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Soothe yourself
through music.
The number one
thing most people around the world do when they're stressed-out is
listen to music, reports a poll by Roper Starch Worldwide. And
with good reason. Right now, I'm listening to a Mozart piano
sonata, a strategy that research suggests may not only increase my
spatial reasoning - a form of intelligence crucialto problem
solving but may also reduce my stress. Raymond Bahr, MD, a
cardiologist at St. Agnes HealthCare in Baltimore, found that for his
cardiac patients, listening to classical music for 30 minutes produced
calming effects equivalent to a 10-mg dose of Valium.
Breathe through
your belly.
Breathing is
the ultimate portable stress buster. Research demonstrates that heart
rate increases with shallow breathing, creating feelings of anxiety
something you don't need more of when you're super stressed.
Fortunately,
all it takes to lower your heart rate and calm you down is slow,
rhythmic belly breathing. To shift from anxiety breathing to relaxation
breathing, blow out all the breath in your lungs (like a big sigh).
Then focus on a point about 2 inches below your navel, in the center of
your body. Inhale, imagining taking air all the way to that center and feeling your entire belly
expand. Then breathe out slowly from that same place. You'll feel your
belly flatten. Do 10 of these breaths and let each exhalation relax
your body a little more.
Let your muscles go.
Whenever I'm
stressed-out, I hunch my shoulders and start to frown. I look like
Quasimodo in drag and could easily frighten babies. Worse still, the
physical sensation of tensed muscles ramps up our anxiety and negative
thinking, feeding a vicious cycle of escalating stress.
We can stop
that cycle with a few muscle-releasing stretches. Start with three to
five shoulder shrugs: Inhale while you tense your shoulders and lift
them toward your ears; then exhale as you drop them and let yourself
relax. To release tight neck muscles: Lower your chin slowly to your
chest for five breaths, letting your head relax and droop a little bit
more with each exhalation.
Laugh.
If you're
laughing, it's hard to hold on to stress. Your facial muscles get a
natural workout that relaxes them. A Loma Linda University study showed
that even the anticipation of laughing at a funny video
significantly decreased men's stress. Other studies found that laughter
can boost immunity, reduce pain and stress, and even lower the
incidence of repeat heart attacks in patients who watch 30 minutes of
funny videos
daily.
Put on a happy face.
Research by
retired psychologist Paul Ekman, Ph.D., at the University of
California, San Francisco, has given new life to the old question, "If
you're so happy, why don't you tell your face?" He learned that 40
percent of people have "smile muscles," and the act of smiling sends a
message to your brain that you are happy. If you're one of the lucky 40
percent, an upward tug of those facial muscles changes your mood.
Whine (within
limits).
This last
quick-fix tool is more likely to appeal to women. Men call it
complaining, but I call it debriefing and letting go. My friend and
colleague, humorist Loretta LaRoche, calls it Power Whining. To
practice it, call a friend and tell her that you're stressed and just
need 2 minutes or so to unload. Her job is just to listen without interrupting. When you're done,
reciprocate. When both of you are finished, wrap up with a 1-minute
monologue each, describing the things for which you're most grateful.
It's this last
bit that helps put everything into perspective by reminding you to be
grateful for all the many things that aren't stressing you out. Like,
perhaps, the fact that your house didn't really burn down and that you
have someone you love who loves you, good friends, and another day of
life to appreciate all the beauty around
you. Works for
me.
Instant Chill Out
Tips
Go to Loretta
Laroche & Company and browse the selection of hilarious audio tapes
and videos. Keep a bottle of pleasing aromatherapy scent handy.
Try peppermint spray for freshness and clarity and lavender for
relaxation. The olfactory structures of the brain that process
smell are wired into emotional centers. |
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