HOW TO STAY SANE WHILE USING TECH: A Q&A WITH JOY DUSHEY
Join us Friday, May 22, at 5 p.m. EDT with Joy Dushey, holistic life guide and founder of Joyful Approach, for an IG Live Takeover! She will be guiding Skoop members through a meditation and sound healing session.
With so much time indoors, you may start to think your screens are the enemy. But they aren’t. Zoom fatigue is real — jumping from your kid’s classroom to your friend’s birthday party can be exhausting — but there are ways to use your screens for self-care. Below, three #Skoopapproved ways your devices can help you mindfully chill out.
Meditation
Despite years of nodding yes when friends went on (and on) about the power of meditation — less anxiety! less stress! more focus! — it took coronavirus to really get it. Not only is a regular practice great for all of the above, but it can help with feelings of isolation if you’re sheltering in place alone. If you’re new to meditating, an app is a great place to start: Our favorite meditation apps are Calm — we love falling asleep to Matthew McConaughey's Texas drawl — and InsightTimer.
Sound therapy
University of California researchers found that meditation aided by Tibetan bowls (a type of bell that vibrates and produces a rich, deep tone when played) noticeably decreased stress and anger. While you might not have a Tibetan bowl at your disposal, a Bluetooth speaker is all you need to bring sound therapy, which includes music therapy and sound baths, into your home. Virtual sound baths have become especially popular in the last month, thanks to platforms like MNDFLTV, which offers 45-minute streaming sound baths with a sound therapist. “Sound baths calm our often-overstimulated nervous systems,” says Dushey. When synchronized vibrations and frequencies travel through the body, they can promote circulation, improve energy flow, and lull you into a zen state.
Breathing exercises
Slow breathing, too, has a way of calming a busy mind. We set an alarm on our phone for midday to remind ourselves to stop and take mindful breaths.
But even if your phone isn’t nearby, Dushey explains this is something you can practice while walking on the street or laying in a warm bath. She suggests this exercise in belly breathing, which focuses on breathing from the diaphragm:
Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose while counting to four slowly.
Hold your breath for four counts; don’t tightly shut your mouth or nose.
Begin to slowly exhale for four seconds.
Repeat this exercise one to three more times a day to “bring attention and awareness back to the breath,” says Dushey. She adds, “This eases anxiety and stress. As negative thoughts come in, keep directing your awareness to your breath.”