Little activities that you can practice anywhere are the best ones to try for relieving stress because you never know when you’re going to get hit with a situation that’s out of your control. Try some of these ideas.

Make it a Habit to Pay Attention to What’s Going on in Your Body

Check in with yourself throughout the day. How does your body feel? Do you have tense muscles? Are you more tired than usual? Do you have headaches or other issues? Your body sends you messages, but when you ignore them, those messages get louder until you do start to pay attention to them. Learn what your body’s responses are to stress. When you notice that you’re experiencing those signs, take action to relieve some of the stress you’re under.

Try Belly Breathing on a Regular Basis

Belly breathing is a practice of deep breathing where you breathe not just from your chest, but also from your belly. It takes some practice at first, because most people are used to breathing very shallowly and filling only their chest. When you breathe deeply, you’re sending a message to your brain that all is well. So if your brain is used to overreacting and telling you constantly that there’s danger and that there’s stress, using this type of breathing can help your brain learn to calm down more often.

Try Meditating for Five Minutes a Day

When most people hear the word “meditate,” they immediately experience a reaction, either a positive one or a negative one. Meditation doesn’t need to be complicated and you don’t have to spend hours doing it to get results. Five minutes once a day can be enough for most people. Lots of folks believe that meditation is about making your brain empty. That’s not it. What you’re learning to do is to notice the thoughts in your brain and let them pass by. You don’t have to deal with or examine every single thought. Letting them leave allows you to learn to find some peace even at other times of the day.

Get Some Extra Help

If you don’t already have some extra help, you need to get some now. Elder care providers are the natural choice, because they’ve got experience in caregiving that you may be lacking. There’s also not nearly as much learning curve in helping you with your senior’s needs. Having help is going to allow you to do things like actually take a break, which will do wonders for your stress levels.

Neglecting your own stress levels is going to put you into a dangerous situation eventually as a caregiver. You need to be able to find the techniques that work for you now so that you can avoid burning out later on.

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Middleburg, VA, please contact the caring staff at Assisting Hands today. (703) 982-0050.