“Just Breathe!”: How to Manage Stress Through Self-Care

Have you ever been in the middle of a task at work and suddenly start feeling tired and unable to focus? You’re questioning the amount of sleep you got and trying your best to get back to work, but nothing seems to help. While a lack of sleep does cause these effects for some, for many of us, they’re caused by stress. This can be especially true in America today.

Unfortunately, the St. Louis Federal Reserve tells us that as inflation rises, more and more Americans are having to take multiple full-time jobs. This data is worrisome, as the American Psychological Association (APA) reports that work is the leading source of stress among U.S. adults. Even more worrisome, APA’s data shows around 74% of Americans already experience severe side effects from stress, which can cause a decrease in the quality of their mental and physical health. These side effects include fatigue, insomnia, headaches, digestive problems and often the development or worsening of mental disorders.

I know what you're thinking: It's impossible to escape stress these days! You're right, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. On top of preventing the negative side effects of too much stress, managing stress properly can allow us to manipulate our stress to function as a performance enhancer. So, let us look at what self-care is and explore how we can use its diverse techniques at home, work or even in transit to ensure we feel our best every day.

What is self-care?

Before practicing self-care, we must understand its impressive history. An article from Slate tells us the medical community initially developed the term in the 1950s to encourage patients to engage in acts to self-care of and nurture their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Soon thereafter, laborers in stressful positions, such as EMTS, began looking for solutions to their stress in the small medical self-care community. This image of self-care is virtually identical to today's accepted view of the movement. However, the term was not popularized as radical action until the Black power political organization, the Black Panther Party, adopted it as a tool for the civil rights movement. 

This use of self-care acknowledges the structural violence which still harms racial minorities every day. If the systems that are said to protect and support Americans instead endanger and hinder entire racial and cultural communities, those communities will no longer be reliant on those institutions for care. The resilience of groups like the Black Panthers was the most powerful weapon against their oppressors, so self-care was vital. Former Black Panther leader Angela Davis spoke to the power of self-care, once saying, “If we don’t start practicing collective self-care now, there’s no way to imagine, much less reach, a time of freedom.”

When we discuss self-care today, we have a tendency to dismiss it as a silly and kind of pointless trend. Who needs to be told to take a relaxing bubble bath or put on a face mask? However, when we separate the term from its newfound place on social media and instead view it in the context of its historical evolution, we understand how it can provide radical change for us, too. Many of us live and work in unfair conditions, which can take a great mental and physical toll on the body. Through the practice of self-care, we can combat those inequalities by nurturing and supporting our mental and physical health.

So, what are true self-care practices? 

The social media iteration of self-care isn’t entirely wrong in that it captures the essence of self-care practices. Self-care can be anything from going on a walk to listening to your favorite song on the way to work, so long as the activity genuinely serves to improve your mental, emotional or physical state.

Self-care can be as simple as making yourself eat when you feel hungry or sneaking in a power-nap when you feel tired. Try to explore creative options for self-care, like DIY aromatherapy through incense or candles. Look to online retailers like Amazon for inexpensive soaking salts and fun face masks. These methods of self-care are important because they often help us feel special and deserving of greater treatment or relaxation.

Remember that practicing self-care is especially reliant on your understanding of yourself. If you reflect on what habits and activities are good for you in the ways we’ve discussed, you can engage in those activities in times of need. You owe it to yourself to know yourself!

Practicing Self-Care Through Mindfulness

One way to know yourself and your environment comes from another form of self-care called mindfulness. Mindfulness is also the least disruptive and most productive form of self-care to practice in nearly any work environment. Mindfulness is being present, without judgment, to your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment. Though the definition may be a little confusing, practicing mindfulness is actually one of the best relievers of negative stress today. We achieve presence with our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and environment when we can slow down, focus on our breathing and observe our environment thoughtfully. 

This level of focused relaxation is difficult to achieve for many, but you can start small with a few simple practices to develop mindful habits that will help you regain focus in the workplace:

Deep Breathing 

A regular mindful breathing practice can increase a sense of calmness and provide you with an easily accessible tool during times of high tension or stress. Try the 4-7-8 breathing pattern or one of these alternatives for a simple and powerful approach to managing anxiety. 

Meditation 

A regular mindful meditation practice can increase your focus, improve your ability to manage emotions and help you more effectively respond to stress. Follow meditative guides, like this article or this video, if you’re new to meditation. Try starting with three minutes per day and working your way up to 15-20 minutes. Don’t be afraid to experiment with meditation apps!

Gratitude

Paying attention to the good things in your life and consciously expressing thanks for them has shown to improve overall wellbeing. Writing about them is key! Try regularly writing a gratitude journal, letter or list. This is a perfect mindfulness practice for when you’re feeling a little discouraged at work. Just pull out a pad, sticky note or even your phone and express your attitude of gratitude!

Connect Socially

Research shows that “social connectedness is closely connected to mental and emotional health. When people feel connected, they have lower levels of anxiety and depression.” Try to lean into relationships with family, friends and/or community. Focus on healthy relationships, wherein you can identify positive habits and feelings. For instance, nurture relationships where you feel heard and supported.

Manage Screen Time & Social Media 

Watching TV can help you feel relaxed, and social media can help you stay connected. However, both can also increase your stress levels. When you feel the urge to watch TV, take a pause and examine whether you have time to do an equally relaxing activity away from the screen. Lessening your time on social media might be a little more difficult, but there are steps you can take to make it easier: 

• Turn off notifications

• Assign time limits for social media sites

• Choose your friends and followers mindfully

• Replace social media time with outdoor activities

• Do not take your electronics to bed

• Uninstall certain social media apps

• Research the positive benefits of a social media detox

Find Support

To deal with stress, you must have support for your mental health. If stress or other challenges (ongoing anxiety, depression, loneliness or suicidal thoughts) interfere with your daily functioning, reach out to mental health counselors/therapists in the community or national resources that are available 24/7:

• Talk to peers experiencing the same struggles! OK2TALK is a community for young adults struggling with mental health conditions that offers a safe place to talk.

• Live in Austin? Visit Capital Area Counseling for low-cost, effective, and accessible therapy or general support from trained professionals!

• Call 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

  • Chat with the Lifeline here 

  • Text "HELLO" to the Crisis Text Line (741741)

Create a Stress Toolkit

Now that you have some helpful tips for dealing with stress, you can create a stress toolkit with some of the activities you know work for you and the practices we’ve outlined in this post! Regardless of where you store it (notebook, phone, computer, etc.), writing it down will help you remember exactly what to do when stress is clouding your thinking and interfering with your everyday life. See an example below:

Courtesy of Professor Eva Thomsen Dept. of Education at Austin Community College

Takeaway

The key to dealing with stress is to find a routine that works for you and your life. That doesn't mean it'll be easy to get into a routine at first — a lot of this work requires effort and dedication, especially if you're not used to such practices. But, with some trial and error and self-awareness, it's possible to come up with something that fits into your schedule, however limited that may be. While those positive effects might not happen overnight  — or even in a week or month — they are cumulative points that can add up to a more empowered existence. Before you know it, focusing at work will come as easily as focusing on yourself!