Managing End-of-School Stress
It’s that time! As the school year draws to a close, many students and teachers are feeling a heightened sense of stress. For students, this can come from the pressure of final exams, papers, and projects. Not to mention students deciding on colleges… For teachers, after a long year, bringing their students across the finish line is compounded by the many administrative tasks to be completed before the summer break. While a normal part of the school-year cycle, there are ways to reduce the negative impact of stress on both mental and physical health.
Overworking or overexertion can deplete the body's energy reserves and is a contributing factor to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) condition called spleen qi deficiency. Because time is of the essence, we’ll get right to remedies. If you want to learn more about spleen qi deficiency you can find it in our companion blog.
Managing End of School Stress
Managing stress is an important aspect of supporting spleen qi and overall health. This can involve practices such as acupuncture, herbal supplements (like Mount Sunny’s Happy Tree, or Calm Spirit), and our favorite remedies…
- Being in nature Simply put, time spent in nature has an extraordinary effect on positive feelings, stress hormone levels, parasympathetic nervous activity, sympathetic nervous activity, blood pressure, heart rate and brain activity. There's a name for this activity, Forest Bathing. Walking in the Woods (The Japanese Way of Shinrin-Yoku) is a meditation on the practice of walking slowly through the woods, in no hurry.
- Sleep hygiene During sleep, the body performs essential functions such as repairing damaged tissues, consolidating memories, and regulating hormones that help to manage stress. Lack of, irregular, or poor-quality sleep can lead to increased levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, which can contribute to feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. Sleeping in darkness and falling asleep/getting up at the same time are two changes you can make to make sure you are being sleep “hygienic.”
- Physical activity Movement and exercise can provide a healthy outlet for pent-up energy and frustration by releasing endorphins, as well as increasing the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine— all associated with positive mood and well-being. Physical activity is one part of developing resilience and adaptability to stress, the other part is physical repair via rest and replenishing minerals.
Boketto Tools & Tips
An Essential Oil Blend like Vitruvi Sleep— with Lavender, Frankincense Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Vetiver— in an easy-on-the-eyes Stone Oil Diffuser, is a passive, ambient way to create a calm environment that supports stress management, any way you choose.
We all know staying off devices before bed is beneficial, but that's hard to do, right? What makes it easier? A good book. Getting to Center by Marlee Grace is an empathetic offering to those who are looking for a roadmap for finding their way back to equilibrium. So, not only does this book get you off the screen, but it is about the reason you are getting off the screen!
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a hands-on, light-touch bodywork treatment that works to reduce “restrictions” in the body. Benefits of CST can include an immediate relief of accumulated stress, profound feelings of calmness and relaxation, and renewed body awareness. CST can also identify other areas of tension and imbalance through the craniosacral rhythm. We wrote a blog titled Craniosacral Therapy 101 on The Journal, and then book a 60- or 90-minute session with our practitioner, Pasha, and experience CST relief for yourself.