Category: Brain Hacks

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Six Suggestions to Self-Soothe and Regulate your Nervous System

Sometimes there’s just no time to get to a yoga class, to meditate or simply relax because there’s too much to do.  But we all need ways to, self-soothe, relax and regulate the nervous system  in preparation for the next task at hand.

Here are six quick strategies to shift your emotional state. You can try them individually, or for the best results, combine them. They’re also perfect for incorporating into your bedtime routine to promote a restful night’s sleep.

 

Keep The Change

You don’t need your phone, you don’t need an app you have everything you need in your body to change channels and move from stress to a state of serenity.

Relax Your Nervous System.

Bring your left hand to your left ear lobe spread your hand and stroke slowly down your neck toward your throat, then your right hand does the same (same side) repeat hand-over-hand. Feel the warmth of your hands. Repeat to right side of neck. Then stroke down from the chin to the base of the throat. This activates the vagus nerve which triggers your parasympathetic nervous system and improves your vagal tone. All of which contribute to a regulated nervous system. In other words you’ll feel instantly calmer.

When you feel sad  or tearful, this is a great tip to expel stagnant energy from your lungs, as energetically they hold  sadness and grief.

Float your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, breathe in and bring your bring your arms up above your head. Make a pyramid with your fingertips as you  float your hands down in front of your body, hands flatten as if you’re pushing air down, whilst exhaling with the sound Sssss hissing like an old-fashioned kettle. Repeat three times.

When you feel hurt, angry or upset, your heart fire will spike,  like a fire flaring up. To balance this, focus on your energetic heart at the centre of your sternum.  Gently stroke hand-over-hand, downwards in long slow strokes. Pair this movement with a soft nasal inhalation and exhale with the sound Haaaa this helps cool the heart fire and brings a sense of calm. Repeat three times.

Vibration is movement so it can shift stagnant energy making room for fresh energy to circulate.

Sit upright and hum quietly for a minimum of 5 minutes. A 2002 scientific study published in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine titled “Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide“ backs up the claim that humming for 5 minutes produces fifteen times the amount of nitric oxide in the sinuses. This is linked to increased oxygen uptake, blood vessel dilation and improved immune function.

If you’ve had a shock, feel angry and need to change your state read on…

When a dog trembles in reaction to fireworks  they are attempting to shake off  the excess adrenalin coursing through their body that’s making them scared. We can do this too. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, shrug shoulders up and down moving the shoulder blades too, allow the arms and hands to be limp, so that they flail independently alongside the body. Simultaneously bend the knees so that the body is also shaking loosely. This helps to move lymph fluid which carries away waste, stale energy and shakes off the adrenalin. Do this for 5 minutes with the intention to leg go of… state what it is you’re letting go of.

Gargle ‘til you Gag.

Finally, and not one for the office, practise this in your bathroom morning or evening and ideally on an empty stomach. Gargle until you gag or until your eyes water and this will reset your vagus nerve and activate your parasympathetic nervous system.  Rinse and repeat. Enjoy!

Ginger tea
Ginger Tea to Aid Digestion

Additionally,  boil fresh ginger for 5 minutes and drink first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  It can help with digestive disorders, soothe the gut, decrease bloating and can help alleviate inflammation in the body. Not advisable if you’re on blood thinners so check with your GP if you’re taking medications.

Take advantage of the freebies in thestresshacker shop, go to the FREE STUFF button. Try some of the hypnosis programmes too, it’s the quickest way to reprogramme your mind.

 

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MIND MANAGEMENT: MOVEMENT OR MEDITATION?

A few years ago I was teaching yoga in a local gym, when a student approached me seeking guidance on managing her anxiety. She asked which specific yoga poses could help her. Curiously, I inquired about her daily practice, only to learn that she felt too anxious to practice at all.

The purpose of any discipline, be it prayer, meditation, Yoga, or Qigong, is to connect with your inner self. This connection taps into an unwavering, peaceful presence that resides within you. By establishing a regular practice, ideally daily, it becomes easier to access this infinite source of calm.

The long-term benefits are profound. When you cultivate a sense of stillness and peace, it feels like returning home to a place you instinctively know you belong. You can carry this sense of calm with you as you navigate life’s journey.

Of course, as humans, we will still experience feelings of sadness, anger, and depression. Acknowledging these emotions is essential; they are part of the human experience. However, your practice allows you to move through these feelings more quickly. Embrace them after all, they are real and valid. With your discipline in place, you’re more likely to remain more positive as you move through the challenges of your day.

Can you take seven to ten minutes every day?

When you care enough about yourself to commit to a short time every day for your practice – whether that’s running, martial arts, or chanting – it becomes easier to remain centred, react less to external triggers, feel generally stronger and feel more in control of your life.

What you experience in your practice is eventually translated into every area of your life. For example, in the ancient art of Qigong, we learn to move slowly with relaxed breathing and in time we approach all our daily activities in the same way, thus gaining some self-mastery.

Over time we develop resilience as we realise that emotions are fluid; nothing stays the same forever, including how you feel in any given moment. Whilst we can’t escape illness, loss and life changing events we’re able to handle them in a more robust way.

Your Practice as an Anchor

Consider your practice as an anchor during life’s storms. Whilst many external circumstances are often beyond our control, building a daily routine fosters a sense of balance and inner strength that will serve you well throughout life.

Just before lockdown I started my  teacher training in Qigong which I’ve added to my regular yoga practice. I cannot sing it’s praises more highly; it is a remarkable practice and there is a huge body of scientific evidence to prove its efficacy.

It’s an easy practice to learn… you just have to keep practising.
YOGA AND QIGONG

If you would like to experience some of the wonderful benefits of Qigong. I am holding a mini-Yoga and Qigong Summer Retreat in a beautiful setting in Bromley, Kent. Contact me at sue@thestresshacker.com for more information.

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Mind Body Wellbeing Hacks

Here are 5 simple hacks for a mind body reset.

  1. Hum doesn’t matter what  tune or whether or not you’re in tune, just hum it’s an easy fix to feeling calm.
  2. Stroke your neck from your left ear to your right collar bone hand over hand, then from right ear to the left collar bone, finally stroke from your chin down to the little u bend at the base of your neck.
  3. Put an ice-pack on the nape of your neck for one-to-two minutes.
  4. Gargle ’till you gag. Use Himalyan salts if you can get them and gargle robustly for a good couple of minutes until your gag reflex is triggered.
  5. Learn  how to belly breathe it’s a life saver in stressful situations.  To be able to change your state by moving into deeper belly breathing offers us a sense of control in challenging situations.

It’s all to do with resetting your vagus nerve

This net-like nerve pretty much travels the length of your torso from your 12th cranial nerve to your gut. Apply some of the mind body wellbeing hacks above and you’ll feel in control again. It will move away from anxiety toward self-confidence.

Mind body hacks were used as far back as 12th century.  Techniques such as the Inner Smile Meditation were used to give subtle messages to the major organs in the body that all is well. Cool, simply by smiling and connecting with them we start to feel great.

Light, Heartshaped Mirror Plant, Wind Chime
Light Heart Chimes with Wellbeing and Nature

Now it might sound daft to smile and connect with  your heart, but if you want to live in harmony, know that the heart is the Emperor of the emotions. Stop and think about that for a moment and you’ll know it’s true. When you feel sad, angry, fearful, happy or loving you experience those feelings from your heart.

***FREE GIFT***

It stands to reason then that we should look after the heart. With this in mind I made a gift for you. It’s my version of The Inner Smile Meditation.  Download it free here in the shop or listen to it on my YouTube channel. Once you’re familiar with it you can do it yourself EVERY day to trigger a healthy mind body connection. Let me know what you think of it.

Sunlight shining on a woman in nature who is smiling.
Smile with your heart, smile with your eyes let the light in and spread the love.

 

Yoga and Qigong Classes

A lilac flower background with details of yoga and qigong classes.
Learn Qigong and Yoga for flexibility and longevity.

If you’d like to join me in exploring more mind body hacks, I run an in-person Yoga and Qigong class in Bromley on the last Friday of every month and online weekly.  You’ll love how you feel afterwards. Beginners are welcome you only need to bring your mind and body.

Thanks for reading.

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7 Surprising Ways to Protect Yourself

As we move into the colourful season of Autumn,  this is the right time to strengthen your defences and protect yourself by reinforcing your shield.

According to Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a protective force known as the Wei Qi (could be called the immune system too.) The yang energy flows on the outer layers of muscle and skin and controls the opening and closing of the pores that regulate temperature and sweating, this is the shield that helps you to protect yourself.

Protect yourself and strengthen your field to shield you from external pathogens and internal pathogens.

Protect and Shield Yourself

Obvious external pathogens are colds, flu’s and viruses but it may surprise you to know that internal pathogens are things like negative emotions and unhealthy thought patterns, we’re talking  FAGS!  fear, anger, guilt and shame. Banish those yucky emotions.

Since Autumn is a time of letting go and Mother Earth, is shedding layers and dying off, it’s actually quite normal to experience sadness and grief, weepy and low at this time of year.

As we say goodbye to the summer joys and all it’s warmth and prepare for the cold dark winter days ahead it can feel like grieving.

Other internal pathogens are poor attachments in the form of  bad habits or addictions that can return with a vengeance as we reach for unhealthy comforts. When you lose  your drive and feel rudderless this is also a call to action to strengthen and protect yourself.

So how do we combat this and strengthen our immunity? Luckily there are many ways, heres’ a few.

Keep Warm. A simple common sense approach to the changing seasons, such as protecting your body – especially neck/throat area – from wind and cold will help you. Plainly put, you’ve got to start wearing those extra layers even if that big yellow thing is still shining in the sky!

Disicipline. Find whatever way  works for you but  knuckle down and do some regular exercise, whether it’s jogging, an aerobic class, yoga or Qigong get into something that you can practice for a short time each day, ideally working up a sweat. By the way don’t wash the sweat off for at least 1/2 an hour because when you allow it to soak into the pores you strengthen your Wei Qi and  that’s your shield.

Nourishment. Ideally eat food that’s in season and nutrient rich with a variety of fruit, veg, nuts and seeds – the gut biome likes that! If you don’t know how to get your act together on the food front contact a good nutritionist

Stress Free. Reduce stress by practising relaxation techniques or listen to any of the programmes such as Yoga Nidra  available in the shop here at thestresshacker.com .

Sleep Well. Aim for seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Get into a routine, avoid visual stimulus for at least a couple of hours before you turn in. Clear your mind by writing a list of everything you have to do tomorrow and rise early to address your list.

Boundaries. Look at your boundaries make a note of who pushes them, or where and when your own boundaries weaken and you reach for your ‘fix’. Make a conscious decision to address them by writing out the ways you can deal with your boundary pushers for example learning  assertive skills. Make an alternative plan to avoid the people, situations, times and triggers that make you want to use your comforters, consider other ways to handle this.

Know Yourself Better. In order to establish good clear boundaries, it’s important to know yourself. One simple way to do this is to journal daily. Just write a couple of pages either last thing at night or first thing in the morning before you get up. No rules, just write whatever comes out… over time you’ll see a pattern emerge. Noticing this can help you start addressing the things that get in the way of you feeling strong and you’ll be able to help yourself.

Finally, if you struggle with any of the above enlist some experts and get a wellbeing team behind you.  Go and see a homeopath, get some acupuncture  to boost your immune system and clear stagnation. Find a life-coach or therapist to work through your mental and emotional blocks and lastly set clear goals and then  practice being present i.e meditation and mindfulness.

If you’re looking for a yoga and Qigong class, drop me a line meaI look forward to hearing your thoughts on taking steps to protect yourself.

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Tips for Wellbeing

Are you feeling Weepy? Tips For Your Wellbeing

Are you in need of a boost for your wellbeing? It might be reassuring for you to know that this is the season for feeling grief and sadness. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the season of Autumn relates to the organ of the lungs which emotionally hold grief. Although separate organs, the heart and lungs are interrelated by the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This means that any ‘affair of the heart’ such as loss, upset or conflict can be the trigger for grief. The heart affects the lungs, and the lungs affect the heart.

So, what can we do to boost our wellbeing at this time? Move!

Here are three ways to improve our wellbeing. We need to move stagnant energy (Prana, Qi or Ki) out of our lungs.

  1. Try some shoulders shrugs individually and both together.  Shrugging acts as a pump to move stale energy and encourage better circulation try it now, where-ever you are, can you feel the lungs moving?
  2. Stand up and relax your whole body and shake your arms, bend your knees, and straighten your legs, repeatedly, shaking off any negative energy through your hands and fingers, like a tree losing its leaves in the autumn.
  3. Take your arms out to the sides float your palms up toward each other and back down again and repeat. This simple movement opens the sides of the lungs brings a bit of energy to your intercostal muscles (that sit between your ribs) and lift both heart and lungs. You’ll feel instantly brighter and more energised.

And Finally…

As Autumn is a season of ‘dryness’, you may have noticed your skin feeling dry and crepey (not creepy!) at this time. To remedy this, set some time aside for self-care. Get some sesame oil (it’s naturally the warmest oil) and heat it. I place mine into a plastic bottle and then put it into a stainless-steel cup of hot water. When it’s warmed, begin to gently massage your body, including the nostrils, ears fingers and toes, including your nails. Allow half an hour for it to soak in before having a bath or shower. NB if you oil your hair, which feels amazing, you will need to put neat shampoo on your hair before the water or it will be difficult to get the oil out. Not only will you feel nurtured and comforted, you  will also sleep well, so best done at night. Repeat once or twice a week.

Autumn is a good time to boost your immune system in preparation for winter so remember, that there are lots of resources and programmes available in the stresshacker shop to make life more manageable for you. 

Try out Healing Now Hypnosis Program if you’re starting to feel under the weather and take advantage of the Freebies!

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Six Simple Steps To Self-Care

These tips for self-care will help towards achieving positive health and wellbeing. You’ve heard the expression ‘Charity begins at home,’  so does self-care. Let’s be honest if you can’t look after yourself and take an interest in your wellbeing, why should anyone else?

Successful people use simple mind hacks to boost their self-confidence while they sleep and feed their minds with personal development programmes and podcasts by day.

With the NHS creaking under pressure and GP appointments hard to come by, preventative steps to ensure our positive mental health and wellbeing  are more important than ever.

Tips for Self-Care

One Eastern approach to wellbeing is called Ayurveda, roughly translated as The Science of Life. I’ve loosely studied Ayurveda since 1984 by reading and attending courses but I feel as if I’ve just scratched the surface! It’s  a vast subject and one of the main things is to understand your constitution, also known as your doshic make-up.

A quiz can help you do this and it’s one of my favourite tips for taking better care of yourself so read on…

  1. Know yourself. Take the Dosha quiz here: Dosha Quiz
  2. As we move out of late summer, rethink your diet,  you’ll need to eat differently as the Autumn winds and damp weather take hold.  See my delicious recipe below.
  3. Keep negative thoughts at bay, use this  vibration meditation. Close your eyes, inhale slowly and on the exhale make the sound Mmmmmm. Feel the vibration on your lips and imagine it resounding around the inside of your brain. Do this for 3 minutes minimum. For a greater sense of calm try 7 or 21 minutes. It’s excellent if you suffer from insomnia,  obsessive thoughts and anxiety.
  4. Are you one of those people who feel irritated easily? Start the day with fresh lemon and warm water it’s cleansing for the liver and surprisingly, can calm your disposition.  If your digestion is feeling sluggish peel and slice fresh ginger, boil it and cool before drinking first thing in the morning. It feels very warming to the gut.
  5. If you have trouble sleeping, massage your hands and feet with warm sesame oil and go to bed wearing socks and light cotton gloves. Write down anything that could keep you awake . Make a list of all the things you have to do tomorrow, then forget about them until the morning. When there are things you need to get off of your chest, journal until you’re bored!
  6. Aim to bathe in nature at least once a week and preferably more often . Go for a walk in a park, woodland or  visit the seaside, blue and green are soothing for the soul.

Would you like to try a regular weekly online meditation class? 

I run a session at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Wednesday evenings email me at sue@thestresshacker.com and I’ll send you details. Read some of the testimonies to hear what other’s say about it.

Recipe for Kitchari

Make the recipe below for yourself and see how nurturing it is. Let me know how you get on I love to hear your feedback.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup basmati rice 1 cup mung dal (split yellow) I also use red lentils as I find them much easier to digest and quicker to cook.
  • Approximately 6 cups of water
    Roughly 1 inch of fresh ginger, chopped or grated – it really is easier to peel with a teaspoon!
  • ¼ teaspoon of rock salt
  • 1 tablespoon of ghee
    1/2 tsp. coriander powder
    1/2 tsp. cumin powder
    1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
    1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
    1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
    1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • It’s a bit of a faff measuring this out every time you make it,  I make it up in bulk and keep it in a jar and I tend to pulp it into a powder in a pestle and mortar (except the ginger and fresh coriander.)
  • A handful of freshly chopped coriander
  • A handful of  assorted vegetables ( these are optional)
  • Preparation – takes no time.

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Thoroughly wash your lentils in a sieve, make sure the water runs clear through them and leave to one side.
  2. Place a heavy bottomed saucepan on a high heat, when it’s hot, turn it down add the ghee, let it melt and throw your spices in (but NOT the fresh coriander) stir them into the ghee until the seeds pop (If you haven’t pulped them) Do NOT let it burn.
  3. Next add the washed lentils and coat them in the spicy ghee mixture, then cover until they become soft. (Check from time to time that it’s not burning and add a little more water if necessary.If you want more of a soup, add more water and don’t add rice. If you want a more substantial meal, add less water and add your vegetables for about 10 mins or less if you like them al dente.

    Note:      If you’re adding some vegetables, wash and chop them into small chunks, you could use broccoli, courgettes, carrots, sweet potato, or some spinach or cabbage.
  4. Finally throw in a packet of 2 minute basmati rice (or a cupful that you might have already cooked) and stir in for 4 or 5 minutes.

In my opinion good cooking comes from tasting as you go along, after all you’ll be eating it so you’re the judge of it! If you’re feeling low or unwell, this is considered a ‘healing meal’ and is the perfect remedy for any body type or age group.  Enjoy!

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Anxious About The Ukraine?

Is Your Anxiety Creeping Up?

I’ve had quite a few messages from people who are struggling with anxiety about the attack on the Ukraine and I doubt anyone could fail to be affected by it.

But here’s the thing, if like me you are highly sensitive it’s a bad idea to listen, read or watch too much of the reporting. It is a trigger for anxiety,  it really can have a negative and detrimental effect on your health and wellbeing.

Isn’t that just being ignorant?

I’m not being an Ostrich or selfish when I say that I limit how much of it I allow into my world. I have made myself  ill in the past with anxiety by worrying and feeling anxious about things I have no control over.

These are some of the things I advocate that will give you a sense of control (instead of panic)

Take Gandhi’s advice and “Be The Change You Want To See Happen In The World”  (Apparently he didn’t phrase it quite like that  but you get the gist) Practise being peaceful, in this way you lessen inner conflict?

  1. If you believe in prayer, pray.
  2. Quieten your mind and body with a simple meditation of bringing your attention to your breathing hundreds of times throughout the day. Given you’re a microcosm of the macrocosm Be Peace.
  3. If you actually want to do something, dig deep and donate even the smallest donation will be of help to the Ukrainians in their time of need.
  4. Remember the ‘golden hours’ that set you up for how you’re going to feel during the day, are the first hour in the morning and the last hour at night.  This is NOT the time for catching up on the news, lunchtime or sometime through the day is better.
  5. I went online to Etsy Ukraine.com  and purchased some digital products in an effort to support.
  6. Campaign when and where you feel able to.

If you need additional help to stay calm, relaxed and free from anxiety try  Stress Free With Confidence the hypnosis MP3 that will ease your stress.

Finally if you’re still feeling stressed consider doing some research on the wonderful Ayurvedic herb Ashwaganda. The benefits include helping to reduce inflammation, combat stress and anxiety, improve memory and  help balance blood sugar as well as boosting muscle strength. Personally I found it really helped improve the quality of my sleep.

Thats all for now and thank you if you’ve taken the time to read to the end.

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Open Heart Therapy

Release Old Hurts

When a client asked “What is Open Heart Therapy?”   We went on to talk about the effects of being emotionally hurt, I think most of us have some experience of this.

Does anyone sail through life without being wounded at some point? Heal Your Heart

When we feel hurt, scared and rejected the natural response is to withdraw, close down and push away in order to protect ourselves.

This shutting down often takes place in the heart area. It can be a gradual closing down from small childhood hurts to a more sudden snapping shut after a major rejection.

The fall-out from this ‘protection’ can be devastating and one of the consequences is poor communication. In our efforts to keep ourselves safe, we can end up closing down in the throat area, meaning that open honest conversation is a no-go.

Instead of juicy heartfelt conversations that lead to  real intimacy and healthy relationships, important dialogues  left unsaid will have negative effects.  Couples I’ve worked with talk about avoiding direct eye contact, instead talking about mundane things like the weather or “What’s for dinner.” Humour can also be used to avoid genuine connection or worse still, no conversation at all as couples polarise to opposite ends of the bed, room, home or country.

Rather than searching or waiting impotently for someone else to provide the magical key that will open our hearts and free our speech, it is possible to take control and do it ourselves.

In a secure environment we can gently work on the business of improving our relationships, with ourselves first and then as a natural evolution, with others.

The benefits of this heart work are manifold as we learn to accept our unique selves and practice self-love,  we can breathe more easily, feel authentic, empowered and more comfortable in our skin.

When we fill our own cup first, we have more to offer others, you cannot serve from a depleted cup.Release Old Hurts

Back in 2004 I ran the first ‘Open Heart Therapy’ workshop in Holmes Place and a few times since then but NOW definitely seems the right time to open up the heart chakra and get the other centres energised and spinning.

If you’re ready for the ‘Open Heart Therapy’ challenge you can book your space on this Saturday’s workshop Registration closes Friday 5th  March 2021 at 1.00pm. Book here or drop me an email at Sue@thestresshacker.com to join us.

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5 Great Ways To Get Through Lockdown

If you are going to get through the 2nd lockdown with your mind intact and with a stronger bounce-ability factor it may well be down to you and you only!

Grow Up

Before you read this, grab a notebook… this could be your most valuable resource as the weeks go by.

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, DON’T text or type, WRITE. There’s something about engaging your mind and handwriting simultaneously that makes these exercises much more powerful.

What if it’s true that no-one knows what you need better than you?

Then all you need to do is answer these questions and take your own advice and follow your own prescription.

1. Stop Scaring Yourself!

How do you do this? Write down 7 or more things that you think that make you feel worried, anxious and scared.

Include any pictures, images or past memories that you constantly revisit, you know, those things that help keep you in a state of fear.

Now write down as many ways that you could stop yourself from doing this, for example “I could choose different thoughts” (write down those different thoughts).

Choose different images, find pictures in magazines that are uplifting and positive. Put them where you’ll see them regularly, if that’s not possible stick them inside a cupboard or wardrobe door.  Look at them a lot.

Create New Movies: Re-run any memories or flashbacks that are negative but this time with a positive outcome. For example if you have pictures in your mind in which you are the victim, now see the perpetrator(s) being disempowered in as many ways as possible.

Keep running the new images with brighter colours for example  seeing a bully as smaller, insignificant and dis-abled from their bullying ways. Regularly revisit this new ‘memory’ until you feel bored with it.

When you do this exercise always leave yourself looking bigger or taller stronger, more empowered and assertive.

2. Pull Yourself Together

Look again at the image of the Russian Dolls above and remember that you carry all of you inside. This means that more often than not your scary thoughts have nothing to do with the here-and-now!

It’s true; you may be having “What if” thoughts that have no bearing on your current situation. They could be coming from a younger you. Equally so you may be constantly spending time in the future worrying about what could happen tomorrow, next week or even a year from now.

When we consider that truly the only bit that’s real is now, why are you spending your valuable energy roaming back into the past and forwards into the future?

If you really stop and think about this, it means that you’re constantly cheating yourself out of  time and the ‘now’!

The chances are that every anxiety provoking thought is either about something that’s already happened or something that might happen. Practice being here now more frequently and one way to do this is to link something to a scary thought.

For example you’re thinking “ What if I can’t pay the next heating bill”

Shout inside your head “Get Up And Shake Off” Now stand up, feet apart and shake your hands and arms. Quickly! Shake each foot and leg … just like swimmers do before a race, shake off the excess adrenalin. Do this for a minute then take a deep breath and as you breathe out make a loud “Haaaaa” sound repeat twice.

That’s it! Do it every time you have an anxious thought, this way you’re changing your ‘state’ empowering yourself and getting back to the present.

3. Laughter Is The Best Medicine.

Remember who and what makes you laugh. Find as many films, jokes and books that make you laugh. Be sure you talk to the friend who makes you laugh (the one you have that chemistry with) regularly.

4. Exercise More

You must be sick of hearing this by now but someone has gone to the trouble of researching this and there’s tons of evidence to show that a brisk half an hours walk does wonders for the mind and body.

If you need a goal see how quickly you can reach a destination each time you  walk.

If you need motivation buddy up (at a distance) or meet your walking buddy a location for incentive.

See what the NHS has to say about the benefits of exercise.

5. Forgiveness

Forgiveness

If you’re beating yourself up for something you did in the past that was wrong perhaps it’s time to forgive.

Mistakes are valuable ways of growing and learning, just ask a Scientist, they constantly get it wrong, until they find the right way.

What I’m saying is, it’s normal to screw up you’re not perfect and never will be!

If you hurt others by screwing up and you feel brave enough and it’s appropriate, then contact them and tell them how sorry you are for the pain or trouble you caused. Don’t look for forgiveness from them, that’s your business but aim to make amends if and where you can.

With that done, if you can be sure you will not repeat that behaviour then forgive yourself and practice forgiving yourself until your wrongs sit more easily with you. You do that by saying “your name… I forgive you, you are forgiven now.”

It’s remarkable how many people beat themselves up for years for things they’ve done. I’m obviously not condoning bad behaviour but if you’re genuinely remorseful, would never do that thing again… then be kind and gentle to yourself and forgive.

If you need to take a short break  away from the family or just to reset remember to help yourself to my 7 Minutes of Zen download…this is what one person said “It’s fabulous!”

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Enhance Your Mental Health And Wellbeing

the stresshacker, yoga nidra, dynamic sleep, audio programme

Happy Mental Health Awareness Day!

You may have been wondering where I’d got to and why I haven’t written many blogs recently. Thank you for emailing and asking it’s prompted me to let you know that in the spirit of mental health awareness I have been taking care of my own wellbeing.

At the start of the pandemic in March like many, I began working from home, with clients online and teaching zoom yoga classes, my working week soon became busy. As a result I found myself pretty much cooped up in one room for quite long periods of time.

Although I’m fortunate to have a great view of some trees and sky the fact remains it’s a small room.

To counter stress, the threat of any mental health issues and to keep active, I started cycling and got hooked!

I love the freedom it offers and have discovered places in my area that I didn’t know existed. This activity is so good for the mind because cliché or not, it is true that a change is as good as a rest.

As a result, I have developed more resilience on all levels in addition to feeling fitter; I’ve improved lung capacity and muscle strength

Is your main trigger for frustration technology?

Early on in Lockdown, I had some really frustrating IT issues, at one point my entire website was wiped, boy did that stress me out! In an attempt to stop myself from throwing the laptop out of the window and to protect my mental health and wellbeing, I took off on my bike instead.

And this is when my mental health awareness kicked in

because within 10 minutes I observed a complete shift in my thinking and noticed that I was simply enjoying the moment. Looking at the trees and breathing in the fresh air I felt free and happy. I’d let all that tension and aggravation go by changing my activity.

But how do you make that kind of shift in your wellbeing if you don’t happen to like cycling I hear you ask. The answer is to change your activity sufficiently to alter your emotional state, which will in turn will affect your mental health positively.

Fortunately there’s a really easy solution and that’s yoga.

I’m not even talking about poses or sequences here. I’m talking about Yoga Nidra the practice sometimes called deep yogic sleep.

Here’s how it works, by regular practice we train the body to relax quickly and develop the ability to step back and observe the impact that certain thoughts, ideas and images have on the physical body.

As such we develop awareness, more self control and as a by-product better mental health. Yoga Nidra teaches us to detach from things that can trigger unwanted emotion (unless someone wipes your website that is!) helps us to develop mental resilience and to feel more empowered.

If you want to join us in a live class on Thursday evenings drop me a line or pick up a copy here https://www.thestresshacker.com/product/yoga-nidra-dynamic-sleep/

Here are just some of the things people say after a session of yoga nidra.

“ I slept for a straight 9 hours afterwards!”

“ … a lovely relaxing class”

“I couldn’t wait to go to sleep, and slept longer than usual. Yesterday felt super refreshed”

“Just what I needed, and feel totally rested”

“Wonderful class I enjoyed it so much, had a full 8 hours sleep last night”

Yoga Nidra  is an effortless way to enhance your wellbeing and really does require minimal effort.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!