Odds are you have concerns. It may be your health, the health of others, your finances, loneliness, the economy, mask discomfort, homeschooling children, working from home, cabin fever, or the unknown developments to come. Over time some of these issues weigh on each of us. In addition to a relaxing session in our infrared sauna here are some other tools to help you cope. You may find a few surprises.
Constructive Coping Tools:
- Name it: Feeling out of sorts? Name that feeling, and it will lose much of its potency. The strategy is easy, quick, and highly effective. If you want even better results write your feelings down, be as specific in your description as possible.
- Exercise: walk, run, bike, crawl, YouTube exercise class. It gives you an outlet for excess adrenalin and releases endorphins and other feel-good hormones.
- Breath: breathing in deep, slow patterns is proven to relax you. Check out some effective breathing techniques here.
- Laugh: Watch a comedy, read a lighthearted book, call your old friend with a great sense of humor.
- Be present: Beauty is everywhere, make a habit of searching for it as much as possible. Sunsets, fresh-cut grass, sunlight filtering through a window, and children’s smiles are some of our favorites. Expand the list to include your own.
- Find water: In the book, Blue Mind, Wallace J Nichols explains how water is proven to promote relaxation, improve productivity, and enhance creativity. Beaches are great but if that’s not an option staring at the water from a distance, taking a bath and even soaking your feet will bring a sense of calm.
- Help: There are lots of opportunities to help, including texting your neighbors to check-in, online volunteering (boy scouts and church), physical volunteering (at the food pantry), labor (making fabric masks), and financial donations to any organization.
- Cut Caffeine: If you’re feeling jumpy, try cutting back on your caffeine. Caffeine can also contribute to the tired and wired feeling, especially if you are consuming it in the afternoon or evening. Everyone’s sensitivity to caffeine is different. You’ll need to experiment to see what makes you feel your best.
- Strike a Pose: Bessel van der Kolk teaches that we hold stress in our bodies, not just our minds. Yoga can help us release the emotions that we have difficulty verbalizing, helping you to summon tranquility or confidence through specific postures. Check out free classes online.
- Chew gum: Chomp away, a study of 19 people in the UK showed the more they chewed, the calmer they grew. Too small to be conclusive, but there’s no harm in trying. We find chomping celery and carrots can also be gratifying. What have you seen?
- Meditation: Is useful for allowing your mind to rest and taking a moment to recognize and accept your feelings so that they will not unknowingly dictate your actions. Notice and accept your thoughts as they move through your mind until you can exist in moments of peaceful quiet. There are many free guided meditation tools online if you are interested. Once we reopen, we encourage you to practice meditation in an infrared sauna.
- Herbal tea: There are many calming varieties, chamomile and lavender are our top picks.
- Massage: Grab a rolling pin, tennis ball, or use your hands to kneed your legs lower back and other tight areas. We know it’s not the same effect as a professional massage in our spa, but it will help get you through this time until you can see us.
- Aromatherapy: Chamomile, lavender, lemon, and rose are some scents known for inducing calm. You can use these in candles, diffusers, and massage oils in your home, and later, when you return to the spa, make sure to share your new favorites so we can include them in your facial or massage treatments.
It’s essential to continue to protect our physical and mental health and be best prepared to adapt and react to rapidly changing events. Share your unique approaches for constructively coping with stressors. We’ll get through this period apart-together and can’t wait to provide you with an abundance of healing wellness spa treatments when the time is right.
To your health and wellness, your team at Eco Chateau Wellness Spa