Still, we're part of nature. And that means we have our own cycle of energy, rest, and renewal-if only we can slow down long enough to tune into it. Whether it's moving more mindfully in the morning or sleeping with your phone in another room, there are subtle ways to participate in the necessary, much-needed, and well-deserved slowness that allows us to de-stress any time we need.
Remember what's important and forget the rest. Obviously, some emotions are hard to manage: The automatic startle when we see a snake in the grass is hard to control. But the majority of our daily emotions are the result of how we think about the world. In one study, researchers recorded people at the airport reporting lost luggage to an airline. Even though the objective event was the same, people responded in different ways, from anger to anxiety to good humor.
During the pandemic, I provided counseling for several health care providers. These dedicated medical professionals faced overwhelming stress due to: Patients dying at an increasingly higher rate. Longer hours of work, changing work conditions, and schedule changes. Significant risk of getting sick, and/or dying themselves. Risk of spreading the disease to family members at risk. My clients desperately needed stress-reduction tools to help them through a challenging time.
Stepping outside can feel like a deep, cleansing breath for the soul. The connection between nature and our mental well-being is a powerful and scientifically supported relationship. Engaging in outdoor activities with nature improves mental health by managing stress, lifting your mood, and cultivating a sense of inner peace. It offers a simple, accessible path to a healthier mind and body.
A soundbath is an experience that promotes relaxation and meditation. Participants are "bathed" by sound waves generated by instruments like crystal bowls, gongs and tuning forks. The purpose of a Sound Bath is not to entertain, but rather to promote vibrational health. These instruments emit frequencies which can help you relax deeper and achieve a dreamlike or meditative state. Your nervous system can be reset, stress levels reduced, and energy levels rebalanced.
After a long day of work, your mind deserves a moment to slow down and recover. In this class, you will find a calm and supportive space to release tension, quiet inner noise, and reconnect with yourself. You'll leave feeling lighter, clearer, and more balanced - ready to face life with renewed strength and compassion. Join us this Thursday, November 6th at 5:30 pm for a guided Chan meditation class at Healthy Energy Spot, Willow Glen (San Jose): 1060 Willow St #3, San Jose, CA 95125.
When you're quietly cracking-maintaining your professional performance while experiencing significant internal distress-that inner critic often becomes relentless. It tells you everyone else is handling things better. That you're weak for struggling. That you need to push harder. But our recent research with more than 1,000 people reveals this: That self-critical voice isn't helping. It's making things worse. Are You Reaching for Self-Criticism or Self-Compassion?
The workers spent a little over half an hour relaxing in a zero-gravity chair with their eyes closed as closed-loop, acoustic neuromodulation technology translated their brainwaves into personalized tones in real time, the idea being that the echoed tones interact with the brain to balance and quiet itself and release stress patterns. When researchers measured the results after six-to-eight weeks, they found the participants reported meaningful reductions in stress, anxiety, and insomnia, as well as significant reductions in fatigue and depression, and improved subjective cognition.
The idea of positive media is enticing: Doomscrolling makes us feel worse, so will watching something uplifting or fun help us feel better? How many of us have watched "Gilmore Girls" (or the like) over and over when stressed or overwhelmed? One of my kids even has a rule with her partner about "Rectangle Time." When stressed, one or the other can call "Rectangle Time!" and be alone with their screens for a minute (or many), without needing to interact, just self-soothing and destressing.
They're known as 'man's best friend', but dogs may be especially beneficial company for women. A new study reveals how pooches have an extraordinary anti-ageing effect on ladies. According to the authors, spending just one hour per week with a dog slows a key indicator of cellular ageing known as 'telomere length'. For women, dogs may be a cheap and effective form of treatment to help reduce the physical toll of stress and improve cellular health, say the experts.
Next time that happens, try calming yourself down with a soothing round of " resonance breathing." This technique, popular on TikTok and beyond, is about breathing in and out at the same frequency. Instead of gasping for air, holding your breath, or breathing unpredictably, you inhale for five seconds, exhale for five seconds, and focus on maintaining a rhythm. Sometimes called "coherent" or "resonance frequency breathing," the method is just that: taking equally slow and more even breaths, says Chloë Bean, LMFT, a somatic trauma therapist in Los Angeles.
Life can feel like a whirlwind of responsibilities, leaving little time to catch your breath. Stress creeps in, energy dwindles, and finding balance seems like an impossible task. But what if you could take small, intentional steps to reclaim your peace and create a more harmonious daily routine? We'll help you explore five ways to reduce stress and find balance in your daily life, helping you feel more grounded, energized, and connected.
A 2022 study demonstrated that viewing an environment with natural elements stimulates a flexible imagination. The authors noted that nature allows our minds to temporarily detach from daily states, such as moments when we are in a daze or daydreaming, to obtain "flashes of inspiration." They provided evidence demonstrating that more unique and diverse creative ideas become possible when opinions are flexible, as may occur when we are in natural environments.
Much of our common understanding of hypnosis has been gleaned from mind-control plots in Hollywood movies or hokey on-stage demonstrations. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Stanford University psychiatrist and researcher Dr. David Spiegel to talk about what hypnosis is (and isn't), as well as its potential to address stress, pain, and even athletic performance. Plus, with Carvell wrestling with an ongoing major project, Dr. Spiegel tests our host's hypnotizability-then leads him through an exercise aimed at confronting procrastination.
Unlike other styles of yoga, somatic yoga shifts the focus from external alignment to personal sensation. It emphasizes feeling each posture from the inside out, letting intuitive movement guide your alignment and intensity. These mindful, unhurried movements also help hydrate and release your fascia, the connective tissue network that surrounds and supports your muscles so the body can move with more ease.
You've heard plenty of solutions for stress. From meditation and nature walks to cold therapy and yoga, the list is long. But a less well-known strategy can deliver some powerful results: storytelling. In fact, there is evidence that storytelling is good for your mental health and well-being for multiple reasons. Thinking about the best ways to reduce stress has become increasingly relevant. According to Gallup, 49% of Americans report they frequently experience stress.
Blakk Smoke conducted a study to identify the most mindful travel destinations for 2025, analyzing thousands of TripAdvisor reviews through natural language processing and emotional sentiment analysis.
When our child's fifth birthday came around, we found ourselves utterly exhausted not just from the day-to-day work of parenting, but from the pressure that seems to accompany birthday parties these days.
