Stress Awareness Month
Stress - how it presents in me
Isn’t it funny how things come into our awareness at exactly the right time and seems to be an amazing “coincidence”?
I have spent the last week becoming aware of my thoughts around my stress, how it affects me and what it means to be stressed for me.
Then I find out it’s stress awareness month!
I had no idea, even though I had been examining my own stress pattern all week.
I said to Matt, “I have all my old stress systems appearing in my body but I don’t feel stressed”.
I was very confused.
The last few weeks I have been noticing familiar sensations in my body (itching scalp, tense muscles to the point of agonising cramp and aching joints). I haven’t had these things for some time, so I was really starting to notice them coming back. What was even more strange was I hadn't noticed their absence until they came back.
The weird thing was, even though I had physical symptoms that I recognised, I still did not feel stressed.
Do I have things to be stressed about? Yes! Absolutely. These are not things that are actually in my full control so I have been using all my tools and techniques to not feel anxious, and it’s working.
That’s when the lightbulb went on.
I had been labelling my anxiety as stress and making them equal the same thing.
I now know they are not the same thing.
My tools for anxiety are not working on my stress because they are in fact different.
It was an amazing thing for me to notice. To know that I have 2 different feelings and that they present differently and have different needs. This means that I can now work on finding my tools for stress.
It also doesn’t mean that your feeling of anxiety and stress are not the same, they may well be, it’s about noticing and also understanding they may not be.
The dictionary definition of stress is:
A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
"he's obviously under a lot of stress"
Give particular emphasis or importance to (a point, statement, or idea) made in speech or writing.
"they stressed the need for reform"
Subject to pressure or tension.
"this type of workout does stress the shoulder and knee joints"
Pressure or tension exerted on a material object.
"the distribution of stress is uniform across the bar"
Stress comes in all forms and for all different reasons. One person’s stress is another’s relaxation. I would feel immense stress if I was asked to run 10k but if you asked me to speak in front of an audience, I may feel nervous, but I wouldn’t feel stressed.
Have you noticed how stress feels in your body?
Have you become used to how that feels?
Do you collapse or thrive under stressful conditions?
What stories do you tell yourself about stress?
What sort of situations lead to stress?
Are they things you can control, or things you can’t control?
I think I feel stress but not anxiety because I have worked so much on the label “anxiety” that I know how to control it. Stress is very different it seems. When I am not in control, it presents as stress.
How I deal with stress.
So now I have this knowledge, what am I going to do with it?
The first thing is, I am going to talk to someone in my networking about massage for muscle tension. This makes me most uncomfortable. I am just starting to try some medicated shampoo (after hoping it would just disappear for several weeks) to see if that makes a difference.
I am going to focus on the things that relax me (breathing, listening to podcasts, talking it through, writing articles, going for walks).
I am going to acknowledge the stress instead of ignoring it. I know that always makes a huge difference.
Tapping. I am going to tap on the stress every day. I have done a couple of rounds today and felt instantly better.
I am going to work on my environment. Get things cleared away so I can unclutter my space and un-clutter my mind.
If you are feeling stressed or anxious (or both), book a free introductory call and I will talk you through how I can help.
How can an Introductory Call benefit me?
I know (as someone with introvert tendencies), having a call may feel like the last thing in the world you would want to do. I know that feeling of staring at the phone thinking, I really want to do something but this feels very scary. In all honesty, I still feel the same for a second when the phone starts to ring!
The reason it is important is that we need to know if we want to work with each other. This works 2 ways.
Building a relationship where you feel confident enough to tackle some deep issues with me starts here. Before you part with any money, before you commit to 3, 6 or 12 months deep work, we both need to know it's the right thing for you.
Because I understand how hard it is, booking the introductory call via the website creates the whole initial link. You get the meeting time you want, you receive the zoom link and reminders and then, when the time comes, we have an informal chat about what you want out of all of this. I will guide you the whole way and during this first call, we will already begin to design the life you want.
How I can help
My 1-1 programs will give you the focus, challenge and direction to find what you are looking for.
My membership will surround you with inspiring and positive people.
My Emails, YouTube and Social Media posting will give you the daily boost you need to know you are not alone, others are going through similar things and it is possible to change if you choose to.
Take the first steps towards your own Powerful Life.
Jenny Jarvis is a practicing, certified, UK Holistic Life Change Coach and NLP Practitioner who has empowered numerous people to live a life of their dreams, unleash their relationship with money and start and grow brands and businesses to great success. A truly inspirational individual, Jenny is also the mum to two amazing teens, a Reiki Master and motivational speaker. She inspires all to harness their greatness through energised coaching sessions, workshops and her membership club.
Book a free introductory session with Jenny and discovery how you might work together.