10 Things You Can Do While at Home to Ease Stress and Anxiety
Are you feeling more stressed than ever or like life is spiraling out of control? Despite feelings of helplessness, there are many things that YOU CAN DO everyday while social distancing that will improve your outlook on life.
1. EXPRESS GRATITUDE. Intentionally focus on things that you are grateful for and say them out loud or write them down. Developing an “attitude of gratitude” is widely believed to reduce depression and improve overall happiness.
2. GET MOVING. Yoga, walks and bike riding are just a few of the things we can do to reduce stress hormones and stimulate endorphins.
3. TAKE DEEP, SLOW BREATHS - Sit up-write, stand up tall or lay on your back and take in a slow deep breath through your nose. Pause and let the air completely fill your lungs. It might take a few tries but as you resist the urge to let it out too quickly, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax.
4. TAKE A BATH. Among other things, a warm bath improves circulation, relieves muscle tension, and even helps you fall asleep quicker. Something you may not have known, however, is that being immersed in water past your chest also increases your ability to achieve those slow deep breaths.
5. AROMATHERAPY. Essential oils or candles like lavender, rose, citrus or chamomile are just a few of the scents that are believed to improve our mood and lesson anxiety.
6. SLEEP. Most of us know what we feel like when we are sleep deprived. Did you know that 7-9 hours of quality sleep positively influences our outlooks on life, energy levels, motivation and emotions.
7. PLAY. It’s defined as engaging in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose and you don’t have to be a kid to do it. We should all be looking for ways to laugh and have fun with others every day - board games, puzzles, and funny movies are just a few ideas.
8. LISTEN TO MUSIC. Music has been used for hundreds of years to restore harmony between the body and mind. Whether you listen to calm music before bedtime or your favorite upbeat tunes, music impacts how we feel.
9. DRINK a glass of RED WINE. According to scientists, it really does help you relax thanks to the grape compound called resveratrol. It’s also found in blueberries, raspberries and peanuts.
10. GET CREATIVE! There are many studies that prove how painting and creating art reduce stress levels. Recent research shows that just 45 minutes of creative activity reduces stress and the best news is that it works regardless of your artistic ability.
There are a lot of things that we cannot control so why not shift your focus to the THINGS YOU CAN DO to lift your spirit and improve your outlook on life!
Sources:
Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art, Kaimal, Ray & Muniz, May 2016
Just Breathe: Body Has a Buildt-In Stress Releiver Dec 2010, NPR
Kim S. Influence of Fragrances on Human Psychophysiological Activity