How to Reduce Autumn Anxiety: 10 Ways to Relax

EVEN IF THE STUDY IS LONG GONE, THE END OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON and the beginning of the school year are associated with stress and increased workload. Work is added, in transport there are more people, the weather worsens-and it's time to hone the ability to relax to calmly survive the autumn and winter. We have collected ten ways, the calming effect of which is confirmed by research and which will help to recover, even when it seems that everything collapses and goes out of control.

Drawing

Art therapy has already proved its effectiveness in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorder and other mental illnesses. After all, sometimes it is easier to draw what you feel than to tell. Forget about the lessons of fine ARTS and harsh teacher: here you are not required to clear lines, “correct” composition or a certain combination of colors. Create what you want and how you want, frames (they will be except on canvas) and no estimates, the main thing — come to this lesson consciously: take a break from thoughts and focus on the process. According to the candidate of psychological Sciences and associate Professor of Brooklyn College Jennifer Drake, only fifteen minutes of drawing significantly uplifting.

Meditation

Around meditation many myths — apparently it is complex, confusing and generally only advanced yogis. In fact, for a successful meditation is not necessary to sit in the Lotus position, teach wise (special gestures and finger positions) or pronounce mantras. It is important to choose a quiet place to concentrate on your breathing and try to observe their thoughts. The first time is unlikely to succeed (from the second and third too), but the main thing here is regular practice. Start with short sessions: five to ten minutes a day is enough to form a habit. It is better to meditate in the morning or before going to bed, but even this is not considered a strict rule.

Meditation helps lower cortisol levels in the blood, reducing stress and increased anxiety, but that’s not all. Last year, the society of integrative Oncology updated its guidelines-and now recommends the use of meditation as one of the ways to improve the physical and emotional state of breast cancer. Another study found that various practices for the mind and body, including meditation, mitigate the symptoms of menopause. And neuroscientist Sarah Lazar is convinced that eight weeks of regular meditation sessions can change the physical properties of the brain. During the experiments, Sarah and her colleagues found that the size of the amygdala (the area responsible for the appearance of anxiety, fear and stress) in people practicing meditation, decreased. This was followed by a decrease in the level of stress.

Strolls

Physical activity is useful in any form, and normal walks are also considered. With friends, a partner, a dog or without anyone — it doesn’t matter, just leave the house when you want to relax or calm down, it really helps. Spend more time outdoors and those who have depression. Walking an average of two hundred minutes a week, women noted that they had more energy, they felt better physically and emotionally, and it was easier for them to socialize. And if you increase the duration of walking to seven hours a week, it will help reduce the risk of breast cancer after the onset of menopause — so say researchers from The American cancer society.

Sex

Hugs, kisses and sex are very useful for health — both physical and psychological. So, sex reduces cortisol levels and relieves stress, so that a person feels more peaceful. According to psychologist from Paisley University in the UK Stuart Brody, such a calming effect may occur due to the release of the hormone oxytocin, it is also called the hormone of love and affection. In addition, sex helps to better perceive and control their emotions, increase self-esteem and overall health. But some research does say about the positive impact of sex on memory in women.

Floating

Floating was invented and developed by neuropsychologist John Lilly. Translated from the English term means “swim on the surface” — in fact, this happens during the procedure without any effort. The patient is immersed in water with a high concentration of salt rich in magnesium, so that the density of the water is much higher than the density of the body — and it pushes the person to the surface (as in the Dead sea in Israel). This happens in the sensory deprivation chamber — from the name it is clear that the person in it is almost completely cut off from external stimuli, often-in complete darkness.

Since the procedure appeared recently, it is still poorly studied, so it is necessary to approach it cautiously: it will be useful to consult with a psychotherapist if you have it (after all, not everyone will be comfortable in a small enclosed space alone). On the basis of already conducted studies, we can say that flotation (probably due to magnesium in the salt) helps to relax muscles, accelerate recovery after training, relieve stress, normalize the nervous system and even improve sleep. On the procedure you need to try to relax, although the first time it will be difficult to do: the brain does not understand what it is, it will seem that you are drowning (in fact it is impossible, do not be afraid).

Journeys

It is not necessary to go to the other side of the world — it will be useful to go just for or to another city, provided that there you can feel like a tourist. Studies show that the holidays allow you to break away from the routine, bad weather and problems at work, which helps a person to relieve stress, reduce anxiety and find peace of mind. This effect has a very short — four-day-trip. Even at the planning stage-making a route, booking hotels, buying online tickets to museums-a person is in a good mood: a study conducted at Cornell University, confirmed that waiting for a trip gives a person more pleasure than waiting for the purchase of something tangible, such as a car.

Nurslings

If you have long been thinking about how to get a pet, then this item is for you. In February of this year, Helen Brooks, a lecturer at the Institute of psychology, health and society (Liverpool University), and her colleagues published a systematic review of the impact of Pets on people’s emotional health. After analyzing more than eight thousand articles, they came to the conclusion that Pets helped their owners to better control emotions and helped reduce the severity of symptoms of mental illness.

According to Brooks, this effect was achieved due to the fact that Pets accept people as they are (and the person understands this), and give them unconditional support, which research participants did not receive from their family or friends. According to experts of the mental health Fund, games and walks with Pets, especially with dogs, help to relax and calm the mind. And in moments of despair, caring for Pets can be the only incentive to get out of bed — it helps a person to realize their value and necessity. The main thing-approach the question responsibly: consider the option to take the animal from the shelter and do not forget that any animal should be systematically engaged.

Autogenic training

Those who do not like to do fitness, can exhale: no exercise is not necessary. Autogenous training is a method of therapy aimed at relaxing the body, relieving tension and stress. The first time to conduct sessions of auto-training is better under the supervision of a specialist. It will help to learn how to relax properly-so that it does not lead to deterioration of the patient’s condition, the appearance of anxiety or panic attacks (and this can happen).

Then you can put yourself in emotional order at home. The main thing is not to make the main mistake of all beginners-do not force yourself to relax, everything should flow naturally. The indications of the use of auto-training include not only stress or fatigue, but also anxiety and depression, sleep disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure caused by stress. The results of the studies show that this method of therapy is really suitable for some people.

Massage

What could be better and more pleasant than to spread out on the massage table after a day in the office? Although the benefits of massage for health (for example, that it helps to align the posture or relieve back pain) is still debated, that it helps to relax the body and mind, there is almost no doubt left. In one of the studies, participants who were given a massage, there was a decrease in the level of anxiety. There are many types of massage: hot stones (stone therapy), herbal bags, aromatic, honey, Thai, soap-choose any, but again do not expect anything from them except relaxation.

Music

Music has existed for 250 thousand years, and maybe more — psychologists, anthropologists, musicologists, neuroscientists have long studied its origin, properties, goals and effects. Scientists have made significant progress in the study of the influence of music on the emotional and physical health of a person: for example, they found that music reduces the level of stress hormone (cortisol) and is even able to relieve pain. In a 2013 study, doctors found that listening to music reduces anxiety in people before surgery.

You are certainly without any kind of research I have noticed that after listening to a favorite album becomes easier. In one study, scientists interviewed 834 people to find out what music gives them. It turned out that a lot: music helps different people to think about feelings, to better understand others, to believe in themselves, not to lose heart and to find the meaning of life.