Sunday, March 20, 2011

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


Saturday, March 12, 2011

Turn Off the Radio

And turn on a soothing jazz 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.


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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.


Monday, March 7, 2011

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.


Saturday, March 5, 2011

Personal Quiet Time

Peace goes and stress comes when neglecting one’s natural needs. Taking 10 minutes of ‘alone time’ once or twice a day for quiet reflection restores and reconnects a person with their peace and goals. ‘Alone time’ allows the mind to breathe.



Friday, March 4, 2011