If you are like me your life gets in the way of a healthy mind and body. Kids, work and bills are stressful things. I have anxiety and depress on top of it all. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million Americans are affected by anxiety. I do take medicine for both, but that alone is not enough for me. There are ways to help your anxiety and destress. Here are five ways to destress:
- Breathing Techniques- I just did a past blog on breath. I wrote and gave videos of five breathing techniques. Breathing helps calm the mind and body by giving oxygen to the brain and organs. Pranayama is controlling your breath. This helps with yoga, anxiety, depression, and strengthening your diaphragm. By strengthening your diaphragm your are able to bring in more oxygen. See my past blog for different types of pranayama.
- Mindful Body Checks- A mindful body check is going through and checking in with each part of your body. Find a comfortable position whether you’re laying down or sitting up. Close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth or nose. Start with mentally seeing how the top of your head feels. Does it hurt or is it cloudy? If it does hurt imagine an eraser and erase the pain away. Then see how your eyes feel then your jaw and mouth. Continue to every part of your body: shoulders, arms, fingers, then your heart. Move to your back, hips, legs and feet. While you are doing this you need to always come back to your breath. Breathe in and out through your nose between each body part.
3. Exercise such as running or walking- Exercise raises endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that relieve stress. Whatever the exercise make sure you pay attention to your breath.
I am also sharing a video of mindful walking which I learned from Thich Nhat Hanh. Mindful walking helps you be in the present moment and can be considered a meditation in its self. Find a place in a park or your back yard or in your house that has a path you can walk repetitively. Mindful walking is a very slow walk. You pay attention to your breath and your feet meeting the earth. You leave all negative thoughts on the earth as you walk. You are in the present moment and don’t judge any thoughts.
4. Meditation and Mantras– There are different types of meditation such as mindful meditation, Yoga Nidra, visual and walking just to name some. In some meditation you can incorporate a mantra. A mantra is an affirmation you say over and over usually 108 times in sanskrit. You don’t have to use sanskrit. There are english mantras you can use. The benefits of meditation are calming the mind, managing stress, focus on the present moment, self-awareness and increasing creativity. After you meditate it is a good practice to write in a journal about how your body and mind felt while meditating. You can compare entries and see your progress. Here’s a guided visual meditation you can use during final shavasana:
5. Yoga- Yoga incorporates so many benefits one of which is stress relief. When I don’t do yoga I can tell. I feel restless and the stress creeps up on me. I try to do yoga at least once a week to help manage my stress and restlessness. There are specific yoga poses that help with stress. See my past blogs on yoga poses. Some of those poses are good for stress you hold in your neck and shoulders. The Yoga Journal posted this great article on yoga poses for stress and anxiety.
Stress can cause so many health problems in your body. It is important to take time for yourself and follow these five suggestions to relieve the stress. By doing meditation and yoga at least two times a week can help your stress levels. Exercise 2 to 3 times a week can help with focus, stress and restlessness. Enjoy these suggestions! Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise regiment.
Other resources:
Walking meditation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09EO9IJgOiI
Follow your arrow 