Easing Anxiety In An Uncertain World

As I was weeding out yet another room in my home to keep busy, I came across a hand-written simple note my daughter wrote to me a few years ago which said,

“Be strong because things will get better. It may be stormy now, but it never rains forever.”

This reminded me of one of my other favorite quotes, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the doom and gloom of what is happening right now in our world which can bring on overwhelming stress. Chronic stress can impact overall health and longevity as well as the visible signs of aging.

Like most people, I need structure and to have a sense of purpose to my day. When I don’t, I find myself feeling a little lost, lonely and isolated. Cabin fever can be powerful and feeling isolated can lower your immunity, lead to poor sleep, poor cardiovascular health, difficulty focusing or even depression.

There are a variety of things we can do to manage and keep our stress in check while in quarantine. Try focusing on the positive things you are grateful for, such as family members, and take the time to appreciate your home and people around you.

To help find more structure, I started a to-do list; things that I couldn’t get done while I was working, including the half-finished projects around the house, weeding the closets, cleaning the garage, yard work and many, many other things. I’ve even compiled a new recipe book of meals we’ve never had.  Every day I find myself adding to the list but my goal everyday is to be able to check something off the list before I go to bed.

The goal is trying not to overwhelm yourself. Take time in the morning to enjoy that cup of coffee or maybe a cup of nighttime tea before bed. If you have kids home from school, take a break and play games with them. How about reading that book that you’ve been telling yourself you were going to get around to? Or maybe go for a walk with your significant other. Now is the time to download that yoga app you’ve been meaning to try out (myself included). Take a relaxing bath with essential oils and add a face mask. Relaxation actually boosts our energy levels, our mood and refreshes the mind and body.

A sense of humor is a great way to beat stress and worry and can really make you feel better about life. Did you know when you laugh you are working 15 facial muscles? Your pulse and respiration increase briefly, oxygenating your blood and your brain experiences an increase in pleasure-giving endorphins. Your body is calmer, your brain is clearer, and you may even find that your headache or stiff neck has disappeared. The best part of all is you can do a lot of this for yourself.

To quickly calm down when you feel a surge of stress or anger, try this breathing technique:

1)      Inhale for a count of four

2)      Hold for a count of 7

3)      Exhale for a count of eight

4)      Repeat 10 times.

The slightly longer exhale helps calm you quickly. You can repeat this process until you feel more relaxed.

One other thing, don’t worry about developing laugh lines on your face. Positive wrinkles like laugh lines are beautiful and give your face some character.

Be kind, be calm and stay healthy!

Thanks,

Michelle

P.S. – No facemask at home?

Try making something from ingredients already in your pantry.

Calming Cucumber mask

It’s a water-rich, anti-inflammatory cooling mask that contains high levels of caffeic acid to quell swelling and irritation.

½ cucumber (pureed)

2 TBSP. Plain yogurt

Mix the two ingredients together, apply on your freshly cleansed skin and kick back for 15-20 minutes before washing it off.

No cucumber or yogurt?

Try one of my other favorite masks!

Soothing Milk and Oatmeal face mask

The lactic acid in the milk helps exfoliate dead skin cells to reveal smoother, clearer skin while the oatmeal helps soothe and soften for brighter glowing skin.

1 TBSP whole rolled oats

2 TBSP milk

¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)

Mix the ingredients and apply to your face, sit back and relax for 15-20 minutes, then wash off with lukewarm water.