If you're feeling stressed, you might consider adopting some small and simple "micropractices" to improve your mood.
I'm on a video call with a researcher and laughing uncontrollably. My face is scrunched up and my stomach hurts, but I can't seem to stop laughing. I am talking to Natalie van der Wal, a researcher at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. We are taking part in a short session of "Laughter Yoga". Like traditional yoga, it also starts with a breathing exercise. After this you are asked to laugh artificially. "After a while it often turns into real laughter," says Van der Wal.
From 5 a.m. meditation sessions to swimming in ice-cold water in the winter to many of today's self-care trends, these can be time-consuming. But now many studies have revealed that it is not necessary to do all this to heal the mind. There is growing evidence that small and easy activities can improve our mood, mental health and energy levels. Eli Sussman, author of the book 'Micropractice', says that some of these activities can be done in just 30 seconds. These are called “micropractices”.
The purpose of laughter yoga is to initiate laughter without any joke. In this you laugh, but the reason for laughing is not because of any joke or joke. In the beginning my fake laugh seemed a bit strange. But this feeling did not last long. Then after the laughing session, I was feeling much more cheerful and good. Our conversation also started going very smoothly. When I told this to Van der Wal, she started laughing again. She said that after a laughter yoga session, she often feels that it becomes easier to make friends with the participants. I felt so calm that I was surprised. This is also confirmed by research. In a meta-analysis of multiple studies, Van der Wal found that non-joking laughter was almost twice as effective at reducing depression and anxiety as joking laughter.
If you don't like laughing alone or in front of the mirror, then try stretching with concentration. Sussman calls it "micro yoga." This exercise is especially beneficial for those who work sitting in front of the screen for hours. Sussman told me that this simple yoga practice can help reduce the effects of sitting in one position for long periods of time. Often, when we sit in front of the screen for a long time, we adopt a slouched posture. During the conversation he told me how to do light stretching. This reduced the tension in my neck and I started thinking more about my sitting posture. One study found that stretching for just 15 to 30 seconds every 15 minutes improved performance by about 15 percent. Although this is not completely yoga. But other research suggests that when deep breathing and concentration are combined with stretching, it may have a greater effect on reducing mental stress.
If you're feeling stressed or anxious, there's a lot of evidence to suggest that mindful breathing exercises can help calm the nervous system. At a physiological level, taking slow and deep breaths can reduce the "fight or flight" response. This happens because the body's parasympathetic nervous system becomes active. This is considered the body's "rest and digest" state. In a recent study, a team of researchers found that taking three slow and deep breaths increased alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves are associated with peace and focused attention.
For a long time it has been understood that touch is beneficial for us. However, it is not easy to replace the touch of another person. But a study by Sussman and colleagues found that even a simple 20-second practice of "self-soothing touch" could have long-term benefits. In the study, participants placed their hands on the heart and stomach. They also thought kind and positive thoughts about themselves. People who did this exercise for only 20 seconds had significantly less cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, than the control group. Sussman emphasizes that we should be kind to ourselves.
Remember that you don't need to try every solution. It is important that you choose a method that matches your lifestyle. "Do what makes you feel good." Like taking deep breaths while walking or washing utensils. This can improve your mental health. It can also help in reducing stress.
