Like any other human on this planet, I am someone who gets stressed about various predicaments that present themselves in this complicated puzzle of life.
And, like any other human, I am learning to use tools to act as damage control for stressful spontaneous events.
Some tools can be detrimental to your mental and physical health in the long term, while others do the opposite.
You might find the following statistics interesting and eye opening as they were to me!
- 77% of men report physical symptoms of stress (headaches, muscle tension, sleep issues)
- More than half of the stressed men turn to alcohol, unhealthy foods, internet and p...rn to cope (American Psychological Association, 2023)
- Men are less likely than women to seek healthy stress relief
I’ve found the free Stress and Energy Reset Guide provides sustainable habits that not only offer stress relief for men, but are contributing to your health rather than taking away from it.
Take the breathing exercises. They are simple and yet effective!
These breathing exercises will help you reset your energy, and leave you feeling better..
Yes, I Want to Go From Stress to Strength! Send Me the Guide.
Breathing Techniques
The guide’s first suggestion to managing stress requires no outside resources other than your own patience.
It’s called box breathing (I love to be reminded to breathe!):
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Exhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
* Repeat this for 2–4 minutes.
It’s simple, but powerful.
It sounds too simple to be believable, but it is very much an effective exercise. Trust me, I was skeptical when I first tried it, and I was proven wrong. After only a couple of minutes, I felt my heart rate slow down, and my nerves temper after a stressful day that I had.
This exercise is also known to decrease cortisol levels by up to 40%, which is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. This hormone is paramount in triggering your fight-or-flight response, as well as energy mobilization in stressful situations.
By decreasing you're cortisol levels, you'll feel calmer, sharper, and more in control (Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2022).
It’s recommended to try this exercise for two to four minutes for the best results. If you’re still unsure of the effectiveness of this exercise, you don’t have to take it from me. Dr. Melis Balban of the National Institute of Health states that “The primary endpoints [of box breathing and related exercises] are improvement in mood and anxiety as well as reduced physiological arousal.
Using a mixed-effects model, we show that breathwork, especially the exhale-focused cyclic sighing, produces... a reduction in respiratory rate compared with mindfulness meditation.”
Pressure Points
You can augment your box-breathing exercise by implementing pressure points into your routine.
For example, you can massage your “Yin-Tang” acupressure point with your thumb, to decrease your stress even more.
This point, otherwise known as your “third-eye” area, is the space located between your eyebrows. This area is an especially easy pressure point to find, even for beginners! Dr. Chan-Young Kwon of the Nation Library of Medicine claims that “Yintang (EX-HN 3), an acupoint located between the eyebrows, is known to have a mentally stabilizing effect in Traditional Chinese Medicine.” Massaging this area not only decreases your anxiety, but also makes you feel more relaxed and clear.
For this box breathing and pressure point combination, it’s important to distance yourself from distractions, as with any centering exercise like this.
If the mix of these two exercises still doesn’t provide the adequate amount of stress relief, you can switch from the Yin-Tang pressure point and instead provide attention to your Nei Guan point. This area is located between the two tendons in your wrist, and just like with the Yin-Tang, you can massage that area with your thumb with a moderate amount of pressure.
Attention provided to this pressure point not only can reduce nausea and anxiety, but is also great at providing relief for morning sickness and depression.
If these methods still don’t provide adequate relief for your stress, forms of acupressure, or shiatsu, could eventually be applied. It’s recommended to visit a licensed practitioner (such as Beata Maslanka!) for a safe and effective acupressure procedure.
1. Yin Tang (Third Eye Point)
- Where: Between your eyebrows
- Benefits: Calms racing thoughts and reduces anxiety
2. Nei Guan (Inner Gate Point)
- Where: Between the tendons of your inner wrist
- Benefits: Eases stress, nausea, and even depression
Simple exercises like this are a great way to reduce permeating stress in your life, for men of any age. It’s simple and effective! If someone like me, who knows very little about traditional Chinese medicine or meditation can do it, I’m sure it will work for you.
I recommend downloading the (Free!) Men’s Reset Guide here, which offers a more in-depth observation of these concepts.
You could also schedule an appointment with Ms. Maslanka, in order to have a professional give you advice face-to-face.
Yes, I Want to Go From Stress to Strength! Send Me the Guide.
