Many of us have moments throughout our day that can make us feel stressed. Sometimes, we’re able to quickly resolve that feeling and move on in a calm and grounded way, and at other times, the stress may linger making it more challenging to get out of that emotional state. If you are stuck in your sympathetic nervous state, your sleep, digestion, and overall sense of well-being can suffer. Comparatively, in a parasympathetic state, your body has a much easier? time feeling relaxed and safe. Here are some small and easy tools to bring you back to a calm state.
Sleep
Sleep is key to managing stress and it’s important to try to get as much as your body needs. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, good sleep hygiene is key. This could look like turning off your phone and unplugging from the internet an hour before bed. If you cannot do that, at the very least limit TV shows or movies that are too stimulating like horror, action, or thriller movies in the late evening. Additionally, taking a bath, reading, and stretching can all help your body relax so you have an easier time falling asleep. Harvard Health has a great article on 8 secrets to a good night’s rest.
Breathe
Breathwork is another fantastic tool and one that can be used throughout the day. It can be as simple and short as softening your belly and taking a full breath in and out. Another technique is called equal count breath, which is where you breathe in for 6 counts and out for 6 counts. Another variation is where you breathe in for 5 counts, hold for 5 counts, and breathe out for 5 counts. All three of these breath practices are simple and can easily be done at any point throughout your day.
Walk
Taking a walk outside can help you quickly reset as well. Even a 5-10 minute walk around the block can often be enough to help you quickly reset. In an article on WebMD, they write, “Walking helps boost your mood because it increases blood flow and blood circulation to the brain and body. It has a positive influence on your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is your central nervous response system. This is good because the HPA axis is responsible for your stress response. When you exercise by walking, you calm your nerves, which can make you feel less stressed.”
Practice Cold Therapy
If you are especially stressed, cold therapy is another quick and impactful technique. According to Psychology Today, “In 2015, scientists (Godek and Freeman, 2022) found that the diver’s reflex occurs from signals sent by the trigeminal nerves in the face. When cold water hits the face—and it must get just below the eyes and above the cheekbones—a message is sent to the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve, which controls the parasympathetic nervous system, connects the base of the brain to the rest of the body and regulates the heart rate and breathing, among other essential functions. Net: Cold water on our face, short-circuits anxiety.” There is a method called the dive technique which is where you can hold an ice pack against your forehead and breathe for 6 to 8 counts with your forehead leading downward against the ice pack. Alternatively, you can fill a bowl with ice water and dunk your face in it several times.