1. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead
of worrying about your checkup tomorrow while you have dinner with your
family, focus on the here and now — the food, the company, the
conversation.
2. Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny
event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing
hormones and lower production of stress hormones. Researchers at the
University of California, Irvine, tested 16 men who all agreed they
thought a certain videotape was funny. Half were told three days in
advance they would watch it. They started experiencing biological
changes right away. When they actually watched the video, their levels
of stress hormones dropped significantly, while their endorphin levels
rose 27 percent and their growth hormone levels (indicating benefit to
the immune system) rose 87 percent.
3. Go to sleep. We have become a nation of
sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8
p.m. one night with a good book — and turning the light out an hour
later — can do more for your mood and outlook on life than any number of
bubble baths or massages.
4. Hum along. Music soothes more than the savage
beast. Studies find music activates parts of the brain that produce
happiness — the same parts activated by food or sex. It’s also relaxing.
In one study older adults who listened to their choice of music during
outpatient eye surgery had significantly lower heart rates, blood
pressure, and cardiac workload (that is, their heart didn’t have to work
as hard) as those who had silent surgery.
5. Declutter. It’s nearly impossible to meditate,
breathe deeply, or simply relax when every surface is covered with
papers and bills and magazines, your cabinets bulge, and you haven’t
balanced your checkbook in six months. Plus, the repetitive nature of
certain cleaning tasks — such as sweeping, wiping, and scrubbing — can
be meditative in and of itself if you focus on what you’re doing.
6. Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren’t
necessary and that you don’t enjoy. If there are enough people already
to handle the church bazaar and you’re feeling stressed by the thought
of running the committee for yet another year, step down and let someone
else handle things.
7. Make a list. There’s nothing like writing down
your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety.
Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.
8. Do one thing at a time. Edward Suarez, Ph.D.,
associate professor of medical psychology at Duke, found that people who
multitask are more likely to have high blood pressure. Take that
finding to heart. Instead of talking on the phone while you fold laundry
or clean the kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your
entire attention over to the conversation. Instead of checking e-mail as
you work on other projects, turn off your e-mail function until you
finish the report you’re writing. This is similar to the concept of
mindfulness.
9. Garden. Not only will the fresh air and exercise
provide their own stress reduction and feeling of well-being, but the
sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching
seeds turn into flowers, or pruning out dead wood will last for hours,
if not days.
10. Tune out the news. For one week go without
reading the newspaper, watching the news, or scanning the headlines
online. Instead, take a vacation from the misery we’re exposed to every
day via the media and use that time for a walk, a meditation session, or
to write in your journal.
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