Meditation Whenever you're feeling that anxiety creep up, take 5-10 minutes to hone in on your breathing. The practice will help you dial in, regain focus and bring you back to present in your current space. Benefits of meditation include decreased tension in muscles, increased mental clarity, and an improved response to stress. Need a simple, yet effective breathing exercise to get you started? Check out the Instagram post here or download one of these apps: Headspace or Insight Timer
Movement When the body's under physical stress, getting some exercise is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Go for a bike ride, hike, or a swim- the choice is yours! The vitamin D from the sunshine will do wonders for your overall well-being and the movement will act to bring those happy endorphins to the surface! Benefits include the above + increased blood flow to the body and brain, decrease in neural tension, improved mood and decrease in cortisol response (stress hormone).
Be mindful... of what you put in your mouth What we put in our body has a direct effect on how we feel as a whole. Try your best to eat a balanced diet and NOT to skip meals. Skipping meals increases the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) in our bodies as well as the amount of ghrelin (hormone that increases appetite and promotes fat storage). Try to avoid intaking excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol. Too much caffeine can make it hard to focus and can heighten anxious feelings and too much alcohol can leave you feeling down and depressed after that buzz wears off.
Happy Space, Happy Face! Cater to your environment If the walls feel like they are about to close in on you, try rearranging your living space! A little switch up of your feng shui will do wonders for your psyche. One, it will provide a different mental stimulus and give you the feeling of being somewhere entirely different, and two, decluttered space = decluttered mind so you won't feel so bogged down once your space is organized.
Find time to create Grab a coloring book, begin a fun craft project, start a gratitude journal- all options to turn routine stress into something constructive! Being creative taps into our child-like nature and, overall, makes everything else seem not as much of a "big deal". Getting those creative juices flowing can be just the thing to increase those happy hormones; serotonin and dopamine often leading to a more relaxed state!
Let us know if you use these tips! Stay safe and we'll see you next time.
