Everything I Wish I'd Known About Stress

Jayne Hardy is the author of 5 books, including Everything I Wish I'd Known About Stress: A Hopeful Toolkit, Kind Words for Unkind Days and The Self-Care Project. As well as her love of writing, she mentors other creatives and hosts writing workshops and sessions.She has spoken, and written, about her own experiences of depression and self-care on BBC Radio 2, at TEDxBrum, and in publications such as Huffington Post, Grazia, The Guardian, and Virgin.com, to name a few.Jayne also founded The Blurt Foundation in 2011 - a charitable organisation created to raise awareness and understanding of depression. Although she has moved on from that role, her innovative use of the internet to bring about positive social change was recognised from the off. She won the TalkTalk Digital Hero Award in 2011, and in 2014 was included in Marketing Magazine's list of Top Ten Digital Mavericks. Jayne has been mentioned as one of the 19 inspirational women leading the way in mental health by Rethink as part of their International Women's Day celebration. In 2016, Jayne led the viral #whatyoudontsee social media campaign.Visit https://jaynehardy.co.ukFollow on Instagram: @JayneHardy_

• ContentsMy own road to a calmer life Part One, or ‘I wish I’d known. . .’Some stress is normal – we’re literally built for it Chronic stress has been normalised But it is not normal There’s such a thing as good stress Fight and flight aren’t the only stress responses Stress can even change our menstrual cycles We store stress in the body How the nervous system works How to hack the nervous system Stress causes damage that can be deadly All the symptoms of stress The red flags Stress and anxiety are not the same thing Stress is contagious Our perspective makes a difference We all have different stress thresholds What stress can look like in others Stress erodes our capacity for empathy Stress affects our executive functioning Stress can become a habit What we consume can aggravate stress Stress and resilience are intertwined The concept of the stress bucket Spoon theory The notion of stress cycles Part Two In the thick of it And breathe. . . Square breathing Ten-second breath Alternate nostril Four-seven-eight breathing Cyclic sighing Get grounded Five, four, three, two, one technique Positive self-talk Counting A–Z game Embracing nature Use our common sense(s) Touch Smell Taste Sight Sound Proprioception Interoception Vestibular Somatic practices Tapping Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) The aftermath Shake it off Stretch it out Dance it out Talk it out Cry it out Write it out Building resilience Make space for yourself Track time Buy time Start subtracting Look ahead Keep a stress log Visualise your stress bucket Build your self-esteem Get clear on your values Smartphones for good Turn off notifications Blue light filter Apps Start a new hobby Get moving Stop the ANTs Consider adaptogens Try meditating Fix your sleep Pack your bag Check-in Write a care guide A note on support systems Healing Seven types of rest Mental rest Physical rest Sensory rest Creative rest Emotional rest Spiritual rest Create a bliss list Create a diss list Question whether we’re headed in the right direction Make sense of something Let go of mistakes Get clear on who you are not Lock it in Reset your algorithm Be the tryer of new things Pay attention to envy Reclaiming yourself Dream a little dream Consider the younger self Be your own compass Have those conversations I wish I’d known that I wasn’t alone It’s always a work in progress Food as medicine Movement Other daily stuff Working life Can’t live without Over to you Acknowledgements About the author