Wednesday, June 27, 2012

How to Lower Your Stress Level

I was recently talking to a client about the "S" word: STRESS.  Stress can cause all kinds of problems.  I'd like to share an article that I found very helpful - it was written for our blog, by Karina Alvare, who is a contributing writer at www.dentalinsurance.net...


Tightly Wound Without an Outlet — How to Lower Your Stress Level
When people get stressed, ironically enough, they tend to exacerbate their stress level in the process of searching for ways to lower it. Individuals that want to reduce stress can do so with some of the methods that are listed below. These are some surefire ways to reduce your stress level and bring some joy back into your life. The great thing about these methods is that all of them work rather quickly.

Get Some Sleep
This may sound cliché, but stressed out people are usually people that are not getting proper rest. The only way to truly combat this is by getting some sleep. People that are not well rested can become very cranky in a short amount of time. This can often lead to confrontations that lead to a lot more stress. This is why it makes sense to stop the domino effect early and get some sleep.

Read a Book
A book is a great escape from the world that you are in. It doesn't matter if you read a comedy, romance or thriller. When you are stressed out, sometimes anything is better the place where you are in life. The awesome thing about books is that they can take you into another world. It can become a getaway of the mind. It can take your mind off of whatever you are enduring at the time. Over time a reader that reads multiple books can be transported to different worlds. These masterful escapes of the mind will help reduce stress levels dramatically.

Change Your Environment
Sometimes the stress may be part of your environment. It may be home or work. This may require a little more than an escape of the mind. In certain cases you may actually need to change your physical environment. This may involve getting a new job that is less stressful. It may involve getting out of a bad relationship or reevaluating your friendships. All these connections can play a part in stress. You may have no choice in some matters. There are times when you may have to remove certain people or elements from your life to reduce your stress.

Listen to Music
A chance to truly improve your mood can be found in music. This is something to really think about. Music will often play in the background in elevators, dentist offices, spas and work environments. There has to be something to the joy of listening to music. People that find salvation in soothing sounds will often repeat the process of listening to music to keep their stress at bay.

Watch a Movie
A book is a great mental escape of the mind. Music also plays a wonderful part in stimulating parts of the brain. There may be times, however, when you need some visual stimulation. A movie can be the perfect solution to reducing your stress at times. This can be something that is good for helping you forget about the problems of the day. It can be difficult to let go of things if your mind is not focused on something else. A movie can take your complete attention and lock your mind into it.

Take a Day Off
Sometimes your stress can come from a lack of time. This is why you may need to take a whole day off. This may often be the only way that you can do things like watching a movie or reading a book. An occasion day off can work wonders.

These methods have been tried and tested ways to manage stress. Fortunately, these things don't cost much to incorporate into your lifestyle.

I'm off to read a book now! :)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Weight Watchers - The ABCs of Weight Loss

I read this in the Weight Watcher magazine July/August 2008, and thought there were some great suggestions here. These were all contributed by successful WW members)...

A - Ask questions (when dining out, don't be afraid to ask your server how a dish is prepared - and request it without sauce or oil).

B - Budget for snacks - you don't have to give up all of your favorite treats, just plan ahead.

C - Cancel the pity party - when you're down about your weight, remind yourself that everyone struggles.

D - Distract yourself - If you're hungry, call a friend, go for a walk, write a letter or email, etc. You'll notice that the hunger usually passes in a matter of minutes.

E - Eat slowly - put the fork down between bites, be more aware of how much you're putting in your mouth.

F - Focus on the presentation - arrange your food creatively, use a larger plate and spread your portions more artfully, it will help you feel more satisfied.

G - Give the new habits time - make a commitment to stick to your new regimen for at least 6 months, it often takes that long for revamped eating or exercise habits to feel natural.

H - Hang out with optimists - The can-do spirit is contagious.

I - Inspire yourself - brainstorm a list of activities you've been putting off because of your weight - it will provide a built-in incentive to slim down.

J - Join up - exercise with others - this often provides a sense of accountibility.

K - Keep your focus - as you lose weight, notice what you're gaining - a healthier diet, slimmer profile, or a new love of exercise.

L - Lighten up your favorite - Use cookbooks that can show you low-fat, healthier versions of your favorite dishes.

M - Make over your kitchen - get rid of trigger foods (those you often overeat) and restock your kitchen with healthy items.

N - Navigate out of your comfort zone - try a new exercise once a week.

O - Opt for the 10-minute rule - Even if you don't feel like it, get moving for at least 10 minutes.

P - Push yourself to try at least one new fruit or vegetable each week - expand your culinary repertoire in a healthy, low-calorie way.

Q - Quit the clean-plate club - stop eating once you're satisfied, and you won't eat tons of extra calories.

R - Reward yourself - if you are looking for a snack after dinner, give yourself a manicure or pedicure instead!

S - Stand up to food pushers - if a host pressures you to eat something you'd rather avoid, tell her you'll try something else on the table - compliment her, and she'll be distracted.

T - Treat your body like a temple - exercise and take care of yourself as if you were an athlete.

U - Use your lunch break wisely - spend half of your lunch break walking.

V - View sweet treats wisely - if you want to shed pounds, you can't eat sweets whenever you like. Find a low - calorie substitute that you can have every day, or limit rich desserts to once a week.

W - Write a gratitude list - each day, jot down 3 to 5 things in your life that you're grateful for.

X - Xerox your exercise moves - find exercise routines you'd like to try in books and magazines, and make copies, then refer to these when you need new moves.

Y - Yearn to accept where you are now - when you fell discouraged by your rate of progress, try to accept and appreciate yourself at your current weight. This might help you hang in there until you start losing weight again.

Z - Zero in on your body - Don't wear big baggy clothes - wearing clothes that fit well to remind yourself of your diet and fitness goals - and the slimmer body your are striving for.

GOOD LUCK!