So many of us are on an epic journey to seek a variety of tools for quick stress reduction. Finding and sustaining some level of inner peace and harmony on a daily basis seems to be more challenging everyday. Many of these stressors we create; others are imposed upon us. We work too many hours, even on the weekend. We're constantly checking our emails, text messages, social media accounts and voice-mails. We stress out about our finances. We stress out about our work loads. We stress out about the future, forgetting to stay in the moment. Keep in mind, the media is not in the business of making you feel good. Likewise, friends, family, co-workers or business partners who feed on drama and the misfortune of others contribute additional stress and disharmony to your life; it can be very difficult to get away from it.
The good news is there things we can do to minimize the impact of daily stresses on our minds, bodies and spirits and when done continuously, really does work. This stuff is probably already things that you know about, however, if you don't employ them, what good are they going to do for you? Remember that wherever you go, there you are and so is your stress. It's very difficult to enjoy the moment of wherever you are if you're so highly agitated that you're unable to do so. You have to be able to get your head above water to take a breath. When you're bunched emotionally, making clear-headed decisions become challenging to impossible. What follows are 7 simple activities in which each are powerful in their own right.
1. Gentle Deep Breathing. When we are emotionally triggered in unpleasant ways, which is more often than not, we tend to hold our breath, effectively locking the breath and the emotion, up in our body. This causes toxicity and is the root cause of most dis-ease and illness. Your very life depends on your willingness to breathe with awareness and use all of your lung capacity. Conscious breathing refocuses your attention from the outer world to your inner world, reducing tension and stress. Several effective calming breathing techniques include alternate nostril breathing, left nostril breathing, the 4-7-8 count breath and deep breathing in the yogic corpse position. Do your due diligence and research before attempting.
2. Ground. Grounding is as essential as breathing. This activity keeps you energetically rooted to the earth, which is important when you feel overwhelmed and for many of us, this is an everyday occurrence. Grounding can help you feel "solid", strong and resolved. When you forget to ground, you may feel as you're being tossed around like some tiny rowboat at sea during a typhoon. Get bruised enough and you'll start to remember to anchor yourself. There are a number of ways to ground, but here's a quick one for you to do: (Do not do this while driving) Get somewhere quiet and close your eyes. Breathe deeply several times in through your nose and out through your mouth. Imagine a huge column of white light coming in through the top of your head and down through your body, out the bottom of your feet and into the earth. Do this for several breaths. Next, imagine a great tree: your legs are the trunk and they go deep into the earth. Do this for several more breaths. Continue the imagery and breathing until you feel calmer and more relaxed.
3. Shake or dance. You can either do this in public or in private just as long as you move. Energy is active, kinetic and requires movement. When we are feeling heavy and stagnant it is because our bodies are telling us it has too many energy blocks and it needs to move. Move freely and unrestricted, allowing your body to express full-range of motion. Make sure you breathe while you're doing this. Have fun! This activity disperses stagnant energy, wakes up the body and dissolves tension.
4. Listen to soothing music, chimes, singing bowls or running water. Some people relax through sound and vibration. When our fight or flight centers get activated through stress, which unfortunately for most of us is chronic, we have a hard time coming down and getting rid of the excess energy. These sounds can help to reduce the agitation of the sympathetic nervous system, which when activated by stress, releases adrenaline and lactic acid into the body; this is no bueno, especially when done over a long period of time. Listen to one or more of these sounds and breathe deeply at the same time. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Just listening to these sounds can have a profound effect on your emotions and your central nervous system. My favorite relaxing sound: listening to the sound of a rain storm.
5. Scream. Sounds simple enough right? Screaming can be a powerful eliminator of tension. However, DO NOT DO THESE WHILE DRIVING. You might actually pass out from the temporary increase in your blood pressure, especially if it's already high from stress. Screaming out your frustrations gives you an opportunity to again, kinetically move that stuck energy and give your voice when you can't say what you want. Another technique that works very well is called "HA" breathing. If screaming doesn't appeal to you, forcefully breathe out while saying "HA!" Breathe in through your nose and HA through your mouth.
6. Cry. This is one of the most underused forms of releasing stress. Crying is mistakenly seen as a form of weakness. Crying has a very powerful effect on the body as it releases extra stress hormones from the body and helps the body dump toxins associated with holding on to anger and frustration. When you have one of those days when it all just becomes too much, instead of engaging in a numbing activity that involves eating junk, drinking alcohol or taking some kind of drug, which just shoves it down further until it comes back in the form of an illness or disease, just find a quiet place where you can be alone and just have a good cry. You'll feel a whole lot better when you're done.
7. Herbal teas. There are several herbal teas out there that are well-known for having a sedative effect on the CNS and lowering stress, which can affect the quality of our sleep, a key component for reducing stress: getting enough sleep. Chamomile and Lavender tea, which can both be steeped directly from the flowers and seeds, are excellent at soothing the nervous system. Ginseng tea is another great herb which clears away that bunched feeling that comes from mental exhaustion and insomnia. You can also try Valerian, which is another great tea for helping you get to sleep and we all know that a lack of proper sleep just adds to our stress levels.
These are just a few suggestions that can be applied just about anywhere and at anytime. Most of them are free; herbal tea does not cost very much, little goes a long way and it can be carried with you anywhere where you can get hot water.
Long-term chronic stress has, unfortunately, become a way of life for most of us and we have an obligation to ourselves to find ways to reduce or even eliminate it. People have made radical changes to their lives in order to regain control of a life that has gone rogue because of stress.
When used regularly, these grounding and centering activities will have positive, far-reaching effects on your body, mind and spirit.
Charyn is co-owner of Gurl Know, a resource site for the Community of Women who want to live and love better in their lives. gurlknow.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.
