Stress is something that many of us battle everyday. Mentally, we don’t have enough clarity to go through our days. Physically, we’re fatigued and battle aches/pains/you name it. It becomes easier to overcome stress when we can view this on a 360 degree view and begin with a mental solution.
Stress can cause improper breathing which effects the diaphragm. The diaphragm helps with our breathing and posture. Once our diaphragm is overworked, our lower back and hip flexor muscle group will pick up the slack to maintain our stability. From there, a trickle-down effect occurs in our, hamstrings, calves, etc, causing tightness. Physically there are breathing techniques to help this (article coming soon), first let’s talk mentally.
Mentally, we need to shift our focus away from stress. What is stress? Think about it, we set meanings to everything in our lives. We all have our own adversity we battle but shifting our focus is the first step. Focus on gratitude. Something that has completely changed my life is gratitude journaling.
I’m not saying you have to become a writer, but the focus of gratitude shines a light on your life. You can either write, speak to yourself, or discover what works for you. When we wake up and focus on gratitude, we fill our mind with positivity and in return our energy is uplifted. When we focus on gratitude before bed, we build momentum for the following day.
While focusing on gratitude in the morning and night, take the time to celebrate the wins along the way. We often find ourselves going through time without applauding ourselves. Avoid feeling burnt out by looking back on the things you accomplish daily, weekly, and monthly.
As you can see, stress takes toll on us holistically. One easy way to work towards reversing stress is to focus on what we are grateful for. In return, once we can stack consistent positive days we will feel better and move better.
Don’t let the negativity take over all the blessings you truly have in your life.
*Stay tuned for, Part 2: A 360 View on Defeating Stress
In Health,
Coach Izz
