This isn't surprising, since ninety percent of serotonin receptors, the main hormone stabilizing your mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness are located in the gut. Stress can also cause digestive problems, impacting gut health, which has been directly linked to your mental wellbeing. Excessive amounts of sugar can make you feel more anxious or depressed, while alcohol, a depressant, can also make you feel more stressed. Ask yourself, how do you feel after a big meal? Or an evening of drinking too much? Or too much caffeine?Ĭhances are, at some point, you've experienced a post-food or -alcohol 'hangover.' This also has an effect on your mental wellbeing.

The food you consume fundamentally affects how you feel and experience life. The saying 'you are what you eat' has never been truer. So, when you're feeling stressed or agitated, try slowing down your breath and taking longer exhales. Inhaling causes your heart rate to speed up, while exhaling slows it down. Even more interesting, the study found that these effects were even stronger when measured three months later.Īction: Experiment with using your breathing to reduce stress. By inducing the relaxation response of the parasympathetic nervous system, it helps 'turn off' your body's tendency toward fight-or-flight response, providing an immediate impact on stress, mood, and conscientiousness. However, there are certain foundational elements that can improve how we feel and our overall wellbeing: Just breatheĪ recent Yale study showed that deep breathing is one of the most effective ways to manage stress and stress-related conditions. How that looks for each of us is as different as we are. Wellbeing is a relatively simple term for the rather complicated subject of feeling good or positive about your life. Related: How A Healthy Workforce Can Boost Your Company's Profits Moving towards greater wellbeing While this evolutionary default developed to protect us in an emergency, it can become problematic if it lasts too long. It can also impair your conscious brain, causing difficulty in making good decisions. The physiological response to stress activates the infamous fight-or-flight response, also called the 'amygdala hijack.' It causes the heart to race, breath to quicken, and muscles to tighten as the body prepares to take action. It only becomes a concern when there's too much and you're no longer able to manage it – then it may begin to impact your physical and mental wellbeing. is experiencing levels of uncertainty and stress unlike anything we've known in our lifetimes. If not, consider asking about ways to add this to your child’s at-home learning.When you woke up this morning, how did you feel? Were you tired? A bit anxious? Depressed? Or maybe you just felt a little numb and unmotivated? LeoPatrizi | Getty ImagesĬovid-19, the recent riots on Capitol Hill, and the related economic downturn have taken a toll on all of us, in particular entrepreneurs and small business owners. Check if your school will provide training for students in mindfulness, incorporating SEL into classroom curriculum (either virtually or in-person), or support a child’s ability to cope with stress and anxiety.Support may include school counseling and psychological services (including grief counseling), social-emotional learning (SEL)-focused programs and curricula, and peer/social support groups. Students might need help adjusting to how COVID-19 has disrupted their daily life. Check if your school has a plan to help students adjust to being back in school.If so, identify a point of contact for these services at your school.

Check if your school has any systems in place to identify and provide mental health services to students in need of support.Ask your school about any plans to reduce potential stigma related to having or being suspected of having COVID-19.As a parent, staying informed and connected may reduce your feelings of anxiety and provide a way for you to express any concerns you may have about your child’s school. Schools may offer more of these virtually. Try to attend school activities and meetings.Watch for changes like excessive crying or irritation, excessive worry or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits, difficulty concentrating, which may be signs of your child struggling with stress and anxiety. Anticipate behavior changes in your child.Find out how your child is feeling and communicate that what they may be feeling is normal. Talk with your child about how school is going and about interactions with classmates and teachers.Talk with your child about how school will look different (e.g., desks far apart from each other, teachers maintaining physical distance, possibility of staying in the classroom for lunch).

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