4 Ways You Can Destress This Summer

Summer is a time of sunshine, swimming, and enjoying time outside. However, summer can also be a stressful time for some people. Managing stress is an important part of daily life, and with the business of summer, it can feel like you often aren’t able to catch your breath. Taking time to destress is so important for your mental, emotional, and physical health. It has been found that many people living with chronic illnesses are living in a sympathetic state where their bodies are in fight or flight mode. Getting your body into a parasympathetic state is important for your overall health.

Spend Time Outside

Nature is a wonderful healer and can help you lower cortisol levels, help lower blood pressure, and aid in relieving anxiety and depression symptoms. Being in nature is a great way to get fresh air while taking your mind off anything that is bothering you. Simply stepping outside for a few minutes is great for your health. Taking your shoes off and being barefoot with the earth can start the grounding process, where energy from the earth can be transferred into your body. Whether you have a few minutes for a break or can spend all day outside, no amount of time in nature is wasted. 

Meditate Regularly

When you meditate, you are focusing your attention on the things you are thinking of, and getting your brain waves into a more relaxed and focused state. Not only is meditation good practice for being an observer of your thoughts, but it also helps quell anxiety, provides a stress reduction, can lengthen your attention span, and increase positive feelings towards yourself and others. Meditation is a wonderful way to escape the ins and outs of daily life. 

Practice Deep Breathing Exercises

Most people shorten their breath when they are stressed, which puts the body into a deeper state of stress. Being aware of how you are breathing, and performing targeted breathing exercises can be a great way to calm your body down naturally. Proper breathing includes filling your air with lungs and slowly exhaling through your nose. You can also hold your breath for a count of ten to get your body to deeply relax. 

Engage in Joy 

Making sure you are engaging in activities you love and spending time with people who make you feel good is so important to your mental health. Taking time every day to do a fun activity or even make a quick phone call to a friend can help give your body a dose of the feel-good hormones dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. These help your body get into the parasympathetic mode of resting and digesting. 

Practicing Mindfulness Helps Reduce Stress

All of the above techniques are very helpful in assisting your body manage stress. Whether you practice all of them or pick and choose, you’re going to be doing your body and mind a favor. You don’t have to live with stress and anxiety any longer; take steps today to help manage your stress level.