Simple steps for a stress-free mind

These days, we have numerous things demanding our attention: messages, emails, round-the-clock news channels, work, stress, commitments, family, and friends. The pace of modern life and the challenges we face every day mean that even small things can feel overwhelming and tough to deal with.

There's a biological reason that you may be feeling overwhelmed by life—it's called overstimulation. The human brain is an amazingly complex piece of machinery that has evolved over millions of years to be finely tuned to our environment. The problem is that, in a very short space of time (only about the last 100 years or so), the brain’s working environment has completely changed.

Neuroscientists believe that non-stop digital interactivity is the most significant cognitive shift in all of human history, affecting how we process what's going on around us, how we make decisions, and how we react to things.

As our brain struggles to adapt to this new set of working conditions, our mental health is taking a hit. Overstimulation causes our brain to constantly assume potential threats even when there are none—flooding our bodies with adrenaline and cortisol, heightening our awareness, raising our stress levels, and preparing us for fight, flight, or freeze.

It's hard to calm the body down when you're having a chemical response like this. There's a timeline of up to several hours between your rational brain recognising that the danger has passed and your cortisol and adrenaline levels dropping. This means that your body can remain in a state of high stress long after consciously realising that you're not in danger.

So, what's the solution?

We can't just tell our rational mind to slow down; we must go about the process in reverse by first calming the body.

This is exactly how things like meditation, deep breathing, and gentle exercise work to improve mental health.

They have an instant calming effect on the body, which filters through to your brain. They bring your focus entirely to the present moment where you realise that everything is okay.

It's pretty simple, and it's effective.

Remember, amidst the chaos of modern life, you have the power to restore balance. Take a moment today to unplug, breathe, and reconnect with the present—your brain and body will thank you for it.