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The levels of unhappiness and stress-induced anxiety in the modern world is creating a rampant health crisis for people. Stress is the body’s way of reacting to any circumstance that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these circumstances with physical, mental, and emotional responses. During stressful events, the body releases a burst of chemicals, such as adrenaline, which can be helpful to provide energy to get certain tasks done, but in the long term, stress can lead to significant health problems.
Hence, calming the brain becomes imperative to avoid symptoms of prolonged stress exposure such as muscle tension, headaches, fatigue and lack of sleep. Indulging in repetitive activities is one such way of calming the brain as rhythmic movements integrate the body and mind due to its meditative effect. Anxiety tends to freeze our response to our surroundings and circumstances due to a feeling of helplessness and repetitive activities can work as an antidote to the freeze state, helping you calm your brain and partake in a constructive activity.
We present three repetitive activities that will help you calm your mind:
Harvard Health Publishing mentions, “Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.”
The beauty of exercise is its contribution to the alteration of behavioural factors coupled with a sense of routine and repetition. As and when the physical transformation of the body will happen, the level of emotional well-being will also increase, due to improved self-image and confidence.
As per Harvard Health Publishing, taking a walk is a great way to exercise and relax at the same time. When you move and breathe rhythmically, you get a chance to be aware of the sensations in your body. Walking will help expand your awareness to the sights and smells around you and a slow, mindful walk will help you get centred and relax. It might feel slow and boring in the beginning, but give it time and you’ll see how it affects not just your physical health, but also the mental makeup.
As per research published by Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, repetitively colouring a complex geometric design, like a mandala, creates a meditative state that is beneficial to reduce anxiety. Colouring is calming, as when we colour, we have to use both the logical left hemisphere (motor skills and attention) of our brain and the creative right hemisphere (colour, shape, imagery and emotion), and this activates both sides of the brain that calms the amygdala (the part of the brain that is related to our fear and stress response).
Ladies, it is all about finding magic in the mundane, when it comes to keeping stress at bay and calming the mind.
Grace is someone who likes writing enough to make a living out of it. When she isn’t writing, you will find her having chai and reading a book. ...Read More
