When discussing a health condition like heart disease, it’s important to talk about the symptoms, treatments, and interventions, but it’s just as important to back up and know what can help prevent heart disease. When discussing mental health conditions like stress, we do the same thing by backing up and talking about stress management.
There are many definitions for stress, but in simplest terms, stress is a normal reaction the body has when changes occur. Our stress response is an adaptive process causing our bodies to mobilize for something.
For example, when you’re driving down the highway and the car next to you veers into your lane, you have to quickly swerve out of the way and honk your horn. Your stress response is activated to mobilize you into action. Your adrenaline and cortisol levels spike, which causes your heart to race, breathing to quicken, and your attention to be hypervigilant. Maybe you pull off the road or wait until you get to your destination to take some deep breaths, remind yourself that you’re okay, and get your body back down to equilibrium. This is what we call an acute stressor.
Acute stressors are short-lived stressors that activate your stress response and then allow your body to come back down to equilibrium. Acute stressors can sometimes even be motivating, like an upcoming job interview or a big game. Your adrenaline gives you energy to prepare and perform as needed.
Chronic stressors are big, long-term stressors that can keep you in a prolonged stress response. This could be things like the loss of a loved one, unsafe home life, divorce, trauma, or a pandemic. When our bodies get stuck in our stress response, this can have negative effects on our bodies and our brains. Chronic stress can lead to a weakened immune system, high blood sugar or blood pressure, tense muscles or fatigue, changes in eating or sleeping habits, headaches or stomachaches, increased alcohol or drug use, and increased depression or anxiety. In fact, high stress levels are the number on trigger for depression.
It’s safe to say, over this last year, many of us have experienced chronic stress at some point.
Although we don’t always have control over things that cause us stress, we do have control over how we manage our stress and what we do to cope. Stress relievers and coping skills look different for each person. Activities like exercise, creative self-expression, distraction activities, and self-care all good places to start.
One evidence-based way to relieve stress, improve mood, increase focus, and improve sleep is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is simply slowing down, breathing deeply, and focusing your attention or noticing something nonjudgmentally. Those new to mindfulness might be intimated by it – learning new things is tough!
Here are 5 mindfulness activities for stress relief to get you started.
Grounding: 5 Senses
If you’re able, sit comfortably or lie down and take a few slow, deep breaths while completely relaxing your body, releasing any tension. Start looking around the room and notice five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. You can say these things out loud or inside your thoughts. This brings will bring you into the present moment.
Square Breathing
Stand, sit, or lay comfortably and start to take a few slow, deep breaths. You’ll use your finger to trace a square either in the air or down on a table or on your lap. As you trace your finger to the right, breathe in for four seconds; as you trace your finger down, hold for four seconds; as you trace your finger to the left, exhale for four seconds; and as you trace your finger back up to complete the square, hold for four seconds. Continue square breathing, with equal time spent inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding for as long as you would like or until you feel relaxed and ready to continue your day.
Color Game
Get comfortable and begin taking a few slow, deep breaths. Think of a color and look around the room noticing everything you see that is the color you chose. You can say these things out loud or in your thoughts. Once you’ve noticed everything in that color, you can choose a different color to start noticing as you scan the room.
Body Scan
Find a comfortable spot where you can sit or lay in a completely supported position. Close your eyes or lower your gaze, and begin taking slow, deep breaths and bringing your attention to your breath and your body. Imagine there is a ball of warm light at the top of your head and allow it to slowly move down your body. As it moves, take your time in noticing tension or tightness and completely release the tension before moving to your next body part. Start from the very tip of your head and make your way down to the tips of your toes. If you want to continue, start back at the top of your head and do another body scan.
Guided Meditation
There are some great apps like Headspace and Calm that provide guided meditations you can listen to. You can also find guided meditations on YouTube or Spotify. Guided meditations can be particularly helpful for those new to mindfulness or who have trouble focusing their attention on things and slowing down. Having the structure of someone telling you what to focus can allow you to relax.
Need help dealing with your stress? Call the Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line at 972-525-8181, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to speak with a trained navigator for guidance, information, resources, and support, including mental health and addiction services matched to your needs. Call for yourself or for someone you know. Se habla Español.
If you’re in crisis, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
By Cami Fields, LMSW
Director of Outreach and Education