Things to try

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Video Play Watch 1 min. 16 seconds
Take a nap
For:
Grief & loss ,
Worry ,
Chronic health issues & disabilities ,
Relationship issues & breakups ,
Trauma
What do Winston Churchill, Damon Wayans, and the majority of professional athletes have in common? They all openly love napping. A short 10-20 minute nap (ideally early in the afternoon) can have numerous physical and mental health benefits. If you're in a funk, adding a short nap to your routine might be a good way to decompress and jumpstart your day.
Video Play Watch 3 min. 16 seconds
Do that new thing you've been meaning to try
For:
Burnout ,
Grief & loss ,
Loneliness ,
Sadness
This can mean trying a new hobby, restaurant or even a new haircut. When you're in a rut, sometimes mixing up your routine and treating yourself to a new experience can help improve your mindset. So, take this as your sign from the universe to give that new thing you've maybe been putting off a try.
Video Play Watch 6:54
Try some breathing exercises
For:
Anger ,
Worry ,
Family conflict ,
Non-substance addiction ,
Substance use ,
Trauma
Breathwork, or consciously controlling your breath, is easy way to relax that you can do almost anywhere, and anytime—even when other aspects of life might seem out of control. The practice has existed for thousands of years, and there are many different approaches you can experiment with. Belly breathing is a great basic you can start with, and even just noticing the quality of your breath during the day is a great way to focus inward and away from all the thoughts in your head.
Video Play Watch 2:22
Try the 4-7-8 relaxing breathing technique
For:
Anger ,
Worry ,
Family conflict ,
Non-substance addiction ,
Substance use ,
Trauma
Breathing exercises are a small but powerful way to relax and decrease stress no matter where you are. The 4-7-8 approach is one technique with powerful benefits—it can calm your mind, manage a fight-or-flight stress response, and even help you sleep better. You can feel calming effects in the moment, and when done regularly the benefits can be even greater. As you do it more often, your body will start to incorporate it automatically. Experts recommend doing three cycles twice a day to make it a habit. Follow these 3 steps to complete one cycle: 1) Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, 2) Hold your breath for 7 counts, 3) Exhale through your mouth for 8 counts.
Video Play Watch
Try the 5-4-3-2-1 relaxation and grounding technique
For:
Anger ,
Guilt ,
Worry ,
Non-substance addiction ,
Substance use ,
Trauma
Relaxing can help counter a fight-or-flight stress response. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is one approach you can try. To do this, pause for a moment to take notice of your surroundings, Ask yourself a series of questions, counting down from 5: 5) What are 5 things you can see? 4) What are 4 things you can feel? 3) What are 3 things you can hear? 2) What are 2 things you can smell? 1) What is 1 thing you can taste? This method helps you focus on your body, and grounds you in the moment.
Video Play Watch 1hr 25m
Write down a few things you're grateful for
For:
Grief & loss ,
Sadness ,
Chronic health issues & disabilities
When you're struggling, it can understandably be challenging to find the silver linings in the world around you. Our brains don't help us by being designed to notice the negative and the danger. But taking the time to physically write down the things in your life you feel grateful for—even things as simple as the food you eat and bed you sleep in—can have tangible health benefits. You can do this at the end of the day, noting the good things about your day as well. When you're able to channel energy towards things you're grateful for, it can make the things you're struggling with not feel as overwhelming. It is not toxic positivity, and telling you to ignore the hard things, it is just helping you to notice the good in the sea of bad.
Video Play Watch
Acknowledge and avoid negative self-talk
For:
Non-substance addiction ,
Substance use ,
Anger ,
Guilt ,
Worry ,
Loneliness ,
Navigating your gender & sexuality ,
Sadness ,
Shame
Stress or worry might lead you to interpret situations negatively, be overly self-critical, or doubt you ability to deal with stressors. To reframe negative thoughts, avoid thinking of them as facts and consider other possibilities. Doing this over time can help reduce the negative emotional response to stress. The world is hard enough, you don't need to be hard on yourself, too.
Video Play Watch 1:51
Picture yourself at the top of your game
For:
Burnout ,
Worry ,
Workplace issues & unemployment ,
Sadness
Be like Mike. He credits tapping in to the power of his mind—visualizing himself winning—to helping him become a master of basketball. And it’s is something you can try too. What’s the equivalent to making a basket, or winning a championship trophy in your life? If you picture yourself achieving this in your mind, your brain actually does the work to create a new neural pathway. In non-science speak, this means when you visualize something vividly, and repeatedly, the brain feels like you’ve actually done the thing you’ve imagined. So when the situation arises in real life, you can be calm in the moment and worry a little less about how to do the thing because you’ve already experienced it your mind.

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