Health and Wellness

Archive for the ‘Stress Tips’ Category

Stress is the state in which individuals are faced with the need to make difficult or undesirable changes in order to adapt to events and situations in their lives. Under this definition, stress includes not only the body’s response to physical and psychological demands, but the mental, emotional, and behavioral responses as well.

Stress Relief Techniques

1. Sit quietly in a comfortable position. It is important that there be no undue muscular strain in the body
2. Close your eyes
3. Beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face, relax all your muscles and keep them relaxed.
4. Breathe through your nose, naturally and evenly, becoming aware of your breathing. As you breathe out, say a short phrase or single word, such as “ONE,” silently to yourself. The repetition of the word or phrase helps break the train of distracting thoughts.
5. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. (You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use a several more minutes, at first with your eyes closed and then with them open.
6. Do not worry about how well you are performing the technique, but adopt a passive attitude. If distracting thoughts occur, disregard them and redirect your attention to the repetition of the word or phrase.

Stress and anxiety are the fight-and-flight instincts that are your body’s way of responding to emergencies. An intruder crawling through your bedroom window in the dark of night may spark the response.  Fears and worries may also set off the instinct.

Tips for Preventing and Coping With Stress and Anxiety:

1. Participate in social and community activities. Social interaction and a sense of giving to your community enhance self-esteem and reduce stress.
2. Take care of yourself. Get regular exercise, eat nourishing food, and maintain a healthy weight.
3. Participate in activities you enjoy. Have you always wanted to learn a new language? Take up ballroom dancing? Mentor a child? Now is the time!
4. Stay focused on positive things and avoids negative self talk such as “I can’t do that” or “I’m too old.” When yourself talk is negative, you will feel more stress.
5. Remember stressful events that you successfully coped with in the past and repeat what worked before.
6. Focus on addressing your problems instead of feeling helpless about them. Think of them as “challenges” or “tests” rather than as insurmountable obstacles.

Do’s

DO prepare your bedroom for sleep reduce noise, reduce light, maximize comfort, have a moderate temperature.

DO lie down and try to sleep when you are actually sleepy.

DO exercise regularly and preferably earlier in the day (not within 3-4 hours of bedtime).

DO try to establish a sleep rhythm; maintain a regular bedtime and getting up time, regardless of how long you have slept the night before or if you have had trouble sleeping.

DO try to determine what your optimal amount of sleep is; different people require different amounts of sleep. Judge the amount of sleep you need on your daytime functioning

DO try to be informed and realistic about sleep; brief awakenings about every 90 minutes are a normal part of the sleep pattern.

Don’ts

DON’T consume caffeine containing drinks 4-6 hours before bedtime, e.g. coffee, tea, cola.

DON’T smoke near bedtime or during night time awakenings.

DON’T eat late evening meals.  If hungry before bedtime, a light snack may help sleep, e.g. warm milk, cheese and biscuits.

DON’T drink alcohol before bedtime – it may seem to help you get to sleep but usually causes awakenings later in the night.

DON’T lie awake in bed for longer than 30 minutes – this can cause anxiety and frustration.  Get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again.