Coping Strategies For Success

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. There's a positive correlation between mental health and success. CEO's are twice as likely to develop depression compared to the general population. That aside, knowing how to navigate your feelings and cope with stressors is vital to your success in whatever it is that you do, whether that's running a business, a household, etc. Growth isn't always rainbows and butterflies. It's stormy weather too.

You ever found yourself in a slump? I'm sure we've all be there at one point or another.

I spent several valuable years in a funk. Normally happy, go-lucky me has no problem adjusting my mindset, but this time was different. I was just overwhelmed with everything and I didn't know how to change it. I stopped finding pleasure in the things I enjoyed the most. My hobbies started to feel more like chores, as did most of my daily routine.

I was overwhelmed by life and I needed to give myself a minute to breathe. So I took a minute for myself. One day turned into the next, weeks turned into the months, and while a lot of things changed, I still couldn't shake the way I felt. I needed to reset. But how does a single mother, who spends the majority of her day working, only to come home and fill the two pairs of shoes with two feet, reset? I just felt defeated.

I realized I was stuck in fight or flight mode when I recognized how tense I am on the regular. Turns out, I've just been extremely stressed all year long, but I didn't realize because it had become my borderline - my norm.

The fight-or-flight response is a reaction to perceived danger, whether that danger is real or not. It’s important to note that “danger” does not only apply to physical threats, but also threats to emotional well-being. The fight-or-flight response prepares your body to confront (“fight”) or flee (“flight”) a threat by triggering several physiological changes, or symptoms.

My natural instinct is to flee. When I get stressed, my first response is to remove myself from whatever is stressing me. In fight or flight, I take everything to the fullest extent. Kick it into full gear and run with it! Move across and start a new life? I think yes. Quit my job? YES. Take a spontaneous road trip. Yes, INDEED. In fact, if you've kept up with me these past few years, you may notice a pattern in my behavior. I'm surprised I don't have pierced titties by now. My stress levels have had me living my best, most spontaneous life, but not all of my impulsive decisions have been healthy.

And do you know how unhealthy chronic stress is?

The effects of stress can have detrimental effects on your health. Studies link chronic stress to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, memory loss, inability to concentrate, and even premature death. Stress can lead to poor sleep, headaches, weight loss/gain, feelings of isolation, withdrawal, or worthlessness, constant anger or irritability, loss of interest in activities, constant fear, obsessive thinking, and substance abuse.

Being stressed can really wreak havoc on your life. With that being said, let's talk about how to cope with stress.

SELF-CARE, SELF-CARE, SELF-CARE

I think this is probably the MOST IMPORTANT coping skill there is. When you're feeling some type of way, STOP and take a minute to yourself. In the moment, and moving forward. Take a minute of peace now, and then put a self care day on your schedule routinely and be intentional to do all the things that fill your cup. Spend an entire day doing all the things you enjoy!  Prioritizing your health, from diet and exercise, to relaxation and sleep is part of caring for yourself too. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine may temporarily relieve stress, but have negative health impacts and can make stress worse in the long run.  There's a connection between physical health and mental health and overall wellness. If you're not caring for yourself properly, eventually, you'll quickly find yourself slumped.  Well-nourished bodies cope better, so start everyday off with a well-balanced breakfast and eliminate processed foods and sugar, and DRINK MORE WATER. Setting healthy boundaries and raising the bar on who has access to your energy is a form of self-care too.

TAKE A VACATION

If you're thinking, "not all of us have that luxury", I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. You don't have to travel across the country to get a vacation. You can stay home and take a staycation. And if time off is you're next rebuttle, then it sounds like you need to work for a company that values their employees.

UTILIZE SUPPORTS

Reach out to a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. Whether it be a family member, friend, pet, or a random stranger. Sometimes pouring your heart out can take a little bit of weight off. Sometimes all a person needs is a hug.

PRACTICE RELAXTION TECHNIQUES

They say the secret to your success is found in your daily routine. Switch things up. Turn off your auto-pilot, fast life and slow down. Get intentional. In addition to eating healthier and working out, incorporate relaxation techniques into your daily routine. Practice meditation and breathing techniques. Use visualization and guided imagery. Release your tension. Loosen up.

PROBLEM SOLVING

Pinpoint the issue and find a way to minimize it or solve it.

I felt like I had tried everything, but at some point, I realized that nothing was changing because I wasn't making an intentional effort to change it. I made intentional efforts to distract myself from the way I felt, but I never did any actual work towards improving my mental health. I would lay down at night and tell me myself "tomorrow will be better", then I'd wake up feeling heavy, fatigued, and unwell. Again. I finally got sick of waking up feeling the same everyday - sick and tired. I decided to tackle my problems head-on. They say the real growth starts when you get tired of your own shit. It was a pivotal moment, indeed.  

Having the time to reset and come back more intentional with my priorities has me feeling like a new person and there's so much more where that came from. I'm ready to change my life as I know it, so that's exactly what I'm doing. Make sure to follow me on my social media pages.

I'm not only transforming into the best version of myself and creating my best life and helping you do the same, I'm also growing my business into a full time income, while helping you do the same.

Here's to six figures!