Category: Stress Management

Bella Counselling Thoughts for Surviving a Pandemic

5/6/2020

In times like these, it’s really important to remember to breathe.

Deep, slow breathing reduces stress on our body and relaxes our nervous system.

Try inhaling for 8 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhaling for 8, hold for 4 again and repeat. It’s important to breathe into our belly instead of upper chest. Let's try an experiment by incorporating this into our day when we are stopped at a red light, cooking, listening to music or before going to bed and see how we feel.

I hope you’re all keeping well. I'm missing all my clients and look forward to connecting with you again in person.

Bella Counselling Thoughts for Surviving a Pandemic

4/24/2020

We are all affected in one way or another by the Pandemic. We may be feeling sadness, dread, fear, despair, helplessness, powerlessness, anger, guilt or guilty for feeling the way we do. Most of us are in an acute state of grief for the world we once knew ~ #thebeforetimes

Disruption and stress is part of our modern lifestyles, but being stressed out does not have to be. Many things in life are beyond our control ~ especially the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over others, why not focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to situations.

Reacting to difficult and challenging situations by feeling overwhelmed, becoming frazzled, distraught or anxious is not just a mental hazard ~ it is a physical one as well. The more stressed out we are, the more vulnerable we are to viruses, infections and chronic or life-threatening illnesses; leaving us less able to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.

Music ~ listen to music that makes you feel good and brings joy to you at home at a pleasant volume.

Dance ~ Have a fun dance party workout (even if it's just for one).

Play ~ play board games or complete a puzzle with your family & housemates, entertain each other, laugh, tell stories and talk about your future plans and goals.

Laugh ~ Watch a comedy. Research indicates that laughter is good for the soul. Laughing is found to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, increase muscle flexion, and boost immune function. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins; the body's natural painkillers. Laughter also produces a general sense of well-being. The ability to laugh (even artificial laughter because our bodies cannot tell the difference) has the power to instantly cheer one up, help one cope with illnesses such as depression and anxiety, and can bring light into the darker areas of our lives.

Nap ~ We’ve all heard of “beauty sleep” ~ there is a reason it is called that. When we are sleeping our cells renew and regenerate themselves. Sleep deprivation can not only affect our appearance, it also affects our immune system, making it weaker and leaving us vulnerable to viruses, illnesses and infections.

Garden ~ try growing your favorite fruits and vegetables. Getting our hands dirty in the garden can increase our serotonin levels. Contact with soil and a specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of serotonin in our brain according to research.* Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural anti-depressant and helps strengthens the immune system.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips ~ Tending to your garden can help you forget your problems and allows you to commune with nature, a well known stress reliever. If you are not into gardening, tend to a houseplant. Plants = Growth = Cycle of Life. Also plants are a nice reminder that stress and your current situation will change with time. There is also the added benefit of more oxygen in your Home.

Move your body ~ go for a walk and enjoy the cherry blossoms, different colored trees and spring flowers that are blooming this magical time of year.

Cook ~ try cooking something new ~ we recently made whole grain whole red wheat pizza on the BBQ for the first time and it was delicious!

Paint ~ start that painting you've always wanted to do but were too busy to begin.

De-clutter your bedroom and home ~ only keep the things that make you feel good.

Create ~ start your own business, what does the world need in 2020? Create that!

Be Positive ~ Think positive thoughts, a positive mood will help protect your immune system. Recent research on negative thoughts have been shown to depress your immune system and make it weak against viruses.

Ignore Negativity ~ Isolate yourself from negative news about the virus, everything we need to know, we already know.

Stay Smart ~ Wash your hands and socially distance, be part of the solution not the problem.

Phone a Friend ~ Sharing your thoughts can give you perspective, alleviate your burdens and leave you feeling cared for. Express your feelings and what you are going through with a trusted friend or your Counsellor. Doing this can release stress, be cathartic and very therapeutic.

Trust and believe you will survive ~ this too shall pass as everything is temporary. It's okay to also feel gratitude, hopeful, and have the courage to stay positive, healthy and safe.

*A report in the Mental Health Journal cited gardening as being able to reduce stress and improve mood, with a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety.

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