Blog

Right.

So, I agreed to write a blog post about managing stress and I don’t even know where to begin.

It’s January 27^th as I write this and most of us would agree that we all need some tactics for managing stress. Tempering our response to external stimuli not only helps keep our nervous system grounded, it also helps to maintain a state of mind where we can be of the most use to both our community and our loved ones. So, here are a few strategies for you to lean on when things start to feel heavier.

• Anapana seated meditation– It’s one of the easiest styles of seated meditation. Sit cross-legged, or on a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Interlace your fingers and touch your thumbs together. Close your eyes and focus gently on the breath going in and out of your nostrils. Each time you find your attention has wandered, simply bring your awareness back to the breath in your nostrils. Even five minutes of this a day can work wonders for your mood and sense of emotional equilibrium.
• Massage at the Shenmen ear acupuncture point– Acupuncture point massage is a great way to get some of the benefits of an acupuncture treatment when you’re not on the table. Shenmen, which translates into English as ‘Spirit Gate’ from Chinese, is a powerfully calming point. Find its location on your ear using the photo below and simply press it a few times until it feels sore. Secret bonus: grab a Stress Relief Qi ear seed kit from us for an even more potent stress relief weapon.

• Journaling– Get it off your chest. Everything is moving fast right now. Writing your feelings down is a written record for when time feels distorted. In Chinese metaphysics, journaling is represented by our output element, which is also associated with ideas and creativity, so let it flow. Trust me, it helps so much.
• Social media curfew- You hear this one again and again, so like all things of this nature, there’s something to it. Pick a time each day when you are done looking at social media. You don’t need to take it to bed with you. Give your brain some time to calm down and clear out before sleep. Bonus points: use a regular alarm and keep your phone out of your bedroom.
• Acupuncture- Naturally this one is huge on the list of stress management tools. Years of research confirms that acupuncture takes us out of fight or flight and into parasympathetic rest and digest. When these systems are online, we digest better, sleep better, think better, and generally just function better.

While there is a lot happening right now that we can’t control, we can control ourselves so that we face it with the most mental clarity that we can muster, which helps our emotional wellbeing. If you’re feeling a little wobbly these days, give us a call and get on the schedule. We’ll be your standing stone.

Molly