Some of the Best Stress Management Tools are Free
Stressed?
Try these tips and free tools to help manage it.
Stress management has gained its foothold in today’s everyday language that we use as frequently as where’s my cellphone and I need a drink. But it wasn’t until 1936 that Hans Selye coined the word “stress”, not because stress didn’t exist before but because it wasn’t until then that research began to link chronic stress with modern day illnesses.
Stress can have a huge effect on the inner workings of the body and can manifest through tightness and what we call muscle holding patterns in the body.
Yet another little gift from stress is that is can also manifest by changing breathing patterns. For example, remember back to the last time you were really stressed or anxious, like just before a big athletic competition or during a work presentation. Were you taking big deep breaths into your lower belly? I’d be willing to guess that the answer is no. Stress has an effect on the cardiovascular system and can cause shallow breathing in your upper chest, which not only decreases the amount of oxygen getting into your bloodstream but also (yet another generous gift) exacerbating the already present stress.
How to breathe correctly
Learning to breathe when stressed can be a huge benefit once you make it a routine. While there’s many different breathing exercises out there, the first step is learning to drop the diaphragm, a muscle that plays a huge role in breathing. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. If your diaphragm is not dropping then you’re not allowing the lungs to fully inflate. The quick and easy way to counter this is to lay on your back and put a book on your lower abdomen. Slowly breathe in focusing on breathing into the lower abdomen to make the book move up and then slowly exhale allowing the book to drop again. Another variation is to lie on your back in the yoga pose “child’s pose” and slowly breath in allowing your lower ribs and full back to expand with the inhale. Just doing this for five minutes can have an effect on your diaphragms and will also reduce tension associated with stress. You can find yet another variation of breathing at the Mayo Clinic website.
Other ways to combat stress
Breathing is a biggie, but there are other ways to help combat stress if you’re looking for an arsenal of tools. You can file some of these away to practice at the end of a hard day or just a few times a week to mitigate some of the effects of stress.
Make time for yourself to unwind. This could be as simple as taking a bath at the end of a day or going for a walk in the woods, something called “Shinrinyoku”in Japan or “forest bathing”. Just 20-30 minutes can reduce your cortisol levels. For many, these luxuries can be outside of resources available, but a short meditation session can be available to most all (see #3 below).
Find ways to reduce muscle tightness and stiffness. You can get a massage or try acupuncture, but something as simple as light stretching, walking or yoga can help. A 2018 study found yoga to be effective in reducing stress, anxiety and depression. There are some great free YouTube yoga channels, and most public libraries will have a yoga book on hand.
Try meditating. This Harvard Gazette piece written in 2018 notes the changes that meditation makes on the brains of patients who are depressed. There are many apps that are easy to use to time out sessions or offer a lead practice. The Insight Timer app is our favorite.
Have questions about stress, what is does to the body and how to combat it? Contact me Balance Point Acupuncture and we can talk it over.