During Wellness Check Wednesday -a vibrant space where Black women come together to share, uplift, and empower one another and learn how to be their best selves together-the ladies shared and processed their top stressors this fall season. Some of those stressors were new while others were a familiar old thing (insert side eye here lol).
What we can count on is life to consistently reintroduce stressors, those things and people that causes a state of strain or tension. Stressors can be internal or external factors like:
our memories
our circumstances
our environment
the people around us
More common causes of stress include work, money, the economy, family responsibilities, and personal health concerns. Whatever the case may be, it's important to remember that stressors are highly individualized; what could be a major stressor for one individual may not affect another person at all. Each of us have unique vulnerabilities, leading to varying responses to stressors. Regardless of the source of stress, our stress response will be activated. Our stress response happens when our brains recognize a threat. The amygdala, responsible for emotional processing, sends a signal to the hypothalamus, and it triggers communication with our nervous systems to release stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. All of this happens within seconds of our brains recognizing a threat.
When adrenaline surges, it activates our fight-or-flight reaction. Although cortisol is beneficial in decreasing inflammation, enabling us to perform under stress, regulating blood sugar levels, and more, elevated cortisol levels can lead to problems such as cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression. Elevated cortisol levels occur when we aren't effectively managing life's stressors. For Black women specifically, we may struggle to manage stressors like:
job demands
relationship issues
a consistently hectic schedule
balancing competing roles
adjusting to the shift in season
triggers from this election cycle (i.e., Madam Vice President public experience triggering our private battles)
These stressors can feel complex, take up a lot of mental and emotional space, and make it feel impossible to live our best lives. Nevertheless, we cannot wait for stressors to disappear to live our best lives. Our perspectives on our stressors have to shift. That is, we have to be committed to living our best lives even with the presence of life's stressors. To help us on that journey, I'm sharing a Stress Toolkit:
Set Boundaries; Being able to say “no” is a way to prioritize your well-being. But I want to take It a step further and say, Identify the people, places, and things you need to say no to. Your body will let you know the people, places, and things that trigger an elevated stress response. That's a good indicator to tell you where you got to start practicing your no, sis.
Lean on your people: Recognizing that we’re overwhelmed tells us that we should lean on others for social support. Having someone to be vulnerable with, and get positive support from is crucial. Lets lean into this season of being strong AND knowing when to lean into our vulnerability and ask for help.
Choose your action: Despite how many things that are out of control, there Is always something within our control and something we can do to act on our stressors. Focusing on the action we can take Is empowering and helps us be resilient. Create a "stress action list" and use it!
Schedule Joy and Pleasure: Life will always life. You can’t wait on “stressors to subside” to make time for joy and pleasure. Make them both a priority. Create your joy and pleasure list and add those things to your weekly calendar.
When you get stuck, write about it: Externalize sis! Journaling Is a form of externalizing. It helps us release what we are feeling and go a step further In emotional processing by helping us gain perspective that can lead to relief. Get you a cute journal and get to writing!
Remember professional help is available: There are professionals who can help you navigate the unique challenges you face. Lets lean into the era where we can be strong AND acknowledge when it's time to ask for help.
Need additional support? Connect with me and schedule a wellness consultation call today!
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