The Keys To Stress Relief and Anxiety Relief
The keys to managing stress relief, as well as anxiety relief is to understand them. If you accept that they are both normal reactions and realize that without them you would not be able to react to situations quickly and would not have the stimulation needed to think and act accordingly. By approaching life with a positive attitude, thinking positively, you will be on the road to managing your stress and anxiety levels and you will be better able to control and even prevent the negative symptoms and outcomes associated with stress and anxiety.
You may be surprised to find out how many negative thoughts you really have, it may even be helpful to write these thoughts or feelings down so that you can see them and turn them into more positive thoughts.
There are many, “keys”, things you can and should do to help you with the relief of stress and anxiety.
Laughter: The old saying “laughter is the best medicine” has a lot of truth to it. Humor is a great mood lifter and has been shown that those under stress tend to laugh the hardest. This laughter helps to relieve a lot of the tension that we often keep “bottled up”. Humor, like stress is an individual response, just as something may be funny to one individual it may not bring out any response or may even be hurtful to another, one event may be stressful or distressing to one and comfortable or neutral to another.
Breath Control: Breathe deeply, especially when you feel anxious or “stressed out”. When someone is under stress they tend to breath differently, taking short shallow breaths, instead of full and deep breaths. In doing this carbon monoxide builds up and the level of oxygen decreases. Being nervous, anxious or stressed most people tend to breath with their shoulders, chest and the upper part of their lungs, accordingly they do not use their diaphragm or their abdominal muscles to breath properly and achieve the correct balance.
When a person is relaxed their breathing is slow, calm and controlled. Short, shallow breathing or hyperventilation in extreme cases can lead to physical symptoms of stress such as tightness in the chest, headaches, muscle aches, insomnia or even heart palpitations. By using abdominal breathing, or breathing deliberately there are positive results that can be seen and felt including lowered blood pressure, increased energy and even improved immunity.
Exercise: 30 minutes a day - 4 days a week
Pick your favorite exercise and just do it. Even if you have to wake up earlier than usual to accomplish it and like that commercial says “just do it”.
You can walk around neighborhood for 30 minutes Take your dog for a walk, walk with your spouse, partner. You can enjoy the neighbor’s yards, a community park, or nature trail.
Swim in your pool or a community pool. Maybe even join the Masters group at your local pool.
Join an aerobic exercise class at your gym (even join a gym), a local club or even your community college.
Exercising releases endorphins that are natural healing and calming chemicals.
Exercise helps in keeping us physically and mentally fit. Good health through exercise decreases our risk for illness and can direct our attention away from issues that cause us stress.
Eat Healthy: Making the choice to eat healthy meals including fruits and vegetable everyday can boost your body's natural defense against stress by providing what your body needs to heal.
Foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fats, and sugar can lead to headaches, digestive issues, inability to concentrate, nervousness and irritability. When we experience these symptoms we can feel stressed and uncomfortable. Eating healthier foods fruits, vegetables, grain, calcium products and protein (not necessarily meat, but nuts and seeds).
This includes drinking plenty of water each day ( aim for 8 - 8oz glasses) each day.
Make Yourself Relax: (Stay away from the T.V.) Meditate, do yoga or tai chi, all of which are ways for us to become more aware of our body and to relax our mind. As we focus on body movements, another object or a sound our mind forgets other distractions and we can feel the stress release.
Even if all you can do is to lie down on a couch with your shoes off it may be part of the answer to relieving stress and anxiety. Place a cool washcloth over your eyes if you suffer from allergies. Listen to your favorite music while you relax. Slowly and gently blow air out your mouth and slowly breathe in through your nose.
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