3 Ways to Reenergize When Feeling the Burn

This world requires a lot of us. We are faced with many demands on our time, energy, and money. We have responsibilities at home, work, and in our relationships that require us to be present and attentive. These areas often compete with one another, causing stress. Now more than ever we are learning how incredibly important and precious our time and energy truly are. 

Chronic Stress and What Causes it

If we let ourselves, we can get caught up in thinking we need to do more, achieve more, and just be more. We can easily lose sight of what truly matters and feel like we have no control over our life or our decisions. Often, this type of pressured lifestyle, where we feel chronically stressed, can lead to feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and burnt out. 

Chronic stress is defined as emotional pressure over a prolonged period of time where an individual perceives they have little or no control. It has a damaging effect on our health and wellbeing. If not addressed, chronic stress negatively impacts energy levels, motivation, mood, physical health, and other areas of our lives. 

The Physical Effects of Chronic Stress on Montana Residents

Have you ever had aches and pains seemingly show up out of nowhere? Or get sick after a big event or trip? This is your body telling you to slow down and pay attention. 

The body is the container we move through the world in. It holds all of our sensations, feelings, and stress. Because we live in such an action-oriented world that requires so much of us, our brains often override and ignore what our bodies tell us. We tend to overdo things, over-commit, and overwhelm ourselves. But if we slow down and listen to what our body is telling us, we can gather valuable information for tending to ourselves. 

Preventing or repairing the effects of chronic stress takes slowing down and finding ways to mindfully reenergize ourselves and destress. 

What to do Along with Therapy for Stress in Bozeman, MT

When thinking about the concept of finding things that reenergize instead of the drain, I was reminded of my clients. They ask, “what can I do in between sessions?!” I tend to take a second, smile, and say, “rest and play.” This is often met with a laugh or an eye roll, but I think it hits home for many people. Especially for those of us who have to get sick before we take the hint and take a day off!

Therapy for stress is a powerful tool when needing to slow down and feel less drain in your life. A therapist in Bozeman, MT will help you identify the causes of chronic stress in your life. Which will lead to you experiencing less burnout. However, there are important things you can start doing right now if you are feeling drained.

So, when feeling the burn of life, slow down. Listen to your body. Give these 3 ways a try to reenergize yourself:

1. Rest

Rest

To rest means to cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength. We all know there’s nothing better than getting a good night’s sleep. But if that’s not possible, try to find moments of solitude within your day. Take a few slow, deep breaths during transitions from one activity to the next. Before jumping into your day, enjoy your coffee. I mean really enjoy it. Hold it in your hands, taste it, feel the warmth. If you can, communicate your need for a “rest day” to those in your life.

Play

To play is to engage in an activity for enjoyment rather than for a serious or practical reason. Kids get it. Adults tend to forget. Give yourself permission to play every day. When we carve out time to play, our relationships, health, attitude, and mood improve. Play enhances imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional well-being. It may take some effort to reengage or develop your playful, humorous side. Clear out time to have a game night, play with your kids or pet, do a puzzle, surround yourself with playful people. 

2. Play

3. Connect

Connect

We crave connection and a sense of belonging to others. We need it to feel whole. To connect is to feel seen, heard, valued, and understood and gain nourishment and strength from the relationship. Take a close look at your relationships and invest your limited time, energy, and attention into the ones that nourish, strengthen, and energize you. Make those the priority. For the other relationships, learn to set limits and boundaries to preserve your health and wellbeing

Final Thoughts From a Bozeman Counselor

In this chaotic world, we are faced with many experiences that leave us feeling stuck, hurt, and overwhelmed. In this place, it can be lonely, isolating, and exhausting. Sometimes we need help navigating through the storm. It takes courage, persistence, and vulnerability to look inside ourselves. As we grow, change, and find meaning in our experiences.

Start Therapy for Stress in Bozeman, MT

If you are ready to stop letting chronic stress affect your physical and mental health then we are ready. At Bridger Peak Counseling our team of Bozeman counselors is ready to help you start therapy for stress. Let us help you grow, change, and find meaning in your experiences. Reach out to schedule an appointment at our Big Sky, MT practice today.

Bridger Peak Counseling Mental Health Services in Montana

Our caring therapists offer more services than stress management. Looking to attend individual therapy? We offer anxiety treatment, depression counseling, trauma therapy with EMDR therapy. If you are a mother contact us to speak to a postpartum depression therapist about starting postpartum depression counseling. Our marriage counselors can help you start strengthening your relationship. At Bridger Peaks Counseling, we offer online therapy in Montana or attend in-person counseling.

The Power of Hope in a Often Perilous World

“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The other day I was reading the news and was struck by a brief moment of despair. I thought, “Every day brings more and more bad news….” The truth is that we do live in a very challenging time in history. On social media, television and news sources we are fed a plethora of proof of bad news. We see evidence of natural disasters, hatred and divisiveness in humanity as well as acts of violence in everyday settings. Living during this time can really take a toll on mental health and wellbeing. If this is something that resonates with you, know that you are not alone in this struggle. 

Many people seek out counseling to cope with mental health symptoms which are often impacted by the uninterrupted access to information at our fingertips. If you find yourself getting swept up in a sense of hopelessness, I encourage you to look for the light during these times. Hold on to hope for what our world can become. Choosing hope, despite all of the grief, can make an incredible impact on our world.

In 1991, positive psychologist Charles Snyder and his colleagues developed  “Hope Theory”. This theory is founded on the premise that hope creates a sense of determination, strengthens motivation and fosters agency. Charles Snyder and his colleagues researched this concept and found that hope creates a dynamic motivational system which drives individuals to achieve their goals. Hope theory emphasizes that hopeful thinking fuels individuals to believe they can achieve goals as well as helps to foster creativity which can promote problem solving.

Comparatively, “Hope Theorists” found that individuals who lack hope, tend to set goals that do not challenge them nor offer them opportunities for growth. These people tend to fail and/or quit, which can result in ongoing and increased feelings of helplessness and lack of control. They often do not believe they have an impact on their own futures. Many of us have felt this way at some point in our lives, it is normal to experience periods of darkness and despair.  

The other day when I felt discouraged by the news, I turned inward and found comfort in the vision of what the power of hope could do on a larger scale. I urge you to consider how we can use the ideas I laid out above to impact larger communities. Hope helps to unite individuals in visions of what we, as a whole, can become. People can then work together to meet shared goals for our collective future. And with hope to fuel us, I believe that things can change for the better. 

A question that may arise for you as you read this is how to find hope when you have lost it. A sense of hopelessness may be part of what brought you to this blog and our website. For many, hopelessness may be a source of shame, and we understand that there are many influences that could impact your levels of hope. This is where counseling can help. The clinicians at Bridger Peaks Counseling wholeheartedly believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship. We can listen and sit with you as you explore the ways that you have lost hope, and we can also help you to discover what you value in life and what inspires you to hope. We have seen many clients develop an incredible sense of hope through the growth done in therapy. 

On some level, the simple act of calling to schedule an appointment with a counselor can give a sense of relief to someone who has been struggling with mental health symptoms. This is the first step towards motivation and taking action in your life.  If you have already started your journey into a counseling relationship, we commend you for taking such a brave and vulnerable step towards hope. If you have yet to start, we are here, and you are not alone.

Rand,  & Cheavens, J. S. (2009). Hope theory. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford library of psychology. The Oxford handbook of positive psychology (p. 323–333). Oxford University Press.

Snyder, C. (2002). Hope Theory: Rainbows in the Mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249-275. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/1448867

Larsen D., Edey W., and Lemay L., (2007). Understanding the role of hope in counselling: Exploring the intentional uses of hope, Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 20:4, 401-416, DOI: 10.1080/09515070701690036

About the Author: Autumn Clowes, MS, PCLC

AUTUMN CLOWES, MS, PCLC

Autumn believes that each individual and every couple has within them the capacity for growth and profound strength. She loves helping the people and working with them to feel empowered to face and overcome challenges and shed the debilitating effects of shame.

Her strengths include working with people who have experienced trauma, issues surrounding sexuality and sexual orientation, grief and loss, and self harming behaviors. She also has a deep desire to help people who struggle with addictive behaviors to conquer the guilt and shame that often go along with those struggles.