Your stress is at an all time high… Scratch that. The truth is, you’ve been at your max for a while now. It’s been days, weeks or even months of operating this way and you fear you are going to burnout or freak-out. Sometimes you are too irritable or tired to even bother with self
care. And other days you desperately crave that nurturing but there doesn’t seem to be enough
time.

My journey with stress management has been long, at times tortured and constantly evolving. When I was younger I seemed to thrive on being busy. I coped with stress by being even busier, feeding on the thrill of accomplishment, interaction and rhythm. But built into this thrum of busy-ness was yoga and spirituality. I would deep dive into asanas, hiking and the wilderness to bodycheck my Type A personality into place. And now, with my feet firmly planted in motherhood, marriage and private practice, I still seek balance between these two parts of me.

Several months ago I realized I was using the same 5 stress manage skills with most of my clients and in my own personal life. When I looked closer, I understood it’s because (1) these tools create basic building blocks that are great starting points and important touchstones to
return to. And (2) they are easy to access, brief and effective. They include: guided meditations, physical relaxations, mindfulness and healthy sleep habits. Spoiler alert: I’m giving them to you below.

Do these sound new to you? They are pretty easy to understand really:

• Guided meditations are similar to stories. You’ll listen to a script that will help you relax your breath and body and bring to mind resources (e.g. beautiful scenery, a successful experience, a grateful moment) that are soothing and strengthening.
• Physical relaxation comes in many forms. One that I practice is called autogenic relaxation and it involves slowly, gently releasing stress from your body one part at a time. The other I recommend is called progressive muscle relaxation and it often relies on a tense / release response.
• Mindfulness is the practice of noticing what is. Rather than visualizing something (as in a guided meditation) you may simply bring your attention to your breath and clear your mind. The stillness is soothing and something to practice.
• Healthy sleep habits are essential to any kind of wellness regimen. Being able to relax into sleep, clear your mind or fall back asleep after waking are important skills.

Luckily, I’ve created a masterlist of my TOP 5 Stress Management Hacks. By using the form below you’ll get immediate access to the podcasts, videos and apps that I use in the office and in my personal life. I’ll send the masterlist to your inbox instantly. The great thing about all these tools is they take less than 10 minutes and are as close as your fingertips. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.