Shifting Gears to Relieve Stress

Sara feels like she is the busiest woman on Earth. She is married and has two kids (three if you count the husband), a dog, two cats, and a rabbit. She volunteers at her kid’s elementary school at least once a week in between trips to her ailing mother’s house. Her business takes up the most time, at least 50 of her precious hours every week. Sara is under an intense amount of pressure right now and feels like she’s ready to pop.

Why doesn’t Sara find some relief instead of continually pushing herself? Because women don’t take the time to take care of themselves. This is the typical situation for women today. They are overworked, overbooked, and stressed-out. This causes health problems, both mental and physical, for many women.

If Sara would stop and shift gears for a moment, meaning go to a neutral space, she might find the time to think about how she can reduce the stress in her life. Shifting gears for Sara might mean anything from having a good cry to exercising in the gym for a half an hour. Or it could mean getting an hour-and-a-half massage or even taking a week long vacation. It doesn’t matter what she chooses to do as long as she does something to shift her energy.

When she takes the time to shift gears, she puts herself in a neutral space where she can think without distraction. She can see her situation from a different point of view. For instance, if she chooses to have a massage, she will be in a more relaxed mode afterwards. When she is ready to think about it, she can start with fresh energy.

For those of us who are overworked, overbooked, and stressed-out, we can look at Sara’s situation and see ourselves. It doesn’t matter whether we’re ready to pop or not, taking care of ourselves should be a top priority for each of us.