Stress and anxiety are a normal part of life. In fact, this energy is what motivates us to get out of bed each day, go find food, and build relationships with others… etc. But exposure to high levels of stress over the long-term has major consequences for our health.

When our bodies are responding to stressful events, our immune system becomes suppressed. This happens so that all of our physical resources can be given to our fight-or-flight systems to increase our chances of survival in a life or death situation. The problem is, our brain cannot tell the difference between receiving a stressful email from our boss VS actually being chased by a bear… both situations are simply considered to be “threatening” and the fight-or-flight response kicks in.

Living in today’s fast-paced, connected society means that we are constantly exposed to stress. This long-term exposure and immune system suppression can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and cancer.

Spending time learning to disengage our fight-or-flight response is a crucial life skill, and it’s exciting to see these skills being highlighted in school curriculums and popular media. So how are we translating these life-saving, neuroscience skills to children as young as 5 years? It turns out there are a variety of tools that can be easily ‘sampled’ in order to shift us into a ‘rest and digest’ state.

This can be done in a variety of ways, including: breathing, movement, physical pressure/deep tissue activation, and warmth. For example, when we are already stressed out, it can be irritating to hear someone tell us to “just breathe”. But this message isn’t entirely useless… the key is knowing how to breathe and exhale in a way that tells our bodies “it’s time to relax”.

The good news is, learning to “switch on” our parasympathetic nervous system doesn’t have to be a demanding task. There are plenty of resources dedicated to supporting physical relaxation, so allocate 5 minutes each day to learning a new technique. As you learn which techniques are most effective, continue practicing them so they become second-nature when you encounter stressful situations.

Furthermore, the tools you use to support yourself with stress can also be used to engage more deeply with life. Whenever you want to be present, make a decision, or connect with a loved one, promoting parasympathetic activity will allow you to engage more with the moment and make decisions that are in line with your values.

A few of us with the Transforming Anxiety and Stress Team have some favorite strategies to start you off with:

Diaphragm Breath: the movement of the diaphragm outwards happens to stimulate the vagus nerve, which is active in signaling to the brain “I am safe and I can relax”. Gently place your hand on your lower stomach. Relax your jaw, and inhale through your mouth. Direct the air to travel to your lower stomach, so it expands in all directions (Note: do not use your abs force your stomach to expand). Once your lower abdomen is full, you will feel air continue to expand upwards into your chest. Exhale gently and repeat.
Square Breathing:
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds
- Exhale for 4 seconds
- Wait for 4 seconds (before inhaling again)
  - repeat .
Targeting the olfactory nerve: your olfactory nerve (which is responsible for helping you smell) runs directly over the emotional centers in your brain. One very quick way to shift your emotional state and mental focus is to connect with a familiar smell associated with a calming memory. Keeping an essential oil with you is an easy way to have access to a calming scent.
Another quick way to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system is by splashing cold water, or stepping outside into cold air.