Here are three simple ways to ease stress and shift state wherever you are and whenever you need.
Ten Deep Breaths
Why:
A stressed mind communes with the body and halts the long deep tidal breath that keeps our systems in balance. Have you noticed that you hold breath and contract parts of your body when you feel under pressure? For example and commonly: jaw, shoulders, eyes, belly, toes. Holding breath and breathing shallowly from the area of the chest, our physiology receives signals to be alert and tense.
It is in our power to send different signals and begin to calm and soothe our state. Breathing in, we contract and we expand; breathing out, we relax, there is a sense of dropping down and returning to rest.
How:
Start by breathing in deeply through the nose and exhaling a long and smooth breath. You might like to blow the air out through your mouth as if you were whistling, or to sigh out with an ‘aaahhh’ sound. Experiment, if you prefer exhaling through your nose, go ahead with that. See if you can naturally lengthen your exhale, completing the breath fully and expelling all the air.
It can take at least 10 breaths to bring the systems into balance and begin to feel the impact. Think of it as a reset for your inner thermostat. By bringing attention and awareness to our breathing [which occurs unconsciously for the most part] we have an opportunity to recalibrate the nervous system’s response to stress.
Humming
Why:
Humming helps shift your nervous system from sympathetic [fight or flight] to parasympathetic [rest and digest]. Both sounding and listening stimulate the vagus nerve and homeostatic response. Our own hum produces oxytocin [the ‘love hormone’], melatonin, endorphins and effects include a decrease in stress hormones [such as cortisol] Humming also greatly increases production of nitric oxide [NO], a signalling molecule which helps to increase blood flow, lower blood pressure and heart rate, plays a role in regulating hormone release and body temperature.
How:
This one might seem a little strange at first. Close your eyes, breathe in deeply through your nose and hum a low note. As you do, sense the vibrations in your nose, your lips, your head. Direct the hum to your nasal cavity whilst noticing where else you feel the vibrations. You might sound something like a bee buzzing. You could place your hands at your chest, belly or in your lap. Repeat x5 or x10 and notice if and how your state shifts. Excellent before a meeting, at the beginning of the day or anytime you feel out of sorts.
Grounding
Why:
Heightened stress and anxiety can lead us to space out and disassociate from our body. We become a ‘floating head’ and disconnect from how we feel and what we need in the moment. In a stressed state, we are likely to run low on energy resources and find ourselves reaching for stimulants to keep us going. Why not try to enliven and reconnect with your brain and body to shift state and reset.
How:
Try these simple grounding, energising and loosening movements at your desk or on your feet.
Ground down
Feel your sit bones rooting into your seat / feet grounded, wriggle feet, lift and spread your toes and let them softly land.
Reach up
Reach both arms up and interlace fingers, turn your palms up and stretch side to side a few times as you breathe steadily. Then release hands and circle the arms behind you, roll your shoulders three times one way and three times the other.
Massage and loosen
Using fingers gently smooth brow, massage temples and knead your knuckles at the masseter muscle connecting with lower jaw bone and cheekbones. Let your chin relax down and move your lower jaw side to side to loosen the jaw.
Roll your head
Roll your head in semi circles by drawing the right ear toward the right shoulder slowly, then tuck and roll chin towards chest and slowly over towards the other side. Continue side to side whilst parting lips and teeth and breathing steadily. At any moment, you might like to take a breath in and sigh the breath out.
Louise Wellby, Head of Content