I’ve had a stressful few weeks both personally and professionally. My daughter had surgery and my company Ocean SF is in full production and we are initiating fund raising.
Following are some of the ways I’ve found to be most effective in managing my own stress and anxiety.
The first step is to believe in yourself. Once you do this, in a real and authentic way, you begin to care less and less about what others think of you, and making decisions based on your own integrity and judgment becomes easy. Through this practice, you are less likely to waste time and energy second guessing yourself.
Believe in your own wisdom, make decisions, and stand by them with conviction.
Surround yourself with kind and supportive people. Not just family and friends, but everyone including the people you work and do business with.
From this empowered and positive position, the people who do not resonate with you fall away, and you find yourself surrounded by people who support the vision you have for yourself, your life and your purpose. This practice alone, eliminates most, if not all, drama and time wasting stress and turmoil in your life. Unnecessary drama can consume a great deal of time, and nothing is more stressful and exhausting, so actively seeking to avoid it, is simply an act of self preservation.
Be nonjudgmental. I’ve written before, that I no longer judge others, I’ve not walked in their shoes, so it is not my place to judge how or why they do the things they do. Judging others is essentially a time consuming and negative activity which bestows absolutely no personal benefit.
Eat right. And this means a sugar induced binge before bed will keep you up at night, and end with an ant pararade on your nightstand as the ants devour the remnants of your ice cream sandwich wrapper. Do not create unnecessary problems for yourself. This is a metaphor for other self destructive tendencies as well, be your own best friend in this regard. For people who love themselves, avocado toast is an antidote to most late night ice cream runs.
Tuck yourself in early. When overwhelmed, unplug and get some shut eye.
Have a playlist of your most cherished songs, the ones that transport you to a time in your life when you felt the feelings of joy or of falling in love. I played mine on the way to an investor meeting and it immediately put me in a happy and appropriately upbeat mood.
I’ve written many times, that I am a proponent of prayer, and I pray daily before my feet hit the floor each morning, and all day as necessary.
Be mindful that water is the most powerful element because it has no resistance. I remind myself to be like water often and to allow good things to flow into my life and let others flow out.
Most importantly, keep in mind that someday all of this will be a memory, and in time, all that will remain are the relationships we have had and the love we shared. Nothing is more important than those two things.
Love and blessings.
Sydney 