WOW Word-Of-the-Week #294: Stress
March 12, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #294: Stress
Stress – what happens when you don’t take time to relax.
So, how did you do relaxing last week? Were you able to reduce your stress by deep breathing? Did you take the time to plan your next vacation? Did you connect with your friends?
This week I will share the other four ways on how to relax and reduce your stress that was featured in the Time Magazine article titled, “Six Ways to Handle Stress.”
4. Exercise Regularly. It protects the heart, which is often the first to feel the effects of stress. Studies show exercise also helps maintain the brain’s ability to change focus quickly from one situation to another.
One of the things I love to do is walk. I don’t listen to head phones; I use it as my creative quiet time. Also, Pilates has been a life saver. I breathe completely differently as a result.
5. Eat Plenty of Fruits & Vegetables. The antioxidants and other ingredients they contain counter-balance the inflammatory proteins the body produces under stress.
This has been very easy the past two weeks. Asian’s are known for eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Even at home we don’t eat meat during the week. It’s very hard to gain weight, and easy to lose weight if you eat only whole foods.
6. Don’t Stay Up Late. Irregular sleep increases the effects of stress on your body, setting you up for metabolic imbalances that increase your risk of heart disease.
OK, we’ve had to cheat a little on this one in order to get on our current time zone.
7. Do What You Love. Having a sense of mission about your job makes it easier to deal with inevitable setbacks. (You will still need to take those regular breaks from work.) And if you can’t find meaning in your job, look for it in a hobby or through participation in religious or community organizations.
Fortunately, we both loved our jobs and they never felt like “work.” It has been a bit of a challenge for Chris to retire and stop working, since he did it for so long and enjoyed it so much.
This week focus on reducing your stress. Do you exercise at least three days a week? If not, could you start by just walking? Are your eating a healthy diet of vegetables and fruits? Are you on a regular sleep pattern? Do you love your work? Do you have a hobby or an organization that supports your life mission?
Reader Responses
We did work on vacation planning this weekend, so we did not relax as much as we wanted. I did not take the time to breathe this weekend. So, once we get settled on vacation, I will do more of that. I know that when I have a lot of things to do I try to do them one at a time. Then I don’t think about it, and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I am done. My wife gets much more easily stressed than I do, so I try to help her with as many things as possible so she can concentrate. When I know that I am going away for a week, my stress level does diminish. Just looking forward to vacations really helps. Thanks for the reminder, Susan. I do plan on breathing more slowly the next week. I will talk to you when I get back. I am loving the MADNESS, though! Take care. “Warrior” Joe
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #293: Relax
March 8, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #293: Relax
Relax – what you need to do to reduce stress.
Do you feel stressed out a lot of the time? Do you take time to relax? Do you know how to relax? When you go on vacation how long does it take you to finally relax? You are taking vacations and time out from work, right?
Relaxing on Vacation
This week I am cheating and rerunning a WOW from over two years ago. I have been spending time updating my FUN-travel blog instead. The internet has been very spotty and very, very slow.
Time Magazine featured an article titled, “Six Ways to Handle Stress.” First, “There’s more than one way to relieve stress.” This week I will share with you the first three ways to relax.
1. Breathe Deeply. Regular, slow breathing – a common characteristic of meditation and prayer – alerts your brain that you are in a safe place far away from predators. It also relaxes your heart, decreases blood pressure and removes waste from the bloodstream.
This is something I do all the time. It‘s guaranteed to calm me down if I am feeling stressed out.
2. Take a Vacation. A change of scenery clears the head, recharges the batteries and, according to a recent study sponsored by Air New Zealand, improves reaction time 82% – provided that you ignore your e-mail and allow a couple of weeks to disengage and unwind.
My response to that is, checking my email and updating my blog is actually more relaxing to me than putting it off. How about you?
3. Make Friends. Social isolation increases the physiological damage caused by stress. A 2006 survey found that Americans have only two close friends with whom they can confide their deepest concerns – down from three friends 20 years ago.
The good news is, I am on vacation with my best friend! We travel so well together as we have the same interests and energy level.
This week focus on relaxing. Are you able to relax comfortably? Or do you feel guilty? Do you take time to breathe deeply? Sometimes just getting up and taking a short walk helps reduce stress. Have you had a vacation of at least one week in the last year? Do you have friends with whom you can confide in?
Reader Responses
For me the best relaxation is reading. Whether it be a newspaper, magazine or a good book. I can take my time, I am not rushed and I enjoy learning about new people, places and things. Also, a good walk. When I need to get out of the house or relieve stress, a good walk really does my whole body good. Finally, watching a good television or movie comedy. The laughter gets rid of all the stress. I find The Three Stooges really gets my stress level down. When I do vacation, I usually forget about everything. I never check my e-mail or voice-mail messages on the phone. I get away from the structured life that I have five days a week. I also don’t call anyone on the phone. When we go to DisneyWorld with the girls, I will check out the televised NCAA Basketball Tournament games to see how my Marquette team is doing. That I will do because it is my favorite sporting event of the year. Other than that, I really don’t do anything to relax. Also on vacation I do the breathing while I am walking along the Gulf of Mexico. I walk very slowly and breathe in that Gulf air. It does me a world of good. Great advice, Susan. Thank you. “Warrior” Joe