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MASTERING STRESS IN 8 EASY STEPS

1. How is breathing connected to stress? We can either breathe with the chest or from the diaphragm. Don’t think there’s any difference? You’re wrong. In the former case, our heartbeat may speed up and our muscles can become even more strained although they receive oxygen.

Breathing with the diaphragm, on the other hand, supplies a lot more oxygen to the blood, which helps appease tension and anxiety. Here’s how to master this type of breathing. Place your hand on the abdomen, right below the belly button. Slowly take in air through the nose while watching your hand move out as your tummy widens. Stay like this for a few seconds, then gradually exhale. Do it a few more times.

2. What is your favourite imaginary scene? A lot of people are still skeptical about it but trying this method won’t hurt. All you have to do is just close your eyes, clear your mind and picture something that gives you pleasure: a hot shower, a walk in the forest, a countryside landscape, an azure beach. Try to visualize details, such as what the atmosphere would be like, what you would smell, how you would feel and so on. Don’t forget to breathe deeply all along.

3. Fancy a massage? The relaxing properties of massages are well-known. Something as simple as massaging the palm of your hand with the thumb of the other can be quite soothing. You can also buy one of those massage gadgets and take it wherever you go.

4. Do you smile enough? We smile when we’re care-free, calm and joyful. Can smiling on purpose make us care-free, calm and joyful? Yes! There’s a scientific explanation behind this. When we smile, our facial muscles send nerve signals to the limbic system. This is a specific center in the brain that controls our emotions. The brain reads signals of this kind as ‘everything’s all right’.

5. How good are you at Maths? We often say that some of our everyday problems are worse or more serious than others. Is that really true? You can find out by devising a simple scale of 1 to 10, where 1 stands for nothing but a minor worry and 10 indicates the worst disaster possible. Next time you get angry or fret over something, think about where you would position this on the scale. You’ll be surprised to find that most of our troubles fall in the 2 to 5 category. Bottomline: they’re not worth paying attention to.

6. Are you ready to expel stress? According to specialists, certain parts of our bodies, such as the jaws, are more susceptible to stress. When you feel yourself more tensed and under pressure, lay your index fingertips on the jaw joints, right in front of your ears. Then clench your teeth and breathe deeply in. Pause for a while and then exhale, while saying ‘Ah-h-h-h’. Finish the trick by unclenching your teeth. You can repeat it if you find it relieving.

7. Do you fall under the spell of words? Misfortunes are sometimes worsened by our inner voice which augments our flaws. To make yourself feel better and more confident, think of a few words or a phrase to repeat as a mantra. These will restore peace within you and make prominent characteristics come to the forefront.

8. Can you be the driving force behind an action? Many people are convinced that troubles and lack of luck are strictly reserved to them alone. The thing is, placing yourself in the position of a victim can only make feelings of helplessness more acute. Take things in your own hands instead and be in control of the situation. This holds for everyday trifles, too. If you are dissatisfied with something at your workplace, say it out loud. You’ll see how good you will feel afterwards.

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