Learn About Stress Management With Joy Langley
Stress management refers to a set of strategies, techniques, and practices aimed at effectively dealing with and reducing the negative effects of stress on one’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It involves developing the skills and tools to cope with the various stressors that life presents healthily and constructively. The goal of stress management is to enhance resilience and improve one’s overall quality of life.
Want to learn more about storytelling? Start by downloading the first chapter of The Storytelling Series for Small Businesses.
See the full podcast interview with Joy Langley
7 things to know about stress management
Stress management is crucial for maintaining mental and physical well-being in today’s fast-paced world. Here are seven key things people should know about stress management:
- Stress Is Natural: Stress is a normal reaction to challenging situations, and it can even be beneficial in some cases, as it can motivate us to perform better. Understanding that stress is a natural response can help reduce anxiety about feeling stressed.
- Identify Stressors: Recognizing the sources of stress in your life is the first step in managing it effectively. These stressors can be external (like work or family issues) or internal (like self-imposed pressure or unrealistic expectations).
- Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Adopting a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce stress. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep can improve your resilience to stress and help manage its effects.
- Time Management: Efficiently managing your time and priorities can reduce stress. Break tasks into manageable chunks, prioritize important tasks, and learn to say no when you’re overwhelmed. Time management techniques can help you feel more in control.
- Relaxation Techniques: Various relaxation methods, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation, can help calm the mind and reduce stress. These practices can be incorporated into your daily routine to build resilience against stress.
- Seek Social Support: Sharing your thoughts and feelings with friends, family, or a therapist can be therapeutic. Social support networks provide emotional and practical assistance during stressful times, helping to alleviate feelings of isolation.
- Set Realistic Expectations: Many people experience stress due to unrealistic expectations, either from themselves or others. It’s important to set achievable goals and be flexible when circumstances change. Learning to let go of perfectionism can also reduce unnecessary stress.
Remember that everyone experiences stress differently, and what works for one person may not work for another. Experiment with different stress management techniques to find what works best for you. Additionally, if stress becomes overwhelming or chronic, consider seeking professional help from a therapist or counselor who specializes in stress management and mental health.
About the guest – Joy Langley
Joy Langley is a qualified Coach and Stress Management Therapist based in the UK. She is also the author of “Navigating Stress” (released in 2021).
We all need to recognize the things in life that stress us out! Then commit to changing negative emotional patterns, behaviors, and thinking habits.
Her big mission is to “alleviate human suffering.” She does this by helping people get back to their “happy” place via transformational coaching and therapy conversations.
The maternal side of Joy’s family has a history of poor mental health (mum, aunts, uncles, granddad). Joy experienced anxiety and depression during her 20s. Then tragically in 2018, her 23-year-old son Riaz-Jaye committed suicide (the day after Joy’s birthday), after living with bipolar for longer than he could bear. Joy also had more than her fair share of close family bereavements (sister and sister daughter in 2020, 88-year-old mum and dad in 2021).
So mental and emotional well-being are a non-negotiable way of life! No one should be asked to sacrifice health (burn-out), relationships, or their sanity because of the rules of their industry or profession.
Joy specializes in working with business owners, entrepreneurs, and founders of small to medium-sized businesses. They know the essentials for business success – a healthy brain, a positive attitude and mindset, and a commitment to personal growth.
More About Joy
I am a frustrated wannabee dancer, jewelry collector, and writer. At school, I got channeled down the scientific route and missed out on all of these creative pursuits. But in 2021 I achieved a life ambition – I wrote a book Navigating Stress. After being approached by Trigger Publications, mental health specialists
I am a coach and psychotherapist who specializes in resolving anxiety, stress, and depression, and I have worked with 100s of private clients. But I stumbled into the therapy profession by accident!
In my previous career in music PR, I ended up interviewing music artists like Beyonce and realized how much I loved finding out about other people’s lives. Some might call me nosey.
Following a difficult relationship breakup of 15 years, I took a short introductory counseling course in 2002 …then it slowly dawned on me as I processed my sadness, that this was the ‘signpost for a new lifestyle and career.
The best part of my job? Watching human beings live up to their full potential. When do they are energized, focused, happier, and successful?
My History
In my late 20s, I was a very troubled soul – a stress ball! Because of poor career choices and bad relationships. I got depressed, lost, and extremely anxious. I also experienced the pain and helplessness of watching my mum cope with depression.
My life changed when I discovered self-help books – they gave me hope. they gave me tools to rebuild my confidence and self-esteem. Because there was a point where I thought life wasn’t worth living.
(Authors I admired back then: Anthony Robbins, Neale Donald Walsh, Susan Jeffers, Rumi)
BEREAVEMENT
A gradual spiritual awakening brought a deeper inner peace and understanding of my humanity and connection to the spirit.
My 23-year-old son Riaz Jaye passed away in 2018 (reclaimed his life aka suicide). Being a psychotherapist unfortunately couldn’t save his life. but they helped me to heal and recover from grief. The pain never goes away.
My 37-year-old niece died in May 2020; my 64-year-old sister (my niece’s mum) in Nov 2020: my 88-year-old mum in April 2021; my 88-year-old day in July 2021.
THE BOOK: Navigating Stress (available in all major bookshops)
No one teaches you how the mind works, it feels like trial and error.
I share basic ideas and tools using down-to-earth language, that help clients (and me) get through overwhelmed, doubt, worry, depression, anxiety, and stress.
The book contains practical can-do strategies that you can fall back on when stress, the inevitable biological response to pressure kicks in.
It will give you, more clarity on what’s going wrong when it comes to emotional health and big clues on how to fix it.
It will build greater confidence, resilience, stronger relationships, and professional success.
Learn More About Obehi Podcast
Obehi Podcast brings you leaders and experts from different industries to share their experiences, relating to the African diaspora, business, and storytelling. Listen to Obehi Podcast across different platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcast, YouTube, and much more.
Want to learn more about storytelling? Start by downloading the first chapter of The Storytelling Series for Small Businesses.
