Stress Management Tips

In general, people are feeling more stress during the pandemic and as time wears on. With the end of the academic year approaching and uncertainty about how society is opening up again, college students, in particular, might be feeling more anxious. KSOM’s Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences share important tips for managing stress.

Contributors include Ronna Harris, LCSW; Barbara Van Noppen, PhD, LCSW; Matthew Goodman, PhD; Kelly Greco, PsyD 

• • . Compassionate mindfulness meditation is another gentle way to calm the mind and body and let things simply be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYk-MldGDWA 

 A few suggestions for meditation apps:  

• • • LA County Department of Mental Health is offering Headspace for LA County residents free of charge until the end of the year: https://www.headspace.com/lacounty 
    • The Center For Mindful Self-Compassion has numerous practices for being gentle with ourselves: https://centerformsc.org/ 
    • Mindful USC is a free application download that provides guided meditations and other mindfulness classes)
    • Mindful USC Mobile App | Mindful USC – Mindfulness at the University of Southern California

The Mindful USC app is free, unlike all other meditation apps, and is also tailored to you and your USC experience and focuses on building a supporting community rather than isolating you on another mobile app and getting you to pay a monthly subscription… With the Mindful USC app: be the first to hear about mindfulness classes, retreats and events on campus

• • • mindful.usc.edu
    1. Ask for a hug (from someone in your pandemic pod). We are hardwired to be soothed by touch. Warm, safe touch is a stress reducer because it primes the brain to release oxytocin, the hormone of safety and trust, of calm and connect. Oxytocin is the brain’s direct and immediate antidote to the stress hormone cortisol. If there is no one you can touch right now, call a friend—they might be struggling, too.
    2. Journaling automatic thoughts and feelings then stepping back and asking yourself: “How else can I look at this situation?” ”What are other ways to think about it?”, often lead to a greater perspective and turns down the volume on anxious emotions.
    3. Limit social media, news consumption, emailing and texting. Set aside time for these activities so they do not blur into special times, allowing you to be more present centered.

What are 3 tips for coping with loneliness and isolation?  

• • 1. Make an effort to have a meaningful conversation with at least one friend or family member every few hours. Share your feelings, even if you are feeling sad or down. Connecting with others and having your feelings validated allows you to accept them rather than fight them which leads to greater loneliness. 
    2. Take an inventory of the people who are important to you, what you value about those relationships and what you might do to increase that circle if you are not satisfied. What are productive, proactive ways you could meet others, even if virtually right now.  
    3. Tell the people in your life how you feel about them, what makes them special to you and how important your relationship is. Thank them for what they bring to your life. 

Is there anything else? 

• • 1. Regular exercise and avoiding excess caffeine, sugar and alcohol and other substances can help reduce feelings of stress and tension. 
    2. Volunteer! Sometimes giving of ourselves to a cause or helping others is a reminder that we have value and brings feelings of connection that we are “all in this together.” 
    3. Try a few “random acts of kindness”- reach out to a friend or family member you have not talked with in a while and check in on them, take baked goods to a neighbor, offer to walk someone’s dog. 
    4. If you have a pet, give it extra attention; unconditional love back from them goes a long way to improve one’s mood. 

Tips for calming the nervous system (activating the parasympathetic nervous system/stimulating the vagus nerve):

• 1. Exercise/movement of any kind – including walking, yoga, dancing
  2. Singing or humming (think “ommmmm”)
  3. Physical touch – a hug lasting at least 30 seconds where each person maintains their own “center of balance). A kiss lasting 6 seconds or longer, massage
  4. Creative outlet – art, sewing, writing, music
  5. Deep breathing
  6. Prayer/meditation
  7. Cold water – splashing cold water on your face/ice cubes held on your face, cold shower
  8. Ellie Drake shows you how to stimulate your Vagus Nerve with THIS Breath!