Building Your Stress Management Toolbox

Written by Emma-Kate Corby from Seeds Health Coaching.

Our collective modern lives are so busy and stress has become an all too familiar companion for many of us. While you’ve likely experienced that regular exercise, like strength training at Patch, is a powerful tool for managing your stress, it's important to recognize that there are other strategies that can complement your workouts and help you to achieve a greater sense of balance and well-being. 

April marks Stress Awareness Month. The theme this year is #littlebylittle and recognises that making small changes in our behaviour and creating new habits can have a massive impact on our wellbeing in the longer term.  

Let's explore some simple stress management tools beyond strength training that, if done consistently, could support your journey to a calmer, more peaceful state of mind.  

1. Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. By cultivating a sense of awareness and acceptance, mindfulness meditation can help reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance emotional resilience. 

Free apps such as calm.com or headspace.com can be a great way to get started if you’re new to meditation. Even just a few minutes of meditation each day can lead to a range of benefits and, by keeping it brief, means you’re more likely to be consistent with the practice!

2. Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing exercises are a simple yet effective way to calm the mind and body in times of stress. By focusing on slow, deep breaths, you can activate the body's relaxation response and promote a sense of calm and tranquility. 

4-7-8 breathing is a simple technique that involves breathing in for a count of 4, holding the breath for 7, and breathing out for 8.  Repeating this 10 times will only take just over 3 minutes out of your day but can help calm the nervous system tremendously.  I like to do this just before I go to sleep to help me to settle my body and mind and to rest well!

3. Spending Time in Nature

Connecting with nature has been shown to have numerous benefits for our mental health and well-being. Spending time outdoors, whether it's taking your dog for a walk, or simply sitting in your back garden, can help reduce stress, improve mood, and increase feelings of relaxation. 

Patch holds regular social dog walks in the local area for members and is a great way to get out in nature as well as to get to know other members of the community.  Keep an eye out for the next one!

4. Journalling

Journalling is a practice that involves writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It can be an excellent tool to combat stress as it helps you process your emotions, gain insight into your inner world, and track your wellbeing over time. 

However, there’s no need to spend a long time journalling every day or to feel you need to write pages to feel the benefits. Writing down just 3 things you’re grateful for at the beginning or end of every day is a science-backed technique that can help you to manage stress and overwhelm and is an easy way to get started with journalling!

5. Yoga

Yoga is a holistic practice originating in India that combines physical postures, breathwork, and meditation to promote overall well-being. Practicing yoga can be a great addition to strength training at Patch as it builds on your flexibility and balance, while also calming the mind and reducing stress.  

If you aren’t ready to try a yoga studio, it’s relatively easy to find yoga sessions on youtube. If you’re new to yoga, I’d recommend Yoga with Adrienne who has a huge range of recorded sessions, especially made for beginners.

I encourage you to experiment with any one of these tools to better manage your stress and nurture your mental and emotional well-being. By consistently incorporating any of these practices into your daily routine, you really can cultivate a greater sense of balance and calm in your life. 

Remember, it's important to find out what works best for you and to create a personalized stress management plan that meets your unique needs. If you would like support to create the consistent habits and routines that would help you to manage your stress better, I welcome you to book a free 20 minute discovery session with Seeds Health Coaching to learn more about how health and wellbeing coaching can help you!