
10 tips to help you deal with stressful times
Updated: Jun 2, 2020
Are you feeling frazzled? Keep calm and...

1. Breathe!
Your breath is a powerful tool to ease stress and make you feel less anxious. Some simple breathing exercises can make a big difference if you make them part of your regular routine.
Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach.
Breathe in slowly and deeply into your stomach through your nose, and slowly out through your mouth.
You should feel your stomach expanding with each in breath, rather than your chest.
As you breathe in, imagine breathing in peace and calm.
As you breath out, imagine breathing out stress and anxiety.
Repeat 10 times.
2. Meditate
Meditation is a tried and tested way of relaxing and calming the mind. Listen to a guided meditation, join a virtual class, have a go yourself.... There is a lot out there, and there will be something for everyone. Little and often is most beneficial e.g. 15 minutes every day.
3. Get creative
Do some drawing or painting, sewing or knitting, origami , topiary or anything that takes your fancy! Not only can it be fun and intensely satisfying to create something, but focusing fully on a particular task for any length of time helps calm the mind.
4. Sing
Singing brings joy to many people – but did you know that your passion for singing can lead to incredible benefits in your physical, emotional, and social health?
Singing strengthens the immune system....
Singing is a workout. …
Singing improves your posture. …
Singing helps with sleep. .
Singing is a natural anti-depressant. …
Singing lowers stress levels. …
Singing improves mental alertness. …
Singing can widen your circle of friends.
https://takelessons.com/live/singing/health-benefits-of-singing
So sing alone, sing with others, sing in the shower, sing on the balcony, sing along to the radio, sing online with a choir, and see how good it can make you feel!
…... tum te tum te tum ...…
5. Laugh!
We've all heard the phrase 'laughter is the best medicine'. Well, it's so true!
Laughter is good for your health – just consider the following:
Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Laughter burns calories. OK, so it’s no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.
Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.
Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humour outlived those who don’t laugh as much. The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer.