How stress affects me:
Stress is pervasive. It's a slow-creeping thing that coils around you until it is too late. You're bound, tied up in the irrational thoughts behind it.
I find myself feeling fine even when under an immense load of stress. Over time though, if I don't adjust myself, I can slowly burn out. Keeping up with life, on top of necessities, health, fitness, and financial goals, and my career adds up to be too much. Do you ever feel like that?
I'm at a place in life where I'm an entry-level adult. I have responsibilities, but no one expects me to be an accomplished person. My brother needs a lot of help with his mental health. My soon-to-be spouse is also struggling with career goals and stress. That leaves me with very little room for myself. And that is a shame.
I'm in therapy, trying to learn how to put myself first. I'm practicing setting healthy boundaries and not solving people's trials for them. I'm trying to be there through their process of discovering themselves and being supportive.
So here's my advice for all you fellow stressed people:
Breathe.
Just.
Breathe.
The Technique
There's potency in breathing effectively for stress. I'll walk you through the technique. You first take a breath in through the nose. Hold it for a second. Then exhale gradually through the mouth. If you desire more specifics, my therapist conveyed breathing out is twice as long as you inhaled. An example, I would inhale (through the nose) for four seconds, hold for one, exhale (out the mouth) for eight seconds, and pause for another second. And repeat. Move your lips how you might blow on hot soup with a spoon.
Science is behind this method. Inhaling is associated with your sympathetic nervous system. This system responds to stress and danger. While exhaling is working with your parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is associated with relaxation and digestion when at rest. If you're curious about more, you should look into it.
I know you're probably thinking, 'Can breathing really help all that much?'. Well, it can and does help. But you also need to look into other methods to reduce your stress. Therapy has been a great help for me, but I know not everyone can get that. So look into alternatives. If you watch Youtube, some therapists do videos on that platform. There are places like BetterHelp or other online therapy sites. Go out and volunteer. Or, if you're in a dark place right now, make it a goal to sit outside in the sun for fifteen minutes. Or even go for a walk if you're up for it. But that is beside the point of this article. That is for a later time.
For now, breathe.
Thanks.
