How to handle stress while on the go
Picture this: you’re having a really good, productive day. After work, you get in you car and can’t wait to get home. You get on the freeway, and your engine light comes on.
No biggie, right? Then, your car suddenly starts to slow down while you’re in the fast lane, and eventually comes to a stop. That happened to me this summer. I can honestly say that something like that happening, was one of my worst nightmares. Although, I do have to say that now I sort of feel like a proper adult.
I’ve never dealt with car trouble before. I think that I did get a flat tire once, while I was in college, but that was it. This summer when I was driving home that day, I seriously thought that I was going to have some kind of a nervous breakdown. As my car started to suddenly slow down out of the blue, I immediately tried pulling over to the shoulder. And kids, if anything like that happens while you’re driving, pull over to the side and call for help. Well.. that’s not what I did. I panicked. My parents live nearby, so I thought, let me just go to their house and have my dad take a look at the car. I was moving maybe 5 miles per hour, I turned the AC off (oh, did I mention it was 98 degrees that day?) and even though I lived in that area for years and my parents’ home was 5 minutes away, I got lost. Don’t ask me how.
So as I’m driving 5 mph, trying to put their address in my GPS, I’m starting to sweat, my hands are shaking, I don’t know where I’m going.. and then a groundhog crosses the road and stops right in front of my car. I try to drive around it, it starts walking to the left, I go to the right and it starts walking in the same direction. I mean, really? REALLY? So, being the sane person that I am, I opened the window and started yelling at the poor thing to get out of the way.
Eventually, I did make it to my parents’ house and it turned out that my radiator was broken and had to be replaced (which, thankfully, my dad was able to do). Now that I talk about it, I laugh at myself, but in that moment, I was so stressed out that I really thought I was going to go crazy.
There are so many things that cause stress while you’re on the go- some are small, like having to meet deadlines at work, some are a bit bigger- like your car stopping in the middle of the freeway. So, how do you deal with stress in those situations, when taking 20 minutes to cool off, just isn’t an option?
STRESS SIGNALS
As you experience stress, your body sends out stress signals- your heart beats faster, your muscles tighten, your palms are starting to sweat. To best deal with unpredicted stress, you need to train yourself to recognize those signals and you’ll be able to better react to those stressful situations. When I’m having an unusually hectic day at work, I pay attention to my breathing- if I notice my breath becoming quick and shallow, that’s when I know that I need to identify those stressors and do my best to eliminate them.
HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES
Ever since my little adventure with my car, I told myself that I never want to find myself in the same situation. But hey, truth is, I can’t prevent anything similar from happening to me in the future. I can, however, equip myself with some tools that will help me deal with that stress a little better (without having to yell at everyone in the immediate vicinity, like that poor groundhog…. I still think about him sometimes). Homeopathic remedies, like Rescue can be a big help in those situations. Rescue products work in “conjunction with herbs, homeopathy and medications and are safe for everyone, including children, pregnant women, pets and elderly“. I’ve been carrying their Rescue Pastilles and Rescue Remedy Spray in my bag, just for those occasional stressful situations. The lemon-flavored pastilles are 100% natural and safe to use for occasional stress relief. Just one pastille is enough for me to calm my nerves – I keep some in my desk at work too. The Rescue Remedy Spray is a combination of five natural ingredients like Rock Rose and Impatiens. It’s easy and discrete to use- all you need is to apply two sprays on your tongue. I love using the Rescue Remedy Spray in emergency situations and only wish I’ve discovered it sooner. Both the spray and the pastilles work almost instantly for me.
Here’s why I fell in love with both of these products: they’re great to use on the go, they’re all natural (non-habit forming and it’s impossible to “take too much”), they calm me down without making me feel tired or sleepy which a lot of products/supplements I’ve tried in the past did. You guys know that I’ve suffered from anxiety, and while I’m doing much better now, I still get occasional anxiety/panic attacks (like during my recent root canal procedure that I told you about here– I was so surprised that I wasn’t the only one who deals with dental phobia as an adult!). No one ever plans on getting stressed, but it’s great to carry something with you that you know will help you relax before an important meeting or an exam (school… or dental one :) ). Rescue products are also affordable and easy to find– just check your local Whole Foods, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens or Walmart.
BREATHING EXERCISES
Taking a few deep breaths is also something that can bring immediate relief when you’re stressed. Not too ago, I’ve discovered a really cool technique that can help you calm down in about 10 seconds, in pretty much any situation. You take a deep breath in, through your mouth and hold your breath. While holding your breath, tense all of your muscles- your legs, face, neck, arms, and hold it for 5-10 seconds. Then, slowly exhale and release all the tension from your muscles. This seriously works wonders and best part is- you can do it anywhere (well.. maybe not while driving!).
Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand. When you’re stressed, whether it be due to bad or good experiences, your muscles tense up, you breathe faster in an effort to distribute oxygen and blood quickly to your body core, your heart rate and blood sugar level increases. When stress happens while you’re on the go- whether it be car trouble, your kids getting sick, an important meeting at work, traveling- you can’t always step away from the situation and give yourself some time to calm down. Equipping yourself with tools like recognizing your stress signals, a breathing technique or a homeopathic remedies like Rescue products can make a difference in the way you react to stress.
How do you guys like to deal with the stress of your “everyday” life? Do you have any go-to tools that help you calm down and relax during the day?
This post was sponsored by Rescue.