Help keep One Green Planet free and independent! Together we can ensure our platform remains a hub for empowering ideas committed to fighting for a sustainable, healthy, and compassionate world. Please support us in keeping our mission strong.

TikTok user Ashly Burch shared helpful tips for stress management that she learned from a psychologist that can hopefully improve mental health!

@ashly.burch

hot anxiety tips! get yer hot anxiety tips! #stressrelief #mentalhealth #anxiety #anxietyrelief #mentalillness #amygdala #vagusnerve

♬ original sound – Ashly Burch

Ashly explains that the amygdala plays an important role in stress management. It’s part of the body’s limbic system, which helps you process emotions and fear specifically. Ashly uses the example of seeing a lion. If this were to happen, your body would immediately release adrenaline, signaling your flight or fight response.

To calm your amygdala and your body’s fear response, Ashly says that activating your vagus nerve will help and claims that if you activate the vagus nerve while you’re having an anxiety attack, it will send signals to your amygdala to stop the fear response.

To activate your vagus nerve, you can try:

  • loud gargling with water
  • singing
  • chewing
  • swallowing
  • sucking on an ice cube
  • taking a cold shower
  • laughing
  • extremely deep breathing

These actions can convince your amygdala into thinking you’re not in any imminent danger and don’t need to feel fear or anxiety, says Burch. The vagus nerve can send a message to your body saying that it’s time to relax. This can play a part in promoting long-term improvements in mood and well-being.

By developing an understanding of the workings of your vagus nerve, you may find it possible to work with your nervous system rather than feel trapped when it works against you, says Dr. Arielle Schwartz, Clinical Psychologist.

Related Content:

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

  • Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
  • Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
  • Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
  • Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
  • Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and essential stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
  • Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in typical household and personal care products!