Stress is something we are facing every day, even without a pandemic happening worldwide. On one hand, there can be positive factors of small doses of stress – it’s a warning mechanism, producing the same fight-or-flight response our ancestors had. It floods the body with chemicals such as norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortisol which induces a wide variety of body reactions such as the increase of heart rate. So if our bodies perceive any immediate danger, we are able to react quickly due to the increased sharpness of our senses.
On the other hand, too much stress can also be detrimental to our bodies. If it stays for a significant period of time, it can weaken our immune system, as well as increase our blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, all common risk factors of heart disease.
As currently most of us are stuck inside in the safety of our homes, there are many things we can do to help pass the time and distract, even from a second, from the news, to allow our brains and our bodies to relax.
Cooking
Cooking is, for some, a dreadful chore. For others, it’s a means of escapism that allows you to lose yourself into an activity with a great reward at the end. It’s about perspective, and it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family during a lockdown.
Whether you know how to cook or not, simply following a recipe and thinking of nothing but what’s in front of you can help you in many ways you never thought it could. When you focus your attention on to the details of the task you’re doing, you help your mind to stop racing and soothe any negative thoughts.
Doing things such as following a recipe, stirring and chopping, makes the act of cooking a meditative one. It allows you to be present in the moment, going along with your body movements to complete the task and doesn’t permit the stress of the day to interfere with your focus.
And at the end of the exercise of meditation, you get to enjoy a delicious dish prepared by your own hands, which improves the feelings of confidence and self-esteem! A great all-round mood booster!
Find your kitchen necessities here!
Exercise
As we have more free time than ever before, it’s the perfect time to start working on your mental and physical wellbeing. Due to the pandemic we are currently experiencing, we are not allowed to go outside if it’s not an absolute necessity or for a one-a-day walk, nor can we hit the gym to de-stress like we used to be able a few weeks ago.
The good news is there are many exercises that you can do from home, with little or no equipment needed. Exercises that use your own bodyweight are very effective and a few of the easiest ways of improving one’s stamina and physical condition. It’s also well known that engaging in physical activity can reduce stress and anxiety due to the cocktail of hormones it plumps our blood with! Exercising is a natural pain reliever that makes us feel happier and more relaxed- therefore exercising is very high on our stress relief list!
There are many forms of indoor exercise, take our quiz to find out which one suits you the best!
Meditation
Stress, mental and physical alike, are one of the causes for the increase of cortisol, the stress hormone. As a result, we might experience sleep disruption, the promotion of anxiety and depression and an increase in blood pressure that contributes to fatigue and impairment of judgement.
In a study done during an eight-week period found that ‘mindfulness meditation’ reduces the inflammation response caused by the effects of stress. Multiple studies show how meditation can ease and improve symptoms of conditions directly related to stress such as PTSD , fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome to name a few.
Meditation is not hard to start doing either, there are numerous phone applications such as ‘Headspace’, that teach you as they walk you through your sessions from 0. There are also many videos online that help you become a meditation connoisseur from someone that has never done that before. Anyone ca benefit from this activity, so sparing 10-15 minutes a day to bring calmness to oneself isn’t much!
Relaxing Activities
The calming effects of doing something you enjoy are massive, especially if it’s something that can occupy a few hours a day – leaving you little room to feel anything but joyous.
People around the world have started taking up painting, knitting and even yoga, with no previous knowledge and it turned out to be their calling, even worthy of a career change. When you shift your focus from the media and do something to turn off your mind for a few hours a day, it can be incredibly beneficial for the brain.
You can start with something small: choose a flower you have laying around and start contouring the outside lines, once you get to the colour part you will be so involved in the act that you would have forgotten what time it is! Hobbies are really time-offs for our brain, and in the long run they are the ones that keep us content and busy!
Make sure you eat well and stay hydrated
One of the most overlooked factors of de-stressing is self-care. It can meal all the way from the commercial bath bombs to the more effective, breathing exercises and enough water intake.
In uncertain times, our bodies are constantly stressed because of factors we usually cannot control. One thing we can control is giving our bodies all the nutrients necessary, enough water to feel good and taking care of our overall physical wellbeing.
It’s times like these that we could be stress eating or not eating enough, or drinking too little fluids. It’s up to us to be caring about our physical wellbeing enough to be giving our bodies what it needs and what it asks for, and that’s something different for everyone. Whilst being on a diet can put further stress on our bodies, letting us often eat more than what we usually would because of the amount of stress coming from left and right isn’t the healthiest alternative either.
So our last suggestion to de-stressing would be to eat mindfully, which means making sure you check in with yourself and eat something because you really want it, and not letting external factors (like fear or anger) to be in control of your eating habits.
As important is to drink plenty of fluids, to help us maintain the balance of our body functions, such as circulation, digestion and maintenance of body temperature. Maintaining a good level of hydration also can help to relieve headaches, balance blood sugar, and the promotion of healthy nails, skin and hair.
In conclusion, the most important thing to try and keep in these times is stress-free through different activities, whilst also maintain a sense of normality in our lives. Stress relievers can look different for everybody and so finding the most effective ways for you might take time and a lot of trial and error, so keep at it and you will soon be able to be in control of what is happening inside your body and mind.
By First Aid