How to Decrease Stress

A year and a half ago, I was baking muffins in my kitchen when my roommate came in. “What’s the occasion?” she asked. To which I replied that it was finals week and I was just stressed. As the words tumbled out of my mouth to land on my ears I had this major realization:

I stress bake.

You’re probably thinking “well that’s not the worst coping mechanism” and you’re right it’s not. It’s also not my only coping mechanism. Some are healthier and more productive, (I also stress clean lol) and some are less healthy (a glass or three of wine…). But the thing was that I didn’t realize I was doing it until that moment. I was using baking as a distraction from studying. As I got overwhelmed trying to learn something new, I turned to something I was comfortable with. It made me feel more in control of my environment, boosted my confidence in my skills, and of course was delicious.

Over the past year I’ve made huge changes in my life. I finished that degree I was working on, but decided not to apply for the Doctorate program I had spent 3 years preparing for. The other day, while living in an entirely new house, a new roommate asked me why I never bake. I hadn’t managed to bake anything in the months since moving in. I love baking, so why hadn’t I been doing it? I came up with all sorts of “reasons” that sounded perfectly plausible for why I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. But the truth is, I wasn’t stressed anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, I still worry about money and getting everything done on my to-do list, but I’m not overly stressed. I work a job I enjoy, study things I’m passionate about on my own time, and am building a career my way. I no longer need baking to avoid uncomfortable feelings or things I “have to do.” Beyond that, I have a whole arsenal of techniques I use to decrease stress these days. But I still love baking and I miss it. So I’m bringing it back into my life in a more positive way. Doing it again for the pure enjoyment of the process.

Self-care starts with self-awareness, and I’m so grateful for the choices I’ve made to get me to this place. I loved school, but there were definitely times of forcing things that were not aligned. Times when I knew I wanted to be doing something different, learning something different. I still think about grad school and all the prestige that would come with having a Doctorate. But if the overall goal is to help people heal themselves, I don’t need a fancy degree and years of student loans to do that. I had to decide if it was worth it for me, and I decided to explore my options.

Letting go of the rules of life and forging my own path has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.

I learned how to listen to my intuition and to trust myself in a way I never had. This past month, the focus of my Luna Love program was on self-care. It somehow still surprises me to find that the lessons I learn are never what I expect. I had been planning to share with you how a shift in my morning routine broke my cycle as a chronic snoozer (more on that later), but this ended up being the bigger lesson. A part of you always knows when you are out of alignment. The signs are there, and when ignored they just get louder and louder. If you’re overly stressed or find yourself dreading the tasks of day to day life, you are out of alignment. You’re ignoring your desires, and that shit will build up. Eventually you will be forced to make a change, so it’s better to make the shifts before the whispers turn to screams.

We live in a stress inducing culture. To manage stress, I use Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping), yoga, meditation, hypnosis, and journaling. I also still stress clean and drink wine. But the fastest and most effective way to reduce stress is to remove the things in your life that are causing it. There is always a choice, another option if you’re willing to look for it.

Let me know in the comments your tactics to manage stress, or if you’re interested in learning more about mine.

Infinite Love,

Julisa