RELAX, RELATE, RELEASE
Photo Credit: Nappy.co
This article is adapted from the RELAX, RELATE, RELEASE episode of Ms. Vixen Podcast. Listen here https://soundcloud.com/user-570908584/12-relax-relate-release
I have been staying far away from pandemic talk cause I have wanted to help be an escape from it, y'all already know this country ain't shit, already know this government ain’t shit, and y’all better be wearing your masks and still social distancing if you can. Also, we are in a state of national uprising, high amounts of unemployment, many of us may lose housing, there’s a lot of shit
It’s been a lot, so I much rather continue affirming abundance for all of us, ‘cause God damnit. we deserve! What im instead gonna do is give some tips for how to deal with the stress of this shit and give you some science behind how these things work for you in stress reduction.
Let’s get started on identifying what stress is. According to Medlineplus.gov, stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline, but when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health. That is what we are trying to avoid, stress impacting your health in negative ways
What is happing to your body on a hormonal level when stressed? the stress response causes the body to release several stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline (also known as epinephrine), into the bloodstream. These hormones increase your concentration, ability to react, and strength. This is fine for short term use, your body is supposed to go back to its normal nonstressful hormonal state afterward. Chronic or long-term stress, however, poses a problem. If you frequently face challenges, your body is constantly producing higher levels of stress hormones and does not have time to recover. Real talk, stress can kill you and maybe a contributor to some of the pre-existing conditions people have.
I did some research and also added some of the things I am doing myself to reduce stress. These have been working for me, and I hope they can work for you as well.
Breathing Exercises and Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is a technique that allows you to calm your mind and reduce the concentration of stress hormones in your blood, which can contribute to the enhancement of your health. Deep breathing helps you calm down rapidly, think more clearly, and focus on what you are doing. It also sends signals to your brain that stress is gone, and sends signals to your brain to reduce the number of stress hormones released in your body.
I would suggest picking times in the day to do deep breathing for a minute, 6 seconds to inhale, 6 seconds to exhale. I try to do this three times a day currently cause the stress is real!
Create a plan to get your news
Social media and these 24-hour news cycles have reprogramed our brains in very harmful ways. The amount of information we take in daily is a bit much and we need to slow it down a bit. We should create specific times in the day to watch or read news stories and receive updates and that’s! We take in so much information that we no longer leave time to process, critical think about the information. On social media, it’s best to mute or unfollow people that continuously drop breaking news stories. They will really ruin your day with their continuous breaking stories, even if not intentional. Don’t worry you won’t miss out on what’s going on in the world, that news story will still be there when you’re in the mindset to engage it.
I would also suggest not following any media outlets on social media either. Their many posts with current events will have the same effect on your stress levels as the people that post breaking news all the time. It’s best to get news by going to the website. Yes, the old fashion way, type the URL and be a little less stressed.
Sometimes we can’t avoid news articles people share, so to remedy that, don't read them right away. Save them to read later for later. Our brain is complex and also very simple, and it’s very easy to overwhelm it with constant information. You can put your brain in processing overload, then it’ll start releasing stress hormones as a response.
Lastly, pick the same time of the day to read all your saved articles and visit the news websites you prefer. In addition, limit the amount of time you watch the news. We take in so much information that we no longer leave time to process, critically think, and analyze information. All this goes a long way to reduce stress levels throughout the day.
Helpers High
Helper’s high is another name for the uplifting feeling that people experience after doing a good deed or act of kindness. This high is rooted in natural instincts to help our fellow humans. Evolution has wired us to help each other since helping others is beneficial to human survival.
According to Projecthelping.org, there is a body of research that supports this. Scientific studies have been done to research how helping others affect the body and the brain. Not only does volunteering immediately affect the brain, but over time continual volunteer experiences have an impact on life span. Basically, acts of kindness lower stress levels. Lowered levels of stress are good for the body for many reasons. Low stress can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems and can improve immunity by raising the levels of antibodies produced. This decreases the chance of catching illnesses such as the flu or common cold. So go do an act of service or donate money, get that helper high, and reduce your stress.
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Regain Agency
The pandemic and the national uprising for Black lives have created a huge grey area None of us know what is at the other end of these events. This large amount of uncertainty can cause helplessness, hopelessness, and large amounts of stress. Regaining agency in your life will reduce a huge amount of stress. A great way to regain agency is by taking care of something else this can be a plant, pets, children, or elderly members of our communities.
Also, make something! I didn’t understand why everyone started baking bread, but I get it now! I myself have been doing home organization and decoration projects, and have gotten back into crafts. Create a new skin or hair care regime, make a work out regime, start a hobby all these things create agency and certainty which leads to stress reduction levels.
I hope these tips are helpful, I know they have been for me, this isn’t going to be over soon, so if you have things that have been working for you, let us know in the comments!
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