We all deal with some level of stress, every day. Some of us have high pressure jobs while others are living hand-to-mouth or have nowhere to live. It’s all relative and what may be stressful to one person, may be a breeze to another. How well you cope may be due to your personality or genetics; it may be that you do not cope well because of childhood trauma. Stress that goes on or compounds increases risk of health conditions, especially to do with the functioning of the brain and heart. Regardless of how or why you feel stressed, there are lots of natural ways to support your body and mental health during stressful times. Here are 10 tips to naturally support stress relief.
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Breathe
Breathing techniques can help reduce stress by activating the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. Focused and deep breathing supports blood pressure, heart rate, healthy stress hormones, balanced O2 and CO2, and a feeling of calm. Focusing in on your breath means that you are not thinking or worrying. Even simply breathing through the nose has been shown to support the synchronising of the olfactory (sense of smell) cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus in the brain. This can support a feeling of calm throughout the day and night, which may be why many people swear by mouth taping while sleeping. Also, see Breathe Your Way Through Stress.
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Be
Did you know that one of the most supportive stress-relievers is simply being? Also known as mindfulness, it is the act of being present in each moment. When you are fully in the moment you tend to not be worried about the future or sad about the past, you just ARE. This means you can more readily accept what is happening without attaching an emotion to it. The more accepting you are, the less stress you may feel. It takes practice, so learning a technique to get you to be in the moment a little more every day is a good start. The work of Eckhart Tolle is one place to look if you’d like to know more.
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Move
Exercise in almost any form has the ability to support stress-relief. While the more gentle and even meditative forms have been shown to support calm via the cardiovascular and hormonal systems, many people swear by other, more vigorous, forms of exercise because they can increase the release of neurotransmitters like endorphins, which supports a feeling of wellbeing. It can also help us to forget to worry for the duration of the activity, especially if it’s an activity that you love. Walking is especially good for supporting stress-relief.
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Meditate
One of the ways into presence is meditation and one of the ways into meditation is the breath. Meditation is heavily studied and shown to support a sense of calm and balance, and relaxation of tight muscles. Scientific experiments have shown that meditation enhances metabolism, lowers blood pressure, deactivates the amygdala and the fight or flight response, and improves heart rate, breathing, and brain waves. “Om” your way to a more stress-free life!
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Forest-bathe
There is plenty of scientific data on the benefits of being in nature for supporting stress-relief. Known as “forest-bathing”, studies have shown that being exposed to nature, even for just a short time, supports blood pressure, pulse rate, healthy immune responses, cortisol levels, and a balanced mood. It has been shown to change brain waves to calmer, alpha waves. There are also many studies to show that exposure to natural light and sunlight supports balanced hormone and neurotransmitter levels, supporting mood, feelings of calm, and stress-relief. While there is less research into the effects of grounding (earthing), there is some evidence that it, too, can support stress-relief.
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Pet
Feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain have the ability to override stress-related ones. Petting animals has been shown to support healthy levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone), the feel-good neurotransmitters, and blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and support a balanced mood.
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Hum
One of the most surprising Stress supports is humming. Humming produces vibrations that support the stimulation of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a key pathway for your parasympathetic nervous system, or the rest and digest response. Humming supports relaxation, centredness, and calm, and is connected to the meditative state (think chanting and om-ing) and the present moment. While we are on the subject, singing and listening to music are also effective ways to support the release of stress and tension.
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Eat
Did you know that having the right nutrients in your diet supports your brain function and your ability to stay centred in the face of adversity? A well-nourished brain is a calm brain…for the most part! We do have our own quirks that can appear, regardless. But yes, eating a species-specific diet goes a long way to supporting your brain to function at its best. See Staying Sharp – Brain Health and Diet. Dietary choices can also support a healthy microbiome, which also supports a calm mood. Additionally, L-Theanine, a non-essential amino acid found in tea, has been shown to support the body’s response to stress and tension. L-Theanine crosses the blood brain barrier to support a calm and focused mind in minutes. See Is Life Getting a Little Too Rapid? or Rapid Calm for details.
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Laugh
“Laughter is the best medicine” is not just a vacuous saying. Laughter supports the release of endorphins, an increase in blood circulation, and the relief of tension in the muscles. Being able to laugh at things, and especially at yourself (with the frequency of the laughter, not the intensity, being key) has been shown to support stress-buffering in a longitudinal study. It makes you feel good…’nuff said!
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Love
“Love conquers all”, they say. Well, they might just be right. Loving relationships, particularly long-lasting ones are linked with the support of lower stress levels. This is thought to be because real love (not the initial “rush” in romantic love) supports the upregulation of the “master” neurotransmitters that override the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) hormones. The “cuddle hormone”, oxytocin, is one such master neurotransmitter. Scans of people’s brains while they are thinking of the one/s they love show a decrease in the threat response. People that have strong support networks, either familial or social, appear to be able to cope with stress in a rather healthier way.
Try one of the above or try them all… Take deep breaths while walking, barefoot, in the forest, on a sunny day, with a dog, humming, singing, and laughing, cuddling your loved one, chewing on as often as you can! There are benefits to these things that go beyond stress. Here’s to more love, laughter, and feel-good chemicals and less of the stress.
If you’d like to know a bit more about stress and the stress response, click on No Stress, No Fuss
TAPS Approval No: PP3396
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