Is Stress Taking a Toll on You?

Let’s face it, stress is a very real part of life, and we are so wired to constantly be on the go, that by the time we realize we need to take a break our body has already shut down, resulting in either extreme exhaustion or illness.

Sustained levels of stress can cause detrimental health implications, and it is therefore vital to implement strategies in our daily lives to prevent or minimize its impact on our health. It sounds like a tall task, but there’s good news – It can be done, and a great way to do this is through breathing and meditation.

It sounds so simple, but breathing works wonders for drastically reducing stress. In those moments when you feel overwhelmed take a moment and close your eyes. Take five deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose. As you breathe out, you’ll begin to feel your entire body relax.

You'll be amazed at how different you'll feel from the first breath to the last. Breathing exercises help you relax by lowering the harmful effects of the stress hormone cortisol. It helps with lowering your blood pressure as well as reduces your heart rate. Diaphragmatic breathing (breathing from the lower belly) is also known to help manage depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness. 

Meditation is a great stress reliever and has many advantages. Not only does it help reduce stress, but meditation also helps to control anxiety, lengthen your attention span, and improves your mental health. You can do it anywhere at any time and the benefits are astronomical. 

The Mayo Clinic sites some key benefits of meditation such as “gaining a new perspective on stressful situations, building skills to manage your stress, increasing self-awareness, focusing on the present”. Diaphragmatic breathing is used in meditation exercise, and when practiced on a regular basis will help keep you consistently in control, resulting in reduced stress levels.

At The Spark Joy Box, we cannot reiterate enough how important it is to take the time to care for YOU. Self-care involves the mind and body holistically, and simply taking 15 minutes to practice breathing and meditation will make a great impact to your wellbeing.