Stress Relief for Women
Four Reminders

Stress relief for women continues to be a popular topic of discussion when I am talking with professionals and moms. How quickly our lives can spiral out of control and we experience increased levels of stress, anxiety as we feel more overwhelmed. The stress hormone, cortisol, seems to gush into our blood stream, which only fuels our energized anxiety.

Shallow breathing and increased heart rate may follow. What’s a woman to do? We’ve talked about this dilemma before on these pages. Here are four reminders. Stress relief for women doesn’t have to be difficult or complex, just timely.

Take a Break

No matter what, there always seems to be too much to do in too little time. It would be nice if work was done at a leisurely pace, but with our hectic schedules, this is not reality. I schedule my work plan strategically so that I can build in necessary breaks to give my brain a rest and time to recuperate.

After completing work assignments, by mid-morning I am ready to give myself a needed break to stretch and divert my attention to other things for a few minutes. I may even watch a You Tube video for a few minutes of laughter before resuming my work and refocusing my brain. Stress relief for women is necessary if we are successfully going to balance the professional responsibilities with all of our household and family responsibilities. Don’t forget to take a refresh-break throughout the busy day.

Reframe the Situation

When things seem difficult or unsettling, try taking a different view of what is happening. When we are challenged or feel overwhelmed with our situation, our emotions kick into gear, the cortisol starts flowing and we feel more anxious and stressed. If you are in a new job or have new responsibilities, you will be experiencing a certain amount of uncertainty. This is normal. Acknowledge this, and give yourself time to adjust. This allows changing situations to be more comfortable rather than seeing them as negatives. There is a certain amount of stress relief experienced when you reframe your outlook. Sometimes we forget to step back and re-assess our situations.

Change Your Self Talk

Stop being so hard on yourself! Listen to what is happening inside your head and give yourself some leeway. It may be that your inside voice is your worst enemy. Beware— and as you reframe how you view situations, consider what unrealistic expectations you are placing on yourself. Give yourself time to complete tasks effectively and productively without having an expectation of rolling through your “To-Do” list at a blazing speed. Why is it so difficult for women to stop trying to do it all and then blame ourselves if we fall short of our unrealistic expectations?

Delegate

Despite the hype, women can not do it all. Ask for help when you can and delegate tasks as you find people who are available to lend a hand. This type of stress relief for women is effective because you are able to lighten your burden and share responsibilities with others. In delegating, you are developing a support team who can provide necessary encouragement when things get overwhelming. We can’t over emphasize the need for a support group and the importance of delegating.

Stress relief for women and controlling stress will continue to be challenging with our busy, over-committed lifestyle. But learning to work effectively and efficiently as we carry out our responsibilities will lead to productive and fulfilling lives with less stress.

Stress Management for Women: 3 Strategies

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