I’ve written about the stress response before from my education reading Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, but I think about it all the time and when I remember and act on it the knowledge changes everything for me.
The stress response cycle has a beginning, middle, and end. When we get stuck in the middle our stress builds up and creates burnout. The mistake we often make is dealing with the stressor (we fought the dragon) but not the stress itself (our body is still wired from the adrenaline of fighting the dragon). You can learn more in this short article if you don’t want to read the book . . . or if you’ve read the book and want a quick refresher.
3 things you can do to complete the stress cycle:
1. Run. (walk / jog / move your body / or just tense all your muscles up and release)
2. Seek Safety. (get comfort from a friend or family member and try a 20-second hug)
3. Rest. (Get a full night’s sleep / take a nap)
I mostly think about that first one — when I’m in a good routine of movement it makes a huge difference in my mental health. I’m grateful I have that at the moment with both work fires and personal life changes are making daily functioning more hectic (and stressful) than my baseline.
But I’ve learned over the years to do a better job of seeking connection when I need it too. I don’t keep my feelings to myself as much and it helps me move through them faster.
And okay I’m still bad at sleep but the running helps a lot!
With Love,
Natalie