10 self-care tips for stressful times

As a human, you need sleep, you need rest. You cannot constantly push yourself to the max without expecting to end up burned out.

But it’s actually quite simple to avoid burning out. All you have to do is prioritize yourself and your health. Stop believing that only through more work you’ll become successful.

And I get it, your schedule might be overflowing. You might feel guilty to stop working at a certain time because as an entrepreneur you’ll always find something to work on your business.

With all the holidays coming up, you’re probably even under more stress than normal. You’re busy running your business, maybe you’re planning to launch an offer and on top of that all the holiday to-dos.

So I get it, it can be extremely challenging to take time for self-care when you’re already overloaded with all those to-dos. Try these 10 self-care tips for stressful times when you’re anxious and overwhelmed.

10 self-care tips for stressful times

Prioritize.

Choose the self-care activities that you enjoy the most and that take out the least amount of time. Self-care doesn’t always involve an hours-long pampering session. Even a few minutes per day that you dedicated to yourself will make a huge difference. So once you chose them, schedule them into your calendar so that it’s easier to stick to them.

Get enough sleep

During busy times, it can more be challenging for you to get to sleep at a reasonable time. But sleep is so important for our body to recover and restore its energy, especially during stressful times. Try to set a firm sleep schedule to ensure you get your 7-9h of sleep. If you feel guilty about finishing work to go to sleep, remember that working more doesn’t mean you’re more productive. When your body is tired, you’ll have a hard time keeping your focus, productivity, and motivation high!

Journal

Journaling can reduce stress by serving as an escape or emotional release of negative thoughts and emotions. It can help you meet your goals and improve your overall quality of life. By writing down your thoughts, you can effectively clear your head. You’ll be able to make essential connections between feelings, behaviors, and thoughts, exactly what you need in stressful times!

Practice Gratitude

Studies have shown that taking the time to feel grateful for ALL the things you have in life may improve your emotional well-being. This can help you cope with stress! When practicing gratitude daily, you’re reflecting on the good things that have happened in your life. You’ll shift your awareness from negativity to positivity. It can be as simple as someone holding the door for you or the nice cup of coffee you get to enjoy every day. When you’re under stress,

Breathe

Often times when you’re stressed out, the best thing you can do is to simply breathe! When you’re stressed or anxious, your breath tends to be more shallow and irregular. Deep breathing enables more air to get into your body which helps reduce your stress levels. Allowing more air to flow into your system, also increases the oxygen levels in your blood. Thus calms down parts of your brain like the amygdala, which helps regulate emotional responses.

Meditate

If you’re not meditating already, it’s time to start! The benefits of meditation are REAL. Various research has shown that it may enhance self-awareness⁣, improve focus, reduce negative emotions, and, most important, reduce stress! When you meditate, you learn to control your thoughts and to potentially eliminate those that may be causing you stress! Meditation isn’t about having an empty mind, it’s about gaining control over what’s going on inside of it.

Go outside

A walk around your block or in nature is great for your mental health, it’s a great way to destress and clear your head. Just like any other cardio activity, it boosts the production of endorphins, one of the feel-good hormones. This hormone in return reduces the stress hormone cortisol. Going for a walk in nature adds up to those benefits and can further enhance your mood.

Detox from social media.

When we’re scrolling social media, we more often not are comparing ourselves to others, sometimes we might not even notice. Try to take regular breaks from it. Unfollow or mute accounts that have a negative impact on your mood, accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. AND don’t check your feed, emails, etc. first thing in the morning, first, take the time for yourself so that you can start your day with intention.

Focus on food

Proper nutrition is another aspect of self-care, it’s one that’s often forgotten when things are becoming stressful. When we have a lot on our plate, we’re quick to skip meals or opt for fast food. Skipping meals will result in strong blood sugar fluctuations, so does fast-food. When your blood sugar level is low, it increases the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Wholesome, nutrient-dense foods can reduce them as they keep blood sugar levels at bay! If you know you’ll have a busy period ahead, try taking some time to meal prep. It will help you destress and avoid overwhelm.

Ask for help

Many of us see asking someone for help as a sign of weakness. In reality, it’s a sign of strength! We want to appear to others as though we have everything under control! But sometimes, at some point, even the best of us need help! Knowing when it’s time to ask for help and acknowledging why you need it, is in my opinion, the biggest self-care you can do! Whether it’s as small as asking your partner to help you with cleaning duty or something big as hiring a VA, asking for help is never a sign of weakness!

If you feel like you need professional support when it comes to stress management and anxiety as an entrepreneur, check out my 1:1 coaching program, and let’s hop on a FREE Manifesting Freedom Discovery Call today!