It’s natural for us to worry about things out of control – our brain likes certainty and tries to operate in the most efficient way possible. Our internal surveillance system is constantly scanning it’s environment for signs of safety or danger. It’s a function called neuroception.
Dr Jaime Lee: Managing stress for the things you can’t control
ARTICLE
15 March 2023
3 min read
3 min read
Out of sight, out of mind. Dr Jaime Lee shares her best advice on how we can regulate our stress levels and build resilience – especially for factors out of our control.
Our symptoms are mutual
There’s a lot of things to get used to in ‘the new normal’. From going back to the office to rising interest rates, there’s plenty of stress factors that many of us share.
For example, I don’t own my own home – it's been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Without a permanent home, I don’t feel anchored, and it’s incredibly stressful for me when I have to pack up my home and my life from different rental properties.
I had to establish ways of dealing with these feelings, and they’ve worked wonders for me so far.
Take a breather
Decompressing is essential if you have a fast-paced life. No matter which way you choose – whether it’s a ten-minute meditation session or getting outside and doing a simple breathing exercise – you’ll support your mental health, which will benefit your overall wellbeing in turn.
All: Perform a guided meditation once a day (and earn AIA Vitality Points at the same time).
Something: Finish a quick five-minute breathing exercise.
Remember, All or Something!
All: Spend 10 minutes meditating with a mindfulness app every day.
Something: Take a short mindful walk around the neighbourhood.
By practising mindfulness, you can also earn up to 2,000 AIA Vitality Points each membership year that goes towards upgrading your AIA Vitality Status, unlocking greater rewards and discounts. Remember, All or Something!
Set up a personal anchor point
Our everyday environment offers opportunities to anchor in safety. Have a look around your daily living environment and find your personal connection place or a favourite object that reminds you of safety.
I travel a lot for work, and so I started developing little rituals to ground myself and create a “sense of home” wherever I go. I love Japanese genmaicha, a type of green tea. I always have with me the same tea and a special teapot. So every morning, regardless of where I am, at home or on the road, I take 15 minutes for myself to make this tea and savour it mindfully. This routine and the smell of the tea reminds me of home and I immediately feel safe and ready to meet the world.
Other than that, I do things I’d normally do at home. I talk to my friends, I listen to similar music, and I always find time to walk or run in nature. These sound like small things, but they’re invaluable in helping my nervous system feel anchored and less vulnerable to stress factors in my environment.
There’s a quote by Dr Kristin Neff that really helps me through tough times: “This is a moment of suffering. Suffering is part of life. May I be kind to myself in this moment. May I give myself the compassion I need.”
I love this phrase – whenever I’m going through a period of uncertainty, it’s always good to remind ourselves that ‘this too shall pass’. It’s important to acknowledge the uncertainty, as opposed to pretending it’s not there.
Be proactive with your mental health
Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. Just like how we usually see a doctor for a medical checkup, I highly recommend finding a way to assess and improve your mental wellbeing – it could be chatting over the phone to a friend or a counsellor, or even as simple as taking a few minutes out of your day to decompress and go for a walk.
For me, I walk daily, have a daily meditation practice, and connect with my sisters and friends regularly. I also see my psychologist regularly, once a quarter, regardless of how I’m feeling – and it’s a great checkup for my mental health. If I need more support, I’ll increase the frequency of my visits. I think of it as maintenance and ‘good mental health hygiene’, which again, is just as important as physical hygiene.
Dr. Jaime Lee
Dr. Jaime Lee is the Founder and CEO of Health Quotient, a company dedicated to transforming workplaces around the world by inspiring individual health and whole organisational renewal through leadership keynotes, workshops and mentoring. With experience as a medical doctor, public health specialist, corporate strategist, speaker and facilitator, Dr. Jaime works with global companies to help them sustain high performance teams in an integrated and healthy way.
Disclaimer:
Copyright © 2023 AIA Australia Limited (ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043). This is general information only, without taking into account factors like the objectives, financial situation, needs or personal circumstances of any individual and is not intended to be financial, legal, tax, medical, nutritional, health, fitness or other advice. The source information of the articles is current as at 1 March 2023 and may be subject to change. While the information contained herein is believed to be accurate, AIA Australia expressly disclaims any and all liability for representations or warranties, expressed or implied, contained in, or for omissions from, the information
Copyright © 2023 AIA Australia Limited (ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043). This is general information only, without taking into account factors like the objectives, financial situation, needs or personal circumstances of any individual and is not intended to be financial, legal, tax, medical, nutritional, health, fitness or other advice. The source information of the articles is current as at 1 March 2023 and may be subject to change. While the information contained herein is believed to be accurate, AIA Australia expressly disclaims any and all liability for representations or warranties, expressed or implied, contained in, or for omissions from, the information
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