Andy Holbert-Rolls: Managing Stress (through exercise and other stress relievers)

Words: Andy Holbert-Rolls (Originally posted on www.afitmind.co.uk)

It’s been a little while since I just stopped for a moment, reflected and made some sense of the thousands of thoughts pinging around in my brain.

I’m sure many can relate to that fast-paced life where you constantly feel as though you are chasing your own tail and not really getting anywhere...

I often refer to my life as one big rush, constantly juggling work and home life - trying to find some balance. I’m not complaining, I genuinely love all the things in my life - that is why I continue to push myself after all... but I have to admit, sometimes I can find it a little bit overwhelming and wish I could just slam the brakes on (or in some cases jump off the train entirely!)

When I start to feel like this, my mind instantly throws back to more difficult times when I felt this way and ignored these feelings, became incredibly ill and this feeling fills me with fear. 

I have to try to stop, rest and ensure I do the things I know help me. For me, one of those things is exercise - I love to run and swim to relieve stress and find it incredibly effective. Running allows me to let my mind drift, get my heart racing and reset my brain. As any runner would probably be able to relate... I cannot think of one single occasion where I did not feel better for getting out and running. I may not always enjoy the actual run itself - but when you get back, there is that sense of accomplishment and feeling more level headed that makes you feel 1000 times better. 

Likewise with swimming, I find it allows my mind to focus on a single point of concentration (I often link this sensation to mindfulness/meditation for this exact reason) - where you are left to simply focus on counting. Counting your breath, or perhaps counting your lengths... but again, I find it allows my mind to reset and feel much better.

When you have an overactive mind - the easiest way to “calm the noise” is to allow it to focus on something else entirely.

Over the past 6 months or so I have also started attending a regular meditation class. I try to go once a week and find that by doing this halfway through the working week it helps me massively. It’s a very simple concept... we sit in a calming room for an hour and practice different types of meditation (focusing on a single point of concentration - usually the breath).

I think about stress in a much more normalised way these days. I am accepting that stress is completely normal but am also much more conscious of my own stress levels and try to recognise when I feel as though it is becoming unmanageable. I do this by referring back to “the stress bucket” - a simple, yet valuable exercise I went through with a psychologist back when I couldn’t control the seizures that were (in part) being triggered by the amount of stress in my life.

What is a stress bucket?

A “stress bucket” is also a very simple concept. Think of stress as a bucket of water... you are constantly adding things into it that cause the stressful feelings and these will gradually fill this bucket. So naturally, if you cannot find ways to release some of that water pressure, the bucket will no longer be able to contain it and it will become overwhelming and start to overflow. 

In terms of a real-life scenario, it is at this point where your body will no longer be able to cope with the amount of stress and this can present itself in many ways - and it can become very destructive. Whether that is through depression, illness or fright/flight/freeze reactions (in my case this would result in seizure-like symptoms).

But just because you find yourself in stressful situations does not mean that it’s cannot be manageable. It is within our gift to make “holes” in our buckets by doing things that make us feel good. Exercise is just one effective way of doing this for me - but we are all different. It’s for us all to learn what our own stress relievers are. It could be spending time with your children, reading, painting, cooking... the list is endless.

What I am trying to say is that we are all responsible for looking after our own mental health, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be difficult. I think it is okay to be a little selfish from time to time and look after yourself by ensuring you have these positive things in your life that make you feel better. The only thing worse than a stressful day, is then coming home and finding yourself in another stressful situation. 

We all have responsibilities, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t achievable. Ask for help if you need it. Talk with your friends, family (or someone impartial if you need to). 

Just don’t suffer in silence.

#proACTIVEmentalhealth 💚

Follow Andy’s blog, A Fit Mind, a mental health and fitness blog.

Instagram: @afitminduk.