Having specialized in fertility, chronic pain, and complex cases for 25 years I have seen lots of emotions, including hopelessness, fear, anxiety, and depression. Over time these emotions can become their own source of stress and manifest as new symptoms or make existing conditions harder to treat. As we close out mental health awareness month I want to give everyone some practical tools you can use to break this cycle! So here are 3, easy things you can do each day to improve your emotional health and create optimal health and vitality.
Before getting into the techniques let’s take a moment to explore why these practices work so well. Long ago Chinese medical experts understood that the only unhealthy emotions are ones that we do not express. These unexpressed emotions can become stuck in our fascia, muscles, and nerve pathways. This process of storing negative emotions physiologically is known as a trauma response, and is the subject of a great deal of work in modern medicine. All of the techniques in this post can help you improve your ability to process and release these past traumas, thereby improving emotional and physical health.
The first technique is a favorite to teach patients with chronic pain, but it also works very well for clearing emotional blockages. It is called “shaking the tree” It is a very simple, but powerful technique that is traditionally practiced daily as part of a warm up set done before practicing qi gong or kung fu. Nearly every qi gong and kung fu tradition includes this exercise and it has been used for at least 2,000 years! The exercise is quite simple, you begin by standing with your spine straight and the feet shoulder width apart. Press down through the bottom of the feet and begin to gently bounce or shake the body up and down by bending the knees and keeping your attention on the bottom of the feet. As you shake, let the arms hang loose and you can rotate the hips and shoulders naturally to release tension as you relax your entire body and mind. Keep your focus on the bottoms of the feet and actively relax the rest of the body making it as loose and soft as possible. The shaking may be quite slow or vigorous on any given day, and you should adjust the speed to what feels good to you. Of course there are more specific advanced techniques to clear blockages including breath work, qi gong, and meditation, but this is a powerful, easy technique suitable for all levels of practice.
Video of shaking the tree exercise:
The next powerful thing you can do to improve your emotional health is to improve your sleep quality. Sleep, especially deep sleep, is when our brains process emotions from the day, and is essential for good emotional health. Most people can dramatically improve their sleep quality by simply going to bed earlier. Not just getting into bed, but turning off all lights, and going to sleep. Many patients tell me that it is difficult to fall asleep, but for the majority of people getting into bed, in a completely dark room after the sun goes down will cause sleepiness to set in within 15 minutes. Try it. If you need some extra help getting to sleep, work on developing good sleep hygiene. Part of sleep hygiene is having a personal bedtime routine, here are some ideas to consider to create your own bedtime routine:
Consistency: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Limit Screen Time: Minimize exposure to screens like phones, TVs and computers in the evening.
Comfortable Environment: Create a cool, completely dark, and quiet bedroom.
Avoid Stimulants: Limit caffeine, nicotine, THC, and alcohol in the evening.
Relaxation: Practice relaxation techniques like visualization, meditation, or gentle yoga or stretching before bed.
Magnesium: Consider taking magnesium gylcinate as a sleep aid.
Diet: Avoid heavy meals or sugary drinks close to bedtime.
Daytime Naps: Limit daytime naps or schedule them for the same time each day.
Aromatherapy: Lavender, vanilla, and green apple aromas can help induce sleep and are ideal in heated essential oil form.
Avoid Distractions: Keep pets outside the bedroom, as they can prevent you from sleeping.
Journal: To remove excessive worry or thinking at night, write in a journal before bed to empty your thoughts.
Warm water: Soak your feet in a hot Epsom salt bath for 15 minutes before bedtime to produce a relaxation response. Or, Take a warm shower without getting your hair wet before bed. When you exit the shower your body temperature will drop which will naturally prepare your body for sleep.
The third thing that you can do to improve your emotional health is to get up each day and see the sunrise! Countless health experts talk about the importance of getting the early morning light into our eyes. This can be a simple 5 minute practice, but should be done intentionally. The best way to do this is to set your intention on bringing in the sunlight when you inhale and releasing any negativity from your body when you exhale. This can be done sitting or standing, but ideally face East or anywhere you have a good view of the sky around the time of the sunrise. I will share with you the wisdom of my teacher, Dr. Maoshing Ni, sunrise is like the tide coming in, if you are awake and outside you get to enjoy and benefit from this rising energy. If you are still asleep you miss it. Seeing the light of the sun each day naturally brings hope, light, and inspiration to our minds.
At Orlando Acupuncture we use a variety of therapies such as acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine, as well as lifestyle interventions like the ones in this post, and many more to help our patients improve their health every day. If you or someone you know can use a boost to their mental health please share this post with them. If you need more specific information or customized therapy, reach out to our clinic, Orlando Acupuncture, to set up a consultation appointment with Dr. Barnett, and see if Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is right for you.
Hear from a patient who came in for stress and anxiety: