This post continues my thoughts on ways to break the negative feedback loop of DOOM. Because There are things we can do to reduce the stress of modern life. Even dissipate it completely.
(First post is here.)
Emotional Excess
Stress and negative emotions are inextricably linked; stress often leads to anxiety, depression, and that insipid feeling of helplessness. Stress can make you feel like you are tightly wound, ready to snap if the pressure increases even a little bit. It may also cause a sense of paralysis or being fallow and unable to create. Research has consistently shown that stress, no matter how it manifests, causes specific physiological changes. In prehistoric times, these physical changes were essential for survival, and even now the stress response can be an asset for raising levels of performance during critical events, such as a sports activity, an important meeting, or in situations of actual danger or crisis.
When stress becomes persistent and low-level, however, it does physical or psychological damage. Stress activates the adrenal glands, producing the hormone cortisol which helps with the ‘fight or flight’ response that is our reaction to stress. When we experience chronic stress, however, cortisol in the bloodstream leads to a variety of unhealthy problems:
• Impaired cognitive performance
• Suppressed thyroid function
• Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
• Decreased bone density
• Decrease in muscle tissue
• Higher blood pressure
• Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences
• Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.
Bake bread and really get into the sensation of kneading the dough. There’s something immensely satisfying about a process that is so simple yet yields such an impressive result. The physical warmth of the dough and the smell of yeast combine with the necessity of slowing down. You can’t rush bread. The whole process of waiting for it to rise (usually twice) before popping it in the oven encourages patience and trusting the process. We’ve been baking bread for millennia (literally), there is nothing fancy about it. You need flour, water, and yeast; anything else (sugar, egg, butter, salt) makes different kinds of bread.
One of my favorite de-stressors is probably a real annoyance to my neighbors: loud music and dancing. I have a CD compilation I’ve created specifically to lift my mood and move my body. I turn the stereo up as loud as I can stand and let the music wash through me and over me, moving my body as it desires. Relatedly, powerful drumming is an ancient technique for driving out demons and achieving a deep trance state. I can’t help but think that those deep pounding rhythms are perfect for driving out the demon of depression. Research has shown that drumming can produce a deep sense of relaxation, reduce stress, and lower blood pressure.
Meditation is another way to reduce stress, requiring only a bit of privacy, quiet, and time. Meditation, specifically the technique called ‘relaxation response,’ produces a state of deep relaxation in which our breathing, pulse rate, blood pressure, and metabolism are decreased. The technique consists of the silent repetition of a word, sound, or phrase while sitting quietly with eyes closed for 10 to 20 minutes and breathing though your nose in a free and natural way. You can choose any word or phrase you like. You can use a sound such as “om,” a word such as “one” or “peace,” or a word with special meaning to you. Intruding worries or thoughts should be ignored or dismissed to the best of your ability by focusing on the repetition. It’s OK to open your eyes to look at a clock while you are practicing, but do not set an alarm. When you have finished, remain seated, first with your eyes closed and then with your eyes open, and gradually allow your thoughts to return to everyday reality. I have taught this technique to many people over the years and every single one was able to do it. One mother of three small children used to retreat to the bathroom for her 10 minutes, it was a place guaranteed to provide privacy.
Touching yourself and self grooming is a powerful natural stress relief mechanism that can be profoundly soothing. Universally, grooming behavior is used by mammals to create intimacy, reinforce social network, and release stress. Brushing or combing the hair significantly lowers stress, especially if it is done for a longer than normal period of time. (For those of us with short hair, stroking the scalp produces the same effect.) A variant is to sit down, hanging the head down while rubbing the pads of your fingers over the scalp in a slow circular motion. Stroking your arms in slow deliberate manner is stress reducing.
General Gimmicks
There are a number of de-stressing techniques that are good for any kind of stress.
Deep breathing, the same in-through-the-nose and out-through-the-mouth technique often used to induce meditation, can work wonders and can be done anywhere. If you feel overwhelmed, close your eyes and spend several minutes focusing on nothing but your breathing. With each inhalation, imagine the air expanding your lungs and flowing into every part of your body. As you exhale, visualize any tension being released from you like poisonous gas.
Day dreaming is a wonderful way to change your stressful state. Begin with a few deep breaths, then start to fantasize whatever will make you happiest in that moment. be promoted to the job you covet or take those extra bows on the stage at Carnegie Hall. Walk on a mountaintop, or fly through the clouds. Knowing you have this escape hatch to a better place open to you at any time can make even the most miserably stressful situation more bearable.
Grounding by collecting scattered energies and connecting into the comforting stability of Mother Earth can greatly reduce stress. Ideally you’ll be able to actually touch the ground during exercise, but any place where you can stand still for a few minutes will do. Visualize all your stress collecting in the center of your body, and then push it out of you into Mother Earth.
Salt and water combined with intent make for a simple ‘wash’ to pour over the soles of your feet and over your hands. This cleans those energy points. If you are feeling particularly daunted, try swiping your salt water hands across your brow — cleansing the third eye — or adding salt to your bath water and immersing yourself in it completely.
Take a bath. Once a week, add a handful of Epsom salts, 10 drops of essential oil (see above for my recommendations), and 1/2 cup of baking soda to your hot bath. Stir deosil with intent to dissolve. Sit in the bath for at least 20 minutes, visualizing toxins leaving your body and feeling balance returning to your life. (If a bath is impossible, make your shower special with a sugar scrub (add essential oil and baking soda to a handful of sugar), candlelight, and towels fresh from the dryer.
Yoga or other form of gentle movement is a wonderful way to reduce stress. Here are a few postures that anyone can do, almost anywhere.
1. Lie on the floor, buttocks up against a wall, legs extended up the wall (you’ll look like an ‘L’). Put your hands on your belly or rest them on the mat above your head. Close your eyes, relax your jaw, and drop your chin slightly. Breathe deeply and slowly in this position for 3 to 10 minutes.
2. Lie on the floor, knees bent a comfortable distance from your buttocks. Tilt your hips just slightly — it should feel relaxing — so that your back is mostly flat on the floor. Breathe deeply in this position for 10-20 minutes. (I combine this posture with meditation.)
Finally, here is my longtime go to spell, A Spell Against Stress
Repeat calmly, letting it ease tension from your body and producing a deep sense of relaxation:
storms within
storms without
storms above
storms below
calm in my center
there I will go
This is my will
and it is so.
Stress can be overwhelming, but de-stressing doesn’t have to be. I wish you a return to health and comfort!