Here’s how to lower your stress levels

IN my last few articles, I wrote about how we should be calm and collected in order to make informed decisions for our ailing loved one. I’ve also written about how stress can make you feel overwhelmed and forgetful. There are quite a few ways to deal with stress when you’re caring for your loved one. Unfortunately, they always sound a lot easier said than done. Some sound so easy that you wonder if it’s really effective. Why not try it anyway and decide for yourself?

I picked up a few techniques to deal with stress over the years. There are always people who are willing to share what they know. It’s for you to decide if those methods work for you. Once you have, try to be consistent and include them in your daily routine. Only then would it work because it becomes a part of you.

One of my favourites is the breathing exercise. Just take 10 full breaths first thing when you wake up and when you’re about to sleep. Focus on inhaling air deep into your body, and slowly exhaling it. Be conscious of this action. It’s a form of meditation.

Another breathing exercise is taking three deep breaths to pause before you do anything. It could be before answering the phone, before entering the house and definitely before reacting to something that stirs strong emotions like anger and frustration. You’ll find that when you take these moments, you become aware of yourself and your surroundings. This is how you can start practising mindfulness.

ALERT AND MINDFUL

Take it to the next level and take the three breaths before you eat. Notice what’s on your plate. Appreciate the colours, textures and smell and how you react to them all. Notice how you start to anticipate and enjoy your meal.

Wolfing down your food quickly is bad for you in many ways. You could get heartburn and indigestion, and you may even overeat because you don’t give your body time to react to what you’ve eaten or to signal that you’re already full. Besides, chewing your food well aids digestion and keeps you full longer.

It would be a good idea to not do anything else while you’re eating. Try not to use the phone, whether it’s to talk to someone, text messages or even watch movies and videos. Most certainly don’t eat in front of the television or computer. Try to spend at least five to 10 minutes eating your meal in silence with no distractions. If that’s not possible, try to take the first three bites of your meal in silence.

This may sound impossible especially when you’re hosting the meal or when you have to eat on the run. But try to do this whenever you can. You’ll find that you actually feel fuller longer and you’re calmer when you have to deal with the next problem.

APPRECIATE THE LITTLE THINGS

It has always been said that caregivers should take some time off to re-energise. It could be for just a few minutes or several hours, but it’s certainly better than none.

When I used to spend long hours being with my parents when they were hospitalised, I took every opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, even if it were only to open the window and smell the first whiff of rain or cut grass.

Feeling the warm or cool breeze on my face, depending on the time of day always makes me grateful that I’m not the one lying down in that hospital bed constricted by tubes and wires.

When you’re so used to doing something, it’s quite likely that you can go into auto-mode if you have to do it again. This often makes you lost in your thoughts. You do things mechanically while your mind is elsewhere. When you realise this, bring back your focus to what you’re supposed to be doing.

One of the ways to ground yourself is to bring yourself to the present moment. Pay full attention to what you’re doing right now and notice your surroundings using all your five senses.

Tell yourself what you see, what you smell, what sensation you feel with your fingers, the sounds that you hear and the taste in your mouth.

By doing these little things, your mind will be able to focus on these thoughts and you can become more aware of your surroundings. It’ll make it easier for you to be in the moment. It can help to reduce stress, lessen panic attacks and might even help you to be kinder to yourself and others.

This shift in awareness can help you see yourself in situations differently. Sometimes you need to think out of the box, and these tips might help you do that.