Reduce anxiety and stress

Tips to reduce stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety are prevalent conditions in our modern world and with a culture that prioritises productivity and achievement, it is no surprise that we often feel depleted, out of control and overwhelmed. 

 Stress and anxiety activate our sympathetic nervous system and can be a normal, helpful response to allow us to respond to acute situations and keep us safe from harm. However, our modern lifestyles can leave us feeling as though our sympathetic nervous system switch is stuck in the ‘on’ position. This can have negative impacts on our physical and mental health.

 In order to offset the harmful effects of an overactive stress response, it can be helpful to learn how to better engage the parasympathetic nervous system – referred to as our ‘rest and repair’ state. Engaging this state will offset the impact of stress on your body and support you to navigate feelings of stress and anxiety with more calmness, clarity and discernment. 

The below practices are aimed at improving your body’s ability to move into a parasympathetic state more readily in the face of daily stressors. They can be used as supplementary supports for our bodies in conjunction with daily movement, nourishing food and good sleep.

 If your stress and anxiety levels feel debilitating and ongoing, please consider speaking with a trusted medical professionalor therapist to seek a more comprehensive approach.

⌓ Breathwork

Breathwork refers to any number of breathing exercises. There are many different types of breathing exercises across a range of disciplines. Yoga classes will often feature direct and incidental breathwork. 

Why it works

Breathwork prompts our body to move into a parasympathetic state and allows us to connect to ourselves and notice how we are feeling which promotes mindfulness and a feeling of being centred. Breathwork can lower heart rate and blood pressure as well as steady our breathing (shallow or rapid breathing can prompt our body’s stress response). Be mindful with breathwork to stop if you feel overly dizzy or faint. 

Try it today

Box breathing is a common breathwork practice. It involves inhaling through your nose for a count of 4, holding the breath for a count of 4, exhaling through your mouth for a count of 4 and holding your breath for a count of 4 – effectively creating a ‘box’ with your breath. The process is then repeated. Adjust the count that you are breathing and/or holding for to suit your needs. 

⌓ Bodywork and massage

Bodywork refers to any numbers of practices that treat the body’s indications of stress, anxiousness and trauma. It includes wide-ranging practices such as acupressure, stretching, yoga, chiropractic, craniosacral therapy and reiki amongst many others. Massage can be described as a form of bodywork.

Why it works

Our bodies hold tension and trauma – the anxiety and stress that we feel can manifest in the body as headaches, aches and pains in the neck, back, hips or other areas and a general feeling of malaise or lethargy. Bodywork and massage work to release the stored tension and support the body’s natural detoxification pathways and processes, reducing the stress in the body you can’t see. 

Try it today

You can practise self-massage or bodywork, such as acupressure, but for the ultimate benefits, book in an appointment with a qualified bodywork practitioner or massage therapist who provides a nurturing, relaxing environment which will enhance the overall effects. 

⌓ Forest bathing

Shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing’, is a term that originated inJapan the 1980s and refers to the practice of surrounding yourself in a natural environment – although this is usually a forest, it doesn’t have to be. It allows you to disconnect from the constant overstimulation of our busy lives and to cultivate mindfulness by immersing ourselves in the natural world.

Why it works

Spending time in a natural environment connects us back to our roots – giving our nervous systems a break from the constant overwhelm and stimulation of our normal environments. It also promotes an affinity with nature which nurtures our sense of connection to something greater than ourselves and addresses feelings of overwhelm by giving us a sense of the bigger picture. 

Try it today

You don’t have to find a forest to practise what is at the essence of forest bathing. Simply choose any natural environment close to you – be it a park, hillside or by the water. Sit in stillness or take yourself for a walk (free of distractions such as music) and drink in what is around you – notice what you can see, smell and hear.   

⌓ Go old school

Try a day with as little technology as possible (if you can manage no screen time at all, that’s a real bonus). 

Why it works

Our brains are not wired to be constantly stimulated by our screens. Thanks to our phones, our brains often have little to no down time at all where they aren’t absorbing, processing or outputting information. Not to mention, blue light from our screens also interferes with our hormonal processes and can stop our body from producing the hormones required to drift off to sleep. 

Try it today

Any time you are tempted to scroll mindlessly, try making your favourite hot drink and sitting with it staring out your window instead. Notice what you can see out of the window and the smell and taste of your hot drink. This can feel challenging because our brains are so used to receiving constant stimulation. Set a timer and commit to sitting there for the duration.

Make a list of the above items and any other things that support you to feel grounded and keep that list on the fridge or somewhere equally visible. Commit to practising one thing off the list for at least five minutes each day – set a timer to keep yourself accountable. As with any practice, expect that with time and consistency, you will start to see beautiful results.

Written by Marcella Jane, Holistic Counsellor.
www.marcellajanecounselling.com