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    5 instant soothers for high stress times

    Be a better breather. "When you make a conscious effort to breathe deeper, it naturally brings your body back to a more relaxed state," explains Frederic Luskin, Ph.D., author of Stress Free for Good (HarperOne). Place your hand on your stomach and watch it rise as you inhale for a count of 3 or 4; hold your breath for the same count, and then exhale for as long as comfortable and watch your belly fall.

    Look forward to something.
    Each morning, think about one little, enjoyable thing you plan to do that day (the crossword puzzle) and one bigger pleasure on the horizon (your trip to the mountains), suggests Allen Elkin, Ph.D., director of the Stress Management and Counseling Center in New York City. This ritual trains your brain to focus away from what can go wrong that day. How to put an end to overnight anxiety.

    Make a small change to your routine. "Unpredictable events can cause the most stress," Luskin explains. "If you cultivate even a little bit of surprise in your life, it helps keep your cognitive responses flexible and helps you handle whatever life throws your way." Take a new cardio class or pick a cuisine you've never tried. (Hallå, Scandinavian!)

    Convert Monday into Funday. The flip side to TGIF is OMGIM: Oh, my God, it's Monday! In fact, more heart attacks occur on Mondays than on any other day. Schedule a weekly lunch with a friend or take a class you love on Mondays so you'll look forward to the start of the week, Dr. Wheeler advises. More fun ways to let loose (and stop stress!)

    Come home 15 minutes late.
    After work, walk home or listen to music at a pretty scenic spot before you burst through your front door. "Don't look at it as a waste of time," Dr. Wheeler says. "It's an important way of decompressing and transitioning back to home life."

    Find the rest of our instant stress-soothers here!

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    [photo credit: Getty Images]

     

    29 comments

    • Amado  •  3 years 2 months ago
      THE ONLY WAY TO RELIEVE STRESS IS PRAYER AND MEDATION OF GOD'S WORDS.SINGING PRAISES TO HIM WITH YOUR GUITAR OR PIANO OR PLAY YOUR ONE OF YOUR FAVORATE GOSPEL SONG IN YOUR CD AND DVD.HUNDRED PERCENT YOUR STRESS WELL RUNAWAY.
    • Mohammad Taher  •  3 years 3 months ago
      i read many advise like above and acted it but my stress didn"t change
    • sunny  •  3 years 2 months ago
      breath with no mind..simple as 1 2 3...who u are?? don't know,don't know and just don't know..100% don't know!!!....good stress release practice....:-)
    • annep  •  3 years 3 months ago
      take a walk...
    • Chow  •  3 years 2 months ago
      what about studying overseas?
    • KittenKaboodle  •  3 years 3 months ago
      One word! ATIVAN! The only thing that calms me.
    • Liz  •  3 years 3 months ago
      For Donna and Rascha-you're doing the right thing, rest assured. I worked in a partial hospital program for 10 years and watched many families suffer emotional stress when facing the decision of long term care for their parents. We just can't be super-women (or men). It's immpossible to think you can raise your family, work full or even part time, run a household and care for one or more sick or elderly parents. It's unfair to you, to your kids, your spouse and to the person you're caring for. It's just too much.
      Life is short and precious. If you don't make it your own and set boundaries you will regret it or worse, resent the person or people you love. Care-programs are there for a reason and modern times require them. Best of luck to you and your family and just remember to be gentle with yourself. Sometimes other family members will displace blame and guilt onto a certain 'point-person', but you don't have to accept whatever it is they may be dishing out.
      In other news, I, like the rest of us I'm sure, could use a serious spa day.
    • suz  •  3 years 3 months ago
      Good article, but has anyone thought about incorporating religion/God into life, and what a stress reliever faith is ?
    • KT  •  3 years 2 months ago
      Have you be consistently reminded to do Deep Breathing Exercises every hour? So what so good about doing it?

      Well, there are 3 main benefits of such activity.

      It aids in the tension relieving, thus helps you to relief stressors.
      It also helps in your digestion.
      Adequate oxygen in the blood also helps to improve your mental alertness.
      How to effective do that?

      Perform at 3 Deep Breathing Exercise every hour. Fill up your lungs fully and then exhale slowly for reaping effective outcomes.

      http://thehappyhealth.com/updates/?p=64
    • wong  •  3 years 2 months ago
      Our body need enough Air, Sleep, food & water.
      Our Mind need to be trained to be auto positive & auto forget bad memories.
      Our soul need faith in God, friends or relatives who we can share our feelings of Sweet & Sour., Ups & Down,
      Our heart need to stay pure, and to learn how to forgive.
      So we are in the best state of mind to cope with streszzzz...
    • Sarah  •  3 years 3 months ago
      jst closing your eyes and thinking about da good times really helps
    • whtknght  •  3 years 3 months ago
      read gods words for the day.
    • mon  •  3 years 2 months ago
      deep breath, chanting are stree shoothers
    • Rosilawati  •  3 years 2 months ago
      start your day with a smile and think positively......i'm sure good
      thing is waiting for you ! thank you, ALLAH.......for giving me another
      good day to breathe.
    • Mark Rushing  •  3 years 3 months ago
      Whatever happened to having a good cry? Have we forgotten to do that? There's a stress buster for 'ya. Yes I know its forbidden in Corporate America and the like. But God gave us that option to use if stress becomes too powerful to bear. I'm a truck driver, and I sympathize with all who need to let out steam by crying or other logical means of release.
    • Renne  •  3 years 3 months ago
      Deep breathing techniques help calm your body and mind- so whatever was causing the stress will not be made worse by bad judgment on how to proceed to solve or minimize the situation.
    • kate  •  3 years 3 months ago
      hi im 27 years old just broke up with my boyfriend for 6 years then i found out he has another girl. im so depressed and added to my work environment which is very stressfull.

      it helps me lot when i read your tips hope more info will be given to us.
    • Serena  •  3 years 2 months ago
      Natural breathing is just natural breathing we are borne with, when blood flow faster and other organs working extra hard with enhanced breathing and changes make us feel good and perfect, suddenly tolerance for other imperfection dropped to zero..quarrel starts again, looking for other better partners in lives and work starts....
    • A Yahoo! User  •  3 years 2 months ago
      lifehas to go on, think less do what we can do.
    • caylad  •  3 years 3 months ago
      i have seen dogs and horses breathe deep when they begin to relax, maybe this is a good practice to try

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