Practise these 3 mindful activities to reduce stress levels instantly and feel calm

You can’t deny that life in the 21st century is extremely stressful. From our work commitments to our social obligations, there are so many stressors in our daily life. Most people don’t take rising stress levels too seriously but it is important to note that if not managed in time, stress can have tangible effects on our mental as well as physical health.

For stress management, you do not need to do anything too elaborate! Practising mindful activities can go a long way in ensuring you stay calm and embrace a relaxed state of mind. Now, we hear the term ‘mindful’ often but not many know what it entails.

So, what is mindfulness?

When you practise mindfulness, you’re required to be deeply aware of your surroundings, feelings and sensations but only as an observer. You should live in the moment without judging yourself or interpreting what you’re feeling. Doing this can help you relax and bring down stress levels.

Now, there are certain activities that you can make a part of your routine to practice mindfulness and get rid of stress. Here are three of them:

1. Guided meditation

Most people already know that meditation can bring about calmness but guided meditation is specifically designed to help you practice mindfulness. It involves meditating under the guidance of an expert or using an app. One can also enhance their experience with relaxing music and aromatherapy.

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At this point in time, there are various apps that specialise in guided meditation, targeting specific issues like stress and negative thoughts. You will only have to spare 8 to 10 minutes for a session of guided meditation but honestly, the relaxing effect you’ll feel is worth it! Try free guided meditation here

2. Breathing exercises

When you’re feeling extremely tense about something, you’ll notice that simply closing your eyes and taking a deep breath helps clear your mind. When it comes to mindful breathing, you’ll experience something similar and be able to relax even during stressful situations. Practising mindful breathing requires being aware of each breath you take and feeling it reduce your stress each time you breathe out. You can try the 3-3-3 method where you count to 3 when you’re breathing in, hold your breath for a count of 3 and release it to the count of 3.

3. Body scan

A unique method of practising mindfulness, body scanning involves concentrating on one body part at a time and relaxing specific muscle groups while doing so.

According to Harvard Health Publishing:

Doing a body scan will help you concentrate on your body and mind, bringing about calmness. Sparing even a couple of minutes in the day for this will enable you to effectively reduce stress levels.

So, ladies, practising mindful activities can go a long way in ensuring you stay away from stress and all the health problems it can cause!