Turning Down the Dial on Stress
Stress management often involves trying to eliminate stressors.
John McEnroe, the famous tennis player, often smashed his racket when a match wasn’t going his way.
Somebody should have told Mr. McEnroe that it wasn’t the tennis racket that was the actual stressor.
A healthy lifestyle coach would argue that sometimes, enhancing your recovery is just as vital as reducing stress. 
Recovery involves regaining and restoring what’s been lost, leading you back to a state of well-being, health and performance. This sounds ideal, but the challenge arises when you feel too swamped to add even beneficial activities to your routine.
Like during the month of December, perhaps?
If you’re feeling as though your calendar blew up when you took your last bite of turkey, I’m right there with you.
This is where the “dial method” becomes useful.
Instead of an on-off switch approach to stress management, think of it as a dial. Imagine a continuum of stress recovery, ranging from a few minutes of restorative activities to dedicating substantial time to relaxation and self-care.
Picture a dial with levels 1 through 10, where Level 1 might be spending five minutes with your pet, Level 6 might be 15 minutes in Nature daily and Level 10 could involve creating a lifestyle centered around relaxation and mindfulness.
This method, recommended by health coaches, emphasizes gradual improvements in your recovery and stress management practices.
To apply this concept, first assess your baseline. Are you starting at a low level, perhaps a 1 or 2, in your recovery practices? Acknowledge this without judgment—it’s simply your starting point.
What does just a little bit better look like?
You might try:
- Incorporating five minutes of journaling into your nightly routine.
- Committing to a 10-minute morning walk three times a week for sunlight and fresh air.
- Practicing one minute of deep breathing daily.
By gradually dialing up your recovery activities, you can more effectively manage stress.
This approach acknowledges that while removing stressors is important, building resilience through recovery is equally vital.
As you embark on this journey towards managing stress better, remember that “Level 10” is more of an ideal than a realistic goal for many. That, however, is exactly the point.
The beauty of this approach lies in the numerous levels in between, offering a range of options that you can tailor to suit your needs.
These levels are not set in stone but are flexible guidelines to inspire your personal wellness journey.
For those who find themselves particularly overwhelmed, it’s worth noting that sometimes the most opportune moment to start a new stress management practice is precisely when your schedule seems too full.
It might sound counterintuitive, but integrating small, manageable practices into your busiest days can set a foundation that feels effortless to maintain, or even enhance, when life eventually slows down. 
And, if life continues at a relentless pace, adopting these practices sooner rather than later ensures you’re not postponing essential self-care while waiting for a mythical “perfect time.”
The goal is to start where you are, with what you have, and gradually build a more resilient, peaceful lifestyle, one step at a time.
And if you feel stuck on the low end of your recovery dial, email me and we’ll create a stress management practice tailored to your needs.
Calm and Christmas Cookies,
Health Coach Carol
“As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December’s bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same.”—Donald Westlake