An Exercise to Reduce Stress
Here is a simple exercise that you can perform any time you feel overwhelmed by stress or anxiety.
Close your eyes. Take three deep, slow breaths. Now relax your shoulders and assume a comfortable position. It could be leaning back in your chair, your favorite place on your couch, or even on the floor. The objective is to be comfortable and relaxed.
Next, with your eyes closed, think of a memory or event that brings a smile to your face or warmth in your heart. Focus on that happiness or warmth that you feel when you relive that memory.
Keep breathing and continue to keep your eyes closed. Let that warmth spread all over you down to your fingertips and toes. Allow that feeling of happiness to envelope you and bask in it. Go back in time and think hard about how you felt then. Where were you at that time? What was the weather? Who was with you? Did you smell anything nice? What were your fingers feeling?
Spend some time in that memory. Then, slowly open your eyes, take three more deep breaths, and get up.
Hopefully, you feel relaxed and less stressed after this exercise. Repeat this whenever you feel overwhelmed and need some calm.
Reflections
How has COVID-19 affected you and your loved ones?
Do you have examples that can differentiate sympathy from empathy?
Have you ever performed an act of kindness that influenced a stranger's life?
Has some stranger performed an act of kindness that influenced your life?
Notes
1 1. Kim, H. H., & Jung, J. H. (2021). Social isolation and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-national analysis. The Gerontologist 61 (1): 103–113. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa168
2 2. The implications of COVID-19 for mental health and substance use, Nirmita Panchal, Rabah Kamal, Cynthia Cox, and Rachel Garfield; Published Feb 10, 2021, www.kff.org.
3 3. Daly, M., & Robinson, E. (2020). Psychological distress and adaptation to the COVID-19 crisis in the United States. Journal of Psychiatric Research 136: 603–609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.035
4 4. Hartnett, K. P., Kite-Powell, A., DeVies, J., et al. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Visits—United States, January1, 2019–May 30, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:699–704. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6923e1
5 5. Woolf, S. H., Chapman, D. A., Sabo, R. T., & Zimmerman, E. B. (2021). Excess deaths from COVID-19 and other causes in the US, March 1, 2020, to January 2, 2021. JAMA 325 (17): 1786–1789. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.5199
6 6. Heist, T., Oct 19, S. B. P., & 2020. (2020, October 19). Trends in Overall and Non-COVID-19 Hospital Admissions. KFF. https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/trends-in-overall-and-non-covid-19-hospital-admissions/
7 7. Lawrence, E. (2020, May 27). Nearly half of Americans delayed medical care due to pandemic. Kaiser Health News. https://khn.org/news/nearly-half-of-americans-delayed-medical-care-due-to-pandemic/
8 8. Hauck, G. (2021, February 3). Cutting, bribing, stealing: Some people get COVID-19 vaccines before it's their turn. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/02/03/covid-vaccine-some-people-cutting-bribing-before-their-turn/4308915001/
9 9. Lorenz, E. N. (March 1963). Deterministic nonperiodic flow. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 20 (2): 130–141.
10 10. As of August 18, 2021. Data from Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html.
11 11. Action Against Hunger. (2018, July 12). World hunger: Key facts and statistics 2021. Action against Hunger. https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/world-hunger-facts-statistics
12 12. Nebehay, S. (2020, April 29). Nearly half the global workforce risks losing livelihoods during the pandemic—ILO. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/nearly-half-of-global-workforce-risk-losing-livelihoods-in-pandemic-ilo/
13 13. Raynor, L. (2021, April 5). The pandemic has hit women's wallets: How financial brands can help, Forbes Business Council, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/04/05/the-pandemic-has-hit-womens-wallets-how-financial-brands-can-help/?sh=925740b79c31
14 14. United Nations (2020). The Sustainable Development Goals: Our Framework for COVID-19 Recovery. United Nations Sustainable Development, https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdgs-framework-for-covid-19-recovery/
15 15. Globally, as of July 22, 2021. On a positive note, as of July 22, 2021, 3.75 billion vaccine doses have been administered.
16 16. World Health Organization. (2021). WHO COVID-19 dashboard. Covid19.Who.int; World Health Organization. https://covid19.who.int/
17 17.
