Healthvues

Stress - or rather the triggers that generate the stress reaction - is part of our daily lives and we cannot totally eliminate it. Stress is also relative - what is a major source of anxiety for one person may be inconsequential for another. Since we can’t always control our environment, we can control our response to stressors. While stuck in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam, what makes one person pound his fist on the steering wheel and scream while another settles back and listens to Beethoven? Reaction.

While we like to hope there are quick fixes to everything, the benefits of relaxation techniques are best realized when they are made part of your daily routine. However, during the course of producing our DVDs, and some personal experience, I’ve learned some quick and easy exercises you can use to help cope with immediate stressors.

Do a “Mini” - Breathe Deep
Has nothing to do with those cute little cars made by Cooper, or a character in the Austin Powers movies… well, maybe it can, but more on that below. A Mini is a short deep breathing exercise that will yield immediate results - less anxiety, peaceful feelings, lower heartrate… You’ve heard people say “take a deep breath?” This is it - ten big in-breaths. Use it before an important meeting, speaking in public, in that traffic jam. (For an actual demonstration, see our Stress & Relaxation Explained DVD.)

Relax those Muscles
If no one is around to give you a quick neck rub, you can do progressive muscle relaxation on your own. Close your eyes and try to imagine your body - your head, neck, shoulders, arms, and on down. Imagine those muscles are tight and constricting. Starting at the top of your head, consciously relax each muscle as you move down your body - visualize the stress being released and washing out of your body. Tighten and release your muscles - roll your shoulders - stretch your arms and legs.

The Sweet Spot - Visualization
We may joke of “going to our good place,” but it works. Think of a relaxing time or place you’ve experienced - or want to experience. Think of the sounds, the smells and the feelings you may experience. Probably not best done in traffic! But you may find a quiet time at the office or home.

Laugh is the Best Medicine
Maybe here’s where Austin Powers comes in… Studies have shown there is a positive link between laughter and feeling better - or in our case, reducing stress. Instead of renting the dark drama, try something light. Although I don’t advocate spreading unsoliticed emails - you know, those jokes that have been forwarded a million times before someone thinks it’s perfect for you - there are some legitimate web sites and desk calendars that provide a joke-of-the-day that you can subscribe to that will give you laugh at the start of your day. I actually visit YouTube occasionally to find the complete and utter nonsensical video - I just don’t forward it to anybody!

Turn off the News
I kept an informal log of my emotions while watching the nightly news - and I realized I was pretty much depressed every night. Between conflicts around the world, the doomed economy, and the advertisements touting remedies for ailments I didn’t even know I had, it became too much. I also don’t read the World News section in the daily paper much anymore. Of course, I’m not advocating becoming a hermit - you need to stay in touch at least some times, and becoming totally disconnected from reality will bring with it more problems you’ll have to deal with. But I found that if I’m in a good mood - if I had a great day at work - nothing brings me down quicker than the nightly news. Now, I figure if something of major significance happens, I’ll hear about it one way or another anyway.

Indulge in your Hobby
Sounds simple, but I believe we all need some sort of diversion for our bodies and brains to recuperate. Reading, painting, photography, scrapbooking - anything you have a passion for can help recharge your batteries. And it doesn’t really have to be something quiet - my passion is hot rodding. Getting behind the wheel of our 1949 Chevy, with 355 horses roaring, the smell of the hot oil and grease… Ah, Xanadu. And here’s where I can shoehorn in the Mini Cooper reference - if that’s your passion…

Get Out and Do Something
We can probably say with almost 100% certainty that everytime we had a social obligation that we didn’t feel like attending (not because of the occassion, but because we felt drained or down), they ended up being the best times we had. We met new people, we tried new things, we got out of the house and our box. People used to “go for a drive” (well, I still do) - now we go for a walk, visit a local point of interest you’ve always wanted to see… Point being, turn off the stimulus, take the long way home, shift into a lower gear.

These may seem trivial, but you’d be surprized at the big payoffs.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm and is filed under Stress & Relaxation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.