Urban lifestyle takes its toll every single day. We try to work as hard as we can to pay the bills, grab that promotion, keep up with social relations etc. All these daily obligations keep us away from taking a moment for ourselves, our body and soul. We end up stressed out, our medical condition suffers, which makes it even more difficult to deal with everyday life.
If you can relate to any or all of the above, then it’s about time to make a change and start doing some good for yourself. Here are five simple and effective ways to show your body and mind some love and attention.
Take a forest bath
Forest bathing is a term that comes from Japanese “Shirin-Yoku” (literally meaning “taking in the forest atmosphere”) and it was established in the 1980s as a way to relieve stress and to improve medical condition through spending time in the forest, surrounded by nothing but nature.
Scientific research shows that spending around 40 minutes in a forest helps rejuvenation, normalizes blood pressure, improves concentration and sleep, etc. In a long run, practicing “Shirin-Yoku” improves overall happiness, deepens friendships, and allows a deeper and clearer intuition. The secret is hidden in chemicals called phytoncides that are emitted through trees and plants. These chemicals contain limonene which has antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties. In a word, it’s like hitting a reset button after a long and stressful day.
So how do you take a forest bath? Simply go to a park, forest or any other wooded area and enjoy the smells, sounds and the touch of nature. Leave all the worries behind and enjoy the peace and natural senses.
Educate yourself every day
It is not unusual to hear people complaining about getting stuck in a rut. We get so focused on our work and getting those results that our boss is asking that we forget life has so much else to offer. Acquiring new traits improves our sense of self-respect. Furthermore, it is in our human nature to gather experience and learn new skills. Our brain naturally changes with each new experience and knowledge through a process called “Neuroplasticity“. These changes are so vast that whenever we master a certain skill, those parts of our brain that deal with that skill actually grow larger. There is no better way to show love for yourself than by improving our intelligence and skill set.
Practice Yoga for a mental health
Over the last decade, we could notice the expansion of Yoga practice among the urban western population. Most notable is the number of celebrities that started practicing this ancient eastern method of connecting body, mind and spirit through various poses and controlled breathing.
The reason for this growing trend is incorporated into the benefits of doing Yoga. Along with physical improvements, Yoga practitioners enjoy extensive emotional improvements. While focusing your attention on breathing and different poses, you let go of all other worries and distractions that cause stress and anxiety. Self-control and memory become better as you learn new positions and work on mastering each of them. Ultimately, continuous Yoga sessions normalize our hormone levels and balance our nervous system which results in a more positive and stable approach to life.
Create Your Own Art
Since the first cavemen started drawing pictures of animals on the walls we humans never stopped admiring and creating various forms of arts. Through artistic expression, we are able to let go of all our worries and stress while focusing on our craft. As Jane Potters, online essay writer at BestDissertation, once wrote: ‘Writing helps me forget about daily stress and reading my work makes me feel better about myself’
Other creative activities also bring a lot of physical and mental value to our lives. A study conducted in 2004 shows that older population can experience better psychological health and improved cognitive functioning. Another research proves that molding clay, painting, and drawing have a significant impact on dealing with stressful experiences that we are otherwise unable to express through words. This is an important part of the healing process because it helps us confront our troubles and let them go.
Take regular checkups
When was the last time you went to your doctor just to stay on top of your health status? Constant chase and living in a fast lane have a grave influence on both our physical and mental health. It’s all too known that stress is one of the leading causes of cancer, due to increased levels of hormones such as norepinephrine and epinephrine. Since our health is the only thing we truly possess, it is of paramount importance to do whatever we can in order to keep our body and mind in a good condition.
Regular checkups with our doctor help us understand our current condition and prevent any possible negative outcome of our lifestyle. It is important to keep track of our blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol level, as well as control our stress and nutrition if we want to keep on going through this modern jungle. In addition, checking our medical condition can help us detect any latent issues that we are not able to notice but still do us harm. Detecting certain conditions in an early stage can severely increase the chance of healing.
Conclusion
We put ourselves under all kinds of stress and push our bodies to the limit, every day. Take a pause and think about yourself for a moment; show yourself much deserved love every day, and be thankful for what you have. In this race we call life, one should never forget it’s all about the journey-it’s not about reaching the finish line.
