Do you ever wish someone gave you a timeout? Those days when your inner voice sounds like a cranky toddler, it’s trying to tell you to do exactly that. Take a timeout! Even if it is just fifteen minutes, I want you to put yourself in a time out and read how fifteen minutes could change your outlook, mood or even your day.
We know self-care is critical not only to our emotional well being and to have a healthy mental outlook on life, but it also matters to us physically. Of course, you have to be healthy yourself to be able to care for others. But how? What is it we are supposed to do to shake off that funk? Here are some great ideas to try:
CATCH YOUR BREATH!
When we are stressed or in a panic mode we breathe short quick breaths. Our bodies go into a primitive fight or flight response. But it’s easy to flip that switch. And if you are mindful of breathing, you’ll soon have added it to your coping skills without even realizing it. Think of each breath as a square having four sides. Starting from the bottom left corner, you will count to four on the inhale. Along the top, hold for four. Then exhales as you follow the right side down for four. Finally, rest for four along the bottom. Now you are ready to do it again. Repeat four times. It’s the simplest way I know to instantly feel better.
RELAX!
Easier said than done for most of us, but relaxation is key. When our muscles relax they can absorb more oxygen, we’re able to breathe deeper, and if you relax the body the mind soon follows. Try this technique. It can be done seated or lying down.
Close your eyes and start to be conscious of the air-breathing in your nose, and out again. As soon as you become conscious of it you will start to breathe more deeply and evenly. Now start to focus on your toes, wiggle them and relax them. Now move up to your ankles roll them back and forth, relaxing them. Move up your whole body, relaxing each part as you go.
STRETCH!
Our Meridians are pathways for energy to flow through our bodies. In Asian cultures and many others, it is the energy that clears and keeps our life force healthy, our Chi. There are 12 main meridian pathways, and keeping them unblocked is more a process than an exercise but this stretch will help. Picture a line up the back of your legs, either side of your body, and down your arms. This is what you want to stretch. Sit on the floor and place your feet wide…not too wide, about 18-24 inches. First, lean over your left leg, and stay there for a count of 20. You can bend as far or as near as is comfortable. Repeat on right.
Sit straight and with your right hand holding your bent left elbow behind your head. As you stretch arch your whole core to the right. Repeat with the left hand on the right. You can do this stretch seated as well. Extend left leg and fold forward. Repeat on the Right. Fifteen Minutes that’s it, if you finished your stretches early, you can repeat them or just be still for the rest of the time.
EXERCISE!
It reduces the level of the body’s stress hormones, such as Adrenalin and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, the natural mood elevators. You can do a 15-minute yoga video, jump on the treadmill, or if the weather is cooperating take a bike ride. You can put on some dance music and do just that. Scientists are learning that exercise doesn’t have to be done in one long session but can be broken up to fifteen-minute increments and still be as beneficial. Google is your friend here, there are so many 15-minute workouts that you can customize it to whatever works for you. Again it’s all about you.
SMILE!
The act of smiling activates neural messaging that benefits our feelings of health.and happiness. The neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, are all released when a smile flashes across your face. These relax us with a feeling of well being, but it can also lower your heart rate, and in turn your blood pressure. Plus you look so much better when you smile, and you have fewer wrinkles too! When you smile odds are someone will smile back, increasing the feeling of well being even more. Like the lyrics to that old song, “smile and the whole world smiles with you”
READ!
Reading can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate. It has also been found to ease the tension in your muscles. And a study by researchers in the UK found reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. So grab a book or Kindle, or whatever it is you read, and set a timer!
HAVE A CUP OF TEA!
We have so many choices of teas, but here are a few you can try. Chamomile not only reduces anxiety and stress it is also great for insomnia, along with peppermint it relaxes muscles and reduces irritability. Lavender tea is another that has long been known for its calming qualities. But any tea, black tea, green tea, oolong, elevates the serotonin and dopamine levels because tea contains L-theanine, so take your pick. Even the process of making a cup of tea is calming!
SEND MAIL!
There are thought to be five love languages. They are words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. And writing a card or sending a letter may just be a little bit of each one. The idea is that we all experience love in our own unique way. Keep a place (or create one) that you can keep pretty cards and stamps, so it is easy. We all love to know we are being thought of. And one day you may just get a card back!
CRAFT!
Crafting can help those who suffer from anxiety, depression, or even chronic pain. It can also ease stress, increase happiness and protect the brain from damage caused by aging! Crafting has also been shown to aid in PTSD, no matter the craft. Activities like knitting and crocheting keep us centered because of its repetitive rhythmic motions. This helps manage pain and depression, controls stress which in turn strengthens our immune system. While fifteen minutes is not a ton of time to start a project, making something quick will give you a sense of accomplishment and may even inspire you to do another longer project when you can carve out more time.
MEDITATE!
Meditation affects the body in the exact opposite way that stress does. It triggers the body’s relaxation response. Stress reduction is one of the most common reasons people try meditation. It’s easy to meditate. You are training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. It’s great to meditate when you’re stressed, but regular meditation will reduce your cortisol levels too.
If you are a beginner you might want to start slow. Maybe 5-10 minutes. Don’t set a timer (you can peek at a clock if you must).
Lie down or sit, be comfy. Play soft music. Or don’t, it’s totally your call. Close your eyes, and begin to focus on your breathing. Don’t make your breath change, just pay attention. If you hear a car door slam, or a dog bark somewhere hear it and return your attention to your breath, just relax and breathe. Feel your breath. Relax, you are meditating. For a daily practice or when you’re more experienced you might go for more than fifteen minutes. There are a ton of “guided meditations” on the internet that can help walk you thru it. Google 15 minute meditations.
TAKE A WALK OUTSIDE!
Research in a growing scientific field called ecotherapy has shown a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety and depression, according to Harvard Medical school. When you walk outside be mindful to focus on nature and your natural surroundings. Notice the light and the smell of the air. Listen to the birds or the sound of the water if you are there, but even the sound of silence in nature is calming to us.
This can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Even looking at trees and greenery helps distract your mind from negative thinking, so your thoughts become less filled with worry. Even looking at pictures of nature settings, or your favorite spot or a place you want to visit can help. The type of natural setting is totally up to you! Fifteen minutes later you will be happy that you made the time.
TAKE A NAP!
Most people feel refreshed after a short nap. Twenty minutes (ok we are 5 minutes over the 15, but sometimes nothing else is better) and your body isn’t in a deep sleep, but a light sleep easy to wake and feel refreshed from. It also has many other benefits. Sleep experts have found naps can improve many things including reducing stress and boosting creativity. They also brighten your mood and reduce the risk of heart attacks, according to the National Institute of Health. Sleeping every day, however, could be the sign of a larger problem like sleep apnea. On average, 1-2 naps per week had the most benefit.
USE AFFIRMATIONS!
Affirmations are positive statements that can help you challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. Read them and believe them, and in yourself and you will change the way you think, and help you make positive changes. Self Affirmation can also help mitigate the effects of stress, and start to release you from fear worry and anxiety. Regularly read and used they actually will “ change the way you think” below is a small printable deck, use them at random, you can choose one each day, or get an affirmation calendar. Not only will it keep you current and present, but you can also start each day on a positive note!
I hope that you give some of these ideas a try, and maybe there was a thing or two you hadn’t thought about before. If you have a fifteen-minute way that you like to relieve the stress of life we’d love to know about it!