Yesterday was National Stress Awareness Day, celebrated on the first Wednesday of November.
If you happen to be one of the 66% of Americans stressing out today, you are in good company.
Some stress is good for us, but too much stress can be harmful to our health and our relationships, both professional and personal.
Here are some ways to combat negative stress in our lives:
- Practice breathing.
There are a number of different techniques to use to calm down your amygdala.
To start somewhere, you might like this one:
Take a deep breath in. Count to 2 while you inhale.
As you exhale, count to 4. (Your exhale will be slower than your inhale.)
- Find a distraction.
A warm drink, a good movie, a good book, great music. A walk outside.
- Get some exercise.
Dang it, there’s that walk outside again. Apparently, exercise does not have to be strenuous to be helpful. A 15 minute walk outside should also do the trick.
- Talk with friends and family.
Socializing can help with feelings of social isolation.
- Meditate and practice mindfulness.
There are a number of apps and programs that can help with starting a mindfulness practice.
Recently, the Health and Well Being committee of the CBA presented a 4-part series on mindfulness. Until they post the videos on their YouTube channel, you can watch a presentation from a few months ago called “Breathe Deep: Practicing Meditation & Mindfulness During a Crisis.”
If you find that you “just need a moment”, please make sure to take it, and gift yourself a few minutes for self-care, whatever that means to you.
Resources:
CBA YouTube Channel
NPR
Nationaldaycalendar.com