5 Tips to Reduce Anxiety & Stress Levels When You Feel Overwhelmed or Stuck in One Place

by Mihai Pinzariu on March 20, 2020

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5 Tips to Reduce Anxiety & Stress Levels When You Feel Overwhelmed or Stuck in One Place

By Ninja Shark’s founder (and water enthusiast), Andrew Porter

Hey Ninjas, we know this is a strange time.

You may be feeling anxious, you may be feeling scared or worried. Like a lot of the world, you may even be in social isolation, taking precautions to keep yourself and others around you protected.

During this time, make sure that you take care to look after your mental health as well as your physical health. The two are very intertwined, and being sure to move your body and follow certain practices can make a tremendous difference if you’re feeling anxious, scared, or overwhelmed.

Here are some tips from the Ninja Shark team to help keep you cool, calm, and entertained during this time.

1. Focus on family and friends

You may be in isolation, but family and friends are always one click away. Don’t get carried away spending your time binging on news articles and scrolling through social media. Make sure to focus on connecting with your family and friends, whether they’re with you at home or worlds apart.

Remember, we’re all going through this together and nothing can ease stress and anxiety like knowing you’re not alone in the feeling. Call up an old friend, Facetime some family that lives abroad, play games with your family at home, and just spend some time reconnecting. Social connection is not only good for your mental health, but also your physical health.

2. Breathe - either in or out of the water

Key to reducing stress and anxiety is keeping your mind calm and relaxed. When your mind is healthy, life becomes easier and less stressful. In these times, it’s essential that you avoid over-stimulating your mind and focus on relaxation exercises. Meditating is one way to do it, but if you can’t quite sit still, snorkelling is another way to do it.

Just like meditating, snorkelling can reduce stress and anxiety levels by inducing a state of blissful relaxation. This is because of the regulated breathing, which brings on a state of calm just like meditation does. Slow, deep breathing is known to ease anxiety levels. If you have a pool, take your snorkel in the pool and enjoy a swim with the mask on, focusing on your inhales and exhales. If not - try the bath! Or follow our next point.

3. Sun, sea, sand

It’s being recognised that lack of sunlight can lead to anxiety. When you’re self-isolating and working from home, your exposure to sunlight can be drastically reduced. If you’re already feeling anxious and stressed, this is not good for your mental health. Make sure that you sit out in the garden, on your balcony, or near a sunny window to get some sun every day.

At the same time, the ocean is known to induce calm and relaxation to the mind and body. There’s a reason why we always come home from the beach feeling blissful! If there is a remote beach near your home, try to get out there and enjoy splashing in the seawater and getting some sunlight. For an extra dose of relaxation, pop on your snorkel mask and enjoy that regulated breathing.

Of course - make sure you avoid renting any snorkelling equipment to prevent the potential spread of infection. If you don’t own a snorkel mask, our store is still shipping full face masks during this time.

4. Be choosy with what media you consume