Stress is all around us and will never be totally eliminated from our lives. Just as soon as you eliminate stress in one facet of your life it seems that stress pops up in another aspect of your life. Given the fact that stress will always be around, the best you can do is manage the stress during the day to minimize its impact on your health and wellbeing.
I manage my stress during the day by practicing some brief relaxation and breathing techniques to reduce the feeling of stress that I found in Dr. Weil's book, Healthy Aging. After completing the relaxation and breathing technique, I enjoy the moment by brewing and drinking a cup of green tea.
You can practice a very simple breathing technique during the day when you feel a lot of stress.
- Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind and above your front teeth and keep it there through the whole exercise.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a “whoosh“ sound.
- Inhale deeply and quietly through the nose to a count of 4 (with your mouth closed).
- Hold your breath for a count of 7.
- Exhale audibly through your mouth to a count of 8.
- Repeat steps 3,4, and 5 for a total of four breaths.
According to Dr. Weil:
“With practice this will become a very powerful means of eliciting the relaxation response that gets more effective over time. It is a tonic for the nervous system, shifting energy from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic system, with many physiological benefits: lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased circulation to the extremities and skin, and improved digestion...”
Once I have calmed myself using the relaxation and breathing technique above, I brew a cup of healthy green tea, which also has anti-anxiety properties to help calm you. For me, however, the process of brewing, steeping, and drinking the green tea is the “medicine.” Often it is a cup of Gyokuro, Sencha, or Jasmine Pearls, which are rich in antioxidants and flavor.
Healthy Green Tea
Green Tea Health Information