Walking can help lighten your mind! 6 easy stress relief techniques recommended by experts
Hello everyone! This is John. If you are busy every day, stress can accumulate without you realizing it. I'm sure there are many people who feel "I've been feeling irritated lately" or "I can't seem to shake off my fatigue." In times like these, I actually recommend "Walking" Many people know that walking is good for the body, but it also has a wonderful effect on refreshing the mind. The appeal is that you don't need any special equipment and anyone can easily start.
Today, we will introduce 6 simple tips that are approved by experts to turn your usual walk or commute into an even more effective stress relief time. If you incorporate these tips, you will definitely feel lighter in both mind and body! Please try them out from today.
1. Try to be conscious of taking deep breaths
When you feel stressed, your breathing tends to become shallow and fast without you even realizing it. This is a sign that your body is in a state of tension. By consciously taking deep breaths while walking,Parasympathetic nerves (relaxation mode)will dominate, allowing you to calm your mind and body.
- It's very easy to do:
- First, breathe in slowly through your nose while walking, and imagine your stomach expanding like a balloon.
- Next, exhale slowly through your mouth in a slow, steady manner. The key is to take longer to exhale than when you inhaled. Feel your stomach go down.
- Follow the rhythm of your walk: For example, if you match your breathing to the rhythm of your own walking, such as "inhale after four steps and exhale after six steps," it will be easier to continue naturally.
- ポイント: It may be a little awkward at first, but after just a few minutes, you will feel your head become clearer and your shoulders relax. Once you get used to it, it is also effective to imagine that stress is leaving your body along with your exhale.
2. Make full use of your five senses! Mindful walking
Recently, I often hear "Mindfulness". To put it simply, it means "focusing your attention on the 'now, this moment.'" We usually tend to think about a lot of things in our heads, such as regrets about the past and worries about the future. Mindful walking is a practice that allows you to break out of that thought loop and focus on the "now" by consciously using your five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch) while walking.
- Visual delight: Take the time to look closely at scenery that you might normally overlook, such as the color and shape of a small flower blooming by the roadside, the movement of clouds in the sky, and the different colors of each leaf on a tree. You might make a new discovery and think, "Oh, there was something like this here!"
- Listen to your hearing: Birds chirping, the sound of the wind rustling the trees, the voices of children in the distance, and your own footsteps. Take off your headphones and pay attention to the various sounds around you. What sounds can you hear?
- Smell: Look for scents that change with the seasons and places, such as the smell of earth after rain, the sweet scent of sweet osmanthus, the fragrant smell of freshly baked bread, etc. Taking in the scents while breathing deeply can help you relax even more.
- Be aware of your sense of touch: Feel the hardness or softness of the ground under your feet, the pleasant breeze caressing your skin, and the warmth of the sun.
By using all five senses in this way, you will find that the chatter in your head will quieten and your mind will become calmer, allowing you to temporarily distance yourself from worries and stress.
3. Soak up the healing power of nature
If you have the choice of where to go for a walk, choose a place that is rich in greenery, such as a park, a riverside, or a path with lots of trees. Even just getting away from the concrete jungle for a little while can be surprisingly liberating for your mind.
- Green Power: It is scientifically said that the green color of trees has the effect of relieving eye fatigue and calming the mind. Even just staring at greenery can have a relaxing effect.
- Nature sounds: The chirping of birds, the sounds of insects, the murmuring of a river, the sound of the wind.1/f fluctuationThey often have a special rhythm called "F-fraction fluctuation: a comfortable rhythm that is neither regular nor irregular," and are said to have a relaxing effect on people's minds.
- Forest bathing benefits: Have you ever heard of the term "forest bathing"?PhytoncideIt is said that the aromatic components known as fragrant compounds (aromatic components emitted by trees and other organisms) have the effect of reducing stress hormones and boosting the immune system.
It may be difficult if you live in a city, but taking a little trip out to nature on the weekend is a great way to relieve stress. If there is a small park in your neighborhood, even just walking there can change your mood.
4. With your favorite music or silence
What you listen to (or don't listen to at all) while walking is also a factor in how effectively you relieve stress. This is really a matter of personal preference, so choose what feels comfortable to you.
- Music for a change:
- Uptempo songs: When you want to lift your spirits or cheer yourself up, listen to your favorite upbeat tunes. You'll naturally feel lighter in your step.
- Relaxing Music: When you want to calm your mind, we recommend classical music without lyrics, healing music, and background music with the sounds of nature (such as the sound of waves or birds). Meditation music is also good.
- ポイント: Be careful not to listen to sounds so loud that you can't hear the sounds around you, and be mindful of safety.
- Information detox with deliberate "silence":
- We are usually surrounded by a lot of information in our daily lives. Take off your earphones, walk without listening to anything, and take some time to clear your mind.
- You can become aware of subtle sounds that would normally be drowned out by music, such as your own breathing, footsteps, and the sound of the wind. This also ties into the "mindful walking" I mentioned earlier.
- Taking a break from information for a moment will help you organize your mind and feel refreshed.
5. Vary your walking pace
It's fine to always walk at the same pace, but it can also be effective to consciously change your walking pace depending on your mood and the type of stress you are feeling that day.
- When you want to release your frustration:
- A little breathtaking.Brisk walkingTry walking rhythmically with your back straight and your arms swinging gently to release any energy that may have built up inside your body.
- Sweating makes you feel refreshed and gives you a sense of accomplishment. The feeling of "I've done some exercise!" can also help relieve stress.
- When you want to calm and relax:
- When you want to enjoy the scenery or organize your thoughts,Slow paceLet's walk with a relaxed pace. Enjoy the feeling of stepping on the ground with each step, and breathe slowly.
- It's important to take your time and find a pace that feels comfortable to you. You don't have to force yourself to walk fast.
- We also recommend interval walking: For example, repeat "3 minutes walking briskly, 3 minutes walking slowly."Interval walking"Walking in a sprint (alternating between fast and slow walking)" is effective for improving your physical strength and also for changing your mood. However, this is a bit of a high-intensity exercise, so please try it within your limits.
6. Gratitude Walk to Find "Thankful Things"
This can be thought of as a mental exercise: while you're walking, try to consciously find at least three things that you're grateful for today.
- Every little thing is ok:
- "I'm grateful that the weather is nice and I can walk comfortably."
- "I'm grateful to be healthy and able to walk on my own two feet."
- "I'm grateful to have seen a cute cat on the street and felt comforted."
- "I'm grateful to have delicious coffee in the morning."
- "I'm grateful that someone said hello to me."
If you look around, you'll find many things to be thankful for in your daily life.
- Why is it effective?
- It is said that our brains have a tendency to focus on the negative, so consciously looking for the positive and things to be grateful for can help you practice looking at the bright side of things.
- It is said that if you continue to do this, you will gradually find it easier to feel happy and your mental resistance to stress will also increase.
- When you walk, you are able to think in a relaxed state, which can make you feel more positive.
Author comments:
As I was putting together this article, I was reminded of the profound depth of walking. Just walking feels good, but there are so many ways to increase the stress relief effect! I often find myself walking fast while thinking about something, so I would like to incorporate "mindful walking" or "gratitude walking" into my daily routine and use this time to take good care of both my mind and body. I hope everyone will try out at least one of these methods and find one that suits them best.
This article is based on the following original articles and is summarized from the author's perspective:
6 Expert-Approved Ways To Squash Even More Stress On Your
Next Walk