5 Stress Management Tips To Lovingly Nurture Yourself In Traumatic Times

Sadly repressed emotion is customary in modern-day life.

By Caroline Rushforth — Written on Jun 04, 2020

Photo: getty

5 Stress Management Tips To Nurture Yourself

Knowing how to handle stress can be tricky.

We are often unaware of the impact of a crushing situation on our health. When we go through a stressful situation, we attempt to glide through the day, disguising our emotions with a stiff upper lip as the pain and desperation accumulate inside.

As humans, we are naturally conditioned to keep our emotions stuffed down for fear of being an inconvenience or judged in times of weakness.

However, the damage it creates can take years to recalibrate.

This is where stress management comes in.

Compared to our ancestors, we are faced with a huge turnover of information on a daily basis. But when something throws us into disarray, we can’t just bust out a tantrum or run away.

Instead we swallow our words, push our feelings down and it’s "business as usual." But what happens to all that adrenaline?

Imagine emotion as energy moving through your body — up and out. If you were to fill a bucket with water and keep the tap on, the water would spill over the side.

But if the water was suppressed with a tight lid, it would eventually build up and the bucket would burst. In times of high stress or terrible tragedies, we burst and have an emotional breakdown.

If emotions are not released, the build-up can extend to a secondary problem such as anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms like backaches and illness.

The mind has a lot to do on a daily basis, so when we're faced with shocking situations, it can be extremely tough on both our mind and physiology.

The job of the brain is to process information as fast as it can, but when exposed to trauma or stress, the mountainous load of sensory information can be hard for the mind to break down.

Imagine an email full of attachments that are too big to send. The email gets stuck and doesn’t go anywhere. This is very similar when the mind tries to process stressful experiences.

Unprocessed trauma can result in memory loss, panic attacks, nightmares, and PTSD. In addition, a build-up of unprocessed emotion can result in incessant crying, tingling in the body, cramps, and addictive behavior, to name a few.

If you have any of these symptoms and have not yet sought professional help, I highly recommend you reach out.

In the meantime, whilst the rest of the world prepare to open up and express their feelings and emotions, you can fast track and get going on some of your own self-nurturing which will gently ease you back into a sense of equilibrium.

Here are 5 stress-management tips to nurture yourself while you're on a healing journey during these upsetting times.

1. Get as much sleep as your body can take.

During sleep, our eyes go into REM (rapid eye movement), which is our natural processing machine.

It is during this time that the mind files off all the memories and experiences you’ve had during the day, week, or month, which is critical to your well-being.

Disrupted sleep can affect this natural process routine, so make up for it by getting an early night the next day. Avoid alcohol before bed to ensure you get as much natural sleep as possible.

2. Use "The Butterfly" when you feel anxious or scared.

Cross your arms as if you're giving yourself a hug and tap intermittently on your shoulders.

This will bring your right and left brain hemispheres back into harmony and alleviate your symptoms.

3. Express your feelings more often.

Write, paint, draw, or talk — whichever way you like to express yourself, do more of it.

This will help you release emotions and inner self-talk. It's even better if you have someone you trust that you can talk to.

4. Seek the support of a professional.

Sometimes we like to deal with things in our own way. But if you've been through a stressful event, you may find your own DIY stuff is not enough.