Holistic Approaches to Managing Chronic Stress and Anxiety

Stress can impact everybody system, making it necessary to consider a holistic approach to managing it. While we can’t eliminate all stress, combining physical, mental, and social strategies can help build effective and lasting ways to be more resilient during stressful times. Balanced Nutrition Anytime we’re in stressful situations, it’s common to notice appetite changes. Whether we’re prone to snacking on anything in sight, skipping meals, or craving comfort foods, our nutrition typically takes a hit. However, balanced nutrition is one of our body’s top energy sources, and it can help us healthily manage stress. You don't need to begin a strict or extreme fad diet that can cause even more stress. Instead, think about ways to be more mindful of your eating. Intentionally incorporate more colorful fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains in your meals and snacks. Make [...]

5 Tips for Managing School and Your Stress

  A new school year is a busy and exciting time for students of any age. However, all that excitement can bring a lot of extra stress. Settling back into a routine can be a breath of fresh air after the summer break, but between changes in schedules, homework, tests, and day-to-day responsibilities, life can start to feel overwhelming quickly. We’re going to explore five different ways that can help you manage stress this school year. Stay Organized Nothing makes stress levels spike like losing an assignment or completely forgetting about a test. Clutter of the mind or physical clutter around you can leave you with your wheels spinning, unsure of what to do next. Even if you don’t consider organization one of your strong suits, there are several easy habits you can incorporate to keep your school responsibilities in [...]

Mindfulness Meditation

  What is the first thing you think of when someone tells you to meditate? Perhaps you think of monks sitting cross-legged repeating “hum” in a Zen garden. This may be the truth for some, but the modern world has taken a different approach to meditation, combining the practice with a concept known as mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation has shown to have long-lasting benefits and can be easily done by anybody. What is Mindfulness Meditation? Mindfulness meditation is an approach to becoming aware of our breath and mindset. It involves examining each breath we take and noticing how our mind begins to wander during this task. As we continue to practice returning to our breath, we are able to build the muscles of attention and mindfulness. We increase our own ability to stay in the present as we guide ourselves to [...]

Stress Less: Apps for Meditation and Stress Reduction

Apps for Meditation and Stress Reduction Do you often get overwhelmed by stress? Not sure how to manage the rush of everyday life? You might consider giving mediation a try! Mediation is a well-established method for relaxation and stress reduction and may help improve sleep, concentration, anxiety and overall health. This practice helps push aside thoughts that may be distracting, negative, or stress-inducing, and focuses attention on the present moment. Thoughts of the past or worries about the future are pushed aside to focus on the peaceful moments spent in the experience. This is often accomplished through focusing on an external object, a repetitive word or phrase or slow, deep breathing patterns. Meditation is a skill that takes practice. To help you get started, there are many apps available that teach proper meditation techniques and can be done in as [...]

Modern Meditation

What comes to mind when you think of meditation? Many people imagine cross-legged monks in Zen rock gardens. While this might be a great place to meditate, it’s probably not all that relatable if you live on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Luckily, there are many places and many ways to meditate besides sitting in a lotus position for hours on end in silence among rock gardens. What is meditation? Meditation is a mind and body practice akin to yoga, acupuncture, and massage therapy. The goal is to connect mental focus, controlled breathing, and body movement (or stillness) to elicit relaxation. A typical meditation misconception is that you need to empty your mind and leave the world behind. But consider a different perspective. Instead of draining your brain, focus on filling it with love, gratitude, and compassion while [...]