&
Mind
Wellbeing
How to De-stress in 60 Seconds or Less
P
racticing yoga and taking long walks in
the woods are worthy pursuits for re-
ducing stress in your life. But sometimes
you just need instant relief from an unbearable
moment. Chockablock traffic. An irrational
toddler wailing on the floor of aisle six. Your
boss requesting a report at 4:59pm on a Friday.
You want to escape, but it might be socially
awkward for you to literally run away. Instead,
de-stress yourself in 60 seconds with one of
these moves.
Find your blessings. Traffic driving you mad?
Spend 60 seconds thinking about the implica-
tions of the traffic. You have a car. You’re
healthy enough to drive it. Stressed about
keeping your divorced parents happy? You have
these people who want to spend more time
with you. Worrying about the leaking roof ?
You have a roof. You get the point.
Take deep breaths. One of the oldest calming
tricks in the book remains one of the most
effective. Deep breathing increases oxygen to
your brain and promotes calmness by stimu-
lating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Breathe in slowly through your nose, out
through your mouth, and focus on filling your
belly instead of your chest.
Write it down. Often, putting it in writing
shows you there’s less on your plate than you
realise. But even if that to-do list looks as long
as you feared, the act of expressing your
thoughts is inherently cathartic and — more
importantly — frees up your mind from trying
to keep track of it all.
Break the spell. Have you ever been in an ugly
argument that gets interrupted by a doorbell?
Moments later you try to resume the fight and
can’t. Stressful moments are often a culmination
of the surroundings, our physical state, and the
stressor itself. So change something. Walk outside
for 60 seconds. Eat a sandwich. Drink some
water. Look up at the ceiling. When your mind
is racing or you’re about to explode on somebody
else, the smallest tweak can defuse your stress
level to one that feels more manageable.
Just run away. Or walk. And excuse yourself
first to avoid that socially awkward part. Those
60 seconds alone might be all you need.
ISSUE #05 | 2017 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 8