Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Health and Wellness: Tips & Tricks to Reduce Stress

The last few weeks have been a stressful time for most of us. Our normal routines have been turned upside down and we’ve been tasked with adjusting to our new “normal” in a matter of hours and weeks. Change is hard on us all but when you have to change in an instant, it can cause much undue stress. It’s important during times of stress to focus on your health and wellness and find ways to ease the stress. Here are a couple of ways to try to take that stress level down a notch or two:

• Get active! One of the most important ways you can decrease is to get active! When you do physical activity, your body produces endorphins. Endorphins are, “neurotransmitters produced in the brain that generate cellular and behavioral effects like those of morphine.”
  • If you are unable to get outside for walks, there are different things you can do from the comfort of your own home. Try some Yoga, Tai Chi , Pilates or dance from Hoopla
     
• Meditate! Take some time to be in the moment. If only for 5 minutes a day, meditation will help you center and get back to a calm state. If you’ve never done meditation before, try out a session on Kanopy!
   
• Laugh! Just like exercising, when you laugh and smile your brain releases endorphins. Take a few hours each week to watch a comedy or read something that makes you laugh out loud. 
   
• Listen to some music. Listening to music can help you stay in the moment and focus. If you listen to music that has special meaning or memories, it can trigger you to remember the positives in your life! You can stream and download music for free through Freegal (note: weekly download limits do apply).
   
• Practice gratitude. Think about the things you are grateful for and write them down a couple times a week in a journal. When you’re feeling extra stressed, go back and read them to make yourself remember the things you are grateful for.