Boost Your Mental Well Being
- Beth O'Leary
- Apr 7, 2020
- 4 min read
We’re all being inundated with information right now on how to stay safe and healthy during this pandemic, and I hope you and your families are doing well. My goal in this post is to give some tips on how to manage your stress level, and find some beneficial ways to practice self care. For many of us, our daily lives have slowed down quite a bit. There isn’t the usual hectic running around, getting kids to and from school, getting to work, and the many other obligations that keep us so busy. Now may be a good time to find ways to take time for yourself, and find some tools that hopefully you can work into your life on a regular basis, even when things get back to a normal pace. Whatever you can do to help manage stress is critical, especially now, as it can greatly inhibit our immune system. Of course, each person connects with different ways to take care of themselves, so I’ve provided some options here to consider, all of which you’re probably familiar with, but I hope that you may consider trying one or more of these that interest you.
JOURNALING
I’ve used journaling at specific times in my life for different purposes. When my kids were younger I used it to write down some of the milestones and cute or funny stories that I wanted to remember. More so, I’ve used journaling during times of loss or when I’ve faced some sort of transformation in my life. It has helped me to write it on paper, and just let my thoughts flow as they come up. It’s not something that I do regularly, but I find it to be very therapeutic when I need it.
GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Similar idea, but this can be simpler and more time efficient. It’s a great way to be mindful of what your are grateful for in your life by just writing down even just one thing every day. Studies have shown that those who exhibit more gratitude are generally happier, experience better stress management, and receive an immune system boost. It’s a beautiful way to begin your day, before doing anything else just take a moment to start off with gratitude and notice how you may experience a happier, calmer mindset as you go about your day.
MEDITATION
Admittedly, this is one that I personally struggle with putting into my day, but I’m trying to incorporate a few minutes when I can because I am aware of the magnitude of benefits it provides. As a yoga practitioner for over 20 years, I have done my fair share of class-led meditation practices, and I love the way that it calms and focuses my attention. One thing that has been helpful to me is knowing that it can be a simple 3-5 minute silencing practice - just time to sit with yourself and quiet your mind. It can always be extended to a longer time period if you’re feeling it, but even a few minutes is beneficial. There are some great apps, including some free ones that can be useful if you’re new to this and are more comfortable being guided. Here’s a list of a few that you may want to check out:
Calm: www.calm.com
Insight Timer: www.insighttimer.com
Headspace: www.headspace.com
Aura: www.aurahealth.io
BREATH WORK (aka Pranayama in yogic tradition)
This is another one that is very simple and quick to incorporate into your day, and is wonderful to add in to a meditation practice. There are countless breath work practices out there, but beginning with a simple practice is the best way to get going. By simply placing one or both hands on your belly, this will allow you to focus your breath into this area. Breath in to a slow count of 4, feeling your belly expand into your hands, and slowly exhale to a count of 4, feeling the contraction of your belly. Many of us get stuck breathing up into our chest, and not engaging the diaphragm, which then exacerbates tension. Belly breathing, and particularly focus on extending your breath moves us into a parasympathetic state (the rest/digest state, vs. the fight or flight sympathetic mode). Dr. Andrew Weil and Headspace have some great explanations and examples of breathing techniques:
Daily Movement Practice
I purposefully keep this as a vague category, because each of us has a different way of
incorporating movement into our day that feels good to us. For some it’s running or walking, perhaps yoga, dance or barre class, and other times it’s lifting weights or doing a CrossFit type of workout. Maybe we do several different things depending on the day, and variety is a great thing. What is important here is to do SOME type of movement each day, and tune in to what your body needs. Honor your needs by paying attention to how you’re feeling. So many people get caught up in this idea that you have to abuse yourself to get results, and that thankfully is not the case. It can even be detrimental in the long run if you repeatedly overdo it. A good workout should stress your body in a good way, not in a way that makes you feel greater stress in the long run. One of my favorite quotes that came from yoga is to “if the practice of today damages the practice of tomorrow, it is not the correct practice”. If your body is indicating that you need a recovery day, or a gentler type of movement that day - listen. This has not always been easy for me, but I’ve been served with several reminders from my body when I haven’t been good about honoring what I need day to day.
I hope that you have found some useful tips here, and may try out one or more if you haven’t done so already. I find that while I may know many of the tools out there, I often get reinvigorated to put them into action when they’re top of mind. So perhaps this has served to bring them to your attention again.
What have you found works in your life to stay balanced during stressful times? I’d love to hear back with your thoughts or own experiences.
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