April was Stress Awareness month, and May is Mental Health Awareness month. They're beyond connected, of course, and being in a chronically stressed state has a negative impact on our mental health.
The first step to addressing both of these is awareness- when we understand how we're feeling (mind and body) and what our stressors are, we can then take action.
One element we can become more aware of is where we hold stress in our physical bodies. For many, it's often in our jaw, neck, and upper back.
My invitation for you is to
1) take a few breaths and a moment for yourself today... where do you notice stress manifesting in your body?
2) Try this release and see how you feel!
If you’re curious about learning more of the science behind how our bodies hold onto our emotions, there is a fascinating book called The Body Keeps the Score. It’s certainly not a light read, but can help illuminate how these two things are connected and what we can do with our bodies to help move our emotions.
In the book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, the Nagoski sisters walk through this concept in detail as well. It’s a favorite book of mine and I adore their voices and the very simple yet evidence-based and practical strategies they share to release phsyiological stress from our bodies, freeing our minds in the process. The strategies are summarized in the link above.
They highlight movement as one of the most efficient and effective ways to do just this - so that’s my final nudge for you to explore this stretch and any other form of movement that feels good to you!