Lifestyle

Give Me A Break

HOW TO SET THE TONE FOR OPTIMIZING YOUR LIFE

In our 24/7 Digital News Cycle we are inundated with messages from multiple platforms, a half a billion a day just from Instagram alone. Additionally, our common stressors in life emanate from work and work-life balance and the time, energy and resources to invest in these areas. To complicate matters more we get the, oh so normal ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ that befalls many of us. Career changes, life choices; is this the right or wrong decision for my life? That knot in your stomach, that acid reflux building up from within your very being can be all the indication you need that this internal wrestling is just as difficult as it is important.

A mentor and friend of mine (we all need one, so get one if you don’t have one!) encouraged me to reconstitute the stress and anxiety I was feeling into responding to and preparing for the inevitable angst that comes with transformational growth. Responding to life choices and circumstances promotes strategy and an organic plan that can ‘unpack’ the overwhelming feeling associated with these imminent and inevitable choices and decisions that will befall us.

I am a big believer of planning; I always have been. Planning transforms reactive flailing actions into proactive, responsive and strategic wise decisions into cohesive and efficient actions. These are some tips that I use that can help you with mastering the art of responding to your circumstances:

1.Prepare – Do You Homework

You can prep easy strategies to combat possible different outcomes, and in turn can reduce the risk of stress and make you feel at ease no matter what life throws at you. That way you feel prepared and less anxious and ready to face things head on.

2.Breathe

My trainer, my therapist, friends, and coworkers always tell me this and it finally clicked and resonated with me this summer. In stressful situations, I can ‘forget’ to breathe. Not like I turn blue, but I don’t breathe until I almost have to gasp or take very deep breaths when stressors are mounting and oppressing. It sounds simple but sometimes it’s not, it requires intentionality and attentiveness and continuous practicing.

3. Exercise 

I am not a fan of exercising, but I do know that I always feel better afterwards. On a bigger picture level your clothes fit so much better and you have the energy and drive to focus on your work or passions. For me its to travel and explore these destinations to the fullest, which is also why it’s so important to maintain some sort of routine even while you’re traveling. There are many easy workouts you can do in your hotel and you can prep and pack for it, or go online or Hulu and watch work out videos.  It takes practice but go in with a positive mindset while reminding yourself that you are going to feel and look better and be more energized.

4. Positivity

A friend of mine told me that instead on focusing on the good things or opportunities that are going on in my life, I will go ‘dark’ and focus on the negatives. So instead of focusing on the bad things going on or the stressors that are triggering you to ‘go dark’, push forward and switch that mindset to positive thinking. My mom says this to me all the time as well. Words like I can’t and I won’t be able to are not going to get you where you want to go. What got you here, Won’t Get You There; which is also a great book that was recommended to me this summer. It’s by the New York Times Bestseller author Marshall Goldsmith, who also wrote Mojo. Both of which I would suggest checking out. Positive steps like changing your thinking and expanding your mind by reading books such as these will push you down the right path and allow you to deal with your personal stress and hopefully think about the good things currently in your life and those coming your way. You get what you put out that there, so positivity goes a long a long way and you never know whats around the next corner!

 

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