By Shalini Rajamani
6 Effective Ways to Cope with Stress
Stress as we all know is the root cause of all issues related to physical and mental health. We now see stress and tension mounting amongst kids and teens, especially after having to get back to in-person school after a year. Stress, anxiety, and depression are all connected and they test our mental strength to cope with difficult situations. However, we can manage these issues by bringing in some daily practices in our lifestyle. These techniques are simple to follow and help us cope with stress and mentally condition our brain better.
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- Deep Breathing:
Deep Breathing can be done seated on a chair, seated on a mat, or even lying on your back with knees bent. Palms could be placed gently on the stomach or resting on the knees with palms facing up. Keep the back straight and close your eyes gently. If you choose to sit down and are uncomfortable sitting down, you can also lean against the wall or sit on a cushion.
Now Inhale 4 counts through the nose, let the breath reach the stomach, and exhale 4 counts from the nose as well. Let us repeat this process for about 7-10 rounds keeping the same rhythm for inhalation and exhalation. Focus on your breathing and count in your mind as you breathe in and out, so you keep your mind occupied with breathing. It is human to see our monkey mind not focusing on our breaths and now thinking about other things, when you realize this has happened simply bring your mind back to breathing and engage with your breath and inner self.
This Breathing exercise should calm us and bring peace inside our minds to deal with challenging situations better.
- Exercise: Any kind of exercise releases happy hormones for us to deal with situations in a much better state of mind. One could choose an exercise routine that they enjoy and exercise for the time they can. An ideal exercise regime would be about 30 minutes- 1hour, 3-4 times a week.
- Talk/Socialize: If you are able to share and confide your emotions and feelings to someone you trust, this helps you to get a different perspective on situations and also makes you feel lighter within.
- Food Habits: Keep the food habits healthy, consuming less Sugar. Sugar does not help with stress and many people resort to sugary food when they feel anxious and this weakens the body’s ability to cope with stress.
- Follow a mantra: Always tell yourself, past is gone! The future is yet to be seen! What is in our hands is today. One should live for the moment. It does not mean we do not plan for the future; one should plan their future to an extent but not worry about it.
- Maintain a Diary: We call it a gratitude diary which takes about 5 minutes before going to bed. Jot down what we were thankful for that day. Writing the positive things helps us look at the brighter side of life and just have gratitude towards everything we currently have with us.
Let every Breath count! Breathe in peace and breath out impurities!