I’ve been on tour enjoying the Bermuda Rugby U17s in London for the last few days and have been trying to make it to the gym amid a busy schedule.

However it’s challenging since I am not on a normal schedule and the time difference doesn’t help either!

I could also choose to feel stressed about not having the normal foods I eat at home. There are so many things that we let affect us day to day, like sitting in Harbour Road traffic in the mornings, spilling coffee on your best blouse, a bike bumping into your side mirrors, or running late for an appointment.

For the month of April let’s try and monitor our stress. Start rating your level of stress and take notice if you are quickly reaching a boiling point and lashing out.

Instead, try and use these non life-threatening opportunities to help you to master and manage your stress.

Exhale

When you feel yourself getting ready to lose it, take a deep breath in and hold it for a few counts while repeating: “I can handle this”. Exhale while repeating: “I can handle this”. Hold the breath out and repeat: “I can handle this”. Do this until you feel yourself calming down. It really works!

Sometimes we feel we cannot control our emotions, our mind, our cravings or our stress level.

But, if you remember, you can always control your breath and, since they are connected, you CAN control your stress and your emotions.

Exercise

Most of us cannot stop, drop, and exercise whenever we get stressed. But how about taking a walk at lunchtime or before work? Exercise helps deplete stress hormones and releases mood-enhancing chemicals which help us cope with stress better.

Thankfulness

When you are starting to feel your blood boil make sure to stop and do nothing except taking your deep breaths and looking for things to be thankful for.

“It didn’t get ruined” or, “I can still get a quick workout in” or, “I still have time to make it.”

Let’s use our challenges as opportunities to help us to become more conscious. Stress is meant to alert us and not to be a punishment. Try and use stress as a wake-up call to PAUSE!

Prevent the thought pattern that is fuelling the stressed state and implement a more empowering one. This may seem incredibly simple to make an actual difference but it is an awesome way to improve your quality of life, to retrain your brain and B-Active For Life.

Betty Doyling is a certified fitness trainer and figure competitor with more than eight years of experience. Check her out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/B.ActiveForLife