Many times when we find ourselves stressed out-we don’t realize how much of a toll it takes on our bodies. The constant headaches, the flip-flopped stomach, mood swings, back and neck pain, the list could truly go on and on. Stress attacks every part of our body, and the reason why that neck pain and soreness feels like they never go away is because we must put extra attention to how we feel inside and be able to release all of that tension effectively. Without getting to the root cause of the pain or illness, the pain or illness keeps on returning. Being that April is National Stress Awareness Month, we all want to make sure we are able to manage stress in the best ways possible, which will become one of the most essential components of creating a healthy lifestyle.  Did you know that about 90% of disease and illness is stress related?

De-stressing – This is a resourceful skill to have that will improve your overall well-being, including mental and physical.  In order to develop this skill, it’s important to first be able to recognize what stress and anxiety can look like and how they may show up in your body.  Once a stressful situation arises, the mind begins sending signals to your body that are intended to help you deal with this stressful moment. Our resources are limited. So when our body has to work harder at calming us, it is taking from other tasks such as fighting viruses. As a result we may have difficulty in concentration, feeling on edge, feeling withdrawn, head aches, digestive issues and tightened muscles. If you are unsure how stress may be affecting you in your daily life, use this quick Stress and Health Self Test provided by Mental Health America, that will let you know where your stress levels may be at, and can provide some easy tips on how to reduce it.

So, now is the time to learn to recognize when you are experiencing stress, and also how to counter these bodily responses. Some quick and easy ways to do this may be things you are already aware of or do such as: deep breathing, clearing your mind by walking outside, journaling, stretching or meditating. One quick way to calm the mind and therefore calm the body is a technique our director, Saba Hocek, has coined as Rapid Meditation. This technique will allow you to stop, reset and rejuvenate your mind and body all in 10 seconds, and can be used throughout the day, no matter how hectic it may be or where you may be.

Rapid Meditation Process:
1. Find an object near you to focus on
2. Observe this object for 10 seconds noticing every detail about this object
3. Close your eyes; take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth
4. Repeat this process with different objects every hour for the first day; every few hours on the second; on the third day every four hours for 5 seconds.

This exercise is extremely helpful in stopping the repetitive thoughts and bringing clarity.  

 But what about if this is not enough to ease the tension? 

Here at Self Empowered Minds, we offer some great ways to help de-stress, such as our new Rhythmic Somatic Workout Class, now offered every Thursday evening at 7:30pm.  In this class, you’ll have fun moving to the beat while incorporating specific movements to release blockages of sadness, anger, hurt, and more.

This class focuses on burning calories and burning limiting beliefs at the same time. Just as every organ is related to emotions, they can also store a lot of stress. The accumulation of chronic stress on your organs and body overall can have you feeling stiff, low energy, very tight, and even more serious physical medical problems such as constipation and even other diseases. The Rhythmic Somatic Workout, like yoga and other holistic methods, revolve around movements that can help release blocked energy, and stress that is trapped within your body. It is an excellent way to release tension, reduce stress, cultivate a sense of presence and mindfulness, and have fun while also toning your body. 

Some other integrative, holistic methods of releasing stress from your body include but are not limited to: acupuncture, acupressure, Reiki and massage. Here at Self Empowered Minds, our goal is to strengthen your mind, empower positive beliefs, and help rebuild new patterns in the brain to support healthier habits. With the help of our services, we hope to support you in the best way possible to fill your life to the brim with love, happiness, family, friends, health, wealth, gratitude, and joy.