NATURALLY HELPING YOURSELF IN TIME OF CRISIS

Who’s stressed out, raise your hands. Okay, I see tons of hands up and let’s face it, we’re all probably feeling incredibly stressed out right now, and many of us had enough problems, to begin with, then the coronavirus and the current civil unrest made things even worse.

So many of us don’t even know where to start when it comes to getting help, but there’s plenty of areas you can start with yourself. CNN has listed several good ways to keep your head during these unprecedented times, and they’re good habits to keep when things get better. 

Getting in Shape

The first on CNN’s list is “get enough exercise,” adding, “If you had to choose just one thing to do to better your mental and physical health, choose to exercise on a regular basis.” Exercising gets your blood going to your brain, “especially areas like the amygdala and hippocampus – which both have roles in controlling motivation, mood, and response to stress.” It also releases the important “feel-good hormones,” namely our endorphins. 

And it doesn’t take a heavy-duty exercise routine to feel better. As one expert explains, “A brisk walk, jog, or bike ride can help keep you calm and healthy during these uncertain times.” 

Getting the Right Amount of Rest

Exercise helps your sleep pattern and sleep quality. It’s a good idea to set up a good sleep routine, including calming yourself down before you go to sleep. Don’t watch TV, turn off your smartphone, take a warm bath, read a book, listen to calming music, there are many things you can do that can make your sleep so much better. 

Many experts also recommend going to bed and waking up at the same time and having a regular sleep schedule. To make sure you can get to sleep better, stay away from nicotine and coffee, even as early as the midafternoon. You’ll also want to take care of the room temperature, make sure it’s nice and cool, reportedly 60 to 67 degrees is the best. 

Also, make sure you really sleep in the dark too. Keep off your cell phones and computers. You may want to consider using an eye-mask to make sure all light is kept out, and during the day, “try to get good exposure to natural light since that will help regulate your circadian rhythm.”

Remember the Breathing Exercises

So many of us right now are forgetting to breathe normally, in fact, many of us are probably hyperventilating right now, but as one expert reminds us, “Learning breathwork lets you know that you have an ability to physiologically calm yourself.” Doing the right breathing techniques can also change your brain. As the source explains, “I used to do neurofeedback, which is brainwave training…after doing breathwork with them, you could see the massive changes in the brain. It also lowered blood pressure.” 

Also recommended right now, and you can look these up on YouTube, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong are all very recommended to feel better and bring balance. You can learn meditation techniques online as well, and these are all excellent ways to try and keep our heads during troubling times. 

And the best part of all of this with naturally helping yourself as CNN puts it? “No doctor’s note required.”