Grace During Stress: Self Care While You’re Busy
Finding Grace During Stress: Essential Self-Care Tips for Burnout
In our fast-paced world, stress is an almost inevitable part of daily life. For many, the pressures of work, family, and personal responsibilities can lead to burnout, leaving us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. As a nutritionist and mom, I understand the critical importance of self-care during these challenging times. When a stressful period hits, we know there is benefit to movement, good nutrition and meditation.
In my practice, I have seen the look of panic at the idea of adding any new practice or goal during these stressful times. Adding these great habits into your busy schedules can also add, well stress and guilt. What is the right balance to caring for our mental and physical health during periods of stress? Embracing grace during stress and prioritizing self-care can make a significant difference in maintaining our well-being and fostering resilience.
Understanding Burnout: The Silent Health Crisis
Burnout is more than just feeling tired; it’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. It can affect anyone, from busy professionals to caregivers and students. Recognizing the signs of burnout—such as chronic fatigue, irritability, and a sense of detachment—is the first step towards reclaiming your health and well-being.
The Power of Grace: Embracing Self-Compassion
Grace during stress means allowing yourself to be human and acknowledging that it's okay not to have everything under control. Practicing self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a friend. This mindset shift is crucial in reducing the harsh self-criticism that often accompanies burnout.
‘Is that how you would talk to a good friend?’
Self-Care Strategies for Managing Stress
As a dietitian, I advocate for holistic approaches to self-care that nurture both the body and mind. Here are some essential self-care tips to help you navigate stress and prevent burnout:
Nourish Your Body: Eating a balanced diet rich in whole foods can provide the energy and nutrients needed to combat stress. Focus on incorporating fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your meals.
Prioritize Sleep: Quality sleep is vital for recovery and resilience. Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, and create a relaxing bedtime routine to promote restful sleep. Develop consistent sleep hygiene habits.
Stay Active: Regular physical activity releases endorphins, which are natural stress relievers. Continue movement that you enjoy, whether it's yoga, walking, or dancing, and make it a regular part of your schedule.
Mindful Practices: Incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine can help calm the mind and reduce stress. Even a few minutes of deep breathing or guided meditation can make a significant difference.
Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to reach out to friends, family, or a mental health professional when you're feeling overwhelmed. Sharing your feelings and experiences can provide relief and perspective.
These are great pillars to have established before the stressful period strikes. (It is often difficult to start new practices during a stressful period but we can sprinkle them in!)
No Cook Recipe Pack
Being prepared with a snack is a form of self care. This No Cook Recipe Pack is filled with easy ideas to provide nutrients to your day. Download today!
The Stress is Real: What is my Game Plan?
Part 3 of our video series above, Kimberleigh Hagar, LCSW describes her favorite quick and easy self care tips to incorporate into your day.
Switch up your shower products. Add in new smells, more luxury to the act of showering. You are not adding more time but could be adding in some self care.
Look for small escapes (safely). Take the opportunity to listen to your favorite music or an audio book on trips in the car to give you a mental escape.
Gratitude practice. Notice the positive by journaling 2-3 experiences from the day. What if you aim to make 1-2 of those positive that you brought about?
Kimberleigh has more tips on How to Take Care of Yourself When you are Stressed in her latest blog.
Find the Joy
Seek out the Joy and Sprinkle these practices into something you already do so they don’t feel like another overwhelming ‘To Do’.
Breathe. Take two big breaths before eating. Take a breath mid afternoon when your shoulders have met your ears. Take a breath at a mid afternoon snack break. We aren’t adding breathing to your day but we will notice it and exaggerate the exhale.
Incorporate Mindfulness. The practice of noticing joyful things can sound campy when we are overwhelmed but let’s add these little mental breaks in through the day.
“I love how sweet these strawberries taste today” “ The sun feels so warm on my arms while I am eating my snack.”
“The water is so cold and I feel the cold going down my throat.”
We are not adding time by these small moments of mindfulness and my expectation is never for clients to sit in a yoga pose and eat a meal but short reflections can spark a little attunement and JOY. There are a lot of options for finding Mindful Moments in the day.
Movement strategy. Starting a new exercise plan is not always beneficial during periods of high stress. Does movement help with stress? Yes. Can the addition of another “To Do” or the guilt of not following a new program be a new stress? Also Yes.
If you already have a movement program in place, continue with what has worked. Consider scaling back your expectations for movement for now. Anticipate your response for times when you will miss movement. Consider doing a ‘placeholder’ activity or just knowing that if you need to skip your are giving your body the rest it needs. For example, you take evening walks daily for 20-30 minutes but tonight you are mentally exhausted, with too many obligations to get the walk finished. Consider a ‘placeholder’ of a 5 minute body stretch. You are giving yourself 5 minutes of self care, you will still have time for your obligations and we hope to avoid some of the guilt from missing your walking schedule.
New to movement? Consider 5-10 minutes of stretching or set up the consistency of going outside each day for ‘me time’ and move your body. The consistency and self care time you give yourself will be more beneficial than the all or nothing approach of a new gym membership during this period of stress.
meal plans during stress
Scale back expectations to what is manageable in your current situation. That doesn’t mean this is permanent.
The Impact of Stress on Eating Habits
During periods of stress, it's common to experience changes in appetite and cravings, often leading to unhealthy eating patterns. Stress can trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite and the desire for high-fat, sugary foods. Understanding this physiological response can help us make more informed food choices that support our well-being.
Tips for Stress-Resilient Eating
Prepare in Advance: Meal prep on weekends or during less busy times to ensure you have healthy meals ready to go. A bin of ready to go snacks and eating on a schedule is ideal during periods of high stress. If meal prep is outside of your time constraints what works for you now (not what do you think you should be doing).
Weekly Meal Prep. Grocery Store Short Cuts (precut veggies or frozen kits). Grocery Store Meal Prep Kits.
Take and Bake Meals. Home Delivery Kits. Home Delivered Prepared Meals (from local chefs or national chains).
There is such a range of meal prep options! Your best option during stressful times is the one that keeps you nourished and feeling good.
Mindful Eating: Practice mindful eating by paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues. Avoid eating in front of screens and take time to savor your food.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol: Both caffeine and alcohol can exacerbate stress and disrupt sleep. Opt for herbal teas, decaffeinated options instead. I love to have clients add a fun afternoon mocktail, kombucha or sparkling drink water in the afternoon (I’m a fan of Ollipop.)
Embrace the Journey to Wellness
Remember, self-care is not a one-time fix but a continuous journey. By integrating these strategies into your daily life, you can find grace during stress and build resilience against burnout. As a dietitian, I am here to support you on your path to wellness, providing guidance and encouragement every step of the way.
What’s Next?
Kimberleigh Hagar, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Mindfully Balanced Therapy, PLLC. Kimberleigh’s practice helps clients in NC, SC and IL via telehealth with a focus on women. “I help women who work really hard to make sure everything looks okay on the outside when it doesn’t feel that way on the inside.” Connect for a FREE discovery call with Kimberleigh today.
Kristen Bunich, MA RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and owner of The Intuitive Dietitian. As a certified intuitive eating counselor she brings a more holistic approach to her nutrition care. She helps clients in NC and SC rebuild their relationship with food, nutrition and self care. Book your FREE discovery call with Kristen today.