Summer 2020 is certainly going down into the history books as one of the most unique summers of any time in history. For some, the quieter nature of life in a pandemic has been a time to tune in to nature. For others, it’s been a time to nourish relationships in a new and different way. And some have decided to stretch their creative juices.

For me, summer has been one of personal rejuvenation. Some of you may have noticed my silence on social media for the past couple of months; most of you probably never gave it a thought. At any rate, I decided to take a break and put my focus on a few other things.

  • Time to rejuvenate and refresh. I spent my summer in northern Minnesota. Time “at the lake”, as we Minnesotans say, to soak in nature and calm. Plus, I could swim and paddleboard as much as I wanted.
  • Produce videos for my clients who are looking to develop their team members in self-awareness and understanding and managing stress. Turns out the cabin was a perfect environment for that project.

I laugh because I thought time alone would take away all of my stress. I soon realized my stress must be bad as I started getting on my own nerves! Are you getting on your own nerves? If so, it’s time to get back to the basics when it comes to managing stress. Especially, if the pandemic is causing considerable stress in your life, if you are a frontline care worker, or if you are someone impacted by the stress of going back to school, this is for you!  Signs you are stressed according to Healthline, 11 Signs and Symptoms of Too Much Stress are acne, headaches, chronic pain, frequent sickness, decreased energy and insomnia, depression, rapid heart rate, changes in libido, digestive issues, appetite changes, and/or sweating. If you are suffering from any of these, it might be an indicator that it’s high time to get back to basics.

Understanding and Managing Stress

Assess your stress. What is your stress level? Are you at rust-out from limiting your social interactions or at burn-out from navigating life in a pandemic, witnessing the current charged political climate, or contemplating the injustices of our world? Think about what is troubling you and then rank it as to how severe the stress is to your well-being. Go through the list a second time and cross those items out that you have no control over. Give those over to God.

Get Logical. I’m a recovering worrier – out of 99 problems that I harassed myself with, about 86 of them were completely made up scenarios in my head that I was frazzled about for absolutely no logical reason. After relinquishing the stressors you cannot control, make a plan to manage the rest.

Take care of yourself. And by self-care, I do NOT mean external beauty regimens. I am talking about self-care from the inside out. Ironically, even taking care of yourself can be stressful. Many find it hard to find time for necessary self-care when stress is high, such as in a pandemic with so much fear and change. I recommend using the House as outlined in my book, Building Your Brilliance: Move from Stressful Survival to Joyful Living. Use this link to download The House one-pager if you would like a taste of how it works. There is a room in the house containing research-backed tools that help us manage stress and take care of ourselves. The House outlines ways to enhance and care for your physical health, your mental health, and your relationship health.

Journal! I realized that even with the publication of my journal, I was overlooking it’s importance. I thought that while I was rejuvenating at the lake, the journal wasn’t all that necessary. Don’t we need a break once in a while? Yes yet, at least for me, not when it comes to such a basic stress-reliever as journaling. Just 5 minutes a day is all it takes! I have found that “skipping it” is like not drinking water or not breathing. It’s that basic!

So as you manage stress in the midst of a pandemic, manage the stress of going back to school or your children’s back to school journey, or manage most any major change in your life, these are a few basics that are a must. If you’ve found ways to take a break and rejuvenate, great! Just remember, managing stress and being brilliant includes the basics outlined above.