Expert shares three effective rules to deal with stress
Stress has become a part and parcel of most people’s lives, so much so that many people do not even realise it and consider it normal. However, it’s crucial to note that stress can have a severe impact on the mental and physical well-being. “When stress levels remain elevated over a long period, it can put your physical and mental wellbeing at risk,” Ritika Aggarwal Mehta, consultant psychologist, Jaslok Hospital and Research Center previously told indianexpress.com.
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As such, it is significant to keep stress and anxiety levels in check, to avoid any harm to your health. “Your body and mind have a 1:1 relationship, and your body mimics what your mind thinks. Even something as simple as a traffic jam, or deadlines can trigger the sympathetic nervous system: the fight or flight mode gets activated, thus affecting your digestion, sleep, and metabolism,” Dr Dimple Jangda, Ayurveda and gut health coach, wrote on Instagram. To manage stress effectively and avoid activating your sympathetic nervous system, she shared three simple rules you can follow without hassle.
Focus on the tip of your nose
“Whenever you find yourself getting stressed, quickly bring your mental focus to the tip of your nose and take 7 deep breaths. Feel the sensation of the air moving in and out of your nasal passages. Experience it as deeply as you can,” she said, adding that this method “allows your body the adequate time to reset your system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system which promotes the rest and digest response”. It also relaxes your neurones, and those 7 breaths create an empty meditative space in your mind, leading to clarity and peace.
Whenever you find yourself getting stressed, quickly bring your mental focus to the tip of your nose and take 7 deep breaths (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
Download and edit
The expert explained that when one finds the same repetitive thought running in their mind constantly, it doesn’t get resolved. On the contrary, it makes matters worse by weakening coordination and concentration. “Instead, download all your thoughts in a book, in great detail. When you do that, your server (brain) sighs a relief that ‘oh he/she has written it down, now I don’t have to worry about remembering it’. After downloading, your brain efficiently moves to the next thought. Continue this exercise till you reach a state of zero with no fluctuations in your mind,” she said, highlighting the importance of journaling.
Don’t complete your negative thoughts
It is important to not allow yourself to complete any negative thought, she added. “The cells in your body and the universe is listening. Every time you have a negative thought, say ‘cancel cancel cancel’ three times loudly and abandon that thought. Also, replace it with a positive constructive sentence. For example, instead of saying ‘I don’t want to be late’, tell yourself ‘I hope to make it on time comfortably’.”
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