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Do you feel like you’ve tried every possible way to deal with stress? Check out our list, maybe you will find something useful in it to deal with daily overload.
Are you already suffocating from lavender candles, have tried all the poses in yoga, but you still can’t relieve stress? Maybe it’s time to try something new. An overview of not-so-banal stress relief techniques.
1. Breathing exercises
“When we are stressed, our breathing speeds up and carbon dioxide levels in the blood decrease, and this, in turn, leads to a feeling of stress,” says David Lewis, neuroscientist and creator of the Bo-Tau breathing technique.
These breathing exercises, even the simplest ones, help to reduce the average number of inhalations and exhalations from 12–14 per minute to three, making breathing calm and deep. Five seconds – inhale, the next five seconds – hold your breath, then slowly exhale for ten seconds.
Breathing exercises lower the heart rate and stimulate alpha wave activity, which is an indication of a relaxed state. These waves are most active in the state of relaxed wakefulness.
2. Benefits of green tea
Chinese experts have found that the polyphenols found in green tea reduce the damage that stress does to the brain and increase the levels of calming chemicals in our bodies. How to brew green tea? For maximum relaxation, experts suggest using loose tea and brewing it in a transparent teapot to see the beauty of the movement and patterns that are born when the tea leaves open.
Physical contact with a loved one contributes to the production of the anti-stress hormone oxytocin.
Tea is brewed for one to three minutes, and in addition to the benefits of green tea, you will get the opportunity to meditate a little, because watching tea leaves swirling in a teapot is ideal for this.
3. Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola rosea increases the level of serotonin, a hormone responsible for good mood, so the plant is often used to combat stress. Recent studies at Uppsala University in Sweden have shown that Rhodiola rosea also lowers levels of cortisol, a hormone produced during stress, and increases a person’s ability to focus quickly, even in those who have been diagnosed with burnout.
“Rhodiola rosea is easier for the body to absorb when taken with herbs that improve digestion,” says Shabir Dayar, a pharmacist at Victoria Health, a health cosmetics company. He recommends taking Rhodiola rosea as a supplement with a meal containing black or cayenne pepper.
4. Physical contact with a loved one
According to research from the University of Zurich, physical contact with a loved one contributes to the production of the anti-stress hormone oxytocin. If you have a hard day ahead, ask a partner or close friend to hold your hand, hug you, and give you a light massage. Ten minutes will be enough for your body to cope with stress.
5. Watch your weight
The more you weigh, the more stressed you are. “Cortisol, a stress hormone, affects the frontal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for thinking and making choices, reducing cognitive function,” said Dr. Lillian Mujika-Parodi of New York’s Stony Brook University. There is a dependence: the more weight, the more cortisol is produced, the worse we cope with stress.
6. Chew gum
Professor Andrew Scoli of the University of Melbourne, Swinburne, found that chewing gum lowered cortisol levels and reduced anxiety. He believes that the process of chewing gum stimulates the mental abilities of a person, making him more stress-resistant.
The more fat your breakfast contains, the worse your body’s response to stress will be throughout the day.
“Perhaps the process of chewing reminds us of moments when a person is relaxed, such as dinner.” And the faster you chew, the calmer you become. According to Japanese research, rapid chewing reduces cortisol levels by 25,8% in 20 minutes.
7. Slow walks
The faster we walk, the more we are exposed to stress, according to experts at the University of California. Can’t bring yourself to slow down? Try meditating while walking. Just pay more attention to the physical process of walking. Walk slowly, noting to yourself every movement: “raised your leg”, “lowered your leg”. Focus entirely on what you are doing, not what is going on around you.
8. Healthy breakfast
The more fat your breakfast contains, the worse your body’s response to stress will be throughout the day. Dr. Tavis Campbell of the University of Calgary found that people who ate fast food or fatty foods for breakfast had high blood pressure and their hearts beat faster during times of stress than those who ate a healthy breakfast of porridge or yogurt.
“Even if you eat a fatty meal once, the elasticity of your arteries will decrease, leading to an increased body response to a stressful situation.”