If you are seeking some sort of relief from feeling stressed and anxious, penning it down on a piece of paper may help. Feelings of stress and anxiety, when expressed on a sheet of paper can calm your brain. In addition to that, it can also help you perform the stress-inducing task more efficiently, suggests a new study.
The team of researchers explained that excess worrying takes up a lot of cognitive resources. You may be immersed in your designated task, but at the same time you are trying to monitor and suppress your worries which may take a toll on both your productivity and your health. According to lead author Hans Schroder, doctoral student at Michigan State University (MSU), "Our findings show that if you get these worries out of your head through expressive writing, those cognitive resources are freed up to work towards the task you're completing and you become more efficient."
Previous research and studies have also indicated that expressive writing can have a positive impact on individuals who are struggling to process past traumas or stressful events.
"Expressive writing makes the mind work less hard on upcoming stressful tasks, which is what worriers often get 'burned out' over, their worried minds working harder and hotter," added Jason Moser, Associate Professor at MSU. "This technique takes the edge off their brains so they can perform the task with a 'cooler head'," Moser added.
For the study, college students identified as chronically anxious through a validated screening measure completed a computer-based "flanker task". The task measured their response accuracy and reaction times. Right before the task, about half of the participants wrote about their thoughts and feelings about the upcoming task for eight minutes. The other half, in the control condition, were made to pen down what they did the day before. While the two groups performed at about the same level of speed and accuracy, the expressive-writing group performed the flanker task more efficiently, indicating they used fewer brain and cognitive resources. The study was published in the journal Psychophysiology.
While expressing your deepest thoughts and feelings on a piece of paper may help you cope with stress better, here are some foods that may help too.
1.Oats: A bowl of oats and some fresh fruits for breakfast may keep your mood swings in place. Oat meal boosts positive energy as it is considered to be a serotonin enhancer, which is known as the happiness hormone.
2.Lentils: Lentils are packed with all types of Vitamin B, which stimulates the brain and keeps you happy and charged. It also helps reduce tiredness and fatigue. Lentils also stabilize your blood sugar levels and fire-up your energy levels.
3.Banana: Bananas are rich in Vitamin C which is a great stress-fighting nutrient. It helps repair cell damage caused due to stress. Also, the potassium that it contains helps in maintaining healthy heart muscles
4.Yogurt: Yogurt is packed with calcium which helps beat stress. Experts have linked the 'good bacteria' found in yogurt to kill anxiety and depression.
5.Brahmi: Brahmi, the ayurvedic herb has potent anti-anxiety properties. It is known to increase the levels of serotonin - a brain chemical that helps to promote relaxation. It has a unique ability to improve cognitive function as well as helps the body cope with stress. It induces a sense of peace and soothes restlessness. It serves as a mild sedative, but instead of dulling the mind it enhances mental clarity and focus. Heat 1/2 cup of milk or water and 1/2 tsp of brahmi powder for about 3 minutes. Let the mixture infuse for 2-3 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey if required.
Load up on these foods to keep stress and anxiety at bay.