, so singing is something we do without realizing it. Keith and I like to sing while doing daunting tasks like laundry, making up the words as we go.

9.      Get a massage--- I’ve been getting massages for the past few years and have really enjoyed them. They are pretty pricey in the US, so when I see a deal on livingsocial or groupon I cannot help myself. In Cambodia, massages are really inexpensive and even though the massage ladies are tiny---those girls are strong! I will be getting a massage tomorrow before getting on an airplane for 20+ hours.

10.  Bake---I love to bake. There is something really therapeutic about frosting cupcakes. I used to make cupcakes for my teammates and friends in college and they were always happy to help me eat them. Everything in moderation, right? Anyway, for me baking is a way to focus on creating something delicious that I can share with other people.

As I said, stress is something we all face in our daily life. The most important thing is to try to find a way to cope with your emotions before things get out of control.