Lockdown 3.0: WHO Releases New Guidelines To Cope With Stress And Anxiety

Feeling stressed? This time you are definitely not alone. Coronavirus outbreak has resulted in lockdown extension for the second time in India. Lockdown 3.0, as it is being called, has forced people to stay indoors and revamp their routine beyond imagination. Stress can affect both your physical and mental health. It can make you feel tired all the time. Headaches, lack of appetite, heavy chest, tight muscle, upset stomach, back pain, neck pain and shoulder pain are some physical signs of stress.

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Lockdown 3.0: How to cope up with stress

The World Health Organization recently released a new set of guidelines to help people cope with stress.

Learn how to get less distracted by your thoughts and feelings

When you engage and pay full attention to any activity, you will do it better and find it more satisfying. This works for things that are not of your interest and the ones that you find boring.

Also read: Lockdown Stress: Finding It Difficult To Sleep At Night? Here Are 5 Tips That Can Help

Practicing grounding

Grounding is a technique that helps keep us in the present moment. It helps bring us back to the here and now. It is especially useful in managing emotional storms. It can help you prepare for difficult situations.

Following is a grounding technique recommended by WHO that you can try:

1. Sit in silence with your back up straight

2. You can either close your eyes or keep them opened. Fix your gaze on a spot.

3. Take a moment to notice what you're thinking and how you're feeling right now.

4. Now find a way to slow down. Slow down your breathing. Breathe in an out through your nose.

5. Slowly press your feet into the floor.

6. Press your hands firmly together or stretch your arms.

7. Try to get a sense of yourself slowing down.

Also read: Stay Stress Free With Yoga, Meditation And Pranayama

8. Notice where you are. Look around you with curiosity. Notice 5 things you can see, 3-4 things that you can hear.

9. Notice how feel: warm, cold, fresh, still, dry or humid. Notice what you can smell in the air.

10. Notice where you are and what you're doing.

11. Reach out and touch something. Notice what it feels like under your fingers.

12. Stretch your body in some way. Stretch your arms or legs or back or neck.

13. Notice that while there may be difficult thoughts or feelings appearing, there is also a world around you that you can see, hear, smell and touch.

14. Notice that you can now move the way you want to. And, you can also choose the words you speak, and how softly or loudly you say them. "It is importance to notice this. Because, the way you influence the world around you is through your actions, your words and the way you say them," the audio released by WHO says.

15. Now take a moment to notice how you feel. "Hopefully you feel a bit more grounded and less lost in your thoughts and feelings, and more connected with the world around you. If this did not happen to you or if you feel a bit strange, then remember that such reactions are common. With practice, these exercises will feel more natural and the results will be more powerful," the audio continues.

You can take the help of someone to dictate these points to you while you sit and practice them. You can listen to the audio here. WHO has released six more exercises similar to the one mentioned above, to curb your stress and anxiety.

Yoga and meditation can be effective tools for reducing stress and anxiety
Photo Credit: iStock

Do not let the pandemic and its repercussions take a toll on your health. Stay indoors and stay safe everyone!

Also read: #MondayMotivation: Try This Stretching Routine By Shilpa Shetty Kundra To Get Rid Of Body Stiffness And Pains

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.