3-Minute Stress Management: Reduce Stress With This Short Activity

Therapy in a Nutshell

2 Sept 202003:44

Summary

TLDRIn this video, Emma Mcadam offers a quick three-minute exercise to help reduce stress, focusing on physical relaxation techniques. She guides viewers through a series of movements, starting with self-assessment of physical tightness, followed by deep breathing, shoulder shrugs, head tilts, and arm and leg shaking to release tension. The session concludes with a gentle forward fold and a reassessment of the tension level. Emma also mentions Better Help, an online counseling service, as a sponsor of the video, providing a discount for first-time users.

Takeaways

🧘 Stress is the physical manifestation of anxiety, causing muscle tension and other physiological responses.
🤔 Worry is related to thoughts, whereas stress is linked to how our body reacts to perceived threats.
🆘 The fight-flight-freeze response is triggered by the brain when it perceives a threat, such as a tiger or an impending deadline.
🧠 We can train our mind and body to remain calm by engaging in activities that regulate the nervous system.
💆‍♀️ It's beneficial to perform stress-reducing activities frequently throughout the day to maintain a sense of calm.
🛋 For those in manual labor jobs, stress reduction might involve resting, whereas for desk-bound workers, incorporating movement is more effective.
📝 Start by rating your physical tightness on a scale from 0 to 10 to gauge your initial stress level.
💨 Engage in physical movements like shaking out your arms and legs to alleviate tension and stress.
🤸‍♂️ A gentle forward fold can help release tension and is a simple exercise that can be done at a desk or standing.
😌 After completing the exercises, re-evaluate your physical tightness to see if there has been a reduction in stress.
👍 Better Help is mentioned as a sponsor, offering professional and affordable online counseling services starting at around $65 per week.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video?
-The speaker in the video is Emma Mcadam.
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is about reducing stress in approximately three minutes.
What is the difference between stress and worry according to the video?
-Stress is the aspect of anxiety that we feel in our body, while worry is all about thoughts.
What is the physiological response to perceived danger mentioned in the video?
-The physiological response to perceived danger is the fight-flight-freeze response triggered by the brain.
How can we train our mind and body to be calm according to the video?
-We can train our mind and body to be calm by doing little activities that regulate the nervous system, preferably frequently throughout the day.
What does the video suggest for people with manual labor jobs to reduce stress?
-For people with manual labor jobs, stress reduction may look like resting on the couch.
What type of activity is recommended for people who spend a lot of time at their computer to reduce stress?
-For people who spend a lot of time at their computer, incorporating movement is suggested to reduce stress.
What is the first step suggested in the video to start reducing stress?
-The first step suggested is to rate your degree of physical tightness on a scale from 0 to 10.
What is the purpose of shaking out your arms and legs as described in the video?
-Shaking out your arms and legs is a way to incorporate movement and release tension in the body, which can help reduce stress.
What does the video suggest to do after shaking out your arms and legs?
-After shaking out your arms and legs, the video suggests standing up straight, feeling your feet on the floor, and doing a gentle forward fold.
How does the video conclude the stress reduction exercise?
-The video concludes the exercise by asking viewers to rate their tightness again on the same scale from 0 to 10 and to share their thoughts in the comments if it did not work.
What additional service is mentioned in the video and what does it offer?
-The video mentions Better Help, which provides professional, affordable online counseling starting at around $65 a week.
What is the special offer for viewers if they use the speaker's link for Better Help?
-If viewers use the speaker's link, they can get 10% off their first month with Better Help.

Outlines

00:00

🧘 How to Quickly Reduce Stress

Emma Mcadam introduces the topic of reducing stress in three minutes. She explains that stress is the physical manifestation of anxiety, with symptoms such as muscle tension and sweaty hands. Mcadam emphasizes the importance of regulating the nervous system through frequent activities, especially for those who work in sedentary jobs.

📏 Assessing Your Physical Tightness

Emma instructs viewers to rate their physical tightness on a scale from 0 to 10. She encourages taking a deep breath, moving the shoulders up and down, and gently tilting the head forward, back, and side to side to start loosening up.

💪 Shaking Out Stress

Emma demonstrates shaking out stress by shaking each arm and leg to get them loose and jiggly. She highlights that this exercise can be done at a desk or anywhere, and advises viewers to laugh at themselves if they feel ridiculous.

🦶 Grounding and Stretching

Emma instructs viewers to stand up, feel their feet on the ground, and breathe deeply while maintaining a straight posture. She suggests smiling slightly, doing a gentle forward fold to let the arms dangle, then standing up straight again. She prompts viewers to reassess their physical tightness to see if it has decreased.

👍 Share Your Feedback

Emma asks viewers to share their experiences and thoughts on the stress-reducing exercise in the comments. She concludes with a quick mention of the video sponsor, Better Help, promoting their affordable online counseling services and offering a discount through her link.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Stress

Stress is defined as the body's physiological response to perceived danger or threats, which can manifest as muscle tension, rapid breathing, or sweating. In the video, stress is the primary focus, as the host discusses its effects and provides methods to reduce it. The script mentions stress in the context of the fight-flight-freeze response, triggered by the brain when it perceives a threat, such as a tiger or an upcoming deadline.

💡Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. It is differentiated from stress in the script, where stress is associated with physical symptoms, while anxiety is related to thoughts. The video aims to address the physical aspect of anxiety, specifically stress, and how to manage it.

💡Fight-flight-freeze response

The fight-flight-freeze response is an instinctive reaction to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. In the script, it is mentioned as the body's automatic reaction when the brain perceives a threat, which can be a physical danger like a tiger or a psychological stressor like a deadline. The video suggests activities to help regulate this response and promote calmness.

💡Nervous system

The nervous system is a complex network that transmits signals between different parts of the body. It is responsible for coordinating and controlling most of the body's actions. The script talks about training the mind and body to be calm by doing activities that regulate the nervous system, which is key to managing stress.

💡Manual labor jobs

Manual labor jobs involve physical work and are often strenuous. The script suggests that for people in such jobs, stress reduction might involve resting, as opposed to incorporating movement for those who are sedentary, indicating that stress reduction strategies can vary based on one's occupation and daily activities.

💡Movement

Movement in the context of the video refers to physical activities that can help reduce stress. The script emphasizes incorporating movement as an effective way to alleviate stress, especially for those who spend a lot of time sitting at a computer. Various movements are suggested, such as shaking out arms and legs, to help release tension.

💡Physical tightness

Physical tightness is a term used in the script to describe the sensation of muscle tension or stiffness, which can be a symptom of stress. The host instructs viewers to rate their physical tightness on a scale from 0 to 10, and then guides them through a series of movements to reduce this tightness, demonstrating the video's focus on physical manifestations of stress.

💡Breathing

Breathing is a vital process for life and also plays a significant role in stress management. The script mentions that stress can cause breathing to become tight or rapid. The host encourages deep breathing as part of the stress reduction exercises, highlighting its importance in calming the body and mind.

💡Exercise

In the video, exercise refers to the quick and simple physical activities provided to help reduce stress. The host guides the audience through a three-minute exercise that includes shaking out limbs and doing a gentle forward fold, illustrating how brief and accessible stress-relief practices can be.

💡Better Help

Better Help is an online platform for professional counseling services mentioned in the script as the sponsor of the video. The platform offers affordable online counseling starting at around $65 a week, and the script includes a promotional offer for viewers, showing the video's commercial aspect and its connection to mental health services.

💡Counseling

Counseling is a professional guidance or treatment given by a trained person to help with mental or emotional problems. The script promotes Better Help's services as a form of professional, online counseling, suggesting it as a resource for those who might need additional support beyond the stress reduction techniques provided in the video.

Highlights

Emma Mcadam introduces a three-minute exercise to reduce stress.

Stress is differentiated from worry as a physiological response to perceived danger.

The fight-flight-freeze response is triggered by the brain when it perceives a threat.

Stress reduction can be achieved by regulating the nervous system through daily activities.

For manual labor workers, stress reduction may involve resting, unlike those who are sedentary.

Incorporating movement is suggested as an effective method for stress reduction.

The exercise begins with rating physical tightness on a scale from 0 to 10.

Deep breathing is recommended as part of the stress reduction process.

Shoulder movements are included to help alleviate muscle tension.

Head tilting is suggested to relieve tension in the neck and shoulders.

Shaking arms and legs is a part of the exercise to release tension.

The exercise can be performed at a desk or any workplace.

Standing and shaking legs is part of the physical activity to reduce stress.

Straightening up and focusing on breath is a concluding step of the exercise.

A gentle forward fold is included to stretch and relax the body.

The exercise concludes with re-rating physical tightness to measure effectiveness.

Better Help is mentioned as a sponsor providing online counseling services.

A discount offer is provided for the first month of Better Help's service.