Not necessarily. Those things are great for stress reduction, but I found something that works better.

When stressed, I don’t do anything much different than normal. I still complete my morning routine every day as best I can. I still go to the gym. I still spend time in nature with my doggo. I still stick to my nutrition plan. And I still meet work challenges with a positive attitude and drive to succeed. Per uzhe.

My entire lifestyle is centered around self-care. I make my nutrition, fitness, and mental health a priority every day. There are definitely days that throw me off my game, but I have a game plan that helps me get back on track fast and navigate the unexpected.

Every day I am protecting myself from whatever hardship life may throw my way. Whether it’s by eating healthy. By improving my fitness. By writing in my journal. By going to bed early. By spending time outside. Or, all the above.

The way that we all perceive stress and react to individual stressors is unique. But here’s my secret to navigating the stress train without letting it completely derail my life.

If your lifestyle is more self-sabotaging than self-loving, then stress is going to impact you much harder than the other way around. If you’re not used to regular self-care, trying to do it solely for stress reduction is going to be difficult and ineffective.

Now don’t get me wrong, the week was still pretty sucky and I definitely have some apologizing to do to my fiancé. But I listened to my body and stuck to my game plan. I continued to show up for me and kept my momentum going in the areas of my life that are most important to me. That, my friends, is the ultimate version of self-care.

Stressful times can completely wreck your progress. It can cause bad habits to form. It can impact your immune system, your ability to think and your mood. It can steal your attention away from what’s important. And it can completely take control over your decisions. (Goodbye, willpower.)

But I have found that these things are more likely to happen when people don’t have a strong foundation to lean on. That strong foundation is one that’s built before the stress hits.

Every one of my adult athlete clients must work with me to develop a custom Game Plan during their first session. This Game Plan outlines is what serves as a basis for them building their strong foundation. It’s their blueprint for success and improves their chances of staying on track, especially during stressful days, weeks or months.