HEALTH
From Issue #13
CHILL OUT
Do-It-Yourself Stress Relief
By Bonnie Croft
1. Avoid using the “S” word: Saying that a situation
is “stressful” will make it seem even worse. Your
mind and body reacts to your perceptions, so instead of saying,
“I can’t handle this. It’s too much stress,” say something like,
“This may be difficult, but I’ll get through it.”
2. Sing: Whether you’re in your car, in the shower or in
your room—belt it out! Let yourself go. Have fun.
Being silly makes it easy to forget you’re stressed.
3. Just breathe: Breathe in through your nose with
your mouth closed to the count of four, then out
through your mouth to the count of four. This is called a “quieting
reflex,” and will help relax you. Do this for 60 seconds.
4. Listen to music: Plug in a radio, listen to CDs on
a headset, or log onto your favorite radio station on the
Web but whatever you do crank it up! Let the music in, while
the stress seeps out.
5. Use time management: taking care of responsibilities and staying organized
can make you feel better
about yourself.
6. Eat healthy: drink lots of water and make sure to
snack whenever you feel hungry. Stay away from a lot
of fat, caffeine and sugar. As tempting as that chocolate bar may
look, it’ll only make you feel worse. An apple a day…
7. Posture: when you’re sitting at your desk, try and keep
your head and shoulders upright. Bad posture creates
muscle tension and contributes to your stress.
8. Exercise: Go out and get some
fresh air. It really will do you some
good. Take a walk, ride a bike or do
whatever. This will help you blow off
some steam and give you energy to
help you fight your stress.
9. Make time for you:
Even if it’s for only five minutes
a day, it’ll make a difference.
Get away from everybody and enjoy some down time. Do nothing.
10. Laugh. Numerous medical
studies have shown that
laughing is good for you, so catch a
rerun of Friends, visit a joke Web site, or
check out the comics in the paper. Laughter
is good medicine.
Photo by Jessica Rowlands (Faze)
