As we’ve all probably figured out by now, telling someone who is stressed out or anxious to “just relax” doesn’t really work. Who would have thought, right? No matter how hard they try or how badly they want to, people simply can’t will themselves into relaxing when their brain is on overdrive and they feel completely overwhelmed and exhausted because of the things they’re experiencing. Common practices like venting to a friend about these issues, taking a warm bath before bedtime, scrolling, watching Netflix, or whatever people do these days to escape their daily struggles and forget about their worries might not be any more helpful either.
That’s when one should put old folk remedies aside and turn to science for solutions that can help them overcome these rather prevalent challenges and bring back a sense of balance and control into their lives. So, if you, or someone you know, are having a hard time managing stress, one (or more) of these science-based relaxation techniques might provide the answer to your stress-fuelled woes.
Eating
Don’t take this as a free pass to go and raid the fridge, but according to science, eating certain foods can have a positive effect on mood and mental health. For example, studies have suggested that introducing fatty fish like salmon into one’s diet might help lower anxiety levels due to the vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty acids it contains which are known to reduce inflammation and regulate dopamine and serotonin synthesis. Other foods and drinks that studies have shown might have mood-boosting and stress-relief properties include eggs, almonds, dark chocolate (emphasis on dark), yogurt, and blueberries.
Eating a balanced diet and paying attention to what you put on your plate might not be an instant fix that will magically erase all your problems and completely eliminate stress, but it can certainly add up over time and help you look at things through a different lens, a more relaxed and serene one.
And if you want to include even more stress-fighting ingredients into your diet, you can give cannabis-infused products a try. Brands like Mephisto Genetics provide cannabis seeds that they cultivate and hand-pick themselves, so you can select the strain of cannabis you want to grow, depending on the desired effects.
Sleeping
Most adults have a love-hate relationship with sleep in that they are constantly exhausted and dreaming (pun intended) of getting a proper night’s sleep but can’t seem to find the time to get the rest they require; they are simply too busy and have too many things to do in a day that only has 24 hours, so they prefer to or have no option but to sacrifice sleep to keep up with their demanding lifestyle.
But in doing so, they put themselves at risk for numerous health issues. It’s not just about feeling tired and irritable. Research shows that sleep deprivation can lead to a whole host of mental and physical problems, including making anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders worse.
So, if it’s scientifically proven that poor sleep can make you feel more anxious and stressed, the obvious solution is to get more quality sleep. We know it’s not as easy as tucking yourself into bed at night and waking up the next morning all fresh and chirpy. Some people need to undergo medical treatment to fix their sleep issues. But it’s definitely worth making some changes in your life and changing your sleep habits if you want to keep anxiety and stress in check.
Gardening
People have an innate connection to the natural world that not even millennia of civilization and the increasing disconnect from natural elements in our modern lifestyle could erase. We were not made to live in concrete cages, away from the warm rays of the sun, the fresh air, and nature’s healing touch. So, even if we don’t realize this, we crave spending time outdoors and being exposed to the elements.
That’s why taking up a hobby like gardening which puts you in direct contact with nature can work wonders for your mood and wellbeing. Scientific research indicates that apart from being counted as a workout, the exposure to soil, plants and the vast green space that gardening implies can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and improve mental health. You can even link back this beneficial outdoor activity with cannabis’ potential health benefits and grow your own weed bonsai tree in your garden.
Taking a dip in cold water
A simple bath or a shower can make one feel better as there’s something extremely soothing about having your skin come into contact with water and cleaning your body. It’s like when you wash yourself, you also wash away part of your worries and negative emotions.
However, there’s a much more effective stress-reducing technique involving water that you might want to look into, namely cold plunges. Forget about warm and bubbly baths filled with calming scents and sprinkled with flower petals for visual impact. Jumping in a tub filled with icy cold water for a few minutes (start with shorter sessions and work your way up gradually) is been proven to have a positive effect on stress management, among other health benefits. This is especially useful when you need a quick fix to calm yourself and reduce stress in the moment. That’s because cold plunges activate the parasympathetic nervous system, improving the body’s resilience to stressors.
So, if none of the methods you’ve used so far have helped, maybe you should dig deeper into the science of stress and give these strategies a try so you can flip the switch and get your mind and body to relax.
