We all want to be a better and less stressed version of ourselves in the New Year. Really achieving that? It is not an easy task, especially in the middle of a continuous process pandemic. Fortunately, there is a list of research and expert-backed tips you can follow to channel a calmer and happier person into the new year. Fox News spoke with mental health experts for their secrets to help you slide into that saner state of mind.
1. Practice the “STOP” skill.
This is a smart strategy shared by Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, a clinical psychologist and professor at Yeshiva University in New York City, of a branch of therapy called Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT.
“Stop means: Stop; Take a step back; Observe; Proceed carefully,” he explains. “When emotions take over, you may find that you act impulsively. When you react impulsively, you don’t have time to use your arsenal of skills.”
When you feel nervous about something or feel like you are panicking, use “STOP” to regain control of the situation.
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2. Or use the “TIP” skills.
Another DBT modus operandi, Romanoff breaks down “TIP”: “Incline face temperature with cold water; intense aerobic exercise; even breathing and paired muscle relaxation,” he says, noting that each of these techniques has the effect of accelerating rapidly. changing your pattern of biological response to stress. “In turn, they lead to a decrease in emotional arousal. These abilities work like fast-acting medications.”
If you focus on the present moment, you can better cope with what you have on hand.
It may be cold outside, but getting out is still important to your mental health.
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3. Soak your face in cold water for up to a minute.
For a modified version of “TIP,” just try dipping your face in cold water and you’ll be amazed at how the experience restores your mental perspective.
“Get down, hold your breath and soak your face in a bowl of cold water for up to 60 seconds,” offers Romanoff. “This is usually enough to induce the ‘dip reflex.’ The colder the water and the longer the immersion, the better it works. ”
As Romanoff explains, the dip reflex is when our hearts tend to slow their resting heart rate when immersed in cold water without oxygen, due to increased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which decreases arousal. Taking an ice cold shower may also restore your mood.
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4. Get outside during the day.
It may be cold outside, but getting out is still important to your mental health.
“Having fewer hours of daylight can negatively impact your mood,” says Doreen Marshall, vice president for mission involvement at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
To help cope with less sunlight, she recommends finding 30 minutes to get outside.
“You can just sit and watch the sunrise or walk around your neighborhood. Whatever you do, make an effort to make it a daily habit,” she says.
If you have the physical ability, don’t worry about running or jogging to reap the health benefits of getting outside – a walk will do the trick.
“Many people think that you have to do vigorous exercise to profit, but research, even in my laboratory, has found that it really is not, “echoes Thomas Plante, professor of psychology at Santa Clara University and adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of Stanford University. “Stress reduction can be found by taking short walks. Try to walk every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes, and you will be less stressed over time. ”
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5. Connect with others if you feel lonely.
The pandemic has completely changed the way we socialize, and millions of Americans are dealing with feelings of isolation.
“You are most likely not alone feeling lonely, and sharing how you feel can help others do the same,” says Marshall. “Reach out to someone who feels this way too and talk about ways you can stay connected and support each other.”
The pandemic has completely changed the way we socialize, and millions of Americans are dealing with feelings of isolation. Connecting with others may help you feel less stressed.
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It can be a bit awkward to reconnect with people, but try challenging yourself to send three emails a week to someone you haven’t heard from in a long time, or call a different loved one each week to see how they are doing. . Not only will you brighten your own day, you will brighten someone else’s.
“As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. We live in remarkably stressful and quite apocalyptic times, where stress-related difficulties create a tsunami of mental health problems,” says Plante. “When we are kind to others, they are usually kind to us, a positive boomerang effect that can reduce stress, anxiety and depression for all of us.”
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6. Identify your triggers.
“The most efficient way to reduce stress is to start engaging in stress reduction techniques as soon as you realize you are experiencing stress,” says Lin Sternlicht, therapist and co-founder of Family Addiction Specialist, based in the city of New York. “To do this, it is important to identify triggers that can create stress, which better prepare us to deal with stress when we anticipate it.”
Identify your triggers. Triggers vary by individual, but can include certain people, places, things, foods (caffeine is often the culprit), activities, times of the year, or times of the day.
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Triggers vary by individual, but can include certain people, places, things, food (caffeine is often the culprit), activities, times of year, or hours of day.
For example, if you know that paperwork is stressing you out and you receive a complicated health care form in the mail, instead of freaking out, identify this as a trigger for you. Sometimes simply acknowledging the trigger and taking a moment to pause will be enough to help you feel better.
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In these moments, instead of panicking, you can also try doing something proactive like doing a quick guided meditation track, repeating a calming mantra, or playing soothing music. As Sternlicht also points out, pay attention to any physiological signals you may have when you encounter a trigger, such as muscle tension or increased heart rate.
7. Remember the big picture.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is to keep our daily and worldly problems in perspective.
“Too often we are stressed by the little things, the daily problems, making mountains out of a molehill,” says Plante. “We need to take a deep breath and ask ourselves if what we’re concerned about really matters in the big picture. If not, let it slide.”
When faced with a stressful time, you may want to wonder if this problem is something you will remember in two years, two months, or even two weeks. Often times, the answer is no to all three scenarios, even if things feel amplified in the moment.
8. Practice forgiveness.
Whether it’s a grudge you’ve held for decades or a close family member that’s getting on your nerves, the act of forgiveness is an amazing thing.
“Forgiveness is a powerful tonic for bitterness, anger and discomfort,” says Plante. “Practice it regularly, it is not usually easy to do, I admit, but you can improve and you will feel less stressed.”
9. Try the “Grounding Method”.
Being in the here and now is easier said than done, but incorporating mindfulness techniques into your daily life can go a long way.
“An important technique for stopping the stress response is anchoring in the present moment. Stress is often triggered by experiences that are not occurring in the moment, often stemming from past or future events and mental wanderings,” says Sternlicht. . “As such, grounding is an effective stress-relieving technique. There are many techniques for grounding right now, and the more you practice them, the easier and more natural it becomes.”
“Stress is the result of ruminating thoughts. As such, a helpful tool is letting them out and releasing them … You may want to jot down the things that stress you out and why they stress you out,” shares Lin Sternlicht, a therapist and co-founder of Family Addiction Specialist.
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One of Sternlicht’s options is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method.
“Just think of five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. It’s a great technique to keep ‘mind wandering’ from dwelling on things. useless “. , stressful thoughts “.
10. Try to discharge stress.
Another Sternlicht strategy, this liberating act can be done whenever you’re worried about something.
“Stress is the result of ruminating thoughts. As such, a useful tool is to let them out and release them. I call it stress dump, some may call it brain dump, journal or list. The key here is to put a pen to it. paper and start writing. You may want to write down the things that stress you out and why they stress you out, “shares Sternlicht.
“There is a physiological and psychological release that occurs when we take this action of literally taking the thoughts out of our head and putting them on paper. Doing so allows us to begin to separate our stress from being a part of ourselves and therefore put some distance between us and our stress, “she continues, adding that seeing our concerns on paper can sometimes also help us realize that we may have been overreacting or catastrophizing our concerns.
“Lastly, getting our thoughts in order can also help us clear our minds and begin to switch to solution mode and also become more organized with racing thoughts that we may be experiencing,” he explains.
