Dazzler
10-02-2009, 07:39 AM
We all know what stress feels like: a sense of constriction in the body—tense muscles, shortness of breath, heart palpitations—in response to pressures, external and internal.
Here are some ways you can help prevent and alleviate the effects of stress on your mind and body.
1. Get Your Rest
Do all you can to ensure a good night’s sleep. It helps to turn off the TV before bedtime.
2. Take A Walk
When you move even moderately, says Dr. Pamela Peeke, a physician and scientist at the University of Maryland-Baltimore, your body secretes neuropeptides—brain chemicals that counteract the stress response.
3. Cut Down On Caffeine
Scale back on the amount of coffee, soda and tea you consume during the day. Try to avoid caffeine six hours before you want to go to sleep.
4. Take An Aromatherapy Bath
Relaxing in the tub is a great way to unwind. Lavender is a particularly soothing scent.
5. Find A Mantra
Repeat to yourself a simple prayer or phrase, such as, “It is what it is.” Or, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
6. Practice Short-Form Breathing Meditations
“You can do these ‘portable stress-managers’ in your car,” says Prof. Alice Domar of Harvard Medical School, “or in a meeting or in a stressful situation with a colleague or loved one.” For example: Shift from chest breathing to deep abdominal breathing. Count down from 10 to 0, taking a complete breath—one inhalation, one exhalation—with each number.
Source (http://www.parade.com/utility/jumppages/slideshow/recent-slideshows-jumppage.html?slideshow=/health/slideshows/wellness/stress-solutions.html&path=&channel=health)
Here are some ways you can help prevent and alleviate the effects of stress on your mind and body.
1. Get Your Rest
Do all you can to ensure a good night’s sleep. It helps to turn off the TV before bedtime.
2. Take A Walk
When you move even moderately, says Dr. Pamela Peeke, a physician and scientist at the University of Maryland-Baltimore, your body secretes neuropeptides—brain chemicals that counteract the stress response.
3. Cut Down On Caffeine
Scale back on the amount of coffee, soda and tea you consume during the day. Try to avoid caffeine six hours before you want to go to sleep.
4. Take An Aromatherapy Bath
Relaxing in the tub is a great way to unwind. Lavender is a particularly soothing scent.
5. Find A Mantra
Repeat to yourself a simple prayer or phrase, such as, “It is what it is.” Or, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
6. Practice Short-Form Breathing Meditations
“You can do these ‘portable stress-managers’ in your car,” says Prof. Alice Domar of Harvard Medical School, “or in a meeting or in a stressful situation with a colleague or loved one.” For example: Shift from chest breathing to deep abdominal breathing. Count down from 10 to 0, taking a complete breath—one inhalation, one exhalation—with each number.
Source (http://www.parade.com/utility/jumppages/slideshow/recent-slideshows-jumppage.html?slideshow=/health/slideshows/wellness/stress-solutions.html&path=&channel=health)