Hello lovely SVT friends….Seems like STRESS is everywhere…we cant fix or change or heal everything in our lives that is causing us stress…and since STRESS and SVT go hand in hand…what are we to do? Well, the answer is….we have to learn how to co-exist with chronic stress and change our reaction to it….we have to become stress’ friend instead of letting it sink us….

Here are some tips to help…

1. Have healthy “routines” that we refuse to let slip away….That means…

• a sleep time that we keep no matter what…bed by 10 if you want to be a rock star. (11 is honestly just too late for most of us)…If you don’t believe me, then do a test, go to bed at 10 for 3 nights in a row and see how you feel the next day! Then go to bed at 11 or later and compare! I simply function way better with restful sleep and for some reason the quality of sleep is better when you go to bed earlier.
• Develop a journaling practice….WRITE your feelings out…get them flowing and OUT of your body…don’t even bother talking it out…I really don’t think talking is as effective…I find talking draining and it keeps things “alive”…as opposed to journaling where the truest feelings really begin to move through the body….LET IT OUT! You don’t need solutions, just le the feelings OUT…that’s the goal…(not to FIX…although you may wind up with some great insights)
• An exercise practice….There is just no avoiding this one….pick something simple! Stretching, walking or swimming are my top picks….Our sensitive bodies need to move, stretch and flow…plus it feels good, I promise!

2. DRINK plenty of water….This is the BEST trick to avoiding an SVT. so simple…If you think you are drinking a lot, drink more. If you know you are not drinking enough…get on it! Drink at least 8 giant glasses a day…and then some!

3. Take a nap. No pressure to fall asleep…just rest, close your eyes, put on a soft eye pillow or mask and take a break!

4. Handle WHAT is within your control…pay an outstanding bill, make the phone call, do the dishwasher…etc…..and everything else  that is stressing you out that you have NO CONTROL OVER…LET IT GO! Trust the universe to handle it for you! ASK (God, the universe, whatever you believe in) for HELP….say a prayer like…”I cant handle the stress…I cant stop worrying about my house, my job, my partners fill in the blank, and I cant fix it and its driving me nuts….PLEASE help me, handle it for me, give me peace, let me sleep, guide me…what can I do to change something about myself or my situation and what is out of my hands…please guide me!!! I trust that you love me and are taking care of me when I need it. Affirm, I TRUST THE UNIVERSE”. Then let it go….!!!! when the thoughts creep in, tell them to pass by on a cloud…tell them that the universe is handling them and to leave you alone!!!!! then break the cycle and go take a walk or a bath or a hike.

5. FOOD PREP. Spend time preparing some healthy food. Each week make a batch of beans and a GF grain like quinoa. Then mix it up with some veggies and that’s your “go to” food. Always have broccoli and cauliflower in the fridge. Always have some canned beans on hand. Always have a box of GF pasta, brown rice, and quinoa in the pantry.

6. Breathe….Take 3 deep breaths whenever you get stressed out…then MOVE YOUR BODY….change your position. walk into another room, make a cup of tea.

7. Think about one thing you love to do that you don’t do. and then write in a journal about WHY you are not making time for it. Is it something within your reach? How can you give your heart more JOY?

8. What problems do you need to fix? What problems cant you fix? What are the problems in your life here to teach you? Make friends with the LESSONS so they can GO AWAY! What are the lessons????? Learn your lessons so they don’t have to keep re-appearing in your life.

9. Take a tech BREAK. TURN off your phone and email for the DAY or weekend. I am not kidding. Just put on an away message that says ” Hello friends and business associates. I am taking a breather today. Need some self-care in order to function at my peak! See you all tomorrow!”

10. YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIFE. no one else to blame, no one else can fix, no one else can really change you or your situation. pretty simple….If you don’t like something…I know you can change it! Change starts NOW, in this moment, not tomorrow…so right now, go breathe, or rest, or stretch, or clear out a corner, or throw away some clutter, or pay a bill (even if its only 10.00), I promise you will feel better the minute you take action. In-action leads to anxiety.

And if you do get an SVT….Put some ice on your heart, massage the side of your neck and cough or blow super hard into cupped hands. Try a yoga posture called shoulder stand or hang your upper chest off the side of a bed, chest facing the ceiling.

Then take some vitamins and go to sleep! Call up a family member or good friend to take care of the kids if you need some immediate relief….

Don’t fight the stress in your life, learn how to co-exist with it, heal what you can, modify your reaction to it and let it go! , …YOU are the only piece in the whole puzzle that you can change….so start with you!  I know YOU CAN DO IT!!!!