5 Steps to Keep Mentally Balanced Under Stress

It was late on a Thursday night and I just returned from teaching my 5th graders English at my first school.  What is usually a 15-minute walk seemed like an hour walking home in the heat of my first summer in Daegu.   I had a rough day to say the least.  I had to lead all 5 of my classes after only being aware of my lesson 5 minutes before my first class started, and my students were very challenging per usual.  On top of that, I had issues that I had to deal with back home in America, including paying off loan debts, car debts, transferring money back to my home account, and catching up with my family after I hadn’t talked to them in weeks.  I plopped on my bed exhausted and spiritually drained. Years ago, I would have allowed a day like this to totally throw me off my game, and become a recluse for the next couple of days.  But today, I knew what to do, I knew how to best attack this feeling.  We all experience lows like this, more than we’d like throughout our lifetimes. As much as we’d like to avoid them, life is life and we all must go through the ups and downs.  As such, I’ve come to figure out the best ways that help me get through these times faster with a pep in my step on the other side.   The following are my top 5 steps I use to keep mentally balanced while under stress.

 1: Allow Yourself to Go Through It

 A lot of times, whenever we start feeling down or stressed, we get this immediate feeling of guilt, as if our feelings don’t deserve validity.  But it is important to know that whenever you encounter these feelings that you acknowledge them for what they are.  For instance, when you are physically sick, it would be insane for you to not acknowledge that and go throughout your days without proper treatment.  It is not okay.  The same logic should be applied to when you are emotionally or mentally sick.  Acknowledge its existence, recognize what it is, and have enough grace for yourself to address it appropriately and get through it.  You need to express all of the emotions that you have, be it happiness, sadness, or madness.  When you don’t allow yourself to go through these emotions, you actually end up remaining stagnant in that same emotional place.  You don’t allow yourself to grow through it.  Recognize what triggered your emotion. What exactly is making you stressed? Is this stress self-imposed? Going through and sorting your emotions is so important for personal growth and should be viewed as a necessity when it comes to overall health. 

 2: Put Yourself First

 Putting yourself first is very important when managing a stressful moment in your life.  Women, especially us black women, tend to have this idea that if we put ourselves first then that is a sign of selfishness or disrespect.  But how are we to offer our magic to other individuals when our spirits are depleted of all of it?  Putting yourself first includes setting your phone on do not disturb, staying in your apartment or home for a day without any outside disturbances, or meditating on your favorite inspirational quote.  Anything and everything you do should be about you and only you. Don’t be afraid to put yourself first, as this is the only way to ensure true recovery.

 3: Eat Nutritious Meals

 Nutrition is a big part of me maintaining my spiritual and mental balance.  Eating greasy, high-carb foods with low nutrition do nothing for physical or mental performance.  In fact, a lack of nutritious foods can cause fatigue, dizziness, and even depression.  This is why it’s important to eat nutrient dense foods such as salmon, seaweed, or kale. Whenever I’m down, I’m always sure to grab an apple or make a huge salad for myself to provide me with the nutrition needed to help me fight through these stressed feelings.  Studies show that foods with Vitamin C are important in helping your body create neurotransmitters—including dopamine and serotonin.  These particular neurotransmitters assist in fighting feelings of depression or sadness.  The following is a list of 5 vitamins/minerals or foods that can help with mood stabilization:

 1.     Omega-3 Fats: These fats contribute to healthy brain functions and can aid in decreasing symptoms of depression.  Foods that include this are flax and chia seeds.

2.     Chocolate: Believe it or not, chocolate has been shown to encourage the release of feel-good endorphins because of it naturally containing the chemical phenethylamine. 

3.     Vitamin D: Everyone knows a little sunshine can make your day that much better! Vitamin D helps in the production of serotonin, which can overall improve mood.

4.     Leafy vegetables: Many dark leafy greens contain folate and magnesium, which can help reduce depressive feelings.

5.     Zinc: This mineral has been used to treat mood disorders and can be found in seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

 Source: foodrevolution.org

 4: Participate in Favorite Past Time

 One of my favorite things to do when I feel depressed is to listen to a playlist of my favorite songs from childhood.  Reminiscing on nostalgic moments through music always gets my endorphins going and sends me to a peaceful place mentally that is impenetrable from any stressors of the moment.   But think about what you like to do that makes you happy despite your mood. For some, it may be watching a movie that you fell in love with as a teenager or playing video games where you can get lost in a virtual world of your choosing.  Regardless of what it might be, it is important that you do that one thing that will provide levity and scoop you out of the pit of despair.

 5: Sleep!

 Lastly, sleep has to be one of the most mentally and physically beneficial things I like to do.  I know that if I am not able to have at least 6 hours of sleep or more each night that my mood dramatically drops and I lose the mental fortitude to fight my battles. Although everyone operates optimally on different hours of sleep, it is important to understand yourself and how much sleep your mind needs to perform its best.

These are all the steps I use to get me back in the game if I feel down or just not balanced mentally.  I hope that you are able to use some of these strategies whenever you may feel emotionally drained or stressed. 

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