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Two techniques that work to relax the mind when we feel overwhelmed
Learning to control our breathing and relax our muscles is key during confinement
During these days of confinement that we live, caused by the coronavirus crisis, many have turned to taking care of the body. So they are trying harder than ever to eat healthy and exercise regularly, even when they can’t leave the house.
But, although these types of reservations are very important, many times we forget another essential factor: taking care of our mind. Although to attend to our mind we must also take care of our physical health, with the establishment of routines, a healthy diet to maintain communication with family and friends and avoid sedentary lifestyle, we must also, at times, focus attention on how we feel and what we think.
Alba Amengual, a psychologist specializing in family therapy at the Centta Institute, explains that during quarantine it is more than likely that “we feel overwhelmed at some point.” The professional comments that it is important to identify the symptoms that anxiety can cause us, such as “palpitations, sweating, chest tightness, shortness of breath or rapid breathing.” In order to avoid these symptoms and help “calm the mind”, we can introduce breathing and relaxation exercises into our routine. Even so, he assures that “we do not have to wait to suffer these symptoms to practice exercises.” The ideal is to introduce these exercises as part of our routines. For this reason, although there is no one time to perform them more recommended than another, it is important to always do them at the same time of day, in order to facilitate turning it into a daily habit. “There are experts who recommend doing them in the morning, since you can be freer of the worries that are generated throughout the day, however, doing them before bed can also help improve conciliation and the quality of sleep”, comments the psychologist.
Controlled breaths
First, Alba Amengual recommends a basic breathing exercise. He comments that proper control of this is a “simple and effective” strategy that helps us not only to regulate “the increase in physiological activation that occurs as a result of stressful situations”, but also to promote greater oxygenation of the blood , allowing our body to function properly.
The aim of this exercise is to get a deeper breath, to “try to bring the air to the lower part of the lungs, so that the diaphragm contracts, presses the abdomen and it rises.”
What should we do to start practicing this type of breathing?
1. The first recommendation is perform this exercise lying downs. Once we become familiar with it, we can do it standing up.
2. We must close our eyes and place a hand on our abdomen, positioning the little finger just above the navel. In this way we can notice if our abdomen rises with every breath.
3. Once placed, we must breathe in through the nose and count to three. As we breathe in, our belly should fill with air. Afterwards, we must breathe out through your mouth whileAgain, we count to three. There should be a pause of a second or two between cycles.
«It is important to remember that inspirations should not be too deep», Says the professional.
Progressive muscle relaxation
The second exercise that the psychologist proposes consists of tense certain parts of the body and then relax them. With this, the objective is to go through our entire body, managing to relax it completely.
To begin, we must make the tour passing, one by one, through all the muscle groups. Thus, we can start with the thighs, buttocks, calves and feet; then we focus on the chest, stomach and lumbar region; after that we must tense and relax hands, forearms and biceps; we end up with head, face, and neck, and focus on the forehead, nose, eyes, jaw, lip, and tongue.
Alba Amengual warns of the importance of avoiding “tensing or moving those muscles on which we have already worked.” Once we finish the complex exercise, we can freeze a couple of minutes enjoying the state of complete relaxation.
What activities should we avoid?
Alba Amengual, a psychologist specializing in family therapy at Instituto Centta, lists which activities increase our level of anxiety during confinement and we should avoid as much as possible:
— We should not consult excessively information related to the pandemic. “It’s important to stay informed, but overexposure can cause distress and discomfort,” he says.
– We must also avoid the use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. “It may seem that at a given moment they help to disconnect from some emotions such as fear or sadness, but they end up worsening the mood and can lead to abuse or addiction problems.”
– Although it is complicated, it is important minimize sedentary lifestyle, since it also has emotional consequences, in addition to other physical health conditions. «It is related to stress and apathy. It is important to carry out some physical activity or stretching, adapted to each age and personal situation, and that we avoid spending a lot of time in the same position, “he says.
If what we are looking for in an activity something more complex than these two techniques, Javier Fominaya Eguia, physical activity coordinator at Metropolitan Bilbao Isozaki gives other options: yoga, meditation, stretching or Pilates can be the formula perfect to combine both concepts: sport and well-being. The expert explains that getting them used to doing any of these exercises “will improve our mood and allow us, for a while, to be focused only on our well-being and on enjoying that personal moment that we are dedicating ourselves to.”
For her part, Ana Amengual Durante also encourages us to do these exercises and explains that if we want to practice yoga “We can find videos and classes online quite easily.” However, he warns that, if we do not have the supervision of someone with experience, it is important “that we listen to our body and be aware of where our limit is at a physical level to avoid injury.”