After the carefree days of summer, autumn’s arrival can feel like an abrupt return to reality, driving up stress levels. But getting back into the school-year mind frame doesn’t have to wreak havoc on your nerves. Here are some tips to help you start the fall season right and battle end of summer stress:
- Regular physical activity. Maybe you don’t have time to go to the gym everyday, even a walk around the block or time on the treadmill while listening to a podcast will produce positive benefits.
- Meditation. Again this does not need to be overly time consuming. A simple three minute meditation can have substantial impact on your day.
See audio clip below:
- Hit pause. It’s tempting to cram the last few days of summer with everything you meant to do before the school bus started running again. But all that activity can wear you (and your children) out. Plan a few quiet days so you and your family can ease back into the fall routine feeling calm and rested.
- Focus on the positive. At the end of a busy day, don’t beat yourself up about all the things you didn’t get done (or didn’t do as well as you’d hoped). Instead, reflect on all the things you accomplished and are grateful for.
Managing stress can come in all different shapes and sizes. But, be cautious of the potentially harmful “stress relief” activities that might seem relaxing but that can increase your stress in the long term. These activities may include; watching TV, surfing the internet, playing video games or scrolling through your social media feed and have been shown to increase cortisol (the stress hormone) and prevent the production of melatonin (the hormone that tells our body when it’s time to sleep.)
If you have trouble developing your own personal self care plan, join me Tuesday, September 10th, 5-8 pm for the Self Care Retreat at Oscar Carl Vineyard.
