When the body and mind experience stress, a whole cascade of physiological, neurological and hormonal processes take place at a deeper level. Using the stress management tools below can facilitate vital shifts in your physiology, moving your system into a calmer and more sustainable state.
1. Nose Breathing
Direct your breathing through your nose instead of your mouth and slowly lengthen your inhale and exhale. This immediately alters the mechanics of your breathing, increasing parasympathetic nervous system activity, reducing the effects of stress. In rough terms, this signals to the brain that the body is safe, and that all is well. Also, the oxygen that your breathe in will better reach the bases of the lungs where gas exchange occurs at more optimal levels.
(For more tips on how breathing can transform your wellbeing, read my blog post The Power of Breathing)
How: Relax the tummy and lengthen your breaths, making them long and conscious. Draw every inhale so far down that the belly gently rises, and you can feel the bottom sides of the ribs lift and extend. Make the exhalation longer than the inhalation. Within seconds, important neuro-chemical messages signaling overall safety are being conveyed throughout the body. Your ability to modulate your own physiology is one of the most powerful and underestimated de-stress tools that you have.
Your ability to modulate your own physiology is one of the most powerful and underestimated de-stress tools that you have.
2. Power Posing
A slumped posture affects both your ability to breathe properly, and sends unfortunate messages to your nervous system that you are stressed. This is because the slumped posture mimics the posture you would adopt if there was danger about: i.e. hunched shoulders, ducked head – it resembles like a defense posture. Conversely, a straight posture with an open chest and a strong back signals to the brain that you are safe.
How: Place a hand on top of your head and push up into it, lifting yourself up by the crown of your head like Pinocchio on a string – this will naturally lengthen and straighten your back. If you suddenly feel better and more confident, this is not a coincidence.
(For more on how to learn to use your body in a healthier way check out my blog post 10 Brilliant Reasons To Do Yoga)
3. Trust
When we are stressed we may inadvertently lose trust in our surroundings, situations or ourselves, which unfortunately only amplifies an existing stress problem. Meditating on the feeling of trust shifts our mental and emotional focus from survival and fear, to one of calm and, well, trust.
How: Think of a certain person or situation that you trust, and wait for that feeling to materialize, and really swim in it, until you feel a warmth and ease in your body.
When we look at nature, or are in nature, the mind immediately relaxes
4. Nature Fix
When we look at nature, or are in nature, the mind immediately relaxes. When our eyes connect with something infinite in nature, such as the blue sky or the horizon of the sea, the heart rate goes down and the whole system calms. Conversely, if you are constantly being met with visual barriers, such as computer screens, and buildings, it has a depressing effect on our minds, because it represents limitations and lack of space.
How: Shift your gaze to the sky! Look up when you bike around town rather than just looking at traffic or the ground in front of you. If at the office, open the window once in a while and connect your gaze to something distant and of natural origin.
5. Heartbeat
Focusing your attention on your heartbeat or your pulse (when at rest), has a powerful and immediate balancing effect on your body and mind. The heart beat is one of nature’s inherent rhythms, and it relaxes the body and the mind, and draws focus away from your head down into your body.
How: Physically place your hand on your heart (simply putting your hand in the middle of the chest will do, but the Pranam, or Prayer position in yoga also works well). Now notice how different the world looks from the place of the heart, as opposed to from the mind!
Happy health everyone!
Kirsten Louise