WHOLE HEALTH TALK

The world is a crazy place at the moment. Whether you are a small business owner or employee, you may be feeling high levels of stress and anxiety about your business re-opening. With new restrictions and regulations to follow, the fear of coming into contact with a sick customer, or simply wondering if the business will ever recover - it’s nearly impossible to not feel anxious.

While we can’t solve these problems, we do have a few tips that can help you manage and reduce stress levels, and stay mindful, even in this challenging time.

State your feelings

Do you know the saying “face your fears”? Sometimes facing your feelings can be just as hard. Being able to acknowledge the anxiety, stress, or worry that you are feeling, is the first step in accepting it and then resolving it.

Try writing your thoughts down in a journal, or speaking them out loud to a trusted family member or friend. Once you acknowledge these feelings, be flexible on the resolution and know that you may need to adjust or adapt to a new way of doing business.

Monitor negative thoughts

When we feel overwhelmed, it can be hard to focus on anything except for the negative thoughts flying around in our heads. Try to monitor these negative thoughts that you have during the day and note down any triggering moments. Then, look for positive sensations within yourself.

Our favorite way to do this is to write down three positive things that have happened that day. This simple exercise gets your brain to focus on the more positive side of life and helps reduce stress and anxiety.

Use relaxation techniques

Calming your mind can be as easy as taking a few moments to be mindful of your breathing. When we become anxious or stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and less oxygen is sent to our brain. This can make us feel even more anxious - creating a vicious cycle.

Try this simple technique instead: close your eyes, inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 6, then, as you exhale release all the muscles and let go, allowing the body and mind to slow down. Do this for a few rounds of breath. When you open your eyes, notice how different you feel and know that you can access this calm anytime you need it.

Another path to relaxation is to ingest it. There are many herbs on the market today that help the mind and body feel calmer. We love Olive Seed’s Sereni-TEA loose tea blend – a nourishing blend with chamomile, lemon balm, and passion flowers designed to relax the mind and calm the spirit. These natural herbs have been used for centuries for their powerful calming effects. Make it a relaxing ritual and focus on the warmth of the cup in your hand, the herbaceous aromas, and pleasant taste.

Not a fan of tea? Ashwagandha is an important herb in Ayurveda healing. It is also known for its calming effects and can be taken as a supplement or extract.

The bottom line

While you may not be able to control situations in the outside world, you can control what is going on with your body and mind through simple relaxation techniques and natural remedies.