Below are options to help you feel calmer and better able to manage stressors you experience. Try one, two or all- whichever suit you best 😉

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing, particularly, abdominal breathing for 20 to 30 minutes each day will reduce anxiety and reduce stress. Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain which assists in creating a state of calmness. Paying attention to your breathing helps to focus away from tensions and unto your breathing. Try the two types of breathing in the video below and see which breathing exercise you prefer.

Yoga

Practicing yoga regularly provides many benefits including that of reducing stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and improving sleep. Yoga refers to the union between the mind, body, and spirit. It is not a religion, but is connected to religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Yoga includes the use of the breath, postures, and meditation. We share yoga here as a suggestion for managing stress and anxiety, not in support of its use as part of a religion. If you have never tried yoga, we encourage you to give it a try to experience its many benefits. Try this short 15 minute video and see if your mind or body feels better than before trying the video.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is an evidence-based relaxation method that involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups. Doing so helps build awareness of what the body feels like when it is tense and when it is calm; this awareness can help us to train the body to release tensions felt. Regular practice reduces anxiety and tension, slows down heart and breathing rate, lowers blood pressure, improves digestion, and increases blood flow to major muscles, in addition to other benefits.

Give the video below a try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r1wt-Ei7GY

Guided Meditation

Meditation helps to focus attention and reduce crowded thoughts that can cause stress. It can lead to enhanced physical and emotional well-being, as well as your overall health. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and may help you manage symptoms of certain medical conditions especially one that may be worsened by stress. It can help you to gain a new perspective on stressful situations, increase self-awareness, help you focus on the present, reduce negative emotions, and increase your patience and tolerance. In addition to helping with anxiety, it can help you manage chronic pain, feelings of depression, high blood pressure, and sleep problems, among other health problems. Give the “Leaves on the Stream” meditation a try. Many people find it calming.