When you experience stress, it can have a negative impact on several areas of your well-being. These impacts can show up in a variety of ways, affecting sleep quality, immune system health, and your mood.
For these reasons and many more, it’s important to utilize mind-body practices for stress reduction and emotional regulation.
What Are Mind-Body Practices for Stress Reduction?
Mind-body practices refer to holistic activities that help you make a connection between how your body feels and what you think. This can help you identify the physical impact your emotions have on your body and the way your physical health impacts your mood or stress levels.
Top Practices for Stress Reduction
Mind-body practices can help you improve emotional regulation so that you can respond appropriately to stress or triggers. These types of practices can also improve your physical health, encourage physical activity, help you focus on the present moment, and keep your attention centered on goals and long-term progress, which are essential during recovery.
Below are some top practices for stress reduction.
Physical Activity
Physical activity is essential for your overall mental and physical health, but it’s especially important in recovery. Staying active on a regular basis can encourage you to:
- Get outside
- Get out of your head
- Socialize with others
- Participate in the community
- Commune with nature
The type of physical activity you do should be based on your mood and energy levels. If you are experiencing high stress, yoga can be a good way to focus on the present moment and center yourself on what really matters most in your recovery. If you are anxious and full of energy, a more strenuous workout might be a better way to burn off excess energy.
Meditation
Meditation is essential for managing mental health and coping with triggers. Too often, when stressed or anxious, individuals get stuck ruminating over the past or worrying about the future, but meditation and mindfulness, as well as activities like Tai Chi or yoga, can encourage the mind to pivot back toward the present moment.
Meditation can take several forms, including:
- Eating meditation
- Walking meditation
- Guided meditation
- Moving meditation
You can try listening to bedtime-related meditation videos about an hour before you go to sleep to help you wind down from your day and incorporate quick, 5-minute meditation segments throughout the day to combat specific emotions as they arise, such as anger, procrastination, or grief.
Learning Practices for Stress Reduction with Casa Serena
When you are struggling with recovery, learning to manage stress and regulate emotions is essential to long-term success, and Casa Serena can help. We are a premier women’s drug and alcohol rehab in Santa Barbara where you can participate in services like:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Trauma treatment
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy
- Body-mind balance programs
- Garden therapy
- Equine-assisted therapy
- Tai Chi
Located just a few minutes from the beach, our Los Angeles women’s addiction treatment program provides detox services as well as residential and outpatient treatment programs designed for women, by women.
As a luxury treatment center, we offer communal programs where everyone works together to find local resources and learn from one another to promote improved emotional regulation and overall mental health. Reach out to our team today to learn more about stress reduction practices at our women-only luxury facility.