Emergency tools, to recover your spirits!
That gasoline is rising, that there is a crisis, that the weather is wreaking havoc... You may be like many people these days: trying to float in the middle of a deep lake of anguish, sadness, uncertainty and fear. Neither He does not eventogara in bbicycle by Juan Luis Guerra sounds so discouraging! But calm down. It is the right time to resort to our emotional, mental and physical toolbox to move forward and protect our mental health, something that is key to moving forward.
- Before acting, breathe!
A few seconds are enough for us to lose control and for our lives, as well as those of others, to fall into a bottomless pit and become worse than what we have. A road rage incident, an inappropriate response at work or at home, a hit with unexpected consequences, in short. Therefore, it is vital that especially in times of crisis, we breathe before taking action. Although we do it automatically, when we are upset and under a lot of pressure, the first thing that happens to us is that we stop breathing. But we must do the opposite, because breathing oxygenates our brain and that helps us think better and see possible solutions to the challenges we have.
Breathe deeply through your nose. Hold your breath for about 3 to 4 seconds. Release it through the mouth suddenly. Repeat it 5 times. It is very easy but it helps us pay attention to the breathing process and begins to calm us down.
- Beat away stress
We know that constant stress triggers a series of chemical reactions in our body, including a greater amount of certain hormones, such as cortisol, which in excess is harmful and reduces our immune capacity. But now, thanks to various studies, we also know that negative emotions and stress affect your adequate response when we need it because they can modify the receptors of the cells responsible for immunity (1, 2). Therefore, although there are plenty of reasons to be on edge, angry or sad, we cannot let this keep us in permanent alert mode, deteriorating our defenses.
Try natural options like ashwagandha. Five studies analyzed in a systematic review showed that its use helps reduce moderate stress(3). You can also accompany it daily with a cup of passionflower tea, which promotes relaxation.
- Strengthen your muscles and your mind
That of a healthy mind in a healthy body, is a truth written in stone! Various studies have shown the relationship, since staying active combats stress and helps us feel better, since it stimulates endorphins or feel-good hormones in men and women, at any age (4). Dance, practice Zumba, yoga, walk, bike or choose the activity you want.
A good support to relax the muscles after exercising them and avoid tension is the magnesium, which also helps with complete relaxation of the body.
If your problem is discouragement and lack of energy to try to stay active, something very common when we are going through a difficult period, you can rely on b12 vitamin, which helps combat both physical and mental fatigue, reinforcing energy production. (5)
- Seek support in nature
The connection with nature is more than proven as a concrete, economic and practical help to relax, improve our mood and therefore, our health. It has been seen that a walk to a park, the beach or a forest quickly lowers stress markers, mainly cortisol (6).It also helps reduce blood pressure, heart rate, anger, fatigue, confusion and increases energy, among other positive effects.(7)
Other emergency measures to change the switch In difficult times:
- Focus on what you have and not on what you lost or need.
- Draw on your talents and skills, no matter how minimal they may seem to you.
- Propose new goals.
- Do you have new interests? Create a list of steps to achieve them.
- Find how to improve your habits, your quality of life and your general well-being.
- Join support groups with similar interests.
If you feel overwhelmed, seek professional help. Asking for it never makes us weak, on the contrary! It is an act of courage and love for ourselves, for our loved ones and for life. The result, in the long run, is much more satisfactory when we make the effort and continue fighting, focused on a positive outlook, which, by the way, is the key to resilience and is more valued every day by science to improve our physical health. and mental. (8)
Things may not be as we imagined. But yeswe continue hereYes, breathing and waking up every day. That's already a wonderful gift!
Your team, Santo Remedio.
1.J A Arli. The immune system and the nervous system. J Neurol. 1983;229(3):137-54. doi:10.1007/BF00313738. PMID: 6191006 DOI: 10.1007/BF00313738
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6191006/
2.Robert Dantzer, Emmanuelle E Wollman. [Relationships between the brain and the immune system] Review J Soc Biol. 2003;197(2):81-8. PMID: 12910622
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12910622/
3.Morgan A. Pratte, B.S., Kaushal B. Nanavati, M.D.,Virginia Young, MLS, and Christopher P. Morley, Ph.D. An Alternative Treatment for Anxiety: A Systematic Review of Human Trial Results Reported for the Ayurvedic Herb Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) J Altern Complement Med. 2014 Dec 1; 20(12): 901–908. doi: 10.1089/acm.2014.0177. PMCID: PMC4270108. PMID: 25405876
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270108/
4.Lynette L. Craft, Ph.D., Frank M. Perna, Ed.D., Ph.D. The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2004; 6(3): 104–111. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v06n0301. PMCID: PMC474733, PMCID: PMC474733, PMID: 15361924
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/
5.Hoang Viet Bach,* Jeongseon Kim,* Seung-Kwon Myung, Young Ae Cho. Efficacy of Ginseng Supplements on Fatigue and Physical Performance: a Meta-analysis. J Korean Med Sci. 2016 Dec; 31(12): 1879–1886. Published online 2016 Oct 10. doi:10.3346/jkms.2016.31.12.1879, PMCID: PMC5102849. PMID: 27822924
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102849/
6.Michele Antonelli, Grazia Barbieri, Davide Donelli. Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Review Int J Biometeorol. 2019 Aug;63(8):1117-1134. doi:10.1007/s00484-019-01717-x. Epub 2019 Apr 18. PMID: 31001682 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-019-01717-x
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31001682/
- Qing Li. [Effect of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on human health: A review of the literature], Review Santa Publique.2019 May 13;S1(HS):135-143. doi: 10.3917/spub.190.0135. PMID: 31210473 DOI: 10.3917/spub.190.0135
.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31210473/
8.Nansook Park, PhD, Christopher Peterson, PhD, Daniel Szvarca, B.S., Randy J. Vander Molen, BA, Eric S. Kim, M.S., and Kevin Collon, BA. Positive Psychology and Physical Health Research and Applications. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 May-Jun; 10(3): 200–206. Published online 2014 Sep 26. doi:10.1177/1559827614550277. PMCID: PMC6124958. PMID: 30202275
