A few minutes of
practice per day can help ease anxiety. “Research suggests that daily
meditation may alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to
stress,” says psychologist Robbie Maller Hartman, PhD, a Chicago health and
wellness coach.
It’s simple. Sit up
straight with both feet on the floor. Close your eyes. Focus your attention on
reciting — out loud or silently — a positive mantra such as “I feel at peace”
or “I love myself.” Place one hand on your belly to sync the mantra with your
breaths. Let any distracting thoughts float by like clouds.
2.
Breathe Deeply:-
Take a 5-minute
break and focus on your breathing. Sit up straight, eyes closed, with a hand on
your belly. Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling the breath start in your
abdomen and work its way to the top of your head. Reverse the process as you
exhale through your mouth.
“Deep breathing
counters the effects of stress by slowing the heart rate and lowering blood
pressure,” psychologist Judith Tutin, PhD, says. She’s a certified life coach
in Rome, GA.
3.
Be Present:-
Slow down.
“Take 5 minutes and
focus on only one behavior with awareness,” Tutin says. Notice how the air
feels on your face when you’re walking and how your feet feel hitting the
ground. Enjoy the texture and taste of each bite of food.
When you spend time
in the moment and focus on your senses, you should feel less tense.
4.
Reach Out:-
Your social network
is one of your best tools for handling stress. Talk to others — preferably face
to face, or at least on the phone. Share what’s going on. You can get a fresh
perspective while keeping your connection strong.
5.
Tune In to Your Body:-
Mentally scan your
body to get a sense of how stress affects it each day. Lie on your back, or sit
with your feet on the floor. Start at your toes and work your way up to your
scalp, noticing how your body feels.
“Simply be aware of
places you feel tight or loose without trying to change anything,” Tutin says.
For 1 to 2 minutes, imagine each deep breath flowing to that body part. Repeat
this process as you move your focus up your body, paying close attention to sensations
you feel in each body part.
6.
Decompress:-
Place a warm heat
wrap around your neck and shoulders for 10 minutes. Close your eyes and relax
your face, neck, upper chest, and back muscles. Remove the wrap, and use a
tennis ball or foam roller to massage away tension.
“Place the ball
between your back and the wall. Lean into the ball, and hold gentle pressure
for up to 15 seconds. Then move the ball to another spot, and apply pressure,”
says Cathy Benninger, a nurse practitioner and assistant professor at The Ohio
State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
7.
Laugh Out Loud:-
A good belly laugh
doesn’t just lighten the load mentally. It lowers cortisol, your body’s stress
hormone, and boosts brain chemicals called endorphins, which help your mood.
Lighten up by tuning in to your favorite sitcom or video, reading the comics, or
chatting with someone who makes you smile.
8.
Crank Up the Tunes:-
Research shows that
listening to soothing music can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety.
“Create a playlist of songs or nature sounds (the ocean, a bubbling brook,
birds chirping), and allow your mind to focus on the different melodies,
instruments, or singers in the piece,” Benninger says. You also can blow off
steam by rocking out to more upbeat tunes — or singing at the top of your
lungs!
9.
Get Moving:-
You don’t have to
run in order to get a runner’s high. All forms of exercise, including yoga and
walking, can ease depression and anxiety by helping the brain release feel-good
chemicals and by giving your body a chance to practice dealing with stress. You
can go for a quick walk around the block, take the stairs up and down a few
flights, or do some stretching exercises like head rolls and shoulder shrugs.
10.
Be Grateful:-
Keep a gratitude
journal or several (one by your bed, one in your purse, and one at work) to
help you remember all the things that are good in your life.
“Being grateful for
your blessings cancels out negative thoughts and worries,” says Joni Emmerling,
a wellness coach in Greenville, NC.
Use these journals
to savor good experiences like a child’s smile, a sunshine-filled day, and good
health. Don’t forget to celebrate accomplishments like mastering a new task at
work or a new hobby.
When you start
feeling stressed, spend a few minutes looking through your notes to remind
yourself what really matters.
