27 Apr How can you calm down when you’re stressed?
In her bestseller “The Highly Sensitive Person”, the psychologist Elaine Aron says that sometimes it’s normal to feel stressed and overwhelmed. These are the moments when you need to find resources and methods to move on and not to let yourself burdened with negative energy. Below, you can find some of these techniques the author has compiled over several years:
- Massage your palms. What’s great about it is that you can do it while you’re sitting at your desk, in the middle of a meeting or when you attend a conference. Simply use the thumb of one hand and press around the palm of the other hand. It will have immediate effect.
- Close your eyes. Elaine Aron says that 80 percent of sensory stimulation comes in through the eyes, so shutting them gives your brain a much-needed break. She also says that highly sensitive persons recover much better if they stay in bed or sleep for 9 hours. We don’t have to be sleeping. Just lying in bed with our eyes closed allows for some chill time that we need before being bombarded with stimulation.
- Do short stretching exercises. One of these exercises is called monkey stretch and you can do it this way: bring your hands (arms extended) in front of you then bring them down. Repeat the stretch. Then with your hands still extended, bring them all the way past your head and then sit in the squatting position and hang out there for a few seconds. This exercise is extremely effective at releasing the tension we hold in different parts of our body.
- Gain power with Superman pose. If you do yoga, this pose is similar to airplane position, except the arms are stretched out in front of you, not the sides. You lie on your belly on the floor and extend your arms in front of you. At the same time, you extend your legs behind you and hold them straight out. Hold that pose for 10 seconds.
- Shake it off and release tension. Did you know that animals like antelopes shake off their fear? Try this for a few minutes. You’ll not look good while you’re doing this, but neurologically, it is very beneficial.
- Boost your energy with water. When you feel overwhelmed, drink water – a big glass once an hour. If you have the possibility, after work, walk beside a water – a lake or a river. Look at it, listen to it. Get into some if you can, or take a bath home in the water you put essential oils. It will calm you.
- Practice breathing exercises. A simple four-step exercise that helps reduce anxiety:
Breath slowly by counting up to 4
Hold your breath for 4 seconds
Exhale slowly by counting up to 4
Inspires and expires normally 2 times
- Listen to music. From the earliest days of civilization, music has been used as therapy. Victor Hugo once said: “music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent”. Therapists have tapped into the healing power of creative lyrics and the composition of notes to design music therapy programs for persons struggling with depression.
- Learn more about stress management. Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Too much untreated stress can cause potentially serious physical and mental health problems. The good news is that, in many cases, stress is manageable. With some patience and a few useful strategies, you can reduce your stress, whether it comes from personal life or workplace.
