Shift Your Mindset & Thrive
Ahh! I’m so stressed out! How is it just the start of the semester and I’m already feeling overwhelmed and tired?! I don’t think I’m going to make it through the next few months.
Raise your hand if this inner monologue sounds familiar.
Stress is one of the biggest components of one’s life. Recent studies have found that more than half of current college students are experiencing above-average stress on a daily basis. Your relationship with stress also affects your confidence, your ability to perform to your potential, your relationships, and your overall mental health.
We all experience and feel stress in different ways. And while it may seem the best solution is to eliminate stress completely, you actually need a certain amount of stress in order to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. Our mind and body need the “good” stress – eustress – to continue evolving and growing. For example, when training for a marathon, a runner needs to place a certain amount of stress on their body and mind to build up the muscles, endurance, and mental confidence to run 26.2 miles. However, suppose a runner overexerts themselves by running too many miles before they’re ready or neglect proper recovery and rest. In that case, they risk injury, which can negatively impact both their body and mind. Developing a healthy relationship with stress will help you to be your most thriving self.
So you may be wondering – how do I develop a healthy relationship with stress?
Well, let’s start with understanding what stress actually is. Stress is a biological, physiological, mental, and emotional response. Many times, what you are calling stress is actually other emotions such as fear, worry, or anxiety; though these emotions relate to each other, there are differences.
Fear is an untaught, instinctive reaction we have to danger. Fear can trigger your fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses as a way to protect you.
Anxiety is unwarranted or excessive fear.
Both fear and anxiety can lead to worry, which is repetitive and reoccurring thoughts.
Worry can then lead to stress, which is our perception that we are unable to meet the demands placed upon us.
There are many things in life outside of your control, but your mindset is the one thing that is always in your control. The stress cycle begins when you perceive something as a threat. By altering your perception of what is threatening, or by changing how you view that “threat,” you can reshape your relationship with stress.
When you gain clarity about your emotions and the thoughts tied to them, you empower yourself to choose your response rather than merely react. By paying attention to these feelings and thoughts, you deepen your self-understanding, which in turn helps you navigate the ever-changing aspects of your life with greater ease.
Shifting your stress mindset takes intentional persistent practice. There are many tools that can support you in changing your relationship with stress and help create new neural pathways through neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt and change throughout an individual’s life.
Here are three tools to start incorporating into a daily practice:
BREATHE.
Intentional breathing helps to shift your nervous system from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system helps to transition you out of your stress cycle and back to a place of calm and grounded-ness.
Square Breathing is one of my favorite breath practices.
- Inhale through your nose on a 4 count
- Pause at the top of your breath for a 4 count
- Exhale out your nose on a 4 count
- Pause at the bottom of your breath for a 4 count
- Repeat this for at least 3 rounds
You can even close your eyes and visualize your breath making a square
AFFIRMATIONS.
What you think is what you believe. Self-talk is anything you say to yourself or about yourself whether that is out loud or in your head. Self-talk can be put into three categories: positive, instructional, and negative. It is important to be aware of what you are thinking and the types of thoughts you consistently have. By shifting your self-talk from limiting beliefs to ones that are supportive you begin to foster a growth mindset, to build your confidence, and to become more resilient.
Affirmations are one of my favorite self-talk practices. Here are some tips on creating your own affirmations:
- Statements should be in the present tense
- Statements should have personal meaning to you
- Statements should be in affirmative language
- Examples: I am enough. I can do hard things. Everything is happening for me and my greatest good.
Once you have your list of affirmations, make it a habit to repeat them several times a day. The more often you say them, the more your brain will start to believe in them, and eventually, you will embody their essence.
BODY.
Stress lives in the body and creates unnecessary tension. Some common places people hold their stress are the shoulders, jaw, stomach, and low back. Prolonged tension in the body can lead to pain, injury, disease, and other negative physical and mental effects. It’s crucial to release stress from the body and allow it to relax and rejuvenate.
Progressive Relaxation is one of my go-to physical stress release practices.
- Make sure you are sitting or lying down
- Starting at the top of your head and traveling down to your feet
- Squeeze each muscle group for 10 seconds and release
- Repeat this cycle a few times
Stress doesn’t have to be your enemy; it can be your guide and even your ally. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress entirely but to transform your relationship with it. By doing so, you can thrive, not just survive.
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Stephanie Simpson empowers individuals to ignite their inner leader, build resilience, and live life where they can thrive under pressure. Through compelling storytelling and research-backed peak performance techniques, Stephanie enables others to develop a deeper self-understanding and meaningful connection with others and the world around them.