Meditating and Exercising Can Help You Cope with Stress During the Return to a Life Pre-Covid

 

In Alberta, Canada, many people are rejoicing over the return of life without COVID-19 restrictions, but there are some that might be feeling anxious or stressed about these circumstances. Having these feelings are completely normal, especially after going through an uncertain period like this pandemic.

However, the executive director of Martha Retreat Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta Diane Sim, believes that meditation is a good way to find balance and deal with stress, especially because change can be very stressful.

The retreat Centre formed a labyrinth on the east portion of its property, giving people the space to walk through, and “do some self-meditation.”

“As you walk into the centre of the labyrinth, you think about, ‘What are the things weighing on my shoulders? What’s weighing me down today?’ Sim told Global News.

Statistics by Project Meditation have shown that those who have meditated between 6 to 9 months have improved anxiety levels by 60% of the time. It can also reduce post-traumatic stress disorder 73% of the time.

For those who aren’t a fan of meditating, there is another proven way to help you cope with the stress – exercise.

Since the start of the pandemic, another organization in Lethbridge, Alberta has seen more interest when it comes to physical activity. In fact, there have been benefits to both physical and mental health.

“It’s always been a little safer to be doing activities outside, so running continues to be that type of activity where you can do it outside with even a group of people and keep spaced out a little bit more,” said Shawn Pinder, co-owner of Runners Soul.

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