by Sarah Womer
When nothing seems to go as planned and you’re doing your best to feign sanity, here are six ways to combat the inevitable stress that happens to the best of us:
1: BREATHE
Granted this is one of the more popular stress-busting techniques out there and with good reason: it works! By focusing on breathing you are not focusing on your problems. You are also oxygenating your body—an act imperative to function highly and intelligently (oxygen is brain food you know). And, while I know this isn’t the main selling point, deep breathing isn’t as obvious and attention drawing as, say, doing a yoga pose in the middle of the office of a health practitioner. There are many other good reasons to try deep breathing but those are a few: good for the body, good for the mind, good for the spirit, and no one will notice a thing other than how amazingly calm you have remained despite it all.
2: SMILE
Smiling is the last thing you want to do sometimes but it can really improve your mood. Smiling automatically triggers the stimulation and production of happy receptors and hormones in the brain. When the muscles contract into a smile on your face serotonin and dopamine are released into your body which helps calm a person and elevate their mood. It’s a physiological response that will drastically improve your coping ability and all you have to do is fake a grin! You might even be surprised to find that after a few seconds (try 10) you will really want to smile (it’s all a little funny isn’t it?).
3: LAUGH
And how can you smile without breaking into laughter? Well, I suppose it is possible if you are upset enough but laughter stimulates the same physical responses that smiling does. Maybe it will seem like you’re “cracking up” in a bad way but laughter can be contagious. Sometimes it only takes one person laughing in a chaotic situation to get everyone else involved in a giggling fit! The sheer insanity or even just the stupidity of a situation can become crystal clear with the right change in emotion. If you’re really upset, force an annoyed laugh — the kind you would let out if you thought a joke was terrible— maybe a “HA HAAA” with little emotion behind it. Then add an extra “HA” for effect. Still nothing? Keep faking until either you start really laughing or someone asks you just what it is you’re doing. Then perhaps when you articulate it, you will realize just how silly the whole thing is and, barring a real laugh, release the anger.
4: YELL
Yelling doesn’t always work as a stress-buster — not something that should be attempted in the middle of a public place — but sometimes it can be so cathartic in such an instantaneous manner that it would be absolutely unfair not to mention it! Of course there are many ways to yell but the kind that will help most is the completely incoherent really loud kind of yell. The best way to yell is to try and get everyone else involved in the chaos to yell with you. Try enlisting yelling buddies with a simple, “Let’s all just get it out — let’s yell as hard as we can RIGHT NOW.” Then contort your face and stick out your tongue and use as many facial muscles as possible, pump the volume up as high as can go and go wild! Either you will feel relief from just letting it out or realize how silly it is you got frustrated enough to want to make such a ridiculous face and yell really loud that you will not even want to be stressed any longer. It doesn’t matter if you choose to yell alone or with others around, it’ll help either way.
5: SING
Hum a tune, sing a song — just make some music with your mouth. You can make up a song about what is frustrating, you can pick a song you know all the lyrics to, you can just hum a tune that makes you happy, or any other happy thing that may occur to you! Music is healing whether it is hardcore punk rock or soft and soothing classical Beethoven. Use this healing to your advantage and sing a song — loudly if you like, quietly if you must, but sing it nonetheless. Like deep breathing, this is taking your focus off of whatever is frustrating and putting it into the creation of music. Additionally, music is soothing and pleasant to the mind, so it helps create the representative physiological state in the body!
6: TOUCH
Touch doesn’t have to mean tactile — it can mean emotional as well. When things are really frustrating, you can help make them better by asking for a hug, kiss, or maybe just a hi-five. You can extend a compliment, a thank you, or an“I Love You.” Tensions can get so high and interactions so competitive that depending on the person and the relationship, it is good to break the escalation with touch! If it is between child and parent, a hug can instantly melt the ice growing. If it is between siblings, an “I Love You” can shock the argument to a standstill. A personal favorite is to stop and say, “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot here — can I give you a hug?” Even if the person disagrees about the footing, most can’t resist a hug (or aren’t cruel enough to turn you away)
When we’re at home in our element, figuring out what coping mechanism will help is much easier — we can leave the room and find some solitude, we can cry, write, throw up our hands in frustration or anything, really. But when we are out in public places, the harsh judgments of others can make some of our methodologies catch scornful glances or critical remarks—the last thing you need when you’re stressed.
Stress happens. Instead of stuffing it down, most of the simple tools listed above will be employable at any time in any place. Find your place of peace amidst the trials and tribulations of life. May your stress levels subside and your life become easier by the smile.
Tags: children, conscious parenting, exercise, Family, Food, Health, holidays, Homeschooling, Living Food, love, nature, organic, organization, parenthood, Raw food, raw mom, thoughts, Tips for Moms, women, Yoga
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