Renewal StrategiesInterrupt the Effects of Stress and Strain

ContentsInterrupt the Effects of Stress an Strain

Fight or Flight? ....................................................................................... 3

Proven Strategies for Disrupting Stress & Strain – Slow, Deep Breathing ......................................................... 4 – Meditation ....................................................................................... 4 – Yoga ...................................................................................................... 4 – Do Nice Things for Others ........................................... 5 – Meaningful Conversations ............................................ 5 – Humor ................................................................................................. 5 – Pets .......................................................................................................6 – Going Outdoors ...................................................................... 6 – Moderate Exercise ................................................................. 6 – Gratitude Journaling .............................................................. 7 – Prayer .................................................................................................... 7

Conclusion ................................................................................................. 8

References & Disclaimer .......................................................... 8

Most of us are familiar with the phrase “Fight or Flight.” When we perceive a threat, our body reacts with one of these stress responses:

1. Increased blood pressure2. Increased pulse3. Increased breathing

These reactions also compromise our immune system because the response focuses on the treat, it blocks out other distractions and reduces our ability to think broadly and creatively.

In a typical week, we experience stress that is already high. These times are anything but typical. When you layer on a pandemic with isolation and economic uncertainty, that stress becomes an extreme strain. According to the Oxford Dictionary, US Version, a strain is defined as, “A state of tension or exhaustion resulting from severe demands on one’s strength or resources.”

Even if we aren’t personally affected biologically or economically, this strain impairs us. Whether or not we acknowledge it, the perception and possible threat make an atmosphere of risk and uncertainty. When this occurs, humans shut down. We are less open to new ideas. We are more vulnerable to hateful messages. We are scared, even if we say we are ok. You may recognize signs of strain in yourself or others: impatience, difficulty concentrating, shutting down, and being short-tempered.

Long-term sustained stress and strain are not beneficial for us. Experts say we need to interrupt the tension and introduce renewal intentionally. According to Dr. Richard Boyatzis1, Professor at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, “renewal is the only thing that can help us improve the effects of and our responses to stress.”

So how do we incorporate renewal into our daily lives? There are several proven strategies for disrupting stress and strain. Over the next pages, you will find some of the most common strategies.

Fight or Flight?

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The National Institute on Health recognizes meditation3 as an alternative therapy and

notes that it can be useful in improving anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Meditation generally includes four elements: a quiet location with as few distractions as possible; a specific, comfortable posture; a focus of attention (a specially chosen word or set of words, an object, or the sensations of the breath); and an open attitude, letting distractions come and go naturally without judging them.

Your breath is a powerful tool to ease stress and make you feel less anxious. A few simple breathing exercises can make a big difference if you make them part of your routine. The important thing is to breathe slowly.

Before you get started, keep these tips in mind from Web MD2 . 1. Choose a place to do your breathing exercise. It could be in your bed, on

your living room floor, or in a comfortable chair.2. Don’t force it; you can feel more stressed.3. Try to do it at the same time once or twice a day.4. Wear comfortable clothes.

Slow, Deep Breathing

Meditation

YOGAYoga is an ancient practice that has become increasingly popular today. Among its many benefits, there is much research to demonstrate that yoga eases the effect of stress.

For example, studies show that it can improve anxiety and depression and promote relaxation. While yoga classes generally don’t offer social distancing, many yoga classes can be found on-line. According to Harvard Health4, yoga may bring calm and mindfulness to your busy life. Before starting an exercise program, please consult with your doctor.

“Slow deep breaths can immediately shift our state of being.”

– Dr. Richard Boyatzis

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In our ever-connected world, having meaningful conversations7 are more challenging. And yet, to mitigate the effects of stress and achieve renewal, we need to have more meaningful con-

versations. To have meaningful conversations, we need to be mindful to connect at times that will allow us to be mentally present. When we are facing stress and strain, our brains secrete a neurotransmitter called oxytocin, which makes us crave social interaction. According to Kelly McGonigal7, in her Ted Talk entitled “How to Make Stress Your Friend,” when you reach out to others while under stress, you release oxytocin, “your stress response becomes healthier, and you recover faster from it.”

Doing Nice Things for OthersKindness and caring for others is a positive renewal strategy to help deal with stress and strain that also benefits others.

According to The American Psychological Association, helping others5 is a powerful form of stress relief, “When you focus your attention on the needs of someone else, your stress levels have been scientifically proven to go down.” This study suggests that we can help ourselves manage stress and feel better by doing good deeds for other people. And by the way, grand gestures are not required to make a difference. Small acts of kindness done over time can reap significant rewards for your well-being.

Meaningful Conversations

When you focus your attention on the needs of someone else, your stress levels have been scientifically proven to go down.

When it comes to stress, a good dose of humor goes a long way toward easing the effects and bringing renewal. Humor works in two ways. First, jokes and humor bring people together and

make us feel closer to one another. Human connection is a known way to improve your response to stress. Second, humor enables us to see the same situation differently. It opens our perspective. When we do that, we may see things that are better than before or even have a silver lining. However, Dr. Markman8 warns that jokes at other people’s expense of self-deprecating humor do not help with stress.

Laughter, the Best Medicine

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It should be no surprise to pet owners that positive

relationships with our furry friends provide benefits of reducing stress, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Studies show that having a pet helps you cope with stress and increases oxytocin in the brain. Pets are also a gateway to interaction with other people9, and these social connections are an effective way to deal with stress.

Pets

Getting OutdoorsBeing outside with nature11 is a great way to de-stress, relax, and renew. Walking through the woods, a garden, or a park all help to improve your cognitive energy and reduce the effects of stress. Walking in wooded areas can also reduce anxiety and depression. The Japanese have a practice called

Shinrin-yoku or Forest Bathing12. The idea is to separate from the rush and busyness, unplug immerse yourself in nature. Dr. Li says, “The key to unlocking the power of the forest is in the five senses. Let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and feet . . . drink in the flavor of the forest and release your sense of joy and calm. This is your sixth sense, a state of mind. Now you have connected with nature. You have crossed the bridge to happiness.”

Exercise We all know that exercise

can increase our overall well-being, it is also a proven technique for stress management and renewal. According to the Mayo Clinic10, nearly ANY form of exercise helps relieve the effects of stress and strain.

The clinic reports, “As you begin to shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity regularly, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything you do.” And further, exercise helps improve your mood by interrupting the tension and lowering depression and anxiety.

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Gratitude JournalingThis strategy combines two proven activities to reduce stress and enable renewal – cultivating gratitude and journaling. The act of intentionally naming what or who we are thankful for has been shown to benefit our emotional well-being as well as help us build resilience in stressful times. Writing down what you are thankful for gives you gives you a way to focus on and document your gratitude. Once you have begun a gratitude journal13, you will have a record of what and who you are thankful for that you can use as a reminder when life becomes confusing and stressful.

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PrayerPraying to a loving God is a part of many faith traditions. In addition to fulfilling a religious practice, prayer14 is a powerful way to interrupt stress and anxiety and provide relaxation, according to a study from Baylor University.

Researcher Matt Bradshaw, Ph.D., notes that for many people, God is a source of comfort and strength, and through prayer, they choose to enter into an intimate relationship with Him and begin to feel a secure attachment. When this is the case, prayer offers emotional comfort, resulting in fewer symptoms of stress and anxiety. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening.”

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

– Ekhart Tolle

1 “Transformational Leadership with Henna Inam,” podcast with guest Dr. Richard Boyatzis, May 4, 2020. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/richard-boyatzis/id1505859024?i=1000473673978

2 Web MD “Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief,” January 19, 2020. https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-re-lief-breathing-techniques#1

3 “Meditation in Depth,” https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth

4 “Yoga: Benefits Beyond the Mat,” February 2015. https://www.health.harvard.edu/stay-ing-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat

5 Elizabeth Scott, January 2020. “Helping Others Can Increase Happiness,” https://www.very-wellmind.com/stress-helping-others-can-in-crease-happiness-3144890

6 Ray Newal, April 2016. The Power of Mean-ingful Conversations” https://medium.com/@rnewal/the-power-of-meaningful-conversa-tions-893e65d1b0e6

7 Kelly McGonigal, “How to Make Stress Your Friend,” TED, 2013. https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en

8 Art Markman, PhD, “Humor Sometimes Makes Stressful Situations Better,” Psychology Today, June 2017. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201706/humor-some-times-makes-stressful-situations-better

9 Steve Feldman, “Alleviating Stress, Anxiety, and Depression with the Pet Effect,” November 2018. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. https://adaa.org/finding-help/corona-virus-anxiety-helpful-resources

10 Mayo Clinic, “Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress,” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

11 Christina Heiser, NBC News, January 7, 2018. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/how-nature-can-solve-life-s-most-challenging-problems-ncna749361

12 The Benefits of Forest Bathing, Dr. Qing Li, May 1, 2018. https://time.com/5259602/japa-nese-forest-bathing/

13 Elizabeth Scott, “The Benefits of Cultivating Gratitude for Stress Relief,” July 18, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/i-am-con-stantly-verge-panic-attack-americans-are-burned-out-ncna1212166

14 Traci Pederson, “New Study Examines the Effects of Prayer on Mental Health,” July 8, 2018. https://psychcentral.com/blog/new-study-ex-amines-the-effects-of-prayer-on-mental-health/

References

The activities described in this white paper are

proven strategies to lower the stress response and enable renewal. When we do them, we alter our state of being by intentionally moving our attention to something calming, centering, and positive.

So, what is the best way to incorporate these renewal strategies into your daily life? According to Dr. Boyatzis, doing any combination of these activities for 15 minutes at a time, 5-6 times is ideal. He advises establishing a routine where you can incorporate these renewal

activities throughout your day to interrupt the effects of stress and strain and re-center yourself. Doing small increments of renewal activities works better than doing one of them for 90-minutes at a time.

We and those around us are dealing with considerable uncertainty, stress, and strain. The long term effects of prolonged pressure on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being can be damaging. Incorporating the stress-interrupting activities in this paper throughout our day helps us to re-center, refresh, and renew. NAMASTE

Medical Disclaimer: The content in this document is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, or as a substitute for the medical advice of a physician. Before beginning any type of natural, integrative or conventional treatment regimen, it is advisable to seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.

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Conclusion

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