Learn how to manage stress with methods from our friends in the animal kingdom.
If you’re a fan of wildlife documentaries, you’ll be familiar with those captivating, heart-in-mouth moments where a young antelope finally evades a chasing cheetah – then briskly shakes its body and stamps its feet before calmly returning to its grazing.
Or you might have witnessed something similar closer to home – perhaps a dog crossing the path of an oncoming bike while chasing a ball. Maybe it dashed for the safe shelter of a nearby bush, panting heavily and shaking itself down from nose to tail, before happily resuming its play.
These behaviours form part of a recovery process used instinctively by animals to recuperate from scary experiences. And the great news is they work for humans, too, and can help to soothe stresses away.
3 wildlife-inspired exercises to help ease the stress:
Breathe deeply
- The panting animal makes a speedy recovery by drawing its breath deeply into its belly, sending a message to its nervous system that all is well (get your copy of Teen Breathe Issue 41 for more breathing techniques).
- In a comfortable sitting position, place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart.
- Visualise directing your breath into your hands – as if inflating an imaginary balloon.
- Feel the front of your body expand away from your spine as you inhale and back towards it as you exhale.
- Continue breathing in this way for a couple of minutes, keeping your body relaxed.
Shake a leg
- Stand or sit in an upright position, lift one foot and give it a gentle shake – feel the vibrations travel up through your leg, hips, spine, chest, arms, shoulders, neck – right through to the top of your head. Repeat with the other foot.
- Shake your hands as if flicking water off your fingers. Start with your arms loosely by your sides, lifting them as you build momentum, eventually reaching towards the sky – if that’s comfortable for you.
- Try moving different parts of your body: wiggle your hips, shimmy your shoulders, wobble your head. Shake what feels good.
Stamp your feet
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Notice the sensations between the soles of your feet and the ground.
- Start gently by lifting both heels and softly returning them to the ground with a bouncing motion.
- As you build momentum, try increasing the pace or weight of the bounce.
- Lift an entire foot from the ground before stamping it back down – alternate from foot to foot, keeping your upper body soft and relaxed.
- Notice the sensations as your soles make contact with the ground, feeling the ripple effect this creates throughout your entire body.
- Continue stamping for a minute or so before returning to a gentle bounce and, eventually, to stillness.
As with all forms of movement, take care to move within the limits of what’s comfortable for your body and stop if it doesn’t feel right for you.
WORDS: Simone Scott
ILLUSTRATIONS: Alissa Thaler
This article was originally published under the title Shake It Off in Issue 42 – In the Feels. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
