by Shelley Stratton, Registered Nurse, Registered Yoga Teacher and Owner of Bodhi Tree Yoga
We have two kinds of stress in our lives: Eustress and distress.
Which one are you living in most of the time?
Eustress is the good stress you experience when you ride a roller coaster or watch a scary movie.
Distress is the “bad” stress that might occur when you lose a job or with the death of a loved one.
It’s completely normal for people to move through both eustress and distress in our daily lives. But there are some that find they visit distress for a more prolonged stay.
Prolonged distress causes anxiety and prevents us from moving forward in our world and leads us into negative effects mentally, physically and emotionally. We all witness prolonged distress. As an example we can all relate to: “the pandemic”.
It’s important to become aware of techniques that help us to get out of distress and become more aware of our state of mind.
Our life is shaped by our mind,
BUDDHA
for we become what we think.
MINDFUL BREATHING:
Take longer, deeper breaths through the nose by timing yourself.
1. Inhale for 4 counts
2. Pause and hold your breath for 4 counts
3. Exhale for 4 counts
4. Repeat this process at least 7 times.
This helps to calm the mind and can also also be useful for those sleepless nights!
COMMUNICATION:
Speech is practically synonymous with being human, and yet we often find ourselves isolating when in distress.
1. Make a point to reach out to a friend! You are not in it alone.
2. Join a class or group to start a change in your environment. Start to create connections and ease in your life, especially with those closest to you. Our Peninsula is abundant with community resources!
NATURE WALK:
Walk as much as you can outside, and keep your love for nature close to your heart, as it helps settle the mind.
MAKE THE TIME. It helps.
As we become more aware of ourselves, we’ll notice how our body, mind, and heart feel. We always have a choice: either to run away from an unpleasant experience by distracting ourselves or to confront the truth of our experience by becoming mindfully present.
The Month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health awareness is the recognition that our psychological well-being is an important part of our own health, productivity, happiness, and the well-being of our communities.
