Did you know that letting out a sigh can reset your nervous by activating your parasympathetic nervous system!? Well, ya do now!!
Just to back up a bit, we have two big systems in the body: 1. Sympathetic (switched on during fight, flight, freeze) and 2. Parasympathetic (responsible for rest and digest mode). My guess is you're probably hanging out a lot in sympathetic mode due to the current state of things. But staying there too long can make you feel more overwhelmed and even traumatized, especially when we can't act on the urge to fight or flight while we're all staying at home.
So, it's important to have some effective ways to relax your nervous system. Your home environment can be basically chill, but if your body is in fight or flight, you're not going to be able to feel calm.
One easy hack to switch on your parasympathetic nervous system is to sigh. All you need to do is take a slow deep inhale into your belly (about 4-6 seconds to breathe in) then slowly exhale for the same length of time while making an audible "aahhhh" sound. Put it on repeat about 4-6 times and pay attention to how you feel. It's not magic, but it also doesn’t cost anything, so if the first round wasn’t enough, do it some more! Bonus points if you follow that up with a quick smile and some gratitude.
Hang in there!