#doxpm

Stress less

I gave a talk at DOxPM this week on the topic of stress and how to manage it better. Here are some useful links and resources as a follow up (obvs will be posting some visuals on the blog too!)

All of these people and things helped me rebuild myself over time to recover from illness caused by stress and to keep me on track with good habits. Some of the links are Oxford-based, as that’s where I live.

Life Coaching

Another you life coaching - Sue Leslie Sue literally helped me change my life, I had 6 sessions to work out what I wanted to do with my career and to reignite my creativity. I ended up choosing to change jobs and doing an Artweeks exhibition, both of which enriched my life and helped me de-stress.

As well as offering face-to-face coaching she runs creativity workshops, and offers Skype coaching if you can’t get to her.

Meditation

Inner Space - free meditation courses in Oxford This is where I learnt to meditate. It’s run by the Brahma Kumaris (BKs), non-religious but they are spiritual (think Higher Powers!), so be aware of that before you sign up. I’m an athiest and pretty sceptical but I went with it, you can pick and choose the elements that work for you. They also run courses on stress-free living.

Meditation apps 2016 list - try a few of these and see which one works for you. Headspace and Buddify are two popular ones. I use the BK Meditation Lounge app. If you’re having trouble sleeping due to stress then Brainwave Studio is magic, it uses different sound frequencies to lull your mind to sleep.

I tend to pick a different guided meditation to do each day, or meditate to music, or a combination. I switch it up according to my mood and needs, so it’s never boring. It’s the one thing that’s had the biggest impact on me and I make time to do it daily. It also helps me deal with stress in the moment better, to be slightly detached from the roles I play in my life, and to have a more positive outlook which could be described as a ‘lightness of being’ (yes, really!).

Yoga

I would encourage you to try different kinds of yoga to find one that suits you. Look out for the following practices, which are at the calm end of the spectrum:

Hatha yoga - check out Brita’s classes

Moon sequence yoga - try Laura’s classes

Restorative yoga

Yin yoga

Here’s a great blog post from Brita Benson about why yoga helps reduce stress.

Other types of yoga: Ashtanga, Power, Vinyasa flow yoga are all vigorous forms of yoga, so would not necessarily recommend these if you’re trying to calm down your system. However, they are a very good workout so don’t let me stop you if that’s your thing (I do a mixture now I’m feeling better!) :)

Yogaia app – If you can’t get to a live class this is a wonderful alternative. I’ve tried many yoga apps and this is the best. It’s a subscription service enabling you to practice live yoga classes anywhere via any device, as well as catch up on recorded classes, with every conceivable type of yoga on offer.

Massage/therapies

Shiatsu & Therapeutic bodywork - Brita Benson Brita is a gifted massage therapist who helped me with relaxing as well as the problem areas of neck and shoulders.

Osteopathy - Tom Bedford Tom sorted my long-standing neck and shoulder issues out which enabled me to sleep peacefully again.

Acupuncture – Jess Buck Regular acupuncture can help healing in a holistic way. Jess helped me with strengthening my stomach and lowering stress whilst clearing heat from my body.   

Books

Better than before: What I learned about making and breaking habits by Gretchen Rubin A lot of ideas from this book went into my talk, especially on building good foundations in your life. Thanks to my best friend Jo for gifting this book to me! The life-changing magic of tidying by Marie Kondo Calm space, calm mind - help sort out your clutter once and for all. Side benefit: you can find your belongings when you need them, instant stress reduction; it’s also easier to decide what to wear when you don’t have to trawl through clothes.

Big Magic: creative living beyond fear by Elizabeth Gilbert Even if you don’t think you’re creative (trust me you are) – this is a quick read to help overcome those fears and get on with making stuff. Doing something not related to work that you’re passionate about, and especially something analogue is a good way to de-stress whilst making life not ‘all about work’.

Zen habits: Mastering the art of change by Leo Babuata Blog and book to get some zen into your every day life.

Podcasts

The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin & Elizabeth Craft Also a book but the podcast is free and covers many of the topics from the habits book. Get happier now.

The high cost of stressing for me:

Giving up my dream job

Getting sick a lot

The financial cost of repairing myself

Prevention really is better than cure. Be patient with yourself, even when you have setbacks.

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