Right now is an especially fitting time to talk about how to use daily mindfulness practices for stress relief.
Stress is the body’s response to anything perceived as a threat or challenge. Managing stress by creating time for relaxation and daily habits that allow your body to get the rest it needs is an essential part of a balanced way of living.
What Happens During Stress
Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones, which affect the nervous, immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
The body’s central nervous system communicates the “fight or flight response”(i.e. an up-regulation of the sympathetic nervous system) signaling to the adrenal glands to release stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline.
The release of cortisol and adrenaline triggers a stress response; causing the liver to release glucose elevating blood sugar, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, muscles tense for protection and stomach acid pH increase.
Stress is a temporary response, to which the body will react, les the hormones will return back normal levels, your breathing, heart rate will eventual slow again however. Feeling constantly stressed for days, weeks or months of time, keeps stress hormones in circulation, harming both mental and physical health.
On-going chronic stress takes a toll on the body, affecting sleep quality, how you breathe (deep or shallow), interfering with reproductive health/fertility, weakening the immune system, and also contributes to imbalances in the release of hunger hormones. The stress can eventually manifest as…
– pain
– gut imbalances
-inflammation
-irritability
-anxiety
-depression
-insomnia
– headaches
How Mindfulness Supports Your Calmness and Relaxation
-boosts awareness to your unique mind-body needs
-reduce activity in, the amygdala, turning off central switch the stress response
-promotes compassion for yourself and for others, a soothing mechanism
Here are 5 daily mindfulness practices for stress relief…
1. Meditation.
Set your current beliefs about meditating aside. Meditation is really about connecting with yourself, bringing awareness and less about stopping thoughts or ‘not thinking at all’. Sitting with yourself and your breathe is not something you need to be “good” at, the act of practicing meditation is what matters the most, just being. Meditation at its core implores sitting in a quiet space, acknowledging and allowing thoughts that come up during your practice to pass. Meditation is free, and has been shown to reduce inflammation caused by stress and promote optimal functional of the body’s nervous, immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
2. Touch.
Daily touch is often forgotten but essential for supporting relaxation, boosting immune function and better sleep. This could be a self massage, using massage chair, foam roller or if you have a partner ask for a massage in your spot even just 5-minutes releases tension in areas where stress gets stuck. You can also schedule a routine massage at a spa.
3. Clearing Space.
Clutter is stressful. Cleaning your environment is amazing exercise for reducing stress levels. Ultimately, stress creates an energy, the more you are able to release this heavy energy into useful outlets the better you will feel on the inside. Plus by the end of your cleaning session you’re left with the satisfaction of a tidy haven for relaxation.
4. Intentional Deep Breathing.
Breathing gets short and shallow when you are stressed. Connecting with the breathe, with intentional deep breathing with deep long inhales, and slow exhales signals the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates relaxation response allowing your body to engage in the restorative calmness it craves. Get in a comfortable position, place one hand hand on your belly, one hand on your heart, breathe in for 7 count then slowly exhale to a count of 10. Do this 10-20 breathes or time yourself for 2-3 minutes.
5. Self Reflection.
Introspection sparks new insight allowing us to change the way we see ourselves and those people close us. When you give yourself time to reflect on your thoughts about daily life, you can process emotions, feelings and create a sense of understanding and ease when presented with challenges. Find a notebook, write freely. If you are stuck use a journal prompt or revert back to gratitude, jotting down anything and everything you are grateful for in your life.
Share Your Mindful Practice.
What do you practice daily that supports regular stress relief?
Leave a comment below or message me on instagram @sidebarnutrition.
With Gratitude,
J
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