Stress-management, alongside sleep, nutrition, movement and social/environmental connection, is an important component of performance, recovery and general health and wellbeing. Whether you are an elite athlete, full-time employee, business owner and/or parent (or something else), stress-management skills can improve your experience of daily living.
Stress may be mental, emotional, spiritual or physical. You may be under increased pressure at work (mental), you may be navigating loss (emotional), your sense of purpose/meaning may be challenged (spiritual), or you may be in the midst of an intense training block (physical). Regardless, there is almost always something you can do to manage (and help mitigate more of it).
Managing stress aids decision making and one’s ability to be present with their needs. With needs addressed, one is less likely to experience prolonged, chronic stress states (which can have a cascading effect).
Stress-Management Massage Therapist, Ash Zanker, shares her simple yet effective tips for managing stress…
Mental:
- Increase time in nature
- Introduce physical activity you enjoy
- Introduce intentional breathing/mindfulness practices
Emotional:
- Feel what you are feeling
- Spend time with people you love
- Talk to people you trust about what’s bothering you
Spiritual:
- Try new things
- Get comfortable with discomfort
- Stay true to yourself
Physical:
- Nail the basics (sleep, nutrition, recovery)
- Address niggles, uncomfortable muscle tension, soreness or concerns about disruption to exercise and/or work early when you first have awareness (so small things don’t turn into big things)
- Acknowledge when you need rest
At Gold Coast Physio and Sports Health we offer a range of services that may compliment your stress-management toolkit. These include:
Massage Therapy: for down-regulation of your nervous system which will help to provide clarity in thought, promote digestion and restoration, and reinstate a sense of safety and calm.- Pilates / Exercise Classes: for specialised movement prescription.
- Physiotherapy: for honest and collaborative advice on managing injuries.
- Dietician: for informed guidance on fuelling your body.
- Strength and Conditioning: for tailored programming to optimise performance.
- Sports Psychology: for professional input on how you think/behave (with performance enhancement in mind).
- Sports Physician: for advanced diagnosis, treatment and prevention of injuries.
For further advice or to book in with one of our friendly team members, book online or phone 07 5500 6470 today
