Lift Up!

Twelve Evidence-Based Well-Being Practices to Overcome Stress

Whoever we are, whatever we’re dealing with, pausing to practice well-being is essential

It’s no surprise to anyone when we hear stats that explain our collective ongoing stress. We are each fully aware of our own individual stressors while we are also steeped in the collective stressors of society. These are awkward times. People continue trying to find solid ground as changes continue. We may be struggling with grief, with regulating our emotions, and trying to find new habits together. And it can be difficult to admit this at work even though we are surrounded by colleagues who are also experiencing such challenges with change. Dr. Brené Brown explores this in a recent podcast about what’s happening at work.

It’s ok to admit that we’re feeling stressed. And it’s helpful to understand how it affects us and those around us. Stress activates our adrenaline and cortisol hormones – our body’s way of helping us get ready to face what we perceive as an immediate threat. This may have worked well for our ancestors, but we’re ill-equipped for the type of ongoing stress we experience in today’s world.

Thinking of managing stress in itself may be stressful. Small actions, one moment at a time, can make a meaningful difference.

Here we will introduce 12 ways – all evidence-based – to lift up out of the maze of stress that clouds our minds and hearts to find moments of well-being.

You are a human and therefore you are worthy of inner peace. Stick with us to learn the toolbox of well-being that is available to you at all times. Our deepest hope is that you will take these practices and LIFT UP every corner of the eco-systems where you walk, run, work, and play.

“The cure for burnout cannot be self-care. It has to be all of us caring for each other…Self-care requires a bubble of protection of others who value your well-being at least as highly as you do.”

- Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

Authors of “Burnout”

Twelve Ways to Lift Up Right Now

Here are twelve simple, evidence-based practices that can help you find peace, and restore your physical, emotional, mental, and social health.

#1 Connection. People are not meant to be alone and isolated. Research reinforces that we need human connection to be healthy and well – physically and emotionally. The book Together: The Healing Power of Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy makes the case well. In the workplace, this research demonstrates that socially connected team members have higher self-esteem, display more trust and empathy, and are better positioned to help others.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips for finding CONNECTION:

Create space to share real-life things with your colleagues, perhaps during a meeting or in a virtual chat. Share with one another the shows you're streaming, the music you’re especially loving right now, what you’re reading, a podcast you’re listening to, or a great meal you made. As you create a new pattern of sharing, take turns coming up with a prompting question.
Open your meetings with a short check-in: How are you feeling at this present moment? This is a time to speak about anything that’s on your mind or may have just happened. “I’m excited because…” or “I’m distracted because…” or “I’m having a rough morning; bear with me…” or “I’m energized and ready for the day.” Even just a one-word answer to “How are you arriving today?” quickly creates connections not just as co-workers but as whole people.
Schedule calls with family or friends – just like you would schedule a work meeting. These regular check-ins can help you feel more connected by sharing smaller details of your life more often, strengthening these relationships.
Having an acute moment of stress? Step away from what you’re doing and text a friend or someone who is removed from the situation but will absolutely be in your corner. Consider a “lift up” buddy, mutually agreeing to turn to each other for connection and support.

#2 Vulnerability and Emotion Sharing. Bringing our experiences and emotions out into the open helps us process them. We can move out of the negative and shift into the positive with feelings of acceptance, belonging, and hope.

When we are struggling, we may think no one wants to hear about it. But bravely stepping into our vulnerability is not only good for us, it empowers those around us to do the same. Research shows that while it may feel counterintuitive, it’s actually more helpful to talk about negative emotions, even strong ones. In fact, when we push aside or ignore our emotions, they grow stronger and this is likely to affect our physical health in negative ways.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips for becoming more comfortable with VULNERABILITY AND EMOTION SHARING:

Get familiar with the parts of yourself that make you most vulnerable. We need to first understand ourselves before we can bring others in. Consider saying your emotions out loud to the mirror or writing them down in a journal.
Increase your vocabulary for emotions. Try referencing a Feeling Wheel and getting more clarity about what you’re feeling, the root of the feeling, and the precise word that can describe it.
Start small. If sharing your emotions makes you squirm, you’re not alone. Choose an opportunity that may last only a few seconds. Perhaps with familiar people in a trusted setting.
Practice asking for what you need when sharing emotions. If you start to feel too uncomfortable, ask to come back to the topic later. If you need your conversational partner just to listen and not provide solutions, make that need clear at the beginning.
Talk with others about the role of tears in relieving stress and providing data about a situation. What might it look like to normalize tears in the workplace? What are the boundaries of this and what might be made possible if tears were an accepted normal part of our human experience at work?

#3 Gratitude. Ask someone to describe gratitude, and you’ll likely hear phrases like “showing appreciation” or “being thankful”. That’s right, of course. Gratitude can be an outward expression or an inward reflection. Exploring this a little further, did you know that there’s also a connection between gratitude and the emotion of fear?

Data has shown that fear and gratitude cannot co-exist together in our brains at the same time. It’s one or the other. By choosing gratitude, we can silence fear and positively influence our well-being. According to research by UC Davis Health, gratitude is related to 23% lower levels of cortisol – the hormone in our bodies that creates stress.

We’ve all experienced this. During times of fear or anxiety, it can feel like our emotions are zig-zagging out of control. We may feel helpless. In contrast, when we experience gratitude – acknowledging the good things in life – we feel more balanced or grounded.

Living and acting from a place of gratitude – valuing what we already have rather than seeking what we don’t have – can shift our view of the horizon.

It’s easy to get caught up in our day-to-day routine. Taking just a moment or two a day to practice gratitude can create new perspectives and maybe even the gift of a new habit.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to infusing your life with GRATITUDE:

Try a gratitude journal. It doesn’t need to be formal or fancy. Any piece of paper nearby or a blank doc on your computer desktop will do. Simply jot down the date and three things that you’re grateful for. Whatever comes to mind. Up for a bigger challenge? Set a 5-minute timer and capture as many gratitude statements as you can.
If a gratitude journal feels too awkward for you, try an alternative approach. Create a mental list of a few personal things you’re deeply grateful for. When you find yourself in a particularly stressful or anxiety-provoking situation, mentally recall your gratitude list. One at a time, fully feel the specific appreciation of the things that you mentally deposited earlier into your gratitude account.
Struggling with some things to be grateful for? Consider the foundations of your life like your health, your mind, your faith or beliefs, your relationships, or your home. Or start smaller and appreciate things like rest, the air you breathe, laughter (yours or someone else’s), the warmth of sunshine or a cozy fire, or the kindness of strangers.
Want to kick it up a notch? Think of things in your life that generate annoyance or stress. We all have them. Then flip those situations and find something to be grateful for on the other side. Annoyed with crumbs under the table? Be thankful for the nourishing meal that was once on top. Frustrated by an interruption at work? Be thankful for the expertise you hold that others seek.

As we gain more space between what happens and how we react to it, we have room to choose new strategies. These practices are the beginning of changing how we experience stressors at work and in life.

#4 Reappraisal. When presented with a problem, our human instincts can view it as a threat. We know that our bodies prepare to take on threats by activating adrenaline and cortisol, unleashing a cocktail of stress hormones running through our bloodstream.

We can’t always prevent problems, but there is an alternative way to approach them that research has shown to reduce stress. It’s known as cognitive reappraisal, and it involves that voice inside each of us that creates our internal narratives. How we think affects how we respond.

Reappraisal is basically reframing or reinterpreting a situation. We can reframe a problem as an interesting challenge or a curious puzzle waiting for a solution. How is this beneficial to our emotional well-being? It allows us to process the experience in a whole new light. One study (Drach-Zahavy & Erez, 2002) showed that appraising problems as challenges – rather than as threats – helps people concentrate on the task at hand and focus on the steps they can take to solve it. This reinterpretation of problems helps us regulate our emotions and become more resilient when facing stress.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to start practices of REAPPRAISAL:

When facing a problem, make a list of all the assumptions that you are automatically assigning to the problem. Once you have a full list of assumptions, sift through them and decide which ones are likely accurate, which ones are probably inaccurate, and which ones could be rethought. Choose to suspend assumptions until you have the facts.
Now, write down as many questions as possible. Set a timer, for perhaps 5 minutes, and don’t stop writing until the time is up. By asking ourselves questions, especially creative questions, we open ourselves up to new points of view or unique solutions.
Once you can rethink the problem, try “creative solutioning” tactics like brainstorming bad ideas. Create a list of ridiculous, silly, or backward ideas without any pressure to come up with “good” ideas. These “bad” ideas can be re-evaluated and often this can lead to a path you’ve never previously considered.

Reappraisal may feel awkward at first. But we have lots of opportunities with daily challenges and puzzles to practice this shift in thinking.

#5 Generosity. Generosity comes in different shapes – with a common connection to well-being. You’ve likely heard people who go out of their way to help others say, “I personally gained more than I gave.” There’s a scientific basis to that feeling. It’s generosity at play with a strong connection to psychological health and well-being. Research shows that generosity – for the giver – has been linked with enhanced quality and satisfaction of life, vitality, self-esteem, happiness, and a decreased likelihood of burnout. In their research, the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley describes generosity as “prosocial behavior” – acts that benefit humans. It’s behavior that we are biologically wired for and important to our evolution.

Generosity presents itself in many forms. There’s financial generosity and sharing your time. Volunteering your talents in the community where you live. And there are other gestures that you may not think of as generosity – but they lift up other people and our own well-being. Consider moments of generous listening or assuming the best intent from your colleagues or a life partner. Or simply noticing others’ strengths and taking a moment to share that appreciation out loud.

Generosity has the power to deepen relationships and bring joy to others. And it’s mutually beneficial because as the giver, you change the way you view both the world and yourself. We can even practice self-generosity when we give ourselves grace, just like we would for someone else we care about.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to bring GENEROSITY into your life:

Start by being more generous to yourself. What have you been stingy with for yourself? Do you retreat to negative self-talk instead of generous, positive self-talk? Do you avoid treating or celebrating yourself? Learn how to be more generous to others by first being more generous to yourself.
Notice your teammates and give voice to their contributions. Take an extra moment in the rush of your day to just listen. Or simply comment on something new you see in their video conferencing background.
Share a heartfelt compliment with someone you know or someone new. Their smile will ignite your smile, and you’ll want to share compliments every day.

#6 Mindful Breathing. Breath is a primary tool available for all of us to use at literally any moment. Researcher Emma Seppala (2016) teaches that mindfulness increases one’s attention, making people more productive and creative. Her research also shows that mindful breathing lowers anxiety, cultivates resilience, and brings feelings of peace even when our lives are filled with rollercoasters of upheaval, happiness, failure, or success. In another study (Armstrong, 2021), participants demonstrated an 82% increase in energy and happiness, 91% improvement in an ability to focus, 96% enhanced mental clarity, 91% improvement in a sense of calm in challenging situations, 87% improvement in ease of social connections, and 84% increase in personal and professional effectiveness when engaged in breathing practices taught by Cities4Peace.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to use MINDFUL BREATHING:

Practice the Square Breath, also known as Box Breathing, in which you take slow, deep breaths and hold for certain counts. For example, breathe in for a count of four, hold with your lung full for a count of four, breathe out for a count of four, and hold with your lungs empty for a count of four. Then repeat. This technique can heighten performance and concentration while also being a powerful stress reliever.
Try ‘woosh’ breaths. Breathe in slowly and deeply, then exhale all at once making an audible sigh of relief. Don’t be afraid to express yourself through your exhale.
Set mindful breath reminders on your computer or phone. When you a pulsed with a breath reminder, take one minute to focus solely on your breath.
Start team meetings with breathing, knowing that each person has come from some other activity and can use a moment to let go and become present.

#7 Music. You likely don’t need an expert to tell you that music can make you feel better. You’ve experienced it. A lot, hopefully. This felt experience seems somehow innate to our species. And the research does indeed confirm the positive impacts of music. It reduces stress and anxiety and lowers the heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. It decreases pain and depression. It’s a motivational companion with exercise. It can even promote immune function and memory.

The power of music goes even deeper, entering into the realm of healing. The healing power of music can be used to overcome anxieties related to separateness and can also support and reassure our united sense of harmony and purpose. Especially helpful these last hectic weeks of the year.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to reduce stress through MUSIC:

You know your favorite music. Just play it.
Or listen with a new kind of purpose. Discover something new.
Create a team playlist that represents your teammates when you are at your best. Anthems, anyone?
Make a team playlist with a favorite song for each person, their theme song. A sure way to liven up Teams meetings.
Choose songs that will support your mood. Even a sad song can bring a sliver of happiness. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, know the songs that bring you peace.
Find a playlist that will help you be more serene. Spotify has lots of suggestions.

#8 Movement. Sure, we’re aware of the physical benefits of exercise and being active. In this space, let’s explore the added emotional benefits of even basic movement – especially during stressful times.

First, movement physically removes us from a stressful situation, creating a helpful separation of time and space. Maybe it’s a difficult conversation, a seemingly impossible work assignment, or an overwhelming feeling from bad news. Second, movement gives our cortisol and adrenaline something productive to do. The most common response to our stress hormones is “fight or flight”. And movement allows our bodies to use these hormones as they were designed – to expend energy.

Even simple movements like walking, stretching, or light cycling generate physical, mental, and emotional health benefits (CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, 2020). Authors Emily and Amelia Nagoski say that physical activity is the number one most important practice for de-escalating stress in its various forms. Interestingly, this time of year is when many of us may deprioritize physical activities because we’re busier than normal. And it’s an action-packed time when we could benefit from it the most.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to prioritize MOVEMENT during stressful moments:

When you’re working from the office, find opportunities to take the stairs rather than the elevator.
A silver lining to being in the office – opportunities for in-person “walking” meetings with colleagues, for one-on-ones, or brainstorming. Movement naturally ignites creativity. You can also have walking phone calls when working virtually. Once you try these walking meetings a few times, they just might become a new habit.
While working from home, make it a priority to walk outside. Even for just a 15-minute break. Have your pup join in for their own physical activity and well-being boost.
Winter weather not cooperating, and your new waterproof gear isn’t enough to entice you? Try even 10 minutes of yoga or stretching. Research increasingly shows that exercise can indeed be spread out over the course of a day and be beneficial.
Feel you don’t have time to move away from your computer? The new energy you return with could boost your productivity and you’ll discover you really didn’t lose any time.
In the zone and you “forgot” to get up from your desk? Set reminders on your phone to get up and move. A bonus – your eyes will thank you for the break.
Create playlists of varying lengths for short breaks or longer lunch walks or runs. Combining movement with the well-being practice of music can supercharge the benefits.

#9 Creativity. Albert Einstein famously said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” It’s indeed that, and more.

While movement is exercise for our bodies, think of creativity as exercise for our minds. Experts (Chopra & Sehgal, 2017) say that creative stimulation engages our minds in similar ways to physical exercise. And it shifts our energy away from feeling stressed or anxious.

Creativity boosts our mood and our health. Maybe you’ve felt the endorphins kick in during a burst of creativity. One study (Kaimal, et. al, 2016) found that 75% of people benefited from 45 minutes of creating anything with simple art supplies. It doesn’t matter what you create, as long as you engage in a creative process. That little voice in our heads might say, “I’m not an artist.” But you are an artist; you just have to identify your medium. Your medium could be paint or clay. Your art can also show itself through building robots, tinkering in your shop or garage, cooking, or designing a garden.

One of the easiest ways to identify our inner artist is when we experience “flow”. Flow is the "optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best" (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008). It’s when you get so captivated by what you’re doing you lose all sense of time. When those moments happen, take note – you are in a creative mindset.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to reveal your inner CREATIVITY:

Read “The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work” by Natalie Nixon (2020).
Find your unique creative outlet and schedule it like you would any other priority.
Doodling can help with active listening during a meeting. Draw stick figures, graphic patterns, or lean into splashes of color to reflect what you hear or think.
Try inviting team input using doodles or simple drawings instead of words. With time to get comfortable and overcome hesitancy, this method unlocks powerful insights. This works in person and with video conference meetings.
Inspired by someone else’s creative endeavors? Ask them for a lesson. And enjoy each other’s company at the same time.

#10 Laughter.
The old adage rings true, laughter is indeed the best medicine. A good laugh has short-term benefits of releasing stress and tension. It enhances our intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates our heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases the endorphins released by our brain (Mayo Clinic, 2021). It also has many long-term benefits like improving our mood and strengthening satisfaction. It even improves our immune system and relieves pain.

Humor is the way we are most familiar with laughter – we laugh as a reflex. We hear or see something funny, and we laugh spontaneously. But we can laugh with intentionality, too. We can choose to engage in laughter and enjoy the same well-being benefits.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to maximizing your LAUGHTER:

Set the intention to laugh more during your day. Starting your day with this intention will open you up to seeing situations with more humor and light-heartedness.
Listen to a daily podcast or subscribe to a YouTube channel that you think is laugh-out-loud funny.
Find a laughter yoga session like those offered by Julie Schreiber.
Keep a running list of funny things people say. Or make a shareable list for your friends to add to so that you can hear more funny moments throughout your day. Revisit the list when you need a good giggle.

#11 Nature and Awe. Research (Rudd, et. al, 2012) demonstrates that people often feel positive emotions like awe, connectedness, and hope when in or observing nature. This feeling of awe is described as “a response to things that are perceived as vast and overwhelming and that alter the way you understand the world.” The Greater Good Science Center (University of California Berkley) says that “evoking feelings of awe may be especially helpful when people are feeling bogged down by day-to-day concerns. Research suggests that awe has a way of lifting people outside of their usual narrower sense of self and connecting them with something larger and more significant. This sense of broader connectedness and purpose can help relieve negative moods and improve happiness.” When we are overwhelmed by the stressors of life, experiencing awe, especially through nature is a great way to lift up and reframe our stressors into the context of the larger world.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips to finding AWE through NATURE:

Pause and enjoy the natural world around you. This could be as basic as observing your houseplants. Try to notice something new and appreciate the miracle of growth.
Take in the view from your doorway or window. Reflect on the simple beauty that lives around you.
Go for a walk and look for aspects of nature that awe you. Look for as many colors as possible or look for patterns in the sky at dusk or in buds on a tree.
Step outside and count all of the sounds that you hear, try to imagine each living being that is making that sound.

#12 Poetry and Awe. Poetry also has the ability to spark our sense of awe. This sense that we are in the presence of something greater than ourselves. Awe is a vital human experience that can make us feel both solitude AND a sense of connection to others. This sense of awe through the written word evokes the same peace and stress-deescalating power that one can experience through nature. Poetry has the ability to captivate us (Hass, 2016), spur our hearts, reconnect us to values, and remind us of our mortality and fragility, but also our power, strength, beauty, and connectedness. When we find ourselves in the middle of the storm of stress, calming the seas with moments of awe can make all the difference. For an example of a poem that I go back to regularly for awe, scroll to the bottom of this page, and read Clouds by Mary Oliver.

So how do I do this? Here are a few tips for finding AWE through POETRY:

Return to poems you’ve loved in the past or discover new poetry that inspires you.
Listen or read Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb”. Let yourself be awed again by her power and wisdom.
Keep small poems readily available to read quickly. Paste quotes that resonate with you or other written musings around your desk to reread often.
Start or end your team meeting with a poem.
Share poetry with colleagues.

Now that you’re aware of tactics to lift up out of stress and anxiety, you can intentionally use them any time you need them. We encourage you to incorporate these elements into your daily life both personally and professionally. Making well-being practices the norm on a team can decrease attrition, improve health, improve productivity, and increase engagement. We can help each other LIFT-UP!

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Clouds

from Mary Oliver’s “Why I Wake Early”

All afternoon, sir, your ambassadors have been turning into lakes and rivers.
At first they were just clouds, like any other.
Then they swelled and swirled; then they hung very still, then they broke open.
This is, I suppose, just one of the common miracles, a transformation, not a vision, not an answer, not a proof, but I put it there, close against my heart, where the need is, and it serves the purpose.
I go on, soaked through, my hair slicked back;
like corn, or wheat, shining and useful.

References

Allen, S. (2018, May). The Science of Generosity. Greater Good Science Center.
Armstrong, J. (2021). Embodied Peacemaking. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://doi.org/28416937
Brown, B. (2021, October 30). Research. Brené Brown. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://brenebrown.com/the-research/.
Chopra, D., & Sehgal, K. (2017, September 15). Science shows how creativity can reduce stress. Science Shows How Creativity Can Reduce Stress. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300347.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
Drach-Zahavy, A., & Erez, M. (2002). Challenge versus threat effects on the goal–performance relationship. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 88(2), 667–682. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-5978(02)00004-3
Hass, R. (2016, July 14). How Poetry Captivates Us. Greater Good Science Center. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MMXCSBlaSU
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Just move: The six benefits of everyday movement. CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. (2020, May 7). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://rb.gy/mcs1ha
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Kross, E. (2011, March 25). Study illuminates the 'pain' of social rejection. The University of Michigan News. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://news.umich.edu/study-illuminates-the-pain-of-social-rejection/.
Lewis, T., Amini, F., & Lannon, R. (2000). A general theory of love. Random House.
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Robbins, T. (2017, April 15). Tony Robbins: 'gratitude is the solution to anger and fear'. Medium. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://medium.com/thrive-global/tony-robbins-gratitude-is-the-solution-to-anger-and-fear-c3fa819825c.
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