Stress less

As a wellness entrepreneur working from home, with kids ( well teenager and a college kid ) and a household to care for life can be overwhelming and stressful.

You may think that being on this journey of awakening that the word stress does not belong in my dictionary . You see just because I am an advocate for Self-leadership , Freedom and Peace, I absolutely still have my Stress, low and anxiety moments, and they definitely surfaced today.

No, I do not live the life of a Guru. 

I am just a human being still experiencing all kind of moments , but have become more resilient. I learned to snap out of my low victim moments faster and get back to showing up , serving my family and my clients in no time. I have trained this muscle for good time now and no longer (feed) the stress or un-manage for that matter ( Yeah it is not about managing stress or timetable …will elaborate below)

You see, I used to feed on that stress and had the belief that when I was stressed it was a good sign because it meant that I was “busy” , "efficient", "productive " and I would perform better with the added pressure. I also believed the more busy-ness the bigger is my self-worthiness.(little I knew that I was feeding my ego with my BUSY-NESS-MESS ...)

There was this myth of doing-doing more and more and then having this power to manage ways to do more with less time . 

There was the myth of utilizing every second , multi-task and cross everything on the list that declares me at the end of the day a ”super woman”.

The truth is while stretching beyond comfort zone is beneficial, stressing about it and forcing it can be extremely detrimental to your health.

Did you know that studies have linked stress to:

increased appetite

higher chance of picking up unhealthy habits (binge eating, ect.)

risk of heart disease

higher chance of fat around the abdomen

weakened immune system

 Pretty crazy, right? and

The reason you're not losing that belly fat... The reason you're not happy and can't sleep..

The reason you're constipated, lack energy, and are sick often…

The reason you just can’t seem to reach your health and wellness goals may all be linked to….

S T R E S S

Now, of course, there could be some other factors at play, but if you can get to the bottom of your stress levels better then you will have more energy to focus on other areas of your health and wellness.

So sharing this with you today brought more awareness to me today .

It reminded me of the following steps that helped me along the way to release my stress.

I have come to a conclusion that for now they are my ways of releasing stress : 

1- COURAGE, ahhhh My favorite word in the whole world...

Slow down and ask yourself: What is my motivation ? Where is this Piling more tasks coming from ? What is my intention, where is it coming from ? Is it from a place of fear of not doing or being enough? What Am I trying to prove? Who Am I trying to please? 

Sometimes our fear that people would judge us , or say something to us or about us is the reason behind overwhelming ourselves and carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. 

• What if the overwhelming stressful thoughts that you are experiencing is just an indicator that your energy /heart is not in the right place?
• What is the cost of your well-being if you keep pressuring yourself with more in order to get praise ?
• What if this swamped overwhelmed feeling is a sign that you need to bring more courage ?
• What if you can bring 5% more courage , what do you need to release or negotiate ?

2- CREATE DAILY HABITS

Start Your Day Off Right Wake up a little before your kids, have a large glass of water with lemon and just have 5 min silence or read few pages from a book but stay away from media . Do a little morning yoga. It doesn’t have to be long, but when you start the day off feeling good and like you’ve taken care of yourself then you will have so much more energy to show up for your day.

Meditate: It only takes 5 minutes (or more if you choose). Sit quietly, listen to music or a guided meditation and relax your mind. This could be a part of your morning or nighttime routine. It doesn’t matter when you do it as long as you do it consistently.

Practice Gratitude Be thankful. Think of 5 things you are grateful for. Journal it or write a thank you card to someone. I love to do this in the morning and right before bed.

Create Rhythms I used to feel like they would restrict me (yeah me the nomad free spirited , and its boring ) or feel suffocating and I fought it for a long time. I’ve learned that having rhythms or routines really sets a foundation for more grounding , and calm in my environment. A few of my favorite rhythms are having a morning journaling and scheduling , sunday grocery shopping, gym in the morning, cooking at least twice a week so we always have healthy food options available. What rhythms could you create for you and your family?

Focus on Your Big 1  Pick only 1 task that will be your priority for the day , and have another list on important tasks. Focus on getting priority done. By setting only 1 main priority, it is more likely that you can move on to your important tasks with flow and less stress, and then you will feel satisfied and accomplished at the end of the day. 

Move Your Body You don't need an intense exercise regimen to release endorphins and increase your energy and happiness, you just simply need to move your body in a way that you enjoy. Dance in the kitchen, walk your dog, or ride a bike.I love to walk outside whether permitting, go to the gym and have variety of workout regimens. 

Breathe Deeply When you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious, simply focus on slowing down your breath and change your breathing by taking tummy deep, long breaths. This can truly help you relax.

Eat Mindfully  It’s so important to sit down without distractions and eat mindfully. Ask yourself "Am I hungry?” before eating. Tune into your bodies fullness cues. Take your time eating and chew your food thoroughly. This is a great way to just take a break from the day and nourish your body with healthy, delicious food.

Sleep Well I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times, but sleep really is SO important for your overall health and wellness. Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep as often as possible, but also don’t stress if this current phase of life doesn’t allow for it.

Finally, Remember NOT to stress because you are still stressing!

Ghada B Khalifeh helps Freedom Seeking Entrepreneurs to end their obsession with food and diet so they can feast on their life and feel confident and healthy in their body.