It’s no secret that life loves to pile trial after trial upon all of us. Meetings, homework, projects-- sometimes moments of relief are hard to come by. But when we do get to experience some time to ourselves it is crucial to take advantage in a way that will benefit us. Look through some of these ideas and maybe you’ll start to execute them and see some positive results!
Let’s start simple and basic-- Breathing!
Just as simple as taking in deep breaths, you are able to bring some calmness to your brain. Try it right now; take some deep breaths in and control when you let it out. Oxygen feels great right? It forces you to focus on one thing which is very beneficial when stressed.
So what kinds of exercises are there to do to focus on breathing? Well, we will list some!
- Belly breathing- Lie or sit down in a position you prefer, place a hand on your belly and under your ribs, put your other hand on your chest. Breathe deeply through your nose and allow your stomach to move your hand out; avoid moving your chest. Purse your lips and breathe, you will notice your hand going into your belly pushing the air out. Try to do this three to ten times.
- 4-7-8 breathing- Place your hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Take in four deep slow breaths from your belly. Hold your breath as you count from one to seven. Count from one to eight and breathe out while doing it. The goal is to get all of the air out of your lungs by eight. Do this three to seven times.
- Roll breathing- Your left-hand goes on your belly and your right on your chest. Your left hand should go up when you inhale but your right should be still. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try doing this eight to ten times. After doing this inhale into your lower lungs and keep inhaling into your upper chest. Breathe slowly. You will see your right-hand rise and left-hand fall with your belly.
- Morning breathing- Stand and bend forward with your waist. Slightly bend your knees and let your arms dangle close to your floor. Inhale slowly and deeply and then go back to standing but roll up slowly and lift your head at the end. After this just hold your breath for a few seconds while standing. Then exhale slowly as you do the first step again.
- Resonant breathing- Start by lying down and closing your eyes. Breathe in through your nose with your mouth closed. Exhale gently for six minutes. Do this for around ten minutes.
You’d be surprised at the results!
Hop in the Tub!
While it also may sound very simple, there is a ton of research out there showing that taking a bath can greatly reduce stress.
Taking a bath can help:
- Joints and muscles
- Brain and nervous system
- Breathing
- Blood and immunity
- Moisturizes hair, eyes, and skin
Try telling us that soaking in some hot water after a long day isn’t one of the best feelings ever. If you have access to a hot tub it is even more of a paradise. Grab some bubbles from the store to put inside your tub and lay back and relax. Your body will thank you.
Meditation
You don’t have to be a hippy to enjoy some good meditation. It is a skill that many use to feel more centered with their core and feelings. A handful of religions implement this into their daily lives.
There are different types of meditation. Try finding the right one for yourself! Some options include:
- Concentrative meditation
- Mindfulness meditation
- Basic meditation
- Focused meditation
- Activity-oriented meditation
As a beginner, we might recommend you start with basic meditation and go from there! It is similar to the breathing techniques we discussed above so you might be a champ and be able to move up quickly.
Both physiological and psychological elements of yourself can be impacted by this practice so experiment!
Music
Tell us that the feeling of hearing a song you forgot about playing on the radio isn’t one of the best things to experience?
Music has the power to transport our minds to a memory or story that we aim to recreate in our minds. Not only is it catchy and fun to make, but it is also a very beneficial tool to use when stressed.
Mood can be directly impacted by the songs you choose to listen to. Upbeat positive music is most likely going to be a more motivating mood you’ll feel. Rather than a slow calm song that may put you in a relaxed state.
“Music around 60 beats per minute can cause the brain to synchronize with the beat causing alpha brainwaves (frequencies from 8 - 14 hertz or cycles per second). This alpha brainwave is what is present when we are relaxed and conscious.”- University of Nevada.
Take some time and listen to some Frank Sinatra or Coldplay. Sinatra will for sure have you feeling like you’re walking into another time period which may be of comfort! I know we love him.
Take a walk, or if you’re up for it, some physical exercise!
Walking is a cardiovascular exercise that helps to relieve stress. You receive endorphins throughout your body that are almost always guaranteed to make you feel better about yourself.
Remember your body is your machine and you are in charge of maintaining it. The satisfaction alone of actually going out and performing whatever exercise is worth it.
If you can, ask a friend or loved one to go on a walk with you! It is a fun and simple form of exercise that not only benefits you, but the planet as well by avoiding putting more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by driving around.
If you’re really up for it, consider taking a trip to the gym or doing an at-home workout. We guarantee your mood will elevate along with those dandy endorphins that will have you feeling on top of the world.
Not to mention with either of these options you will most likely get better sleep considering you tired out your body.
Write it out
A study was done by Dr. James W. Pennebaker who is the Regents Centennial Professor in the psychology department at the University of Texas. In this he had 46 “healthy” college students take time to write about personal life events or topics for fifteen minutes for four days straight. At the end of this, it was noted that those who did this had fewer visits to their health center on campus, and didn't use as many pain relievers.
Those who did not do this did not have as impactful results.
Putting your thoughts on paper makes dealing with what you’re going through more real. Passing thoughts do not force your brain to visually see what is stressing you out. You are able to possibly list solutions to your issues as well.
To-do lists are very beneficial to strategize and then carry out tasks you need to accomplish so consider making one of those as well.
Yoga
No doubt you probably knew we’d have to include yoga into this mix of ideas. There is a reason for that though! Yoga is a great tool to release stress and unwind from a long day.
Yoga literally promotes relaxation. It helps to loosen up the muscles in your body after being contracted and pushed all day long. You would be surprised how many parts of our body that hold stress can be relieved by practicing poses in yoga.
This also promotes the practice of breathing and concentrating because your body has to stay in these intricate poses that work out parts of you.
Here is a link to some helpful yoga poses to implement into your daily lives if you choose; we say daily because the continuation of it will help.
Do some before a stressful event or even before bed! You’d be surprised!
Prioritize making yourself feel better rather than sitting around upset
Nothing is going to change for you unless you take the steps to change. Luckily there are so many resources with tips to help deal with stress and these mechanisms truly are not hard to do. We hope this helps!
