Do you often find yourself feeling so overwhelmed with things that you just can’t seem to sit still?
Is it hard for you to turn off your brain?
Are you struggling to take a break from the pressures of everyday life?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're definitely not alone! Stress and anxiety are normal responses to a lot of different situations in life — and when we're so overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, it's hard for us to hit the "off" button. Which makes it hard to actually relax.
The body does this because stress and anxiety cause the nervous system to be in a constant state of hyperarousal and hypervigilance. Aka. We're physiologically programmed to be on alert mode — NOT rest mode.
But there IS good news! It IS possible to find some state of relaxation by identifying the source of the stress and anxiety, and then implementing methods to manage it.
Identifying the sources of stress and anxiety can be difficult, as many people find it hard to recognize what might be causing them to feel overwhelmed. Even when things appear to be going well, we can feel like a hidden force is preventing us from kicking back and enjoying the moment. But by understanding the source of your anxiety and stress, you'll be able to better manage it, as well as eventually removing yourself it — so your body can get out of its hyperaware state, and into a state of relaxation and rest.
Here are 5 tips to overcome the stress and anxiety leading to your inability to rest:
1. Take note of the times when you start to feel overwhelmed or anxious.
By understanding the what's, when's who's, where's, and why's of your anxiety and stress, you'll be able to grasp the actual triggers to when these feelings start creeping up. And hopefully you can then avoid some of those triggers as best as possible!
2. Pinpoint what emotions or thoughts contributed to the anxiety.
We can all get in our heads sometimes... Whether it's self-judgement, a lack of confidence, or some sort of people pleasing tendency, it's important to know that we are in charge of our own thought process. Which means we're also in charge of how we let our thoughts get away from us.
3. Have a good hold on identifying when stressors are becoming too much to handle.
Repeat after me: I don't have to handle everything all at once.
Start recognizing when normal levels of stress and anxiety are becoming a bit too much. And fun fact... It's probably more often than you think!
4. Take charge of your stress and learn how to manage it through external or internal sources.
Meditation, journaling, exercising, singing, laughing, shopping — whatever it may be, have an outlet for your stress and anxiety. Don't allow it to stay within your body, because that's when it causes problems.
5. Physically remove the stress and anxiety from your body and nervous system with a somatic healing program.
Best yet — get rid of that stress and anxiety you're feeling with somatic healing exercises!!
These exercises are gentle, body-and-mind-based movements that help you physically remove the tension from your body so you can finally feel that sense of relief (and finally start relaxing!).
Learn more about somatic exercises.
