Episode 292: How to Deal with Stress Caused by The Hamas-Israeli War

Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins.

You're listening to Habits and Hustle, Greg.

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Well,

I think if any topic is important right now, given what's happening in the world, it's tips for stress management.

How to manage stress

when the world is basically crumbling around you.

That's how I feel anyway.

Shawnee, what do you think?

Yes, I have not really managed anything properly at all, I think.

I did some art therapy the other day.

That was the sort of first self-care move that I've done this whole time.

But I just don't even know.

People keep saying take care of yourself.

And I just keep thinking like, that's insane.

I know.

I think, listen, I think it can be really difficult when our, right now, especially, I think it's been very melancholy.

People are depressed.

People are super anxious, which is for good reason.

And

mired.

in really negative, horrible things.

So how do you take care of yourself?

Because listen, if you're not taking care of yourself, you're going to be unable.

I mean, this is the truth: like you're unable to be productive if you have family, if you've got kids.

I know that's what I'm dealing with.

I have two small kids, and it's really hard when my head is somewhere else dealing with the war, dealing with what's happening in Israel, and the vitriol that I've been dealing with on social media because I am speaking up.

It's been like really, really stressful.

I've been much more anxious and like low than I really normally would be.

And it's a lot.

And I did notice that I think it's, I think it is really important to still maintain healthy routines and habits so you can even show up strong.

And

you're no good to anything, any, you know, cause you're trying to fight or point you're trying to, you know, get across if you, if you are weak and unable to really kind of like function.

So I want to talk about a few things of what I felt were the key tips for my own stress management.

And hopefully they can help you.

I know Shawnee really had a great one that she's going to talk to you about.

But actually, why don't, Shawni, why don't you first talk about what you've done?

Because

I think it's a great one.

And I think it's not, it's not that it's unusual, but I think that people know what I'm going to say.

Yeah.

Right.

Let's go with yours first and then we can circle back to me.

So, I mean, personally, I'm big in self-care on an average day, like with skincare and all that stuff, but I just can't bring myself to do any of that right now when it's just been too much but something that I really love to do when I'm going through a lot of trauma is art and I just felt like I had to get something down onto canvas and I was you know talking to another friend of mine the other day and we were talking about how creation is the opposite of destruction it is literally the antithesis it's just the it's one of the best ways that you can cope with destruction and we're dealing with so much devastation and so much loss and so to create anything whether it be literal life like so many mothers are doing right now or an art piece that can help you sort of express everything that's going on I think is really powerful and important.

And I tied it into spoken word, which by the way, I recorded while I was painting.

I just got an inspiration for like something that I wanted to record.

And I started recording that while I was painting to get my emotions out.

And together, it ended up being a really beautiful piece of both the painting mixed with the spoken word that I felt like.

even though I have been expressing myself so much with words every single day, it needed more.

It just needed more to be able to express like, this is the pain at which I'm feeling.

I felt like it was so necessary for my grieving process.

And I think that helped a lot.

But everybody has their own thing.

I just feel as if this concept of creation in a time of such destruction can be so powerful and so important.

So, whether it's like baking food or creating new relationships or friendships, which I think a lot of us are doing now, we're all talking about all the friends we're losing, but I have made so many incredible friends and I'm signing off every phone call with people I have met for two seconds with, I love you.

I love you so much.

Stay safe, be okay, be healthy, be well, go hug your family.

And it's just like that, that, that concept of, you know, sure, we're dealing with a lot of loss, but man, are we dealing with so much creation?

So if we can funnel our emotion into that side, I do think beautiful things can come out of such a devastating time.

I love that answer.

So before we started this podcast, I said to, I said to Shawnee, I'm like, you know, I think we should really do a solo on tips for stress management because I think a lot of people would like to even if they know it, you know, common, they know it through common sense or instinctually, sometimes people need to be reminded of what they can do to help manage their stress.

And she says to me, you know, I don't really want to do one on stress management because I don't really care about that right now because I'm not doing anything.

So it's all you today.

I'm like, okay, I guess I will.

And then she says, well, I guess I could talk about my painting.

Jen imitates me so improperly.

I like,

I did not say that.

But yes, I did say I definitely don't want to.

Because I don't feel like dealing with stress in the ordinary way, like getting good sleep, you know, doing face masks, whatever when like friends are dying is the right kind of stress management.

Well, listen, I started this podcast by saying I think because most of us who are really mired in what's happening right now

on either side, I think it's a nice reminder what you can do for yourself to kind of take care of yourself and your mental state.

But you were not, you weren't having it.

No, I wasn't having it at all.

That's not what I'm saying.

But my point is,

I think the tip that you gave, which is painting and creating, is a unique one.

And I love the messaging and meaning behind it because to me, it's like the correlation between loss and creation and what you're doing in that process.

I think that was really beautiful.

Thank you.

No, I do.

And also, I wanted to say something else.

Like, I agree with you.

It's actually interesting how, for as many of

friends I may have lost, I wouldn't say friend friends.

I would say like people that were like pseudo friends on social media, you know, like, oh, I lost real friends.

Like, okay, well, I'll get to that in a second.

But I'm saying like bullshit things, right?

Or like people that I was fairly friends with in like my work life,

you know, them I definitely lost a few of.

But I mean, what I find interesting is you end up like gravitating to people who are super like-minded to you when you are are really authentic and that's what i found has been happening like the more truth i speak on what i believe to be my truth and the right the the how i feel i didn't say the right the way i feel you know a lot of realness and truth like truth comes in that moment like you end up meeting people and talking to people and creating relationships with people that are really aligned with who you are and you kind of end up like you get rid of the fodder and the people that you really have nothing in common, I guess, at a core level with, and find your real people.

That's how you actually find your real tribe.

I know these are like very like hashtag worthy words, like finding your tribe.

But truthfully, when you act in purpose and you act in authenticity and you do that over and over and over again, you will meet people who are similar in that way.

And the people I've met too, like I've met some amazing people that I otherwise would have never had a chance to meet.

And so, actually, my first tip for stress management is really forming community, like real community with people that you really like and love and respect and want to be with, and socialize.

I think that is the number one stress management tip.

Because you have been doing that, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I think that supersedes, overrides anything else right now, because that feeling of belonging and unity is the most important thing.

And I think that like takes down my cortisol level.

Probably it will take down your cortisol level, yours too, when you speak to, spend time with, and communicate with people that have that same passion with where you are.

That's my, that's my number one tip.

Yours is painting plus probably community.

Wait, that's such a good one, by the You know what?

I didn't think about self-care in the way that you're thinking about self-care.

I thought about self-care in the classic habits and hustle, which is like the stuff that I can't bring myself to do right now.

But you know what, Jen?

You're right.

Like, all of these things are actually so important.

And I've actually even been talking about the community stuff, like how important being around being at events has been for me.

Right.

And that stuff.

So I love this episode now.

Exactly.

She went from like hating it to actually really liking it.

So I think community, I think painting or finding a creative outlet is a great great one.

And

I have to say this because I really do, I like so much of what I'm about and at my core is about movement and exercise.

And there's for good reason because it really does help shift and change your mood and your ability to kind of be present.

And to me, I have to always include that.

So if someone, if you, I'm going to say it to you, Shawnee, or anybody listening, if you have kind of let that piece of your routine go, like not exercising, not moving, add it back in.

Even if it's just walking, taking a walk, getting fresh air.

I think all of those things really change and tweak your mood in a real way.

And I think that's really, I mean, I can go into the obvious one, sleep, blah, blah, blah.

But I'm not going to.

Okay, that's actually a question I want to ask you right now because sleep has been such a thing.

Last night, I think was probably the first time I got real sleep.

I woke up at 10 a.m.

I couldn't believe it.

Yeah, I went to bed at 2 a.m., woke up at 10.

That's the longest I've slept this entire war.

I have not gotten that kind of sleep this whole war, and it was literally insane.

You know, what's happening to me is that I have to make a mental and conscious effort to get off of my phone because it is a total rabbit hole.

Like, I will, at night, I'm like, oh, I wonder, I'm going to see what's going on.

You know, any new information.

And an hour and a half can go by, or two hours can go by.

and then your brain is so revved up it's not tired and i'm like then i'm i'm up and i i do think that making conscious efforts to create timers where you could be on your phone and spending your time doing those things like timing like those timers make a big big difference it can really help enhance your not just your mood and your well-being but also make you get you back into productivity mode a little bit because i know i can go days like i have where i'm I'm just so mired in what's going on I just can't get anything else done and like again if you have kids and a family like you have to you have to be present and and get shit done and you can't do it when you're when your cortisol is raised so high so I think those are really great things so maybe incorporating exercise or movement back into your schedule make that a priority and for those who haven't done that at all i think this is a it's a great one and we said that like social community and what did you say?

Painting and creative and art.

And we can go into it on another podcast down a rabbit hole of all the other modalities you can do.

But I think for where we all are right now in the world, those are really great ones to start with.

Yeah.

Let's not overwhelm anyone with too much more, honestly.

By the way, walks have been a big thing for me.

They really do make a difference, especially if I can't.

bring myself to work out, just doing like getting some sunshine, getting some air.

Yeah.

Nature.

Wow.

Nature is a really important thing.

Like again, I'm not telling people they have to like pound, you know, pound the weights.

I mean, although I believe we all know what I believe about,

you know, working out and strength training is so important.

But, you know, if that's too much for you right now, just take a walk outside, get some fresh air, change your environment, change your mood.

Makes so much difference.

And do it with a friend so you can kind of kill two birds with one stone.

You know, you can socialize and move at the same time, which is a great way to also build community well i want to leave you with this you know someone was saying to me the other day what they do is they get a group of friends together once a week and they go on these like group walks oh that's cute and like that way you can you can socialize but also get your steps in move your bodies and it's been great for their stress levels and i wanted to kind of offer that as an opportunity for you guys to maybe think of doing that with friends and family and that's basically where we'll leave it today.

Have a nice one.