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A lot of times when I write about stress management in this blog, I’m writing about the things a person can do every day to keep their stress levels manageable—sort of prevention and maintenance stress management.
BUT, sometimes something happens and stress levels skyrocket all at once. Maybe the phone rings late at night and it’s a loved one. I remember a night my daughter called from college and her opening line was “Mom, does our insurance cover X-rays?” As you can imagine, my adrenaline went through the roof!
In those moments, it’s often really important to be clear-headed and made good decisions, rather than panic or yell or whatever your adrenaline is pushing you to do. For me, it was important to take a breath and say “Yes, and why do you need to know—are you ok or do you need medical care right now?” rather than my first impulse, which was to yell “YES!!!! AND IF YOU NEED AN X-RAY WHY THE HECK AREN’T YOU ALREADY AT THE EMERGENCY ROOM!!!!!”
If we can manage our stress in crisis moments, we can manage the crisis better, but that is easier said than done.
What are some things we can do to manage our stress in the moment? I found a really great article here from HelpGuide.org with a few simple suggestions that I found useful and would like to pass along.
The set of suggestions they give has to do with using your senses to bring you back to a calmer level. This takes a little experimenting to figure out what works best for you, since we’re all different.
Using Your Senses to Manage Stress
Use sounds that you find soothing—sing a favorite song, listen to a calming piece of music, or listen to a soundtrack of nature like babbling brooks or singing birds. You can find lots online—here is one from Calmsound.
Do something physical that can help calm you down. Try keeping a squeeze toy nearby, or stretch or roll your shoulders to relax them. Take some deep breaths and expand your lungs.
Find something that you find soothing to taste and enjoy. Don’t stress eat, but chew on a piece of gum, or sip a cup of hot coffee or tea.
Lots of times something that feels comforting can quickly reduce stress. Wrap yourself up in a warm blanket or pet your dog or cat—these can all be very soothing.
Things you see can also be very calming. Look at a photo of a favorite event, or loved one—keep one in your wallet so it is always nearby. Close your eyes and picture a place that feels safe and calm.
So, before the next sudden stressor happens, find one or two ways to use your senses to bring your emotions back down to a place where you can think clearly and make good decisions. It’ll take a little practice, but it will keep you thriving!
