Kicking Stress and Anxiety in the Butt One Meditation at a Time

Meditation isn't just for monks or the yoga obsessed! If you struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, or just want some more relaxation in your life, then maybe it's for you. And now science supports the positive effects of mindfulness meditation---the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment and being aware of your current emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations. 

New studies have shown that practicing this type of meditation increases gray matter density in parts of the brain associated with attention, emotional integration, self-awareness, compassion, and introspection. There were also decreases in parts of the brain that play a role in anxiety and stress. 

So, not only will you experience some peacefulness and a decrease in tension, but your brain will physically change in response to this activity! Why not give it a shot?

The key is that meditation takes practice, so try to incorporate it into your daily routine. Start small, with a goal of 5 minutes per day, and increase until you can eventually meditate for 30 minutes. If sitting still isn't realistic, work mindful activities into your day--take a mindful walk where you stay present and notice your surroundings. For instance, it's easy to walk from your car to your office thinking about 1,000 things--make it a point to stay present and tune into all of your senses. You can do a mindful eating  exercise, noticing all of the tastes and physical sensations, or even try doing a chore, like the dishes or taking a shower, mindfully.  

When you're ready to begin, start with 5 deep, long breaths, anchoring yourself to the present moment. Next, go about your mindful activity or seated meditation by keeping your focus on the present, allowing any distracting thoughts to pass by. Remember, just because you have a thought, you don't need to engage in it (easier said than done, of course!). Give yourself permission to relax--tell yourself in this moment, there's no where else for you to be right now, and there's nothing else for you to do. This is a gift for yourself and you deserve it!

A great intro to meditation is the website/app calm.com...it's basically meditation for dummies and super user friendly. There is even a 2 minute guided meditation--perfect to plug in your headphones at work and give yourself a mini mental vacation in times of stress!

Tis the Season to be Stressed!!!

Holidays stressing you out?

Oh the holidays--what a joyful and exciting time....until you realize that you spend more of it stressed out, overwhelmed, and irritable!  We experience stress as a physical response in our bodies.  What's actually going on?  The adrenal glands release stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, resulting in increased blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing, and we become more alert to sight, hearing, and tensed muscles. Stress prepares our body to take action in the face of danger—many of you have probably heard of fight or flight.  In prehistoric times, a caveman’s body would respond to the threat of a lion, but in todays world, your body still responds the same way, even though the threats have changed.  Instead of running away from a lion, you may be running away from crazed holiday shoppers going after a bargain!

Here are some simple tips to help you manage your stress this holiday season:

Tip #1 DELEGATE TASKS:

You don't have to do it all. Host a holiday party by creating a fun and joyful setting, but ask guests to bring the food. Buy holidays presents, but ask your partner to wrap them...everyone is short on time, and no one is expecting perfection (that's the pressure you're putting on yourself)! Part of being human is being imperfect, so give yourself permission to accept yourself as you are, and let go of the shame and guilt this merry season. 



Tip #2 BE AWARE OF YOUR STRESSORS:

Time management, financial pressures, and unrealistic expectations for the holiday season may put you over the edge!  It seems like as early as Halloween, social media bombards you with messages of cooking, buying toys and gifts, fashion, and decorating.  Everyone wants to make it the most magical holiday ever, but this leads to pressure on yourself and blowing your budget!  Stick to a plan when you go shopping--beautiful displays can be tempting, but making extra purchases can add up quickly....you don't want to be feeling the financial stress of the holidays months later! 



Tip #3 PLAN AHEAD:
You may feel overcommitted and torn in 10 different directions during this time of year, so take some time to create a schedule and write a to-do list.  Only focus on your priorities, and check them off the list (crossing things off your list makes you feel productive and accomplished).  Plan out when you're going to bake, buy gifts, attend a child's school performance, go to your work party, and volunteer. It may be helpful to sit down each night and plan out the following day.

Tip #4 STICK WITH HEALTHY HABITS:

A little indulgence is ok, but binging on party food, desserts, and alcohol will only add to your stress levels...and waistline!  Some helpful tips are never go to a party hungry. If you skip lunch so that you can splurge later, you will mostly likely end up consuming more calories than if you had just eaten your lunch. Try eating a granola bar or yogurt before you head out, that way you are in charge of your hunger! Also, instead of mindlessly shoveling cheese and crackers into your mouth (I know I'm guilty), try a mindful eating exercise.  When you take a bite of food, pay attention to all of your senses and bodily sensations (how does it smell & taste, what does it sound like biting down, what's the texture like, how does it make you feel).  The more mindfully you eat, the less food you'll consume.  Make time for exercise--this may be waking up early to work out if your normal gym time has been replaced with a holiday party, or going for a walk on your lunch break.  And let's be realistic--no one loses weight in December!  A better and more achievable goal may be to maintain your weight and not gain (did you know the average person gains 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas!?).

Tip #5 DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS:

It's natural human behavior to compare and evaluate yourself against your friends and neighbors, but don't let this build up into a competition, that you most likely can't afford!  Focus on non-material things, like showing love and affection to your partner and family, being supportive, and spending quality time together.  It's the season to be appreciate of what you do have!

Keep these tips in mind to minimize stress and tension and enjoy this festive time of year!

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

Feeling stressed?

Try out any of these techniques if you’re struggling with sleep problems, anxiety, anger, irritability, or stress. Some of these techniques may sound obvious (taking deep breaths) or silly (imagine yourself on a one minute vacation), but research shows they really work!

If you’re new to relaxation techniques, give them each a try and monitor your mood, body tension, and thoughts before and after each activity (try rating your stress on a scale of 1-10).  If you try one and it doesn’t work for you, no worries, just keep an open mind and pick a different technique. Feel free to play around with your environment (ex. at home, in a park, by the beach, with candles, with music in the background, etc). So what are you waiting for…let's get started!

If falling asleep is your problem, I suggest starting with a relaxing recording, such as a progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, or deep breathing, which can be found on the University of Maryland Medical Center website.  Their recordings are easy for beginners to follow along.

PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION (PMR): This involves tensing and tightening specific groups of muscles and then relaxing them.  You should be mindful of the tensed versus relaxed states.  You will begin with one area of your body until you have worked your way to the end of your body.  Until you get the steps down of a PMR, it may be helpful to listen to one on a recording (Like this one available by Brigham Young University).

If you want to read one over, try something basic like this (Example taken from http://www.amsa.org/healingthehealer/musclerelaxation.cfm)

Step 1. Assume a comfortable position. You may lie down; loosen any tight clothing, close your eyes and be quiet.

Step 2. Assume a passive attitude. Focus on yourself and on achieving relaxation in specific body muscles. Tune out all other thoughts.

Step 3. Tense and relax each muscle group as follows:

•   Forehead - Wrinkle your forehead, try to make your eyebrows touch your hairline for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Eyes and nose - Close your eyes as tightly as you can for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Lips, cheeks and jaw - Draw the centers of your mouth back and grimace for five seconds. Relax. Feel the warmth and calmness in your face. 


•   Hands - Extend your arms in front of you. Clench your fists tightly for five seconds. Relax. Feel the warmth and calmness in your hands. 


•   Forearms - Extend your arms out against an invisible wall and push forward with your hands for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Upper arms - Bend your elbows. Tense your biceps for five seconds. Relax. Feel the tension leave your arms. 


•   Shoulders - Shrug your shoulders up to your ears for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Back - Arch your back off the floor for five seconds. Relax. Feel the anxiety and tension disappearing. 


•   Stomach - Tighten your stomach muscles for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Hips and buttocks - Tighten your hip and buttock muscles for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Thighs - Tighten your thigh muscles by pressing your legs together as tightly as you can for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Feet - Bend your ankles toward your body as far as you can for five seconds. Relax. 


•   Toes - Curl your toes as tightly as you can for five seconds. Relax.

Step 4. Focus on any muscles which may still be tense. If any muscle remains tense, tighten and relax that specific muscle three or four times.

Step 5. Fix the feeling of relaxation in your mind. Resolve to repeat the process again.

DEEP BREATHING: In this type of breathing, you should feel it more in your stomach than your chest. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get the perfect technique down, rather focus on the breaths and how it makes your body feel less tense and more relaxed

Try 1-to-2 breathing to reduce stress: Inhale for a count of 3 or 4 then exhale for a count of 6 or 8. Take 4 breaths this way.

Try the “Let Go” technique: Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, think of the words “LET GO.” Try taking four let go breaths, lengthening the exhale each time. Try to visualize yourself letting go of the stress, tension, anger and negativity, while breathing in positive energy, calmness, and peace.

VISUALIZATION:  Try the "One-Minute Vacation" technique

When you have the opportunity, take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel relaxed and comfortable. For example, picture yourself on the beach, with the sound of waves and seagulls and the warm sun on your face, or picture yourself tucked beneath a warm soft comforter on a cold winter day with your head gently supported by a pillow.  Notice all the details of this place, including pleasant sounds, smells, and temperature. Visualization works best if you incorporate as many sensory details as possible, using at least three of your senses.  Imagining a quiet scene can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation.  

Visualization can be really helpful with sleep problems.  I’m sure you’ve heard of “Counting Sheep”—This technique is really based on visualizing!  Picture each sheep (insert favorite animal here) jumping over a fence, which requires mindfulness and ideally distracts you from other racing thoughts.  You can also try counting as high as possible, visualizing each number in your head, tracing the outline of their shape.

STRETCH:  Interlace your fingers behind your lower back.  Draw your knuckles down toward the floor, relaxing your shoulder blades. Take a breath. Try lowering your ear to your right shoulder, then to your left

LISTEN TO MUSIC:  Everyone has different tastes, so pick out something you find soothing and relaxing, and prioritize 10-20 minutes of your day to just sit or lay down and listen. This may mean telling your children they can’t bother you for a specific amount of time, turning off your cell phone, and closing yourself into a comfy space. Try to really focus on the sounds—how do they make you feel, what happens to the tension in your body? You will notice you mind drifting. Simply acknowledge your thoughts, but let them pass and return concentration to the music.

I recently had a massage with the Karunesh Joy Of Life album in the background, and found it to be extremely relaxing! Listen now to Morning Celebration from the album.

THINK POSITIVE, BE GRATEFUL:  It’s hard to see the positives in every day life when you’re stressed; especially when it feels like everything is going wrong! It’s easy to pick out all of the negatives and feel hopeless. So take a few minutes of each day to appreciate and feel grateful for the positive people/things/situations that cross your path.  Try writing them down in a journal, or keeping a running list on your office desk. These moments may seem like small events, but they can often raise your energy and spirits and help you begin to see things in a new, more balanced way.

Examples of positive moments:

•   A driver who stops to let you through traffic

•   A call from a friend

•   Cuddling up with a pet

•   Biting into a tasty meal or sweet treat

•   A fresh crisp breeze

•   The sun on your face

•   Enjoying a laugh

•   Receiving a compliment

By the end of reading this blog, you should feel like this!