Tired of the usual suggestions? Learn how to better reduce stress here!
2020 was the year everyone’s mental stress turned up a notch. As we are finishing our first month of 2021, it feels like more of the same is to come.
The common suggestions for de-stressing you find online are often.. lacking. Visualizing a vacation or good memory is great, but limiting. Listening to nature sounds while working can often be distracting.
So… how do we de-stress when we’re feeling stuck? Try these unique ways to destress and live a healthier lifestyle.
1. Board Games With Friends
I’m not talking about your parents' board games like Monopoly or Checkers, but new adult challenging board games that require true strategy and wits to best your friends. Creating and maintaining a community of friends is very important for our psyche and mental health.
We at Align Chiropractic have been de-stressing with board games for years and find it a great way to spend a few hours with good company.
My suggestions for entry level games would be Catan, Azul, Dominion, and Pandemic (aptly suited for 2021).
For more strategy and critical thinking groups you can check out Champions of Midgard, Lords of Waterdeep, Gloomhaven, and Catan: Cities & Knights.
Make an evening out of it. Relax, play, and share your ups and downs. Humans are social creatures, so make sure keep close to a strong and connected community.
2. Chiropractic Care
This should go without saying, but as Chiropractic is still relatively new to Asia, it’s worth sharing with people who aren’t familiar with this line of healthcare.
Doctors of Chiropractic are specialised practitioners that detect and correct structural and neurological dysfunctions in the body, spine, and other joints. By using a variety of Chiropractic Adjustments and soft tissue work (muscle and fascia), we can relax tight and strained areas of the body and allow better communication of the brain to the body.
If you’ve ever heard someone say that they “hold their stress" in the shoulders, back, or legs, it actually goes much deeper and more complex than that. Our daily lives and posture contribute significantly to our stressed states.
Everything from headaches and migraines, neck and shoulder pain, low back stiffness, and even disc and nerve problems can come from poor spinal health!
Many of our patients report feeling less stressed, less irritated, and calmer after adjustments. This is because Chiropractic affects the brain and removes interference from your nervous system.
At Align Chiropractic, we use a state of the art Heart Rate Variability (HRV) technology to scan and see how stressed the brain is at rest.
We can detect with great accuracy if your body is in a stressed state (Sympathetic Nervous System is heightened), a recovery state (Parasympathetic Nervous System is heightened), or if your body is balanced. We are also able to see if your body has a strong output and is very adaptable to stress, or if it is in a weakened, less resilient state.
Having a low HRV output means you are more likely to have less resistance to sickness (neuroimmune) and are less adaptable to mental and physical stress (it affects you easier and more deeply).
If you haven’t tried Chiropractic in Singapore before, you should check out our office in Tanjong Pagar and get Aligned today!
3. Deep Breathing Techniques
“The trick to life is just to keep breathing.”
While this is often a recommended intervention for stress because it’s free, easy, and sorely needed for most of us, we’ll go a bit deeper into the different techniques involved.
The most commonly used is the 4-7-8 breathing style which has you take in a breath from your nose for 4 seconds, hold it for 7 seconds, then slowly exhale for 8 seconds. This has been shown to stimulate your Parasympathetics and decrease the stimulation of our fight-or-flight response (SNS).
Once this becomes too easy, it’s time to go more advanced. To start, you can challenge yourself by seeing how large of a tidal volume (full breathe in) your lungs are capable of and noting how uncomfortable you feel with a max inhale. The same goes for a full exhale, using your belly and core to push out that last bit of air.
You can also focus on diaphragmatic breathing, which is a core skill needed for your 'core'. Try following along to this guide here.
To make it more of challenge, try blocking one side nostril with your thumb or first finger and focus on breathing with only one side of your lungs. Alternate left and right side on every breathe for 10 breathes.
Some people may get a bit dizzy, lightheaded, or feel uncomfortable after a few reps but this is ok. Your body is not used to having this much oxygen since most of us only do shallow breathing throughout the day. Your lungs and internal alarm sensors will adapt with repetition. Slowly, you can build your tolerance and control breathing deeper, and thereby exerting better control of your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) that controls your organs.
4. Deprivation Tanks
Another unique way to get away from technology and all the buzz is… to float!
A few of our patients love using deprivation tanks to allow for relaxation through true peace and quiet. No dogs, babies, or car horns can stop you now!
The tanks are closed off from light and sound, and filled with salty water to help you to easily float and let go of mental stress. Instead of focusing on the future and WhatsApp notifications, you can spend time looking inwards, and stay in the moment.
While we get no referral or payment from supporting them, deprivation tanks have been a hot new trend recently so make sure to check it out! https://www.palmavefloatclub.com/
Closing Thoughts
No matter what your stress level is, it’s always important to unwind and allow your body to be in a relaxed state. Singapore Chiropractic care is phenomenal for improving relaxation on a deep neurological level, improving posture, relaxing tight muscles, strengthening weak areas and degenerated discs, and much more.
For more information to see if your case is right for us, always feel free to message or call us.
We’re here for you.
For more information, or a free consult to see if your case is right for us, email us at
