Four Ways to Live a Little Less Stressed
Photo by Binja69Photo by Paul Wence from Pixabay
Meditation is one effective way to combat stress.
School, jobs, homework and even people can be stressful and annoying. Finding ways to escape those things can be hard. However, there are many ways you can relax without having to do a lot.
Here is a manageable list of how to make your 2019 a relaxed and less stressful year:
Breathe
Sometimes when the things and people in your life are annoying, all you want to do is scream and cry. However, the best thing you can do is take a big deep breath. This is the easiest distressor as everyone can breathe, and you do not have to go out, get things, or move to do it. All you have to do is breathe.
When you take big deep breaths, it helps lower blood pressure and heart rate, relaxes the muscles and body, and signals the body that it is time to take a chill pill. Easy and effective.
Lighting a Candle
Find a candle with a “trigger scent.”
Grab a lighter and light that candle. Candles are scientifically proven to soothe the mind, body, and soul. Everyone has trigger scents which take us back to a memory or state of mind where we were less stressed and more relaxed. When you can, use the candle continuously when you’re stressed as it will signal your body it is time to relax whenever it’s lit. A scent we all know, Lavender. Lavender has always been used in aromatherapy, and research shows that lavender lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and helps with anxiety.
Exercise
After a long day of school or work, you get home, and all you feel is trashy and lousy. Exercising may be your best option. Aerobic exercise provides a calming sense and a way to reduce stress and depression. Mentally, exercise reduces stress hormones. It also triggers the production of endorphins, chemicals found in your brain that can bring about a good mood or feeling. As Dr. Natasha claims in her book The Hormone Boost, “As your waistline shrinks and your strength and stamina increase, your self-image will improve.”
Meditation
Meditation is a mental exercise that helps everyone stay in touch with themselves. This process of relaxation leads to slower and deeper breathing, which promotes relaxation. There are different meditation practices, but to meditate is to generally take regular, slow, deep breaths and sit quietly.
As school and work continues, hopefully these tips can help the year go by quicker and less stressful.
Sergei is a sophomore at LRHS and staff writer for The Lancer Ledger. This is his first year writing for The Ledger. He is very vocal about his opinions...
