Stay calm? How many times have you said that to yourself over the past four months? Between the pandemic and national protests, staying calm is no easy feat. However, your wellness and business depend on it. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to get back to center to tackle the challenges and stresses of the day.
- Take a deep breath. When you take a deep breath, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax.[1]
- Take a break. It can help to get away from work a short walk to destress and refocus. Outside of work, hobbies can be therapeutic to take your mind off of your worries. Exercise produces endorphins that can trigger positive feelings.
- Reach for CBD: Many Americans are turning to CBD (Cannabidiol) for stress. A recent survey on the use of CBD found that among those that use CBD, about 55% of those who have tried it say they used it to relax, and another 50% said they were looking for stress and anxiety relief.[2]
Destress with Meditation
Another way to destress is to take time during the day to meditate. When you meditate you focus your attention and clear your mind of thoughts to give you a sense of calm and peace and achieve balance. Physically, the relaxation response from meditation helps in a number of ways. It can help decrease metabolism, lower blood pressure and improve heart rate, breathing and brain waves. The body receives a quiet message to relax and that helps alleviate muscle tension and tightness.[3]
Also, some research suggests that by physically changing the brain, meditation could help boost the ability to process information, reduce inflammation, support the immune system, control the brain’s response to pain, improve sleep and more. However, more research is needed in these areas. [4]
Here are some tips for getting started with meditation
- Find a comfortable place to sit. It can be anywhere from sitting on chair or couch to sitting on the floor cross legged.
- Set a time limit. In the beginning you may want to set a short time, five or 10 minutes.
- Check in with yourself. Be aware of what’s on your mind or if you are feeling tired or anxious.
- Once you settle in, pay attention to your breathing. Follow as you breath in and out.
- Don’t worry if your mind wanders. Expect that it will. Let it wander then return to paying attention to your breathing.
- Don’t get involved with the thoughts that come to mind. Just come back to your place of calm and following your breathing.
Meditation isn’t going to be short-term. It’s something you can work throughout your life to keep inner peace, especially when things are happening that are out of your control.