True confession: I used to be so stressed out! (Yes, my husband will concur!)
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f there was ever anything to possibly be stressed out about, I’d be right there at the front of the line. As a former Celebrity Radio DJ, I likened it to an annoying radio station I could never turn off.
Through working to overcome my own stress and anxiety, I’ve learned so many different tools to find peace and calm. Read on to find ways to help you reduce stress in whatever situation you may find yourself in.
As a young child, I stressed about back to school. Everyone else would be coming to school with their fancy new clothes and lunchboxes, while I was not. Being the outcast was incredibly stressful (not to mention, it just plain sucked).
Fast forward to being a young mother with young children. Talk about stressed out about back to school! Was I buying the right clothes, the right lunchbox? Was their new teacher going to like them? Were they going to make new friends? I never got much sleep in those nights leading up to the first day of school. If you can relate, click here to find relief for your stress and anxiety.
One particularly stressful summer coupled back to school stress with the stress about moving across the country! My kids were young – just 6 and 8. I wanted to make it an adventure, so rather than flying (as my husband did), I decided to drive. Off we went with a friend of mine. We saw some AMAZING parts of this country (most of which my kids don’t remember), but, unfortunately, my off the charts stress cost me my friendship with the woman who traveled with us.
When we arrived in Connecticut, then I began to get stressed out about back to school in earnest. Now, not only could I stress about a new teacher, I could stress about a whole new school, new friends (or worse- bullies), and on and on it went.
It wasn’t just school either: I was stressed out about driving around Connecticut and getting lost (which I did – A LOT!) I remember the first time one of the kids got sick. I got so lost and so stressed on our way to the pediatrician’s office, that I pulled over to the side of the road and cried (this was before GPS). I wish I had known these simple yet powerful techniques to reduce stress.
Each new phase of school brought new levels of stress and anxiety. Have you ever heard the term “bigger kids, bigger problems”? I’d change it to “bigger kids, bigger stresses”. Not that the kids were stresses, but there was more to stress about (or so it seemed). By the time they were in high school and it was time to think about college, I was SO STRESSED OUT! I could work myself into a fevered pitch of stress and anxiety! Stressed about college – is it the right school? What if it’s NOT the right school? Stressed about college applications: what if they don’t get it? Stressed about finances – how are we going to afford it?
Both of my kids ended up going to great colleges, so now my stress should be gone, right?! Not so fast! Now I was stressed about studying or were they partying? (Fortunately, they both graduated with honors!) I was stressed about them getting a job (they both got great jobs), I could get stressed out about them moving (they both moved far away).
I could be stressed about empty nest: how would my husband and I deal with it being just the two of us again after 20 plus years?
To my surprise, I’m happy to say it’s actually been great! I could have stressed about retirement, stressed about finances, but I don’t.
Holistic Ways of Dealing with Stress and Anxiety
I’ve learned holistic ways of dealing with the habit of stress and anxiety: hypnosis, EFT/Tapping, yoga, meditation and more. I bring all of these to my own personal practice, as well as with my clients.
Over the years, I’ve taken what I’ve learned about reducing stress and anxiety and applied it to my own life. It’s very much like brushing your teeth. You brush your teeth on a regular basis to prevent cavities. We need to use these simple and effective techniques on a regular basis to prevent the buildup of stress and anxiety. When we do consistently use these practices, we are much less stressed out and much more calm and balanced.
To help get you started, CLICK HERE to get five of the thirty five techniques in my book “Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Fredoom” FREE!
I’d love to hear how they work for you – please comment below or send me a quick email.
Are you ready to experience freedom from the past and embrace what’s possible? Click here for a free 15 minute consultation.
