A recent study by the American Institute of Stress (AIS) found that 33% of Americans feel extreme stress. The study also found that 73% and 77% of Americans experience chronic stress that affects their mental and physical health, respectively.
Some of the feelings associated with stress include irritability, agitation, anxiety, and anger. If left unchecked, these negative emotions will eventually have a negative impact on your overall well-being. To manage negative emotions, different people use different strategies, including drowning them in sweet snacks, exercise, work, or Netflix. Unfortunately, such strategies hardly ever produce long-term results, and even worse, they can exacerbate the negative emotions. The best way to deal with negative emotions is to practice mindfulness activities.
Here are three mindfulness activities that will help you reduce stress.
Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety
When it comes to mindfulness exercises for anxiety, walking is probably at the top of the list. This is because walking, particularly brisk walking, stimulates the production of endorphins, which are basically stress-fighting hormones secreted within the nervous system and the brain. In particular, endorphins reduce depression and anxiety, leading to better mood and improved self-esteem.
Another benefit of walking is it makes you venture outdoors and experience the elements, including the wind, the sun, and natural smells, which help fight stress and anxiety in various ways. For example, exposure to sunlight stimulates the production of a mood-boosting hormone called serotonin.
Mindfulness Activities for Adults
Meditation is arguably one of the most popular mindfulness activities for adults. Dating back thousands of years, ancient civilizations used this mindfulness activity to gain a deeper understanding of the mystical and sacred forces of life. Today, however, meditation is mainly used for stress reduction and relaxation. In fact, many people consider meditation a form of mind-body complementary medicine.
Keeping this in mind, you can use meditation to calm your mind, leading to a deep state of relaxation. Meditation can help you eliminate the negative thoughts and emotions associated with stress and anxiety. To put it another way, meditation can help you achieve peace, calm, and balance, and therefore, improve your overall well-being. The different types of meditation include:
• Transcendental meditation
• Focused meditation
• Mindfulness meditation
• Spiritual meditation
• Mantra meditation
• Movement meditation
Mindfulness Activities for Kids
Similar to mindfulness activities for adults, mindfulness activities for kids can help children better manage stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions. In fact, research shows that mindfulness activities for kids can help school-aged kids improve their self-regulation, well-being, relaxation, and ability to focus. With that in mind, popular mindfulness activities for kids include:
• Doodling or coloring
• Body and mind activities, such as yoga poses for children
• Guided visualization and meditation
• Reflective breathing
• Specific games designed to give children insights into their own reactions and behaviors
These are just a few examples of mindfulness activities. Your health and well-being are your main assets, and so you should protect them with health insurance coverage. For all of your personal insurance needs, contact Auto & Home Insurance Agency, Inc.
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