COVID-19 has made us more stressed, anxious, uncertain, and lonely than ever. Here are some practical ways to deal with the physiological stress reaction while in quarantine, or really, anytime. What can I do to combat stress? 1. Breathe in for 5, out for 5. Our average breathing pace is 12-16 breaths per minute, or ~4 seconds each. That’s only 2 seconds in, 2 seconds out. When you’re stressed, you may notice it speeding up even more. Slow it down and try to do it from your belly (technically, your diaphragm), not your chest. Deep, abdominal breathing activates neurons that detect blood pressure. These neurons signal to the vagus nerve, the “brakes” on the stress car, that blood pressure is becoming too high, and the vagus nerve, in turn, responds by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. 2. Do some push-ups, sit-ups, or pop in a YouTube workout video. Put that excess adrenaline to good use! Think of it as “running” from your perceived danger. 3. Laugh. Stu
Comments
Post a Comment