Two stress relief methods I can’t do without
I’ve been reading, writing, and talking about stress for quite a while now. Still, after seeing numerous lists of stress relief methods, my favorites remain the same.
Here are my life-saving tools to keep my stress levels in control, spiced up with some scientific background to explain how they work.
1. Nature
Nature is one of the best medicines I know. It doesn’t need to be an exhausting hike on the mountains — just a little walk outside the city will do. Observing the trees, animals, and plants is an excellent distraction for the brain, offering me a free mindfulness course without even trying. Getting out of my head and focusing on my surroundings is like having a little vacation from my thoughts.
Obviously, I’m not the only one. Numerous studies have confirmed the stress relieving power of forests. A 2010 study published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine found that participants’ blood pressure, cortisol levels, and sympathetic nerve activity lowered down in the nature compared to those who walked in a city environment.
Why is that? Some suggest that disconnecting from our smartphones explains it, whereas others believe we relax in natural surroundings because we evolved there. Interestingly, researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in England scanned healthy adults’ brain activity while they were listening to different soundscapes.
They found out that listening to nature sounds was associated with more external-focused attention compared to artificial sounds. Inward-focused attention often includes ruminating and worrying about the things that are stressing us out, and listening to artificial soundscapes seemed to activate that kind of thinking — at least more than nature sounds did.
“Getting out of one’s head” in nature is not so far from the truth.
2. Yoga
Somehow yoga has sneaked into my life by evolving from a casual hobby into a practice that I’ll continue doing as long as I can move my limbs. Yoga keeps me fit, flexible, strong, and it takes care of my sanity. Worries and possible body aches all melt away during the practice — my stress gets magically sucked away by my yoga mat. I’m not even exaggerating.
Feeling the benefits in my body and mind, I was curious to look into the scientific side of it to know the why’s and how’s of the phenomenon. Luckily it has been studied quite a lot recently, possibly because of the megatrend the ancient practice has become in the Western world.
As this Harvard article lists, many studies are confirming the stress-related benefits that yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation practice can have. It not only reduces inflammation and decreases the levels of stress hormones in the body, but it also slows down cellular aging. One study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience examined the effects of a three-month yoga retreat. As a result, the participants felt less depressed, less anxious, and had fewer physical symptoms.
Yoga slows down the harmful effects of chronic stress, especially when the practice includes more than poses: that’s why breathing exercises and meditation are a part of my practice as well. From my own experience with yoga during the last couple of years, I don’t have any reason to doubt the results of the studies mentioned above.
How to reap the benefits of both things on my list?
Easy. Take yoga outdoors.
What are your ways to relax and kick the excessive stress out of your body?
Thanks for reading!
In case you enjoyed reading this, you’ll find more wellness and stress-related articles on my profile and INME Health Publication. Oh, and a couple of claps make me always happy! Feel free to comment, discuss or disagree — interaction is where the learning happens.
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