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Stress-Busting 101:

April 11, 2023

Stress Management Techniques: Harvard Insights & Smashing Personal Barriers Feeling stressed? You’re not alone. The good news: stress management techniques work when they’re simple and consistent. Below, we unpack key ideas from Harvard Medical School’s Stress Management report and show how coaching helps you remove personal blocks. If you want tailored support, contact Blooming Key or book a free introductory session. What Is Stress? Stress is your body’s response to a perceived challenge. It triggers hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. In small doses, it can be useful. In excess, it harms mood, sleep, and health. If anxiety is part of the picture, see our page on Anxiety Management for practical next steps. Harvard-Backed Stress Management Techniques Know your stressors. Name your triggers (work, finances, relationships). Clarity makes change doable. For guided support, explore our Mental Fitness Coaching. Practice mindfulness. Short, daily breathing or meditation sessions build resilience. See APA’s practical tips (external) for quick wins. Move your body. Exercise boosts endorphins and sleep. Aim for 150 min/week of moderate activity. WHO answers common questions (external). Lean on your people. Social support protects your wellbeing. If you prefer private guidance, try Online Coaching. Protect your sleep. Target 7–9 hours. A wind-down routine helps. Track progress with our quick Self-Care Quiz or the Mental Fitness Quiz. Remove Personal Barriers (with Coaching) Tools are powerful, yet habits stick when subconscious beliefs go unchallenged. Coaching helps you spot and shift those patterns. Meet your coach on Meet the Coach, or see how we support

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Anxiety exercise: simple steps to shift your thoughts

1. Anxiety Exercise: Shift Your Thoughts

May 13, 2022

In short — When anxious thoughts start to spiral, use one simple anxiety exercise: breathe slowly, ground with your senses, reframe the thought, then move for a minute. The short video below shows each step. Why thoughts spiral Often, one worrying thought triggers the next. For example, mood drops and clear thinking fades. However, you can break this loop early with a few quick actions. Moreover, these simple tools are easy to learn and you can use them anywhere. Need guidance? Try Anxiety Management; alternatively, take the Mental Fitness Quiz, or work 1:1 via Online Coaching. 4 quick resets (watch + try) First, breathe slowly. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth for 3–5 minutes. Therefore, aim for longer exhales to calm the stress response. See the NHS breathing guide. Next, ground with 5-4-3-2-1. Name five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. As a result, your attention shifts to the present. A brief how-to: URMC. Then, reframe the thought. Ask, “What is the evidence? What else could be true?” In turn, gentle reframing helps you see more than one story. Learn more at Harvard Health. Finally, move for 60 seconds. Walk to the window, stretch your arms, or shake out your hands. Also, small movement releases tension and resets focus. See practical tips from NIMH. Video Video: Anxiety Exercise — Shift Your Thoughts Video summary: In the video, you’ll learn a short “interrupt

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2. Anxiety Exercise Relax By Staying Mindful

2. Anxiety Exercise: Relax By Staying Mindful

May 13, 2022

Staying in the present moment by focusing gently and without judgment on your current state and surroundings is called mindfulness. Research has shown that mindfulness helps us reduce anxiety by creating a calm state of mind while feeling your thoughts racing and anxiety is building. These are some four easy steps to bring yourself outside your thoughts into the present: The attached video will support this process by guiding you through the four steps. If you feel you need more support or have more questions pls contact me.

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