Emptying your stress bucket
I was listening to my favorite trail running podcast recently (Some Work, All Play or SWAP) when I heard David Roche refer to the ‘stress bucket.’ As coaches to elite trail runners, David and his wife Megan use the ‘stress bucket’ concept to identify an athlete’s particular life stressors, and decide how much training stress (in weekly mileage and intensity) will lead to peak performance. Performing well in running - or life - requires the right amount of stress to get stronger. And yet, too much stress can be harmful and ultimately shut an athlete down.
How much stress is in your life? Let’s look in your stress bucket. Maybe you’re a single parent, or you work a demanding job. You might do both at the same time. Maybe you’re going through a divorce, or you just moved across the country, or you are a full-time or part-time caregiver. Add these to your stress bucket.
The stuff in your stress bucket doesn’t have to be regular or chronic. Someone might flip you off in traffic, or you get a difficult phone call, or something you were counting on falls through. All of these situations add to your stress bucket.
If we all have a metaphorical bucket that accumulates stress, how do we periodically empty it out, or at least lighten the load?
Good news: just recognizing your stressors is beneficial, because it objectifies stress as something you have, not something you are. When you’re aware that your bucket is nearing full you can make adjustments. You can say no to extra requests on your time or decline invitations to things you don’t want to attend.
What are your go-to activities for reducing stress? Mine are journaling, early morning runs on a trail, screaming into a pillow (or in a car with rolled up windows), and binge-watching silly TV shows with my husband. Also, any video involving cats (mine, yours, or YouTube’s) takes my stress level down several notches.
This is an invitation to find and use things you love to periodically empty your stress bucket when it’s getting too full. Your health - emotional, physical, and mental - will thank you for it.
Have specific stresses that are getting you down? Hit this link to set up a free connection call with me, and we’ll make a plan for managing your stress bucket so that you’re thriving instead of just surviving! And as always, may your week be filled with self-love and rich insights. With love, Amy ♡♡♡