My top 3 ways to help stress

In the delightful way that teenagers sometimes can, my son is being uncooperative and a touch moody.
 
On a good day, I see him as asserting his independence and my role is trying to help him gain skills in how he does this a little more gracefully. It is all part of growing up and sometimes, it can get a little ugly. 
 
We are going on holiday in a week and it is looking a little rocky. It might not be the hoped for restorative time where we can recharge. But expectations need to be put aside, it is part of the ups and downs of life.
 
It has definitely been stressful with all the curveballs that get thrown into our family life. This level of stress is manageable and I know life gets a lot worse than this. It is a nice problem to have really - we are lucky to have energetic kids and go on holidays.  
 
Thankfully I have my stress busters that help me through this turbulence. They help me respond as well as possible and avoid getting too caught in the stressful whirlwind.
 
1) Movement
This includes yoga of course, plus gentle jogging with very loud music, walking the dog and sometimes even going for a swim. It all works.
 
Exercise is a tried and tested for many people, and never fails. No-one ever went to a yoga class and came out feeling more stressed. Movement shifts the energy, it rebalances hormones in the body, it helps discharge overwhelming feelings and creates much-needed head space so we can address what is causing the stress as skillfully as possible. It is my first go-to method.
 
2) A break or change of scene
Even if it is getting out for a coffee. A change of scene, a change of surroundings, and friendly people. It gives you perspective, clears the air, and reminds you that not everyone is hostile.
 
Of course a retreat from it all (which holidays should be but often aren't) is great. It helps re-establish a more balanced view on everything that is going on and come back to base. My upcoming September day-retreat is just what some of you may need - I know need it. See more below.
 
3) Breathwork
This isn't a first-aid, immediate kind of fix. It is a practice taken over time which builds resilience and balance with our energy and emotions. I have a daily breath practice. I take my yoga postures with slow, measured breaths making the calming 'ocean' sound, and then I sit for a few minutes at the end and take a pranayama (breathwork) practice.
 
It is subtle; it feels like I could skip it and it wouldn't matter on any given day. But the accumulative effect over the weeks is profound. It makes a huge difference to how I show up and how well I cope. Yes, it does have an immediate effect, I feel more spacious and refreshed right away, but this also builds over time. It is sort of like taking a shower for your brain and nervous system, cleaning out the built up gunk that stress tends to leave us with and restores my sense of clarity. And the subtlety of it helps me connect to something far quieter and quite essential. We'll be doing some of this in the day-retreat if you want to learn more about it.
 
My fourth one is coffee - but that really goes under taking a break :-)
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| Upcoming retreats |
Right here in Bristol with Clara for a lovely day of gentle yoga
15th September 2024

Or our weekend retreat for next year will be announced soon too.
Find out more >