Do you sometimes feel like there are too many pressures and demands on you? Are you losing sleep by worrying? You’re not alone. Everyone experiences stress at times – and we all need a little bit of it to keep us going. But according to Daniel Amen, M.D., psychiatrist and author of Making a Good Brain Great, too much stress can seriously harm your health.
So how do you find time to relax in your busy day? Try these 10 simple de-stressors.
- Before you leave the house: Arm yourself with low-fat snacks. More women than men (one in three) turn to comfort foods to ease stress, so keep a few healthy snacks on hand so you’re not tempted.
- Before you leave work: Get organised for the next day before you leave. Knowing you’ve got everything covered means you’ll be less likely to fret and feel more in control the next day.
- In your car: According to a recent study published in the British journal Heart, slow or meditative music is a proven stress buster. So switch to a soothing station when you’re on the road.
- When you have only five minutes: Doing any routine, repetitive activity (like vacuuming, shredding paper or knitting) is a quick way to slow your heart rate and breathing, and decrease muscle tension.
- Maintaining a budget: Thinking about your finances is extremely stressful. Getting them under control eases tension in the long run. Try to limit your use of your card at an ATM and you’ll feel more in control of those pesky finances.
- Hit the pool: A new study has found that floating in water triggers the body’s relaxation response and helps lower stress-hormone levels. In fact, nearly 80 percent of the subjects in the study claimed to feel less tense and depressed. So hit the pool!
- At home in the evenings: Try to screen calls with caller ID and limit your mobile phone and e-mail use to working hours only, so you’re not being constantly disrupted at home. E-mail and mobile phones are a leading source of chronic stress, putting many of us in a constant state of alert and drawing our attention away from our families.
- Before bed: Sit on your bed with legs crossed, place your right hand down on the bed behind you and rest your left hand on your right knee. Sit up straight and inhale for four to eight counts, lengthening your spine as you breathe. On exhaling, begin to twist toward your right hand (don’t strain your neck). Hold this position for four more full breaths, lengthening your spine on the inhales and deepening your twist on exhalation. Repeat on opposite side. According to Edward Vilga, author of Yoga in Bed, this simple spinal twist alleviates the tension that’s built up in your lower back during the day.
