How can you relax during wartime?

In the midst of Israel’s wartime difficulties, the country struggles with mounting tension, mental strain, frayed nerves and haunting testimonies. Irresistible images surround our thoughts, but even in this turmoil there are ways to reduce stress and restore the body and mind. According to Moore Douani, NLP and naturopathy specialist at the “Blosim” campus, there are strategies that can help us find solace, regain composure and endure until the fighting is over.

What steps can we take to make the harrowing ordeal that we and our children have endured these past five days more bearable?

Drink water: Water flushes out many physical toxins from our body, the amount being 2-2.5 liters per day.

Get a breakTake a break from the news, stop scrolling through social media, stop helping others, and make time to relax: lie down and rest, listen to a meditation, or talk to someone close to you.

Practice your breathing: When we’re stressed, our breathing tends to become shallow and rapid. Take the time to consciously breathe slower than normal, making sure to do 10 breath cycles at a time, several times a day. Breathing deeper and slower allows more oxygen into your body, helping to reduce stress.

Make sure you get some sleep: Sleeping through the night will relieve stress, so if you have irregular sleep patterns, try using an extract that helps you sleep or drinking a relaxing decoction such as chamomile.

Get moving: Take a walk, even at a slow pace, for at least 20 consecutive minutes, or walk indoors listening to music. You can also do some physical exercises while sitting. Moving your shoulders, the back of your neck, or tapping your feet can really release tension in your body and release difficult experiences that are trapped in your body.

Don’t forget to touch: Touch your feet, hands, shoulders, head and neck. Don’t just pat, but touch deeply. Even tapping your chest with your fist while breathing deeply is recommended. Touch with close family and friends – hugs, massages, sitting together and feeling the closeness. And of course, touch with pets, which really calm and soothe us.

Create a support system. Whether it’s an in-person meeting, a phone call, Zoom or WhatsApp, it’s important to talk to those closest to you to update them on your situation, ask how they’re doing, and find out if they need any help. One thing that’s proven to help relieve stress is helping others, says Duany.

Eat Healthily: Cook with your children and eat foods that are easy to digest, such as complex carbohydrates like rice, quinoa, small beans, lentils, broad beans, etc. Eat cooked vegetables, especially orange vegetables. Make sure to get omega-3 and essential fatty acids from fish, seeds, nuts and leafy greens.

Clear away distracting thoughts: Find a point just above your eyebrows and focus there for at least a minute while breathing. As various difficult images come to mind, try to imagine ways to make them farther away, smaller or blurred.

Use your senses: Take multiple warm showers and light an essential oil burner with soothing scents like lavender, geranium, grapefruit, or orange oil (don’t forget to turn it off when you leave the room). Dance with your kids to release tension, listen to music, watch funny content, or look at feel-good photos. Avoid binge watching the news or videos or photos sent to you.

Spend time in nature: Get out with your kids to the nearest natural area where it is safe. Go to the garden under your house or go out onto your balcony. The important thing is to be outdoors. Recruit your kids to help you take care of your houseplants by watering and nurturing them.

Stay busy at any age: Doing puzzles, knitting, sculpting, painting, colouring mandalas, working with dough or clay with your children, using your hands because touching materials relaxes you and your hands are connected to your nervous system.

Practice meditation: Try this with your kids – even just taking a few deep breaths and focusing can help calm you down in just a few minutes.

Make a plan and stick to a schedule: On days when you can’t go to work and have no plans, create an anchor schedule. It’s important to have an anchor schedule for when to eat, rest, talk with friends, bake, cook, etc.