5 Ways to de-Stress Today.
These last few post pandemic years have seen a dramatic increase in anxiety, depression, and even increased suicide rates. It seems there isn’t a day that goes by that I do not discuss the state of mental health with at least half of the people I encounter.
The simple fact is that most people who come to me for consultations see stress as their single biggest issue. From this, anxiety, sleep issues, moodiness, etc… all circle around like vicious vultures.
There are simple things you can do for yourself to begin your de-stress journey now. While these things will not cut any underlying or root causes, they can certainly help you feel more refreshed and better able to face those things.
Taking small steps to de-stress can be the gateway to aligning the things in your life that will help you gain a healthy and better aligned lifestyle.
PLANTS AND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
In a study conducted by researchers at Trees.com, they discovered that 64% of people picked up the hobby of keeping a plant during the pandemic. 93% of Americans over the age of 54 reported that keeping plants during the pandemic helped their mental health. 90% of those polled reported intentions of continuing to keep plants long after the pandemic ends. “Eighty-eight percent of respondents who began a plant-keeping hobby have said it has had a positive impact on their mental health.” You can check out the full details of their studyhere.
So, why exactly can keeping a plant help you de-stress? A fantastic article posted on Affinity Health explains in detail, “A 2007 study found a bacterium in plant soil called Mycobacterium vaccae that triggers the release of serotonin, which lifts mood and reduces anxiety. Therefore, interaction with indoor or outdoor plants can alleviate symptoms of depression.”
This same article goes on to discuss how plants can boost productivity, increase creativity, and boost air quality among a few others. These aren’t just guesses. There has been verifiable research and studies conducted that continue to show the amazing benefits of keeping plants.
Plants and gardening is one of my favorite ways to de-stress. Wondering which house plant you can start with? Check out Trees.com’s website where they give you information specific to your growing area. Bonus, you can also check out their selection of plants for sale.
GROUNDING FOR HEALING
Grounding really does bring together a few, amazingly powerful techniques to help you calm your body down. I am not sure when my friend and I began saying this phrase to one another or even how we learned it ourselves. One day one of us was spiraling down the over reacting rabbit hole and the other said, “Roots down, dig them deep. I’ve got you.” It was such a simple statement, yet so incredibly powerful. We say it often to one another, “Roots down.”
When you hear that, it’s likely that you envisioned a tree. A giant, strong tree with magnificent roots borrowed down so deep that the tree becomes unshakeable. Yes! That’s it! That’s exactly what I want you to envision, and that is exactly what that phrase means. Anyone suffering from stress and/or anxiety understands all too well the free fall feeling associated when an anxiety/stress attack takes hold. It rocks you about the room and throws you into a downward spinning spiral. You are clawing and reaching for anything to stop the fall, but usually, there is nothing to grip as your pulse continues to quicken, your chest tightens and you brace yourself for the worst.
So, what is grounding? Healthline.com states, “Grounding, also called earthing, is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth.” Grounding is something that I had heard but had never understood…until I was ready to really learn. This article on Healthline.com goes into great detail about the many benefits of grounding.
It’s become something that even health coaches like Shawn Stevenson have practiced and encouraged their audiences. In this episode of his podcast, Shawn goes into some of the benefits of earthing including how it lowers cortisol levels and helps you sleep better. Shawn has published two books, “Sleep Smarter" came out first, and then he published, “Eat Smarter.” Both are fantastic resources!
Grounding is simply reconnecting to the earth. Take those shoes off and go take a walk barefoot on the grass, on the sand, in the garden. Connect to the dirt. Allow your body to soak in the healing benefits of the world around you!
WRITE IT OUT
Yes, this is a tried and true favorite of mine. It’s a go-to, especially as a writer. Grab a journal and throw every thought swirling around in your head onto that page. Do not worry about how it sounds, how it looks, who will read it, or what they will think.
Just get it out.
All of the noise in your head can spew onto the page. When you are finished, sit back and breathe. Your brain can rest, your muscles can release, and you can take a breath knowing that those things nagging your brain have been released. Give it a try.
THE POWER OF MUSIC
Did you know that there have been multiple studies about the connection between music and how our bodies feel and react? When we listen to music, we feel things and have physical reactions. According to this article on wired.com, The Neuroscience of Music, “sound stirs us at our biological roots.”
In that article, they reference a group of scientists from Montreal who discovered in their experiment that when listening to music the subjects all had a release of dopamine in two areas of the brain. Dopamine, as we all know, makes us happy.
This article is not alone in its study of the neuroscience of music. A quick search can pull up a ton of information on the subject. What it boils down to is we are physically and neurologically engaged when we hear music.
This is one of my favorites to have on in the background. A soothing mix of gentle piano notes and as a bonus, the gentle movement of the sea life can play in the background for hours. Let your body have a reaction to the music, allow it to change your mood for just a little while.
TAKE A BREATH
You may be amazed to find that you can only breathe in for a 3 count, and blow out for barely that. Why? Because you are stressed. Your body is tense, blood is not flowing correctly and easily through your tense muscles. Let’s help those muscles out, shall we? Deep breathing has ‘been scientifically proven to affect the heart, the brain, digestion, the immune system, and maybe even the expression of genes.” according to an article on npr.org. Without getting too heavy into the details of the connection between breathing and your body, I would like you to understand that there is, in fact, a deep connection.
I am not asking that you find a quiet room in the corner of your busy home or office. I am not suggesting you need to lay down, light candles, and set a mood. Though you are certainly welcome to do those things, they are not necessary to help relieve you in a pinch. You can do this in the car, or in the bathroom stall at work.
Take a few minutes, or take just a moment, and enjoy a cleansing breath.
When you can feel the tight muscles begin to relax, you know you’ve taken a cleansing breath.
Inhale in for as long as you can, and count while you inhale. Visualize the breath filling all of your tense muscles. I like to close my eyes and visualize the breath reaching those tense places. Now exhale nice and slow, and count as you breathe out. Repeat this.
START YOUR DE-STRESS JOURNEY
Today, I challenge you to choose one or all of the above. Give these very simple things a chance, and see how you feel? Eliminating stress and stress responses is something that takes time. It requires long-term changes to undo physical reactions and habits.
Sometimes, in those moments when we are overwhelmed, we need something a little more immediate. That’s ok. So many of us have traveled that path, too.
Should you wish to cultivate a lifestyle with more clarity and less stress, give some of these things a try. They are simple, and not time-consuming. It’s a small exercise to work into your busy day, but easily achieved. Your mental health is worth it!
