These anti-stress activities are the best for preserving our mental health

Slightly (a lot) anxious lately? Relax, take it easy and try one of these 100% relaxing activities.

Between the busy days, responsibilities, personal problems, and the current very anxiety-provoking climate, it can be not easy to relax and let go. Stress can quickly take hold of us. And in the long run, it can cause irritability, increased heart rate, stomach aches, fatigue, headaches, etc. It is, therefore, important to take time for yourself and learn to decompress and relax as much as possible to not go wild or end up in depression. Some activities are particularly known for their anti-stress benefits, and here is a small selection to try without hesitation.

The puzzle

To keep busy during confinement or on Sunday, nothing like a puzzle, solo or with others. This activity has many benefits, especially on the brain, by developing memory, visual capacity, and logical thinking. But the puzzle also greatly reduces stress because it requires focusing on something, making us forget our worries. It's a time-consuming and calm activity that brings a lot of satisfaction.

Reading

According to the National Reading Campaign, reading 6 minutes a day would reduce stress by 60%! By reading, we escape into another world, but we also create links or associations between real and fictitious situations, which help us better understand life. We can identify with characters or stories and thus better understand what we are going through. We then come out more serene, more peaceful, and more armed to fight anxiety.

Yoga

Regardless of the discipline, playing sports is an excellent stress reliever because it releases endorphins, also known as happiness hormones, with anxiolytic and soothing effects. Some sports are more relaxing than others. This is particularly the case of yoga, a true philosophy of life and combines postures and breathing exercises, and meditation. A small 10-minute session can be enough to relax.

Writing

Whether in a diary or the form of poems, writing down your thoughts, emotions, feelings, or simply recounting your days would be an effective technique for relaxing. Several studies have shown that expressive writing makes it possible to improve awareness and self-acceptance and fight against ruminations , invasive negative thoughts, and anxiety because it allows you to take a step back. All you have to do is take a pen, paper or notebook and let's go!

Meditation

Meditation is no longer to be introduced to fight against stress and anxiety. She asks to focus on a specific point in full consciousness, such as her breathing or her body's sensations, thus avoiding parasitic thoughts. It is also based on breathing exercises intended to calm and soothe the body and mind. There is also dynamic meditation for those struggling, which consists of agitating physically and verbally, shouting, dancing, jumping! The idea is to create chaos on the outside to deal with the chaos you feel inside.

The painting

Like the puzzle, painting is a very calm activity, which requires concentration and patience and therefore has no room for parasitic thoughts. But above all, it is an exercise that emphasizes calm and serenity and helps to manage emotions through shapes and colors. Each brush stroke is good for morale and helps reduce stress. There is no need to be talented to practice it, there are quite a few tutorials for beginners, not to mention painting by number, accessible to all.

Macrame

Manual and creative activities are the perfect stress relievers, as they require focusing on something other than the reason for the stress, taking time for yourself, and taking care of your hands. And above all, the more our project progresses, the more satisfaction we feel. Macrame, which consists of the assembly of knots that form a pattern, is one of them. The advantage is that it also allows you to create 100% bohemian decorations, such as a dream catcher, baskets, or even a hanging shelf.

For more information, contact Kentucky mental health care for the best medication therapy management in Louisville, Kentucky