Stressed Out? Move Your Body to Help Your Mind

Sunday Scaries holding you back today? When your mind is racing over past events or an uncertain future, sometimes movement can release you from what seems like an endless loop of stress.

Lauren Walker, creator of Energy Medicine, honed her methodology working with young military veterans. Walker witnessed the profound difference movement and energy techniques such as yoga, gentle tapping and pressure could make for people suffering from trauma. “You don’t have to believe that it works,” she says, because her students and practitioners find the physical experience is proof enough.

Despite excellent sleep hygiene, rest may evade you. When this happens focus on the core hours. The very best hours to sleep each night are from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., hands down, says Shawn Stevenson. Try to get in bed each night to make sure you are ready for shut-eye right at 10 p.m. so you can get the highest-quality recovery possible. And if you can’t sleep, then try getting out of bed and going into a different room to do something quietly, like reading a book, to stop the stress cycle and direct your attention elsewhere. When you begin to feel sleepy, go back to bed.

Dr. Richard Miller, a clinical psychologist, developed iRest Yoga Nidra to support veterans and active-duty military suffering from PTSD. The practice presents meditation in small portions, comprising 10 steps to well-being including a sense of purpose and identifying and using feelings to productively respond to events.

And sometimes, the best movement is toward stillness—through your senses, speech and written thoughts. Try these three techniques that engage your physiology to bring peace to your mind.

Photo credit: Karl Fredrickson,Unsplash