Managing Stress for the Ultimate Mental Health Glow-Up
In recent years, you may have heard about the “Mental Health Glow-Up”—a journey of transformation and spiritual growth through better health habits and positive life changes revealing your healthiest self, thriving and radiant.
Clearer mindset, healthier thought patterns, and greater ability to manage emotions? Check. Better boundaries, stronger relationships, and improved self-compassion and self-worth? Check.
The before-and-after snapshots paint a picture like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly—a storyline that we all deserve to experience at some point in our lives.
Yet this kind of renewal and accomplishment doesn’t happen overnight, or without genuine effort. It takes quite a bit of work and intention to shimmer and shine bright. And with April being Stress Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to emphasize the importance of managing stress as a key part of the ultimate glow-up.
A Highlight on Stress
Stress is a natural and unavoidable part of life, helping us to both survive life-threatening situations and cope with every day strains. In fact, even animals and plants get stressed in similar ways that humans do. Take a look at this video for a quick primer on how stress works:
As the video explains, stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Some stress can be good in the short-term, helping us rise to life’s challenges, like giving a presentation or interviewing for a job. However, when stress becomes a frequent or prolonged occurrence in our lives, it starts to impact our health negatively in many ways.
We’re not supposed to be in a “survival mode” all the time. Constantly having stress hormones, like cortisol, elevated in our system can create a cascade of negative effects on our health.
Chronic stress can negatively impact various aspects of your health, including:
Digestive
Nausea, stomach aches, diarrhea, or gastrointestinal issues
Physical
Chest and back pain, muscle tension, breathing issues, or changes in blood pressure, weight, and hair growth
Immune system
Weakened immune system, higher risk of illness, and delayed recovery from illness
Mental and emotional health
Difficulty remembering things, inability to concentrate, anxiety, depression, burnout, irritability, feeling “on edge”, substance use
Sleep
Difficulty with sleeping (including having trouble falling asleep, not getting enough restful sleep, and waking up during the night) fatigue, and lack of energy during the day
The good news is that we can learn to manage stress with daily life practices.
Finding Your Glow Through Stress Management
Whether you’re thinking about your mental health glow-up, simply incorporating some changes into your daily life, such as managing stress, can make a big difference. It can be hard to know where to start, and unrealistic to try everything at once. Take small steps and focus on the little wins.
Your stress management glow-up list might look something like this:
- Identify what may be contributing to your stress levels in a harmful way
- Let go of what you cannot control, work on forgiving yourself and others, and change your mindset from worst-case scenarios. Practice self-compassion, kindness, and hope. Avoid scrolling and toxic comparisons to others on social media
- Join a support group or speak to a therapist to heal past traumas, feelings of guilt/shame, grief, and loss
- Finding healthy coping mechanisms
- Limit or trade substances or unhealthy behaviors for activities that will help you unwind, de-brief, and heal. Connect with others often and lean into social wellness as a necessary part of managing stress
- Practice deep breathing to clear your head and calm your nerves
- Improving health habits
- Eat more fruits, vegetables, proteins, and hearty meals that give you energy and vitality. Drink more water, while limiting sugary or caffeine-heavy drinks
- Find ways to be more active and bring about regular movement into your world. Get enough quality sleep that allows your mind and body to re-charge
- Decluttering your schedule and life
- Learn about reminders, checklists, and calendars to help make life more manageable. Reward yourself in little ways to get something done. Allow yourself to experience downtime for hobbies, rest, and relaxation. Be honest with yourself about your limits and what you can or can’t manage
- Make changes/ set boundaries so that you aren’t constantly overwhelmed sprinting in between commitments and so you don’t burn out
- Engage in positive activities that fuel your curiosity, creativity, and sense of purpose or meaning
- Volunteer and give back to your community. Learn new skills and explore different hobbies
- Invest in what makes you truly happy and authentically fulfilled
At the end of the day, challenges and struggles will still occur. We can recognize, accept, and celebrate our growth while still being a work in progress. Your mental health era is waiting, and your glow-up is ready when you are. You’re sparkling already.
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