5 Ways To Reduce Stress & Anxiety
As we transition out of our slow Summer pace into a new kind of speedy September mode, you might be feeling a little anxious at the prospect of sending the kids back to school, heading back into the office, or trying to create some kind of “normal” feeling into the weeks ahead. Especially during these stressful times, it is important to take care of yourself. Here are 5 simple things you can do to decrease any feelings of overwhelm as you make this transition:
Deep Breathing - Take five minutes each day to focus on consciously deepening your breath. By doing this you will activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which strengthens your relaxation response. To learn more about the different types of breathing exercises you can do, and develop your own practice : Register for my online Pranayama Course that starts Sunday September 13.
Exercise - This is so important for combating the harmful effects of stress on your body and mind. Exercise lowers your body’s stress hormones — such as cortisol — in the long run. It also helps release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood and act as natural painkillers. Regular walking or jogging can be very helpful for stress reduction.
Practice Yoga - Yoga has been shown to lower cortisol levels and blood pressure, and it increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a neurotransmitter that is lowered in mood disorders, this makes yoga particularly effective in reducing anxiety and depression. It also includes a components of Mindfulness, which are specific practices that anchor you to the present moment. Catch my online classes LIVE during September. Or if you cannot practice with me live, you can sign up to become a member of Harmony Yoga Online and gain access to all my classes 24 hours, so you can practice when the time is right for you!
Physical Contact - Whether it's with your cat or dog, a romantic partner, or with your close family members, children, or friends, make a regular practice of cuddling, kissing, and hugging! All these actions help to relieve stress by releasing oxytocin and decreasing cortisol levels, which promotes growth and healing, lowers blood pressure, and increases positive social feelings like love, trust and empathy.
Get your 5 Senses involved:
Sound: Listen to soothing music, try chanting, or go outside and immerse yourself in the sounds and scents of nature, all of these things can induce the relaxation response. Put on your favourite music and have a 30 second dance party!
Smell: If you are stuck inside, use essential oils or light a scented candle to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Sight: Take a few moments to focus your eyes on a beautiful painting, picture, or natural scenery. Gaze at your child or into the eyes of your beloved, which also releases oxytocin and decreases stressful emotions.
Taste: Eat some chocolate, which is known for its ability to increase levels of the calming neurotransmitter serotonin, and also stimulates your brain to release dopamine, which increases pleasure and motivation.
Touch: Go outside and feel the breeze on your skin, the sensation of the soil or grass on your feet, or the warmth of the sun on your face. If you are inside, become aware of the textures and sensation of ordinary objects around you. Allow your fingers to rub against different materials and pay attention to the different sensations that each creates. Give yourself a mini-massage, or better yet, get someone else to give you one!
Dive deeper into Mindfulness practices, meditation, and breathing techniques, when you join our our Autumn Retreat October 2-4 and start to Peel Back The Layers with myself, Russell Case, Lara Land and Thimo Wittich.
Check out our AUTUMN YOGA RETREAT ONLINE - Registration is NOW OPEN, so save your spot before September 22!
This is a short video tutorial on how to integrate a Simple Breathing Practice into your day and some of the benefits of doing so!
There are so many benefits that cultivating a regular breathing practice can have on your body and mind.
Some benefits to lengthening your exhalation:
It slows down your breathing pattern and releases tension in the body
It relaxes the Nervous System by stimulating the parasympathetic response
It tones the vagus nerve and stimulates the vagal break, which is responsible for slowing down the heart rate, and thereby helps to lower and normalize blood pressure.
It can reduce anxiety and depression and help to regulate your mood.
It ensures that your blood pH is maintained at an optimal level, thereby reducing inflammation in the body.
It improves our immune system functioning and supports healthy digestion.
It will slowly increase your lung capacity so you can breathe bigger, deeper breaths more naturally.
It trains you to feel comfortable with retaining the breath, thereby giving you greater breath-control.
Here is an further explanation of the Simple Breathing Practice you can begin with:
To begin you can start with a practice of Simple Breathing. If you are new to this kind of breathing, start with three minutes. Inhale for three seconds and exhale for six seconds. Continue this pattern of lengthening the exhalation to be twice as long as your inhalation.
If the 3:6 (inhale:exhale) ratio feels too fast or easy, then the next day you can extend both your inhalation and exhalation by one second, to create a breath rate of 4:8 (inhale:exhale).
If it is comfortable for you slightly tighten the glottis muscle at the back of your throat to create that “ujjayi” sound as you breathe, you might find you have more control over your ability to elongate your inhalation and exhalation.
When you slow your breathing down and consciously regulate your breathing pattern to a four second inhale and an eight second exhale, you are effectively restoring balance to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, in this case you would be slowing your breath rate to five breaths per minute.
Even with a three second inhale and six second exhale, your breath rate slows to just under seven breaths per minute, which is a significant drop from the normal, every day, breathing rate of fifteen to eighteen breaths per minute. This slowing of the breath in turn slows down your brain-wave patterns so they can drop into a more contemplative frequency.
Remember to breathe with a feeling of kindness towards yourself and patience with the process. You are doing something tremendously beneficial for yourself by taking a breathing break.
I encourage you to try this at home!
If you are curious and want to go deeper into the practice of Pranayama, don’t miss this opportunity to join me for my upcoming Breathe Your Way To Freedom Online Course. Attendance is limited to 30 students.
Our first class will be on September 13 and recordings are available for you to access at your own time as well.
