How to Relax Your Body and Mind from Stress

April is just around the corner and in case you didn't know, April is National Stress Awareness Month. Stress affects millions of Americans every year.

 

Did you know that two in three adults (67%) say they experienced increased stress over the course of the pandemic, according to a 2020 Stress in America survey from the American Psychological Association (APA)? Almost half of adults (49%) say their behavior has been negatively affected due to stress, including increased tension (21%) “snapping” at others (20%), mood swings (20%), or screaming or yelling at a loved one (17%).

 

Bodies Response to Stress

The following is how the body responds to stress:

• Stress begins in the brain – your senses send a signal to the amygdala (the part of the brain that processes emotions). The amygdala interprets sounds or feelings as danger, and sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, the area of your brain that acts like a command center to the rest of your body.  The hypothalamus communicates through the autonomic nervous system (which controls the body’s involuntary actions such as breathing, heart rate, and both airway and blood vessel dilation or constriction) that something is awry. The autonomic system consists of two parts. The parasympathetic nervous system is the one referred to as “rest and digest” because it controls the functions that happens at rest, and which helps us relax. The sympathetic nervous system is the one that takes over when we are stressed.  It triggers our “fight or flight” response to stress.

 

• Sympathetic nervous systems get alerted – which signals the pituitary gland to stimulate the adrenal glands to produce cortisol and adrenaline which are released into the bloodstream. These stress hormones start other changes in the body in case you need to act which your heart rate speeds up, you breathe more quickly, your senses sharpen, and your liver releases stored energy.

 

• The process continues – the hypothalamus kicks a backup stress response known as HPA axis. This axis is triggered by hormonal signals such as CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone), ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) and cortisol to keep sympathetic nervous system and its stress response on alert.

 

• Stress is gone – cortisol levels start to fall, and parasympathetic nervous systems put a brake on the stress response. Heart and breath rate slow and metabolic processes return to normal levels.

 

Everyone handles stress differently. What may cause one person stress, may not cause another person stress. Some people are also better at handling stress than others.

 

The purpose of your body's response to stress is supposed to be beneficial in small doses by boosting adrenaline. This makes your heart rate, blood pressure, and alertness all go up to make you ready for an event like taking a test, public speaking, performing on stage, or keeping you from harm’s way. For example, like crossing the street and avoiding getting hit by a car.

 

The issue is if stress becomes chronic by producing too much adrenaline some physiological responses can become destructive which can cause adrenal fatigue which leaves you tired, anxious, and irritable.

 

The same things that boost immune function can suppress immune function if overloaded and high levels of psychological stress can accelerate cellular aging and promote earlier onset of age-related diseases

 

 

8 in 10 Americans (78%) say the coronavirus pandemic has been a significant source of stress in their life 

- 2020 Stress in America survey by American Psychological Association

 

 

How to Relax Your Body and Mind from Stress

 1. Laugh

Laughing is shown to increase and then decrease your stress response and heart rate and blood pressure, which ends up giving you a relaxing feeling. So turn on your favorite standup comedian, movie, tv series, or go to the comic strip section of the newspaper. Find a way to laugh! LOL

 

 

 

 2. Socializing

Having friends or family that you can confide in and socialize with is proven to go a long way toward improving mental health and fighting stress by increasing resilience and reducing risky types of behavior. Better yet, find a friend or family member that can make you laugh and you will get twice the benefits!

 

 

 

 3. Spending Time Outdoors

Take a walk outside. Research has proven that when being outside for just 10 minutes, subjects reported an increase in mood. This lessens the effects of both physical and mental stress.

 

 

 

Art by Marie Kost - Joy - digital print

 4. Looking at Art

Looking at art can reduce stress and anxiety. Whether it be looking at your favorite piece of art, going to a gallery or museum, or looking at art online. You benefit even more if the subject of the art is nature, as environmental studies and psychology have shown that just looking at a painting of a natural environment can have positive effects on mood, connection, and motivation.

 

 

 

 5. Meditation

Meditation increases feel-good neurochemicals, as it reduces stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Just 15 minutes of meditation a day can help. Something as simple as taking some deep breaths and counting how long you are holding the breath in and out can bring back your focus. Focusing on the rhythm and counting helps you be fully present.

 

 

 

 6. Coloring

Coloring is about getting into a state where you are in your own world. You forget about the world around you and are concentrating on what you are working on at the time. Also known as flow which is a state of deep absorption in an activity with such intense focus that you lose the sense of time.

 

 

 

 7. Better Work – Life Balance

7 in 10 workers experienced burnout at least once in 2020, and 3 in 4 employees are having issues disconnecting from work. Some ways to have a better work life balance is make sure to take breaks at work. I am bad about doing this sometimes. I think if I can just get this one more thing done. Set an alarm on your phone if you must. Let go of perfection. Realize that you aren’t always going to get it right. We are only human. Set boundaries at work. For example, when you are done with work make it clear to your colleagues that you are unplugging. Figure out what hours you’re going to work and try and stick to them. If something isn't urgent, it can wait until tomorrow.

 

 

 

 8. Avoiding Unhealthy Habits

Stress can affect the body’s use of calories and nutrients in different ways. Stress increases the body’s metabolic needs and increases the use and excretion of many nutrients. If one does not eat a nutritious diet, a deficiency might occur. Stress can cause unhealthy eating habits that can influence your health later in life - for example, eating junk food. Research shows certain foods help to regulate cortisol levels such as polyunsaturated fats including omega-3 fats and vegetables. We all know this one. Not getting enough exercise. Exercising will lower your blood pressure and reduce stress hormone levels. You should exercise 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, like a brisk walk, each week, plus 2 or more days of muscle strengthening activity.

 

 

 

 9. Helping Others

Volunteering or just helping others can help you feel better about what is stressing you out. It can be as simple as walking your neighbor’s dog if they aren’t able to. It helps you feel more socially connected and may even improve physical outcomes like high blood pressure.

 

 

 

 10. Think of Things For Which You Are Grateful

Thinking of things for which you are grateful releases dopamine and serotonin, which are neurotransmitters responsible for making us feel happy. Practicing thankfulness can help build these neurotransmitters. Being thankful can create a sense of relaxation, improve the immune system, and reduce blood pressure which helps with reducing stress.

 

 

 

 11. Learn Something New

Learn something new, do something different or something you have never done before - for example: yoga, coloring, going to a play at a theater, or just some class that you have never taken before will get your mind off of what you are stressing about.

 

 

 

 12. Get Your Sexy On

This might be a surprise for some people, but having sex can relieve stress and you don’t necessarily need a partner to achieve it. Sex can raise endorphins and other hormones that boost mood. You must be comfortable with your partner and the environment you are in. As a form of exercise, it can also relax you. Sexual activity prevents increases in blood pressure during stressful events.

 

 

 

 13. Get A Massage

A massage can reduce stress and make you feel more relaxed by relieving tight muscles and adhesions that can come when you feel stressed.

 

 

 

 14. Take A Nap

Taking a 30 minute nap can relieve stress. If you are well rested, you can handle stressful situations better. Sleep helps improve concentration, regulate mood, and lowers overall stress. When you don’t get enough sleep, you are more likely to get upset at small situations which cause stress. It can make you more emotionally reactive, more impulsive, and more sensitive to negative stimuli.

 

 

 

 15. Smell Something Relaxing

Aromatherapy may relieve stress. Light a candle, use a diffuser, lotion, or a few drops of essential oil. Scents that can help you relax are lavender, bergamot, jasmine, ylang ylang and chamomile.

 

 

 

 16. Buy Yourself a Bouquet

Buy yourself flowers. A behavioral research study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School found people reported being more compassionate toward others, had less worry and anxiety and were less depressed when fresh-cut flowers were present in their homes. Remember to keep a plant or flowers at your desk for work when you start to get stressed. With flowers you also get twice the benefits as I stated above because they smell good too.

 

 

 

 17. Listen to Music

Listening to music, particularly mellow music, can help lower blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce anxiety. Nature sounds are also a good one to help you relax. I know if I am listening to my favorite song, it gets me in a good mood and makes me want to sing and dance so any song that you like and can jam to is a good stress reliever. McGill University found that listening to music not only reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol, but it also helped to improve immune function.

 

 

 

 18. Have Some Tea

Herbal teas have a long history of helping to relieve stress. They contain multiple types of natural anti-inflammatory compounds such as antioxidants, which help protect the body from stress. Long-popular choices include peppermint (which can also help relax tense muscles), chamomile (a proven sleep aid), and passionflower (which has long been used by herbalists to combat anxiety). If you prefer some caffeine, try green tea, which is also loaded with antioxidants as well as theanine, an amino acid that has a calming effect.

 

 

 19. Spend Time with Your Pet

Spending time with your pet is shown to decrease levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure. Animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.

 

 

Things That Can Cause Stress

As I mentioned before, the pandemic has been a huge cause of stress over the past few years. Below is a list of other stressors.

• Work
• Long working hours
• Commute
• Finances
• Relationship Issues – Spouses, Kids, Friends, and Family
• Health
• Not enough time for everything
• Social Concerns – Climate change to gun violence

 

Research in animals suggest chronic stress causes loss of dendrites (projections that allow brain cells to communicate with one another) in both the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved with memory and decision-making while at the same time promoting growth of dendrites in the amygdala region involved in fear and aggression. The ability to learn, remember and make decisions maybe compromised by chronic stress and maybe accompanied by increased levels of anxiety and aggression.

 

 

Stress Facts

Here are some stress facts.

• Women are more prone to stress then men. It doesn’t mean that men don’t experience stress, it just means that men are more likely to try to escape from the stress than show signs of it.
• Long term stress can cause depression and anxiety.
• Past experiences can cause stress later in life. Women are 3 times more likely than men to have post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

Signs to Seek Professional Help

If you have symptoms of emotional stress, you are feeling overwhelmed, and the suggestions above don’t seem to help your stress levels, you might want to seek professional help. Don’t try and think that your feelings will just end themselves. If you feel like you can’t get over your feelings seek professional help.

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). They are available 24 hours a day.

 

How Are You Going to Reduce Your Stress?

Now take some time to figure out ways that you plan on reducing your stress levels. There are many more ways to reduce stress than what I suggested above. Remember: do you.

 

*HUGS*

Marie

Helping You Escape Daily Stress by Using Art to Relax