3 Ways to Reduce Stress and Build Resilience

“The holiday season is upon us. While on the surface things appear colourful and jolly, this is also the time of year when anxiety may rise, given the multiple stressors and expectations we place on ourselves and others. One way to reduce this anxiety is through cognitive-behavioural strategies. Below are three science-based ways that can help us untangle from our automatic negative thoughts and shift to enjoying the holidays and reducing our stress.

1. Noticing, labelling, and “BIH BOH”: Noticing some of our automatic negative thoughts and accompanying feelings, such as catastrophizing (“I’ve burnt the turkey; the entire dinner will now be ruined!”) plays a key role in managing our anxiety. By noticing these thoughts, we can catch ourselves before we spiral out of control. The key is to notice without necessarily reacting to the thoughts that come our way. With time, this process gets easier and we may notice these thoughts having less power or impact on us. In her book on anxiety, Dessy Marinova, adds the playful element of “BIH BOH” upon noticing these negative thoughts: Breathe In… Hold… Breathe Out fully… Hold. She breaks down this process like this: Notice the negative thought (“I am going to fail”)—Greet it (“Hi, anxious thought. You are just a thought!”)—BIH BOH, or Bring your attention back to what you are doing.

2. Let it be: A growing body of research shows the effectiveness of “letting go” of these thoughts in contributing to mental well-being. The ability to simply notice a thought and acknowledge, “I am having the thought that…” builds resilience. While tricky at first, it is definitely worth the practice. For those that connect with visualization, we may imagine placing thoughts on falling leaves (or snow flakes!). As an extension to noticing the thoughts, we just let them be and continue on with what we are doing. In this way, we notice that thoughts and feelings come and go.

3. Mind-body connection: Tuning in and being mindful of not just our thoughts and feelings, but also how they are expressed in our body, is helpful in supporting both our mental and physical health. When we avoid and repress our negative emotions, we increase our risk of numerous physical ailments and ongoing avoidance of emotions may create harmful stress in our lives.

All in all, remember that while we may experience all kinds of thoughts and feelings, we can be in control of how we respond to them. If needed, we can reach out for support, whether it’s to family and friends, or a professional. We can start with the simple step of being more observant of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Take a moment to reflect on what positive/ helpful thoughts we can remind ourselves of and what we can do to show kindness to ourselves, our minds, and our bodies.”

Read the whole article at Psychology Today

#Stress #Resilience #CBT

💬 How are you spending your holiday season this year?