MARCH?!

Hey, hi, hello,

So it’s March, the end of March actually. However that happened, I couldn’t be the one to explain, but I hope you are doing the wellest (yes, not an actual word).

Three months into the year, and you’re doing great! The beginning of the year is always an awkward time. Whether things are happening by popping out of the blue, implementations aren’t quite working out or are working for you, OR you’ve managed to somehow remain the same and steady from the year prior. *big thumbs up ft a hug* Figuring it all out is something else, realising and becoming okay with change occurring or not is also something else in it's own right.

This time around, I want to talk a little about stress and somewhat anxiety, as it is something that we all experience. From small daily moments to the extensive and ongoing. It's something we can not avoid. Although, stress is not something that one should try to dodge, it's caused by our perception of surrounding events. Something that influences physiological or bodily changes. It has been said for a long time that excessive stress has direct correlations to chronic diseases, right, but hear me out for a second.

There was a study done in the Americas (yes, the Americas) about this exact concept, despite the popular belief (lol), it is actually the participants BELIEF that stress is harmful that increases the likelihood of it impacting individuals quality of life/expectancy.

Another study put participants through spontaneous public speaking tasks in front of a panel of judges that were instructed to provide critical none verbal feedback throughout presentations, to throw off said participants. Same thing, participants who thought of stress as harmful, didn’t die, but perceived the physiological changes such as increased heart rate and muscular contractions and associated them with more with anxiety paralysis. Although these symptoms are also categorised by the fight of flight response which are essential in survival and our ability to push through situations, inherently TAKING ACTION... or freeze depending on how you think about the stressful situation. . So for those who viewed their stress as a mobiliser, the task at hand was responded to the with intent.

While this sounds great in theory, right. Well, if you can’t imagine it for yourself, I have a few things to think about/try the next time you’re feeling a little tangled.

Try leaning into something creative! Draw, paint, collage, for us on the process and actions rather than what it is you’re physically making. You’ll be surprised by how you feel in addition to what you end up creating.

Immerse yourself in nature! Kick your shoes off and sink your toes in a good patch of grass. Reconnect with the Earth. You can do this at your home, go to a park or even shift the scenery and go to the beach. Remember, it’s just about reconnecting with nature, not specifically grass. :)

Be active! Go for a walk, by yourself, allowing the time to be used to focus on breathing and spotting the beauty in your surroundings. with a friend or family member. If you’re with someone, perhaps you can have them help you to rationalise the buzzing thoughts. This time with your pal could even simply be used to catch up!

Feed your inner child, do something that you have done in a while.

Dance, sing, shout, express yourself!!!

Self expression is a process, but you’ll get there.

In the end it will all be okay, and if it’s not… then it’s NOT THE END. <3

yours truly,