If your head is spinning with all you have to do and the feeling of too much on your plate, here’s one of my favorite quick stress relief tips. Download your brain and get grounded. Holiday stress, worries about money, the pressures of work or running your own business, managing schedules, and trying to figure out how to fit in time for exercise—all those thoughts and concerns require a tremendous amount of energy. When you get busy, or your stress level gets high, it’s too easy to fall into a pattern of chasing your to-do list and reacting to your life. That’s a real trap, because you’re at your best when you are relaxed, in touch with your priorities and values, and able to approach situations proactively.
One of the best ways to get grounded and back in the driver’s seat with your life can be journaling. You don’t have to be a great writer to journal, and you don’t even need to have anything very dramatic to say. Think of keeping a journal as simply a way to download the contents of your brain. Get yourself a journal and keep it private. Commit to writing in it regularly, for a short period of time (five minutes is fine to start) most days. You’ll find your own journaling style. Write about your thoughts and feelings, or simply use it as a place to dump the contents of your busy brain. You might write paragraphs or make lists. You can use it as a place to vent or to have conversations you aren’t able to have in “real life.” Record the things that you are worried about so they can reside in your journal instead of circling your brain and short-circuiting your productivity.
Many women find that a journaling habit helps them exhale. It’s a release and also a way of untangling thoughts or feelings that may be hard to sort out inside your head. Journaling is also a powerful way of connecting with your deeper, authentic self and getting grounded. This is something that can be hard to do when life gets busy.
Try journaling for a week and see if it’s a stress busting habit that works for you.
Take good care,
PS: If you are craving more calm and ease over the holiday season, I recommend you take a look at the THRIVING the Holidays series. It’s all about making sure YOU, and what you need, don’t get left behind in the holiday rush.
Photo Credits www.flikr.com/stevendepolo
