Learn the Top 12 Stress Management Moves for 2020

​By Lorraine Alexander, September 1, 2020
​Read time: 3.5 minutes
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The year 2020 delivered countless hardships and disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter in place social isolation, civil unrest, economic hurdles, record-breaking climate change including pre-season wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and the most heated presidential election of our time. 
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During these tragedies, we witnessed the darkest influences of stress take a stronghold in the US. These tough times drew out the best and worst in humanity. Yet our challenges are not behind us. That's why this article offers 12 uncomplicated, manageable strategies that will help you to "keep your cool," and release toxic stress during volatile times. 

How can we restore balance in an unpredictable world? ​
Start with one person at a time beginning with you. The one thing that I'm sure of is this, self-awareness is the passkey to a balanced, happy life. Pay attention to obvious signals of stress. Your body may be calling out for help. Are you listening?  

Stress can surface through emotions or manifest in a physical way. To determine if you are experiencing stress overwhelm, ask these following questions:

• Do you have trouble sleeping? 
• Do you lack energy or focus? 
• Are you feeling unusually tense? 
• Have you become forgetful?
• ​Are you short-tempered with others?
• Have you lost your optimism or the ability to enjoy life?

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You can successfully release toxic penned-up stress from the body by combining a variety of the following mind-body practices. The rewards of these 12 self-care practices will depend on the consistency of your routine. 

Self-care is like putting the oxygen mask on yourself first, so you can care for others.

1. Accept things as they are. Then do your part by making them better and help where and when you can. 
2. Nourish your body. Choose whole foods and create nutrient-dense meals. Stay away from processed food, sugar, and alcohol. 
3. Take time to center yourself. Achieve this by simply closing your eyes, breathe deeply and slowly. Focus on the breath. Do this throughout the day, and when you notice you are feeling tense.
4. Use gratitude to start and end your day. Begin your day with three things that bring feelings of gratitude. Dwell in that feeling throughout the day. Repeat at bedtime. "Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships."—Harvard Medical Journal
5. Avoid automatic negative thoughts. We tend to worry about the silliest things. Our mind naturally spins negative thought. When the future seems uncertain, excessive worry won't help. Instead, focus on "this moment," and seek out the positive.
6. Take up yoga, read a great book, or listen to peaceful music that touches your heart. These examples cultivate the body, mind, and spirit, as they infuse a sense of wellbeing. 
7. Set time aside for mini-retreats. Have fun creating the perfect retreat at home. Introduce a healthy combination of nutritious food, movement, visualization, meditation, and anything that makes you feel pampered. Get the family involved for a stress-less day.
8. Shake that body. Exercise delivers an abundance of health benefits including feel-good endorphins. It's ideal to create a daily routine like an early morning walk. If that doesn't work for your schedule, set your target for three times per week and work up from there. 
9. Begin a deep meditation practice twice a day, every day. Meditation offers a shower of feel-good chemicals released in the body along with a robust list of life-enhancing advantages. Morning meditations are a reliable start to a positive day. As daily challenges arise, you will handle them with greater ease. Schedule your second meditation late afternoon (for an energy boost), meditation before dinner (brings you back to a state of "rest and digest"), or just before bedtime (for a deeper night's sleep). 
10. Spend healing time in nature. There is nothing that compares to witnessing the healing power of natural beauty, untouched by the hand of man. Spending quiet time in nature is essential to our well being. 
11. Lighten up and smile! The simple act of smiling more stimulates the dopamine response, which calms the nervous system, stabilizes our mood, and improves focus and energy. Have you noticed when someone smiles at you it feels good, and you respond with a smile. Smiling is contagious. :-)
12. Ensure sleep quality. Most of us take sleep for granted until our sleep becomes erratic. A good night's rest is rejuvenating, and sleep studies recommend a two-hour wind-down ritual before bedtime. Dim the lights, avoid watching television or using a computer before bedtime. Limit sugar intake and avoid the consumption of alcohol. Read, meditate, listen to a gentle visualization, or practice gentle stretching with relaxing music. This two-hour preparation window encourages the deepest most restful sleep. ​

Manage your emotional and mental health.
Whatever you do, don't take the effects of stress lightly. Unaddressed, stress will surely play havoc with your health, happiness, and wellbeing. Stress negatively affects heart health, causes food-related health issues, heightens the risk of alcohol and drug abuse, contributes to insomnia, social isolation, and stress can even shatter relationships. Reach out to your health care provider for guidance on mental health services and other resources.

With regular self-care in place, you can navigate the vastest, darkest storms of life while preserving your physical and mental health and wellbeing. 

"I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul." —William Ernest Henley 

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Resources 
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression 
https://time.com/4405827/the-healing-power-of-nature/
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-alcohol-affects-quality-and-quantity-sleep
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
https://www.holistichelp.net/smiling.html 
https://www.medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003211.htm

Free 10-page guide 
Free Beginner's Guide to Stress Reduction and Mind-Body Resilience

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About the author Lorraine Alexander
Introduced to meditation at the young age of 15, Lorraine Alexander is a second-generation meditation instructor, trainer, and primary author of the DASA Meditation blog.  As executive director of DASA Meditation, she leads the annual Teachers' Training Program in California and Pennsylvania. In 2019, she completed advanced trauma and resilience facilitator training through the Center for Mind Body Medicine.

​DASA Meditation prioritizes education to enhance health, wellness and expanded self-awareness. To learn more about meditation, go to www.DASAmeditation.org, call (707) 620-5070 or (800) 976-DASA, or email us at [email protected]

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