After experiencing the turbulence of the past 2 years, many people fighting bouts with heightened anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. It’s been a stressful new decade once 2020 began. There is so much that is completely out of our control. Nevertheless, these outside factors have a large influence on how we feel internally. They divert our routines and keep us on our toes. What are some ways that we can handle and deal with the outside stresses of life moving forward?
Today, we will review 4 effective wellness practices that you can add to your weekly routine to boost your happiness and enrich your well-being.
Take Yoga Classes
Yoga is the perfect marriage between the physical and spiritual worlds. However, not all yoga is spiritual. In fact, many yoga techniques are more focused on getting an intense physical workout. Hot Yoga Sculpt is a great example of that, where yoga students perform fast movements while holding weights in a room that has the heat blasting. Sounds intense, right? It can be! If intense physical exercises are your jam, there are plenty of yoga options for you.
For people that are experiencing anxious thoughts or emotions, finding a yoga practice that focuses more on the spiritual aspect could be a good fit. Through slow stretches and movements, spiritual yoga helps people bridge the gap between their minds and bodies.
Have you heard of the ‘monkey mind’ before? It’s common to have trouble keeping your monkey mind quiet when anxious thoughts continue racing in between your ears. By participating in consistent yoga classes that focus on spirituality, you can calm your mind down and feel more at ease within your body. Yoga is an extremely effective wellness practice that helps keep people grounded in times of uncertainty. Your body gets a minor workout while your mind and soul become relaxed.
See a Holistic Chiropractor
Chiropractic care is a non-invasive and natural way to heal your body. Typically, people visit a traditional chiropractor for pain relief from chronic aches or recent injuries. You can get your back adjusted, which corrects misalignments in your spine and back muscles. While the physical benefits are apparent, what if there was more?
Holistic chiropractors work with both the physical and emotional components of healing. They provide gentle force adjustments instead of using large, physical forces to crack and pop bones. You can experience relief from anxiety and depression by adding this wellness practice to your routine.
This type of chiropractic care works to identify the root cause of your physical pain. Oftentimes, how we feel emotionally can affect how we feel physically. If you believe in the mind-body connection, this thought process falls in line with that. Visiting a chiropractor consistently can help you work through physical injuries while also overcoming anxiety.
Exercise Outside
Spending time outside in nature is one of the greatest wellness gifts that you can give to yourself throughout your day. Add exercise on top of that, and your endorphins will be firing on all cylinders. Of course, if you live in an area that experiences colder weather, exercises outside may be a challenge. However, there are ways around it. First, let’s define a ‘workout’.
Working out can simply be going on a long walk. If there are hills by your house, bundle up and traverse up the roads around your house. Walking increases your body’s blood flow, which encourages strong health within your cells and muscles. The more that you keep your body moving, the healthier you will be. Stagnation is your body’s worst enemy.
By spending time exercising outside, you improve how you feel physically. Endorphins get released while we exercise. This has a direct correlation to how happy (or not) you feel, based on the amount of exercise you get. During the warmer months, try going on runs through the woods. The increase of fresh oxygen will do wonders for your brain and body. Spending ample time in nature stimulates our brain health and function.
Journal in the Morning
Keeping a morning journal helps you express thoughts and emotions that get built up over time. Have you ever felt ‘stuck’ regarding a certain situation or transition in life? Put pen to paper and let your thoughts flow. Journaling is a great – and inexpensive – wellness practice that you can add to your morning routine.
Are you unsure what to write about? Gratitude journaling is a common practice that helps people calm down anxiety and depression. You can write about people, places, things, or situations that you are grateful for.
While your mind is expressing gratitude, it is extremely difficult to experience other negative emotions simultaneously. This helps people quickly jump out of emotional whirlwinds caused by anxiety. Journaling is a powerful tool that you can use to increase your happiness and enjoy life more.
Troy is a Freelance writer, editor, and author who lives, works, and plays in Boise, Idaho where he hikes, cycles, skis, and basically enjoys the outdoor lifestyle of the Northwest. Troy writes about business, sports, GIS, Education, and more. He is most passionate about writing suspense thrillers, and his work can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Troy-Lambert/e/B005LL1QEC/
