Finding the tools to help with day-to-day stress and anxiety…
I’m always on the lookout for useful tools and techniques to help focus the mind and reduce stress, worry and tension.
As a counsellor I’m very much aware of how very differently different people cope with mental health issues and how everyone is individual when it comes to the best tools and methods to improve things. It’s always great to hear about particular mindfulness products or relaxation processes which have been beneficial and I’ll keep them in mind when I see clients in case they’re relevant - so they can benefit too.
One of my personal favourite tools for coping with stress and starting the day in the right frame of mind is this little pack of cards.
Aptly titled ‘52 ways to simplify your life’, there’s a card for every week of the year (or you can pick one every day). Beautifully illustrated, each has a very practical ‘mantra for the day’ and an explanation of how following that mantra might help you feel more balanced and calm.
The ‘Walk’ card is particularly important for me (particularly during the current pandemic) because it’s such a simple suggestion, but so powerful.
I walk every day with my dogs, sometimes with friends and sometimes with family but mostly alone. This is my time. To set my thoughts in line, breathe some fresh air, move and ground myself before starting a day’s work. It’s amazing how something as simple as a daily walk can allow you to put things into perspective, notice details about how you are feeling and think more clearly about things which are troubling you.
Busy lives can mean taking time for ourselves is often the last thing on the list.
Integrating a walk, some time to sit and think, a chat with a friend - they’re such simple ways to help you feel a bit more grounded, but so easy to slip out of the schedule. Having a simple, practical way to make those things more likely to happen (even if it’s just a case of physically booking it into your calendar) is the best way forward. Tools like the ‘Simplify your life’ cards can work well because they’re all achievable suggestions that make sense.
If you’re finding it increasingly difficult to keep a clear head and get things in perspective, counselling could help.
Not only because it enables you to share your concerns and resolve issues, but also because I can help find techniques and tools to suit you personally - and which you can integrate into your day-to day life and use ongoing.