3 STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY

If you're anything like me, you told yourself you could power thru this pandemic. You got this! You adjusted to figure out how to get thru the end of the school year, then you knew you had a few months of a so-called summer break to work out. Now here we are, the anticipated school year we were holding out for is completely unknown and in question. "The school year is my breaking point." I've said this so many times over the past months, and yet here we are. My optimism is fading, it's all feeling endless, hopeless and overwhelming. I'm getting lost in the unknowns, and the quarantine living is taking a toll on my kids in a major way. So here we are, we're in totally unprecedented times, and somehow we have to figure out how to make it thru. Mama, I'm in this with you, and I struggle with the same pain and stress that you're flooded with. Today I share with you the top 3 techniques I use to manage stress when everything feels unknown.

Focus On The Moment You’re In

Remind yourself of all the positives from the exact moment you’re in. Tell yourself “In this minute I'm safe. In this moment my family is cared for. In this moment I am healthy.” Taking yourself to the single moment you’re in, not falling to the past or looking ahead is crucial. Take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes and give yourself the permission to let go of the chaos, focusing solely on the present moment. This limited focus, and shift to letting go of the fearful thoughts about the unknown, and instead focusing on the positive, is incredibly impactful.

Stop Future Tripping

If you're a Gabby Bernstein like I am, this term is familiar to you. Essentially you're getting lost in the “what if's” of the future, all of which are simply predictions, thoughts and ideas - many of which will only ever exist in your mind. Let go of the future, it's unknown, what you do know is this very moment you're in. Keep your focus right right there and you’ll instantly feel more grounded.

Box Breathing

Box breathing is a powerful technique to reset your breath to its normal rhythm. This reset allows your body to relax, clears your mind and increases focus. Fun fact, it’s commonly used with fire fighters, soldiers and Navy Seals, as a way to ground their bodies after being in fight-or-flight response on the job. Box breathing is a super fast, and powerful way to reset your body to its normal rhythm. Here are the steps:

Close your eyes and picture a square in your mind.
Take a deep breath in to a count of four, imagining you’re tracing a line up one side of the box. Feel the air entering your lungs.
Hold your breath in your lungs for a count of four at the top of your imaginary box
Release your breath to a count of four as you picture tracing down the side of the box.
Hold your exhale to a count of four as you complete the square.
Repeat these four steps until you feel a sense of calm. As you are more comfortable with the technique feel free to lengthen the amount of time you hold each step.

We all want control, or to have some semblance of expectations as to what lies ahead. If we've learned anything from the pandemic, that simply doesn't happen. So how do we let go of this unrealistic expectation, forgive ourselves for the pain and distress we're in, and find a way to move forward? Use one of these steps today. Give yourself permission to have 5 minutes alone, even if that means hopping in your car and driving around the block doing box breathing - girl, I have 100% done this, so you are not alone!