4 Stress Busters to Help Calm an Anxious Mind
One of the reasons that I am so drawn to mindful living is that I am a naturally anxious person. I have tried to be a flawlessly easy-going person many times, but it is not my temperament. Instead, I have to make a concerted effort when I feel myself begin slipping into an anxiety spiral, choosing to intentionally practice actions that decrease my stress.
While everyone has their own ways of bringing joy and ease into their lives, I have found that there are a few stress busters that work for most, if not all, people.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress:
Put on music
I love listening to audiobooks and podcasts, but when I am feeling anxious, the last thing I need is more noise. I don’t want more words, more voices, more thinking. I don’t want more tips or advice. In fact, I need to get out of my head.
Music works differently. In fact, when my husband comes home to me listening to James Blunt, he knows that it’s been a tough day. And it’s not just my experience, research supports the fact that music reduces anxiety, and it can even make our brains younger!
Find what works for you. Maybe it’s classical music, jazz, pop, or heavy metal. It doesn’t matter what style of music; find music that makes you forget the past or the future, and instead brings you into the present. If it makes you sing or dance too, even better.
Get outside
A little time in nature can make a drastic difference in our moods, especially for those of us who spend much of our days at a screen. The amount of time we spend outside today is much less than we did in the past.
Source: U.S. Study Shows Widening Disconnect with Nature, and Potential Solutions
Research consistently shows that time in nature benefits us. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed, just walk out your front door. Feel the fresh air, listen to the sound of wind blowing through the trees, smell the flowers, watch the ripples in water. Maybe even challenge yourself to get a certain number of hours outside each day, week, or year. Take up nature journaling or bird watching, join an outdoor yoga class, answer emails in a park, join a hiking club, or take your family to the beach.
Move
Listening to music can help with this one. I will always remember dancing in the kitchen, with my firstborn strapped to me in the carrier, as a new mom. I would be trying to make dinner, I was exhausted, my baby was fussy, and nothing else was working, so I would ask Alexa to play music and dance. Usually we were both soothed, but even when we weren’t, I was given more energy to keep going.
Studies consistently report that movement benefits mental health. It doesn’t have to be complicated either. You can dance, exercise, do yoga, or take a simple walk outside.
Breathe
The breath is one of the most powerful tools we have. The state of our breath corresponds to the state of our physical and mental body. Unless we are intentional about it, our breath often follows our mood, but our mood can also follow our breath.
When we breathe deeply and purposefully, we activate our parasympathetic nervous system which tells our bodies that we are safe–the opposite of the fight or flight system. The deeper we breathe, the calmer we feel. A breath practice doesn’t have to be challenging. Intentional breathing can be done in meditation, through movement or singing, or as part of a focused breathwork practice.
One of my favorite stress releasing breaths is the audible exhale. To do this breath, you breathe in deeply through your nose, then open your mouth and sigh as you exhale. This breath can make you feel self-conscious at first, but once you give yourself permission to fully practice it without reservation, it feels wonderful.
The Takeaway
Some people are naturally easy going, and others, like me, are more prone to anxiety and stress. Regardless, we can all benefit from a reliable stress busting toolbox. Next time you feel yourself slipping into a stress cycle, try these anxiety reducing tips to bring balance and lightness back into your day: put on music, get outside, move, and breathe. And when you’re feeling extra stressed, try combining all four.
Which stress buster is your favorite?
