Top Tips to Reduce Stress Levels
When I talk about stress, I look at it from 2 different aspects.
First of all, there is the story, that is going on in our heads, that is the thoughts and beliefs that that are ruminating in the mind, triggering the stress reaction and manifesting then, in physical symptoms. Managing this physical state is what I am going to focus on here.
My top tip to manage your physical state in stressful times is to get in some Aerobic Exercise.
What do I mean by Aerobic exercise?
By aerobic exercise, I mean physical activity sustained for a period of 20-30 minutes or longer, enough to raise your heart rate for a sustained length of time. Good examples of aerobic exercise are walking, running, cycling or swimming. Try to get in 20-30 minutes at least 3 to 4 times per week to really help reduce your stress levels.
What is the impact of Aerobic Exercise on Stress levels?
Aerobic Exercise has a 2-fold impact. Firstly, it suppresses the release of Cortisol in the body. Cortisol is our stress neurochemical. When we have a lot of Cortisol in the body, we feel very stressed and the impact of going to bed with all of this cortisol still in the body is that it keeps us awake at night. WE may get to sleep but when we come into the light sleep, the cortisol with wake us up and we will start ruminating and thinking about all of the things that are driving our stress levels in the first place. Implementing a good aerobic exercise programme will greatly help to supress the release of this stress neurochemical.
The second impact it that aerobic exercise stimulates the release of our feel-good neurochemicals Dopamine and Serotonin in the body. Not only will these neurochemicals dilute the amount of Cortisol we have they will also help us to feel better and as Serotonin is our happy neurochemical it is so important that we do as much as we can to keep up the serotonin levels in the body.
My second tip is to spend some time in nature; to spend some real quality time in nature absorbing the natural surroundings.
How can we do this to achieve maximum benefit?
The secret is to separate out the senses. We have 5 senses and is it very easy to get sensory overload so by separating out the senses, we take in much more.
How can we do this?
Have a think about an area close to you where there is an abundance of nature; maybe it's your back garden or maybe there is a park close to where you live or work, or maybe you live near the sea. Wherever it is, try to take some time out and get yourself fully immersed in the natural surroundings.
Now separate out your senses. Start with the visual i.e. Your eyes. What can you see? Look around you and really focus in on the array of colours that you can see. Try to absorb all the beautiful colors of nature. You will be amazed what you can see when you shut off the other senses temporarily.
Now move on to the second sense, hearing. What can you hear? Maybe it's the birds singing or the whistling of the leaves in the trees or maybe if you're by the sea it's the sound of the ocean or the sea birds. Give yourself a few minutes to absorb all the sounds. If you are comfortable with it, you can lower your gaze or even close your eyes to intensify the sounds around, you.
Next move on to the third sense, smell. What can you smell? Maybe it's the smell of damp leaves or the salty sea or the freshly cut grass. Again take a few minutes to take in all the natural smells and really enjoy them.
Now move on to the 4th sense, taste. What can you taste? Maybe you can still taste the coffee you had in the morning. Again, give yourself a few minutes to absorb the tastes. Lastly what can you feel? Maybe you can feel the breeze against your face, or you can feel your clothes touching the skin or the solid ground under your feet as you walk along.
Lastly put all the senses together and take a few really deep breaths breathing in natural fresh air, exhaling long and slow exhalations. Immerse yourself in your surroundings.
Spending time in nature also releases our feel-good neurochemicals Serotonin and Dopamine helping us to feel happier and more grounded.
Why not try these two simple tips to get yourself started?
If you would like to know more about my Coaching for Stress and Overwhelm programme click on the link here.
