Traci Henry, a member Chamberlain University's academic success team talks to life coach Stephanie Giberson to get some tips for how to manage stress for those managing school and social distancing.
Traci Henry, a member Chamberlain University's academic success team talks to life coach Stephanie Giberson to get some tips for how to manage stress for those managing school and social distancing.
Traci Henry: 0:11
Hi. My name is Tracy Henry and I'm part of the National Academic Success Team. And we decided that we wanted to try to do some podcasts to support our students during this trying time of social isolation. So today I've decided to interview Stephanie Giberson, who is a life coach and has a certification in holistic health. She has over 10 years of experience and has some really good tips and tricks of the trade of what we can do during this time. So welcome, Stephanie. I'm glad you're here with me today.
Stephanie Giberson: 0:41
Thank you, Tracy. I'm so happy to be here. you.
Traci Henry: 0:43
And then I just want to ask you a couple of questions. One of them was: What's the best way to handle stress during this time? Because, you know, you're feeling overwhelmed and don't know really where to start.
Stephanie Giberson: 0:52
It's totally understandable. I mean, these have been an amazing couple past weeks, right? So people are appended from the routines. They're really not sure where to start. So the first place I would suggest is to check in with yourself. Physically, I like to use an acronym. It's the word HALT. So it's hungry, angry, lonely, tired, you know? Are you hungry? Are you hungry for a physical connection? Are you hungry for food? Are you hungry for an emotional connection? Um, and then the day is for anger. Are you feeling angry about this whole thing? How are you channeling it? What are you doing to get that anger out? Um, lonely again. It's that the connection with other people cause this social isolation could be quite a, um, it's quite trying. It's It's very difficult. So you really have to, um, make an effort to connect with people, whether it's on to more face time or some kind of video so that you don't feel the loneliness and then, lastly, is hired for tea. Stress can really do a number on your body, and you want to make sure that you're getting enough sleep each night so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Start here today, the next day, because although we've been in socialized isolation for a week or two now, some people below longer, it sounds like we might be in for a little longer, and you just want to pace yourself and know that you can handle what's coming up.
Traci Henry: 2:31
That's funny that you should say that I'm looking at all these names and everything, and one of them is I should probably socially isolate for my refrigerator. Uh, you know, indeed, some isolation for my Pritchard in making myself again, Um, you know that loneliness, peas, truly trying to make myself reach out is something that I have to make myself do as well, said Stephanie. One problem that I seem to have is creating a schedule or time management. I actually worked from home, and that shouldn't be an issue for me. But now that everybody is working from home, it's It's an issue for me to try to schedule around that you have these suggestions about what to do about scheduling and time management.
Stephanie Giberson: 3:09
I know it's It's such a tricky thing because people are working from home now, and they also have probably family home around them as well and possibly kids. And then you also may be trying to do schoolwork as well, so there are a lot of things that are thrown into the mix that weren't there before, and it makes for a challenging schedule for sure. Um, one thing I would say is just let go of your expectations of how this is gonna go because, um, this is new to everybody. No one knows how to do it, and it's okay to not get everything right the first go around. But I would suggest definitely if you haven't already to create some kind of routine or schedule because we really thrive on routine as humans. And, um, it gives you a sense of grounded nous, and it gives you a feeling that you can really accomplish things, whereas if you don't have a schedule, you're kind of willy nilly and tryingto, you know, go by the seat of your pants. Ah, lot of times you don't get done what you need to get done. So what I would suggest is making a list each day. Even I even do this with my four year old. You know, we come up with a schedule on what we're going to dio and when Mommy has to work and what he would like to do, and then we try to stick to that schedule. Of course, things were gonna come up. You're not gonna be able to do it perfectly, but it does give you a little bit of structure where you can feel a little sense of normalcy and it will make you feel accomplished and a little grounded along the way.
Traci Henry: 4:47
Yeah, I find that with myself. I'm having trouble to just again. I need those priorities. I need those goals any time. And I think the thing that's bothering me the most is when it's gonna end. So how do I change that mindset of when it's gonna end or what we're gonna do? Because that seems to be the biggest problem. It is for me, is the unknown?
Stephanie Giberson: 5:07
Exactly. And I think that's a huge problem for everybody. You know, it's that feeling of uncertainty, that feeling of like, Oh, my gosh, what is this? And how much longer are we gonna have to do this? Um, so the idea is to really just try to find the silver lining. So when you're thinking of things like, Oh, God, I'm stuck at home with, you know, my whole family and I have to do all this stuff, and I don't have any time to myself. Instead of thinking that way, you can say, you know what I get to be safe in my home and spend time with my family. And eventually this, too will end, you know? So it's kind of just flipping the sell it on its tail. Another thing that people think about a lot is, you know, running out of items. I guess there was, you know, the whole toilet paper run
Traci Henry: 5:52
and the paper run. Oh, geez. It'll be. It'll be in the history books are toilet paper.
Stephanie Giberson: 6:00
And now they're rationing it. So that's even a funnier thing. Um, but, you know, you know, I will run out of items at home during my isolation time. Give to remember that mostly important places are open. They're restocking daily. Food stores are open, the restocking daily. So you just say I've prepared for this. I have what I need and I'll use my items wisely. And when I run out, then I can go the store and get more. It's just kind of talking yourself down from the ledge. You know,
Traci Henry: 6:31
exactly. You know, I feel like that I'm a big control freak, and so I want to change something, and and so I was understanding what you were talking about, but that change what you can and accept what you can't. That's something that I'm trying to practice daily right now.
Stephanie Giberson: 6:44
Uh, definitely. I mean, it's everyone is feeling this way. Everyone's not sure what to do, how to act, what to say. You know what to believe. Everything that comes up in the news is different every day. There's more numbers now because they're testing, so it gets overwhelming. But what I would suggest is, you know, control what you can do not check in with the news all day long because that will probably send you over the edge. But just, you know, make it a pact like check in in the morning and then check in once a night and just kind of see what's going on and then allow yourself to let it go because you're doing your part in doing the self isolation, and you just have to control what you can and let go what you can't.
Traci Henry: 7:29
That's great. Great advice. And, you know, I I'm getting a little bit more of the swing of life at home, but I know you've got a four year old kid, both of my two children are, ah, in isolation somewhere else that I can't even see them. They're older in college. But what are you doing? What are some things that you're trying to do when you have kids? When you're trying to work from home and keep up with your classes? How do you manage that?
Stephanie Giberson: 7:51
Yeah, I mean, it's definitely hard. You know, this was not meant to be how it is all the time. That's why it's really hard. You're basically working a couple jobs all at once, right? The full time, Mom, the work, the student. You know, a lot of people have all three so that it can be very overwhelming. So the first thing I would say is just to be gentle with yourself during this time, you know, some some people are better with uncertainty than others. You can't beat yourself up about that. You just have to do the best you can and know at some point this will end and you'll go back to your normal life. So, um, I would suggest just giving yourself the chance to find your new normal again, come up with a schedule that you can possibly follow a little and then think about what you're good at. Like, what are you Are you good at organizing? Focus on that. Organize your house, Organized how you're going to get things done. Organize? Who can help you while you're trying to get things done, you can enlist. You know, yesterday we cleans part of the toys in the books and everything, and my four year old was vacuuming and he loved it. I love it. You just have to You have to kind of think creatively and think out of the box and just try to do things differently because this is a different time. You're not gonna be able to do everything you normally d'oh. And the same way that you like to do it. So I would say try to embrace it to, you know, give yourself credit. You've survived different things in the past. You'll survive this and just do, um, you know, like a lot of people are talking about all these different projects that they're getting done, that they haven't had time to D'oh. Um and I think that's a great thing. I would love to paint my mud room. That's one of the projects I would love to D'oh. But, um, just think about things that you know you can take advantage of while you're home. Instead of feeling like you have to get all the things done, you definitely have to prioritize. You know, if you have Children to care for, you have to prioritize that if you have school work that needs to get done, you have to prioritize that if you have work that needs to get, you have to prioritize that. So you have to again come back to a basic schedule are routine in order. Thio, get those things done. But just know that everyone is in the same boat. We are all trying to juggle all these things, and it's overwhelming.
Traci Henry: 10:12
I agree. I agree. I'm looking at my desk right now and piles and piles saying, Why are you not just organizing your desk right now? That would be nice. You could make you see the bottom of it s Oh, that's really great. Um, some really good advice. What are some tools that you might, uh, you could help me to manage dress? Do you think of some things like that? You talked earlier in the podcast about talking to friends.
Stephanie Giberson: 10:33
Yes, I think that's a really big part of this. You know, when you're taken out of your normal routine and your normal socializing routine, it really is jarring because part of the reason that we really thrive is our connection to other people. So I would really suggest continuing, trying to connect with them through peace, time zoom or any other We have Google duo. We use that because just because you're physically distant, it doesn't mean you have to be emotionally distant with the technology. Today you can do so much to connect with people. And this is the time to really ask for support from other people. You know, feeling a little down. Do you want to talk? Or we had one of Marty's friends, Mom's contact us and say, Oh, you know, Grayson would really love to talk to Marty and, you know, they just looked at each other. They didn't even talk. I don't know what to Dio before, but I love it. It's it's great that I'm so happy she reached out and it just we talked and it was it was just a nice connection, so I would really suggest constantly when you're feeling like you need to reach out. You know, make that step and just ask people to connect, because it'll really help you. Um, another tool I would suggest is, um, meditation, that if, um, if that's something that interests you or prayer or whatever spiritual practice, you may have congee very, very helpful taking walks, even stretching. One thing I was thinking about also is that, you know, when we're taken out of our everyday routine, we don't have that scene timeto ourselves as well. So you think about like your morning commute or, um, you know, certain times that you had just to kind of think about what you're doing in your life, and now we don't have that. It's like all people all the time because we're in the house with them. So you really need to take some time for yourself, whether it's through, you know, just looking out the window and day, dreaming a little bit for five minutes each day. Or, you know, going for a walk with your dog or doing a little meditation or stretching or hopping on YouTube and doing an exercise class. Whatever it is you really need to take some time for yourself to figure out what you need to de stress.
Traci Henry: 12:53
I know you talk a lot about that, and you don't think about that. I have downtime in my car when I'm driving or doing anything I don't even put music on. I just literally have silence. So you realize that you forget that we take that for granted. That silent time is something that we all need to just kind of reboot our brains. And I totally agree with that. You also talk a little bit about the simple joys about Don't underestimate the great power of the piece of chocolate.
Stephanie Giberson: 13:20
Well, it's, you know, it's like we're all in this like panic mode. So it feels like all of our actions have to be these big, sweeping moments of, you know, making sure everyone's safe and making sure everything set up. But you have to stop and just enjoy yourself each day. Whether it's, you know, an exercise class, a piece of chocolate. Um, I know people are joking about drinking through this whole pandemic. I wouldn't suggest that, but, um, a glass of wine. If you enjoy that, um, you know just just simple joys of life because that haired with other simple joys is really what's going to get you through. You don't want to delay the joy because then you'll just be a big stress ball. You want to make sure that you're enjoying yourself a little each day, even among the stress. So
Traci Henry: 14:10
that's really the true meaning of a staycation versus vacation. So we're really having our own staycation.
Stephanie Giberson: 14:15
Yes, we can have a great staycation if you kind of forget what's going on, right? Exactly. Have a glass of wine. You could just really enjoy yourself. But, um, I know that the news really creeps in, so it's it's just a balance. It's a balance just like any other thing that happens in life with the, um, you know, challenge. You really have to kind of check in with yourself and figure out what is going to and, you know, make you feel better and be good for you at the same time. And then also, you know, maybe support others and have them support you, too.
Traci Henry: 14:49
That's great. Great, great advice. You also said that you have a simple tool or an easy weight of doing a meditation, Um, technique or from home. Can you explain that you think over the podcast?
Stephanie Giberson: 15:00
Sure. Um, well, there are. I did want to just bring attention to all of the options, Um, on your phone, the different APS that are available. Um, Headspace has a new collection of content, and there it's to help manage stress and anxiety. And it's called weathering the Storm. And I think it was specifically made for this time. Um, it's free right now, So I have all that just, you know, hopping on there and downloading that. It's just a simple up, very easy to use. And, um, it's a really great way to kind of fit in that de stressing, Um, there's also a meditation app called balance. Um, and they're providing a free one year subscription throughout the month, so that's kind of exciting. Even after this is over, you can still take advantage of it. And then, um, yoga classes. I mean, there are a ton of yoga studios offering free classes online, and there's also a lot on YouTube as well. So I would definitely consider those as faras. Like a quick meditation I had read something. I thought it was really great. Just It was just very quick and very easy to do for yourself. So what you would want to do is just stand tall and you can think about almost like the Superman pose. Like you're Just have your chest up and you're just gently holding your arms down and breathing. Normally you want to bring your hands up in prayer, position at your heart, and you take a deep breath, your sight out loud. My body is healthy, my mind is strong and my heart is full. And you could do this at any time of the day. That posture will really kind of ground you and center you and, um when your mind and your body and your heart are aligned, you really reach that true health That would bring you some feeling of peace and calm and make you feel grounded. So
Traci Henry: 16:58
wonderful. Wonderful advice, Stephanie, you have given some wonderful advice today. If we could just summarize this podcast on three main topics, what would you say that would be today? I would say,
Stephanie Giberson: 17:10
um, the first would be definitely to create some kind of schedule or routine. Just to give yourself a sense of normalcy because we all thrive with predictability. And then the second would be to just be gentle with yourself. Everyone is going through this, you know, We haven't ever been through this before, and hopefully won't be again. So you really have to kind of go easy on yourself with your expectations and how you think things are gonna go and kind of let go of the perfectionist mentality to do all the things you know. Um And then the third thing I would say is to take advantage of the resource is available to you. Now, um, if you're stressed, there are so many things online that you can use for free a lot of things for free. And it can really help you through this trying time.
Traci Henry: 17:57
Well, Stephanie, thank you so much for having this conversation with me today. And I'm looking forward to doing some other podcasts about how to support different challenges that we're having. And again, thank you so much.
Stephanie Giberson: 18:09
It's a pleasure. It was great talking to you, Tracy. You too,