Stress management made simple: 5 rapid techniques for mental health
Self-care and mental health care are essential in today’s rushing world: you don’t need special equipment or a ton of time to use these techniques, just a few minutes to reduce your anxiety. Reduce stress, do something for yourself and have a quality life!
Breathing exercises
Wherever we are, our breath is always with us. We can observe that as our state of mind is, so is our breathing, and vice versa. It follows that just by consciously slowing down, and calming down our breathing, we can calm down too. There is a 4–7–8 breathing exercise, let’s try it! Get comfortable sitting or lying down! If sitting, straighten your spine, lower your shoulders and close your eyes! Then start the exercise with a deep sigh! Let go of all tension! Then inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts and exhale for 8 counts! Counting in your head or out loud also keeps your brain busy. If you do get distracted, go back to counting! Do four rounds of the breathing exercise!
Butterfly hug
Your body affects your thoughts and feelings, whether you know it or not. Therefore, it is important to be aware of your posture and movement. If you feel anxious, try Butterfly Hug to help calm your mind. It’s a fairly simple exercise and all you need is you!
Here’s how to get started:
1. Breathe naturally throughout the exercise!
2. Stand or sit up straight!
3. Form the hug: Cross your arms in front of your chest!
4. In this position, start moving your fingers, tapping softly on your chest, alternating between your right and left hands, for at least 30 seconds (you can do it for minutes if you feel comfortable)!
Relax during the exercise, even by checking your posture in the four steps above!
Emotional Freedom Technique: Tapping
Similar to acupuncture, EFT focuses on the meridian points — or energy hot spots — to restore balance to your body’s energy. It’s believed that restoring this energy balance can relieve symptoms a negative experience or emotion may have caused. It is about facing the fact and saying out loud that you are tense, but loving and accepting yourself at the same time. All the while, we tap on different parts of the hand, head and torso with our index and middle fingers. This exercise takes only 2–5 minutes, but you will feel the effects immediately. EFT tapping can be divided into five steps:
1. Identify the problem
To make the technique effective, identify your current fear or problem and visualize it! This will be your focal point while tapping. It is important to focus on one problem at a time!
2. Rate your feelings of fear or pain on an intensity scale
Before tapping, rate the level of emotional and/or physical pain on a scale of 1 to 10, repeat this at the end of the process and compare the two results! Trust me, the effect will be measurable!
3. Creat a mantra
Before tapping, formulate a phrase or mantra that expresses the feelings generated by the problem and also supports your self-acceptance, e.g.: I don’t have a job right now, which makes me sad, but I am still valuable and accept myself! Repeat the sentence you created while doing the technique!
4. Tapping points for correct adaptation
Tap the following points 7–10 times from top to bottom and then from bottom to top while repeating the set phrase! You can stimulate with these points the major meridians of your body:
- side of hand sometimes referred to as “karate chop”
- top of head
- eyebrow
- side of the eye
- under the eye
- under the nose
- chin
- beginning of the collarbone
- under the arm
5. Don’t forget to test the level of discomfort after finishing the exercise
Self-massage
Of course, it’s even better if you can ask your partner to massage you, but it’s also possible to do it alone. Research has shown that a five-minute massage can effectively reduce stress. Relax, lower your shoulders, straighten your back and then start by massaging your left shoulder, arm and neck with your right hand! Do the same on the other side! Massage the scalp with the fingertips, then the back of the hand! Work our fingers carefully as well! Finally, if you still feel like it, spend some time on the soles of your feet! Before going to bed, a self-massage will help you fall into a deep sleep more quickly.
Sounds of the sea
There is perhaps no person on Earth who is not instantly relaxed by the sight of the sea, the sound of the water. Although we can’t travel at the moment, a video of the sea lapping against the waves can give us a similar feeling. You can find many of them on YouTube. Put it on full screen and for a few minutes, or until you calm down, take in the beauty!
References:
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/emotional-freedom-technique-eft
https://www.crowe-associates.co.uk/psychotherapy/butterfly-hug-method/
https://www.verywellmind.com/self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729
