Relax Stress Away

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Relax Stress Away

It's

Time to Relax:

15

Quick Tips to Help You Shift Your Gears to " Relax " Mode Quickly

by

www.SixWise.com <http://www.sixwise.com/>

 

America's number one

health problem -- responsible for 75 percent to 90 percent of doctor visits,

according to the American Institute for Stress

-- is stress. And it's

no wonder, given that we all face stress on a daily basis from the six areas of

life that SixWise.com is dedicating to providing you guidance in:

* Relationships

* Finances

* Health

* Personal safety

* Home

* Career

 

Yoga is an ideal form

of exercise to relieve stress and promote calm in both your body and mind.

When stress becomes

unbearable, it can lead to a host of serious illnesses, including heart

disease, cancer, depression, autoimmune diseases and reproductive problems.

So whether you are

feeling stressed at home, work or in the car, taking time to relax is an

essential part of staying healthy and happy. Here are 20 quick tips for helping

you do just that -- and, unlike drinking, smoking or other potentially

unhealthy stress relievers, these tips will only do your body good.

 

*At Home *

*1. Take a Warm Bath

or Hot Shower *

This is especially

relaxing if you add aromatherapy bath salts to your bath water aromatherapy has

been used for thousands of years to calm emotions, relieve stress and more.

 

*2. Sit Back and

Listen to Soothing Music*

Listening to soft,

soothing music is one of the fastest ways to alter your mood and put your mind

in a more relaxed state.

 

*3. Try Yoga or Other

Gentle Exercise*

The repetitious

movements and slow, methodic nature of yoga and other gentle exercises (like

Tai Chi) are excellent for relieving stresses that have accumulated during the

day.

 

*4. Stretch Your

Stress Away *

Simple stretching

exercises can do wonders for stress relief. If you don't stretch, your body

will naturally hold on to tension and you will have reduced flexibility.

However, stretching for just a few minutes a day will increase your flexibility

-- and with flexibility comes a significant reduction in the tension in your

body.

Stretching is one of

the most widely recommended methods to help you look and feel younger, live

longer, avoid and even overcome serious health issues, and increase your mental

concentration and emotional well-being.

 

Stretching Toward a

Healthier Life, the top-recommended DVD by

stretching expert

Jacques Gauthier:

 

Presents 15 stretches

that stretch all the key muscles groups

throughout your entire body.

 

Takes only about 15-20

minutes per day total to do the complete

stretching.

 

Stretching expert and

host Jacques Gauthier and his wife Dorothee

Lavoie demonstrate each stretch in their

entirety, including

insights on what NOT to do.

 

Includes stretches

that you'll find actually feel good and are

easy to do (many stretches in other

programs are not).

 

*5. Get a Massage*

According to the

American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), people are using massage more than

ever to help relieve stress and pain, lower blood pressure, increase

circulation and flexibility and even boost the immune system.

 

 

*6. Self-Massage *

When you can't commit

to having a standard massage, a self-massage can help you unwind easily while

sitting at your desk. This can be done simply in your office:

 

*Shoulders*: Use your

opposite hand for the opposite shoulder.

Massage the sides of your neck, down

your shoulder and arm and on

either side of your spine using small

circular movements of your

fingertips.

 

*Legs*: Knead your

thighs and calves. Next, pummel your thighs

gently with soft fists to help relieve

stiffness that can occur

from sitting too long.

 

*Hands*: Using small

circular movements of your fingertips once

again, massage between the tendons on

your hands and around each

joint. Then, start at the base of each

finger and stretch it

gently, pulling your grip up from the

base of the finger to the

tip as you stretch.

 

*7. Take Care of the

Quick Stuff *

Our days are cluttered

with " assignments " and " to-do's. " Time management experts

recommend taking care of as much of the small stuff as possible right away. For

instance, stop on any quick errands you can on your way to work, then write

back any quick e-mails, make any quick phone calls and get any other fast tasks

out of the way immediately.

That way, you can

completely forget about these things, rather than holding them somewhere in the

back of your mind to accumulate and do later. The end result? You feel less

cluttered, less overwhelmed and less stressed.

 

*8. Power Nap*

Sneaking off for a

20-minute " power nap " can leave you feeling refreshed and ready to

take on new challenges. Studies have found that 20 minutes is just the right

amount of time to de-stress -- sleep too much longer and you could end up

feeling groggy. So grab and alarm clock and head off for some quick zzz's.

*9.

 

Laugh More*

Having a good laugh

can make stress melt away in an instant. Plus, it decreases blood pressure and

heart rate, increases oxygen in the blood and creates an enzyme that helps

protect your stomach from the effects of stress. Sadly, adults don't laugh

nearly as often as they should.

Every notice how kids

rarely look stressed? One reason why is because they're always laughing.

" Children laugh

approximately 80 to 100 times per day. By the time we reach adulthood, we laugh

only 5-6 times per day. You only need to watch children to appreciate the

relationship between humor and enjoying life.

Children will laugh at

anything! If you ask them, " what's so funny, " they may say something

like, " he looked at me! " says Barbara Bartlein, R.N., M.S.W., a

motivational speaker and consultant.

So make an effort to

have a few laughs with your coworkers as often as you can throughout your day.

 

*10. Put Some Variety

in Your Day*

Sitting on the phone

making sales calls for six hours straight, or filling out paperwork for five,

is stressful, simply because of the repetitiveness of the activity. Breaking up

your workday, by taking a walk outside, a " power nap, " stopping to grab a bite to eat or eve switching to a

different work-related task, will help you to feel more invigorated and less

tense.

 

*On the Road *

*11. Drive the

Unbeaten Paths *

According to a study

by Ohio State, study participants were frustrated when driving down industrial

routes, but calm when driving on scenic routes. Whenever possible, trade in

busy interstates and unsightly travel routes for the " road less

traveled. "

 

 

*12. Turn Off the

Radio*

And turn on a soothing

CD -- something relaxing enough to help you feel calm, but not so soft as to

make you fall asleep. Believe us, you won't miss the shock jocks, screaming

morning and afternoon DJs, local news about murders and overplayed commercial

segments one bit.

 

*13. Breathe Deeply*

Deep breathing is one

of the easiest and most natural - yet most often overlooked - stress relief

methods out there. Take in a deep breath through your nose, then exhale through

your mouth, counting for about four seconds on each phase (in and out). Repeat

this about 20 or 30 times.

 

When you start to

breathe deeply on a regular basis, you'll notice how little you were actually

breathing before, and how taking deep breathes, which increases oxygen levels

in your body, is naturally calming.

 

*14. Add Natural

Scents to Your Vehicle*

Said Sue Nicholson,

head of campaigns for the British RAC Foundation, a motoring organization,

" It's astounding how much the smell in a car can affect a driver's mood

and actions. " Certain scents, like fast food wrappers and pastry, can

actually irritate a driver, but others help a driver feel calm, yet alert.

While driving, the most calming scents for reducing stress

<http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/driving.htm>

while still

staying alert include:

Peppermint and

cinnamon: They improve concentration levels and make drivers less irritable.

Lemon and coffee:

These, too, help drivers achieve high concentration levels and clear thinking.

Sea ozone: A breath of

salty sea air may make drivers breathe deeply, which helps relieve stress,

relax the muscles and calm the mind.

 

*15. Be a Courteous

Driver*

It's easy to get

caught up in trying to " one-up " an aggressive driver, but doing so is

a surefire way to add unnecessary stress to your life.

If you notice an

aggressive driver who is weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, etc., don't

challenge them and avoid them if necessary. And, of course, don't be an

aggressive driver yourself.

 

 

Radiating UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & Truth

To ALL who share our circle – our universe, our love, our

trust.

May I always be found worthy.

aSoaringHawk

In Gratitude for All of Us!

 

Look at everything as

though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on

earth will be filled with joy & glory.

 

 

Thank you for YOU!