Stress is a part of everyday life, but how can we manage it? Chronic stress while not a disease in itself has been shown to contribute to anxiety, depression, PTSD, and psychosis. Stress isn’t all bad, back when some of the biggest worries for humans were being chased by saber-toothed tigers, stress helped to ensure our survival. Now we are in a perpetual state of stress, and that is when it becomes problematic. The line at the grocery store, the person who cut us off on the highway, the fight with our spouse, meeting the needs of our children, family, demanding supervisors, the list goes on.
During the pandemic, many people are essentially living in a state of fight-or-flight. Being in a state of long-term stress can negatively impact our ability to pay attention, memory, emotional resiliency, and it can contribute to physical and mental illness based on how stress impacts the heart, immune system, metabolism, and balance of our hormones. What can we do to calm our nervous system and bring it back to homeostasis?
Breathe
It’s free! The breath is an amazing miracle that our body will do automatically but it is also something that we can control. When we are in a state of stress the pace of our breathing increases. We can practice breathing exercises and apply them when we are in a state of stress to take control of our physical body and our stress response. Try some of these techniques and find a breathing exercise that works for you. Lengthen your exhales to connect to your parasympathetic nervous system, breathe from your belly, consider seeking out a practitioner who can direct you in using the breath in times of stress. There are so many amazing resources available for free on the internet.
Move
Exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress. Aerobic exercise in particular releases endorphins that release feel-good chemicals in the body; there is a reason people use the term ‘runners high’. Yoga is a more gentle movement practice that connects our mind and body. Yoga has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and decrease heart rate. Even taking a walk can help to decrease stress. If you can be in nature for your walk that is even better as cortisol decreased more for folks walking in nature as opposed to an urban setting.
Be Mindful
Mindfulness is a practice of cultivating moment-to-moment awareness, originally a Buddhist-inspired practice that has undoubtedly made its way to the mainstream. We live in a fast-paced world and it can be hard to slow down and bring your awareness to the moment. Meditation and mindfulness can help to sharpen your attention, increase your resiliency to stress, and may even have a positive effect on your relationships.
While all of these are important tactics and habits to try and cultivate in everyday life, other modalities or support may be needed. Ketamine infusions are an option for folks and results are often seen right away as opposed to other depression and anxiety interventions. Contact VIP Ketamine for a free consultation to see if infusions are right for you.
Contact VIP Ketamine Clinics
Our Modesto, CA ketamine clinic offers ketamine infusions for a variety of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. Our first priority is the emotional, mental and physical wellbeing of our patients. We will help point you in the direction of health and wellness, whatever direction that may be.