November 5 was marked as Stress Awareness Day worldwide. Although not many people are probably aware of this, it is a fact that all of us go through stress regularly. Stress is simply inevitable; suffering from stress is not. There are ways to cope, manage, beat, and handle stress in a mature, healthy way.
To commemorate this awareness day, here are some creative stress relieving techniques that are backed up by research and have been proven effective and tremendously helpful.
De-clutter your closet, bedroom, office space
They say that clutter is a product of stress, but it is also the other way around- clutter can trigger stress, and according to research, contribute to depressed feelings. Being surrounded by piles and piles of work, reading materi0als, laundry, and other mountains of things can make it difficult to relax. According to Candita Clayton, eco-organizer and author, this is because clutter sends a subconscious message that you have a lot of things to do, preventing you from fully resting your mind and relaxing.
Massage your ears gently
A great stress management regimen is an ear massage, wherein you simply massage the tips of your ears. In this regimen, the part if the nervous system responsible for rest and digestion is stimulated, causing a gurgling sound from the digestive system.
Paint, draw, make art, create
Nothing beats the therapeutic benefits of art. It does not have to be meticulously crafted, perfectly painted, or simply impeccable; in fact, the messier, the better. Color has a way of soothing the mind. Also, the actual creative process of making art significantly alleviates emotional stress and anxiety. Biochemically, creative activity increases serotonin levels, leading to better, improved mood. They key to a creative pursuit as a stress relieving practice is to be unmoved by whatever the end result is. Simply allowing yourself to be free and expressing yourself through art, instead of thinking too much about the outcome, can lower heart rate and blood pressure, and bring feelings of calm and joy.
