Stress, Pandemic and the Brain

Ways to Deal with Stress & Anxiety from Covid-19

This podcast is the start of a series where I’ll address the different issues that are affecting our brains during this difficult time. I’ve looked at some of these areas before but never as a whole and never in the environment that we’re living in today.

There are many different ways to deal with stress and anxiety and I talk about some of those in this podcast. In addition I mention a number of methods that I have done previous podcasts about that have even more information than in this podcast. I will also include links to these at the bottom of today’s show notes.

Today’s podcast gives some additional information about how stress, inflammation, and our immune system can work both for and against us. It can defend us in times of attack (stress) and it can create illnesses if the stress lasts too long (like auto-immune and inflammation related diseases).

There are positives and negatives associated with our Shelter-In-Place directives and our ability to work from home. More sleep, less exercise, more food, and more or less productivity depending on how you’re handling your staying at home life. I talk about yoga and tai chi being useful in calming yourself, getting exercise, and relieving stress. I have a link to my previous podcast about yoga down below.

Next I talk about a simple breathing exercise which will help you to ground yourself when you’re feeling stressed. And lastly I talk about more formal meditation practice - what it is, where you can find it, and what to expect when you start it. It’s wonderful but it takes daily work, a daily practice, and dedication to reap the benefits.

I also talked about the wonderful app called the UCLA Mindfulness App where you can listen to guided meditations. Those guided meditations can be a wonderful place to start a meditation practice - i.e. a wonderful way in with guidance from experienced teachers. You should definitely try it out. The link to it is below.

I hope this information is valuable to you and that you take care of yourself during this pandemic. Please take it seriously and protect yourself, your family, and your community. Wear your mask when you’re out (unless you’re exercising in a uncrowded space) and take care of your health!

The previous podcasts i mentioned: Yoga Practice - https://healthytipsafter50.com/yoga-inspiration-grounding/ Healthy & Balanced During a Pandemic - https://healthytipsafter50.com/health-balance-during-a-pandemic/ Meditation Growth & Well-Being https://healthytipsafter50.com/meditation-growth/

The UCLA Mindfulness App - https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/audio