Stop for a Moment and Breathe: The STRESS Acronym

Stress can be acute, chronic, cumulative, mild, or immense. The STRESS acronym is a helpful tool to manage stress in any form, and it’s adaptable to your unique needs. These five steps may help you bolster yourself to handle stress.

1. STOP. When you’re stressed out, it may be helpful to simply stop for a moment. The body has various stress responses. Attach, Fight, and Flight induce action without critical thought, whereas Freeze and Flop induce inaction. We often hear about these responses in the context of trauma, yet anyone can experience this activation in situations where there’s no imminent life threat. These are the situations in which we want to be both informed by our emotions and able to critically assess a situation. We can’t properly assess with our critical thinking brain as we’re taking action, nor can we use the full resources of our critical thinking brain when we’re frozen or shutdown. So whatever you’re doing, stop. You may be in a position to stop for a day or a week or a month, or you may only be able to stop for one minute. In any case, the first step in this approach is to let the body be still - not because you can’t move, but because you’re choosing not to. Just for a moment, stop.

2. TAKE A BREATH. Breath is a core component of life. When we’re stressed, the body tenses and the need for oxygen increases. We may not realize how much tension we’re holding in our bodies, or that we’re not allowing enough breath into the body. We may neither inhale nor exhale fully, and wind up holding in deoxygenated air. It’s amazing how helpful it can be to breathe in and out fully, even one time. Inhale all the way, filling your body with good, clean air, then exhale fully, pushing every bit of stale air out of your body. Breathe on purpose, with intention. Allow your breath to regulate the nervous system, bringing whatever amount of comfort into the body as feels safe and manageable at the time. The more regulated you are, the better position you’ll be in to handle whatever is making you stressed. Take as much time to breathe as is helpful for you, given the situation you’re in at this time. You may have more time to breathe than you realize.

3. REVIEW YOUR OPTIONS. All of them. This isn’t about determining the best way forward, but rather about allowing your unconscious mind to identify all the possibilities. You’re brainstorming. Rather than focusing on what you can’t do, you’re inviting awareness of all the things you can do, no matter how unhelpful or ill-advised some options may be. You may find it helpful to simply let the options come to conscious awareness in your mind, or it may be more helpful to write them down so as to see all of the options you have. Don’t try to make any decisions or weigh out the options at this point. You’re not analyzing your options; you’re simply noticing what the options are.

4. ENGAGE YOUR BEST SELF. Allow yourself to connect with whatever state of being feels most helpful at this time. Continue to breathe as you invite in whatever wisdom, strength, calm, determination, or whatever it is in you that’s most likely to be helpful in navigating this situation, at this time, in the ways that best honor your whole self. Your “best self” will be different at different times and in different situations. Honor that. This is true of everyone. Maybe your best self yesterday was better than your best self today. Today you’re less energized or more overwhelmed. That’s okay. It’s not a competition. You can focus on connecting with your best self right now, recognizing that “best” is going to change over time.

5. SET SAIL. This last step very much involves trust in your own, deep, inner wisdom. Underneath all the reactions to life challenges, in that quiet place at the center of your being, you know what is best for you given the options available at this time. Go with that. Let your intuition guide you. Having taken the time to pause, breathe, notice, and connect with the best version of yourself right now, simply do whatever comes naturally.

The more you use this approach to navigate life’s challenges, the more you may find yourself moving through those challenges with minimal distress. Pain is a part of life. It can’t be avoided. We can, however, move in ways that minimize our suffering. We may even find ourselves enjoying some healthy stressors that used to feel hard, taking pleasure in the excitement and anticipation of new challenges. Stop, Take a Breath, Review Your Options, Engage Your Best Self, and Set Sail. You may be pleasantly surprised by just how enjoyable the waters can be.