Hands up if, like me, you need a crisis survival guide right now!

And, it’s no wonder we are feeling the stress, with phrases like ‘cost of living crisis’, ‘mortgage crisis’ and, ‘environmental crisis’ becoming familiar parts of our vocabulary. 

In fact, according to the Mental Health Foundation, 74% of people feel so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope. 

As a business-owner in the process of moving home, I get it.

Fortunately, for some time now, I have been practising yoga and mindfulness techniques that help bring me back to a place of balance where I can experience joy and happiness – even with the prospect of a 7% mortgage rate! 

In this crisis survival guide, we’ll take a look at how yoga and mindfulness can support your well-being and reduce the damaging impact of stress.

5 Types of well-being

Firstly, it is important to acknowledge that the term ‘well-being’ encompasses more than just the mind and body.

Actually, there are 5 main types of well-being:

• Emotional well-being

• Physical well-being

• Social well-being

• Workplace well-being

• Societal well-being

Today, we’ll take a look at some practical ways to support the first two areas – emotional and physical well-being – with yoga and mindfulness.

Don’t keep calm & carry on!

As a society, we are encouraged to ‘keep calm and carry on’. 

But, a healthier approach is to notice and acknowledge all emotions that arise. 

Then, it is necessary to release that emotion in an appropriate way. 

From a yoga standpoint, this is usually via the physical body.

Next time you feel frustrated, angry or sad, try shaking it off – quite literally!

Start by shaking the hands and let the movement spread throughout the whole body. Keep breathing deeply whilst giving yourself permission to feel the emotion. 

After a few minutes, pause and notice how you feel.

This therapeutic shaking has been shown to aid in trauma release and improve quality of life.

Physical well-being

Oftentimes, when we are stressed, we neglect our physical bodies by eating foods that feel comforting but may lack essential nutrients. 

Equally, we might move or exercise out of habit rather than responding to what our body is asking for at any given moment. 

But, understanding what our body needs takes practice. 

Even after years of practice, I still sometimes get it wrong! 

For example, it is easy to think we need to curl up on the sofa and watch TV after a day of sitting in the office. But, actually, our bodies might be craving movement and fresh air despite the sense of lethargy. 

Next time you feel sluggish, try doing some gentle yoga to literally shift the energy around your system. 

If it feels good – great! 

If not, you can always change your mind and go back to the sofa!

Final thoughts…

Practising yoga and mindfulness helps us to listen to our bodies and understand what we need in order to feel simultaneously relaxed and energised. 

This self-awareness allows us to make choices that support all areas of our well-being and brings us back to a place of balance.

While we might not individually hold the solution to the complex socio-economic and environmental issues surrounding us, we do have the ability to improve our own well-being.

This, in turn, gives us the mental clarity, focus and creativity to tackle issues closer to home that might be within our power. 

Try this 9-minute Yoga Nidra for stress to feel grounded and keep it handy as part of your crisis survival toolkit.

Let me know how it goes in the comments or on the socials.

May you be happy and healthy!

Paula x

Check out the on-demand library at Happy Yoga Wales for many more yoga classes and meditations.