10 Stress Busters

2 Dec 2013 Tips & Tricks ,

When the weather gets crisp and our thoughts turn to the holidays, our stress levels often rise while our good moods fall!  At in-Health Clinic, your health and well being are of the utmost importance to us. Stress can cause fatigue, a foul mood, a racing heart, and weakened immune system to name just a few.

To help you stay stress-free here are our top 10 holiday stress-reducing strategies to help you truly enjoy the season:

  1. Wake up 15 minutes earlier.  Waking up just a little earlier can give you enough time for a good breakfast and will prevent the need for rushing. Over time, rushing around can cause increased stress.
  2. Say no to extra social invitations and parties you truly don’t have time for and aren’t high on your priority list.
  3. Turn needs into preferences.  You don’t always need to make every holiday perfect. Get done what you can and have the most fun possible.
  4. Organize. Doing things in advance will keep you from that last minute panic. Get guest rooms ready, plan meals, have plenty of wrapping paper and maybe an extra generic gift or two on hand. Be sure to make lists so you don’t forget anything.
  5. Embrace forgiveness.  We live in an imperfect world and while forgiving and letting go may not make us forget, it will allow us to enjoy life more.
  6. Book a massage.  You may think you don’t have time, but taking a mid week evening off when someone can watch your kids will allow you to have an hour just to relax.
  7. Do one thing at a time.  Try not to think about all of your items on your to-do list as you are completing one task. It slows efficiency, and causes you to make more errors which keeps you from embracing and fully enjoying the moment.
  8. Do things you enjoy.  After all, ‘tis the season. Don’t fill it with things that neither you nor your family enjoy.
  9. Take the boredom out of waiting in line.  Have a fun book or movie downloaded on your phone or listen to your favorite tunes.
  10.  Procrastination is stressful.  Don’t wait until the night before Christmas or any other event to do all the shopping and preparing, plan ahead.

52 Proven Stress Reducers

23 Oct 2012 Tips & Tricks , , ,
  1. Get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning. Extra time helps make mishaps less stressful.
  2. Prepare for the next morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table. Make lunches. Put out the clothes you plan to wear.
  3. Don’t rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, such as when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due. (“The palest ink is better than the most retentive memory.”—Chinese Proverb)
  4. Do nothing you have to lie about later.
  5. Make copies of all keys. Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden. Carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.
  6. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home, and relationships will be less likely to break down “at the worst possible moment”.
  7. Be prepared to wait. A paperback book or Iphone can make waiting in a post office line almost pleasant.
  8. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
  9. Plan ahead. Don’t let the gas tank get below one-quarter full. Keep emergency supplies of home staples. Don’t wait until you’re down to your last roll of toilet paper or postage stamp to buy more.
  10. Don’t put up with something that doesn’t work right. If your alarm clock, wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers— whatever—are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or buy new ones.
  11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport at least one hour+ before domestic departures.
  12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.
  13. Set up contingency plans, “just in case.” (“If we get split up in the shop- ping center, let’s meet here”).
  14. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend.
  15. Use Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count ’em!
  16. Be clear before you act. Ask questions. Take a few moments to repeat back instructions given to you. Don’t fall prey to the old “the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get” idea.
  17. Say “No” to extra projects, invitations, and social activities you don’t have time or energy for. This takes practice, self-respect, and a belief that everyone, every day, needs quiet time to relax and to be alone.
  18. Turn off or unplug your phone. Take a long bath, meditate, sleep, or read without interruption. Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect. (The possibility of a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil).
  19. Turn “needs” into preferences. Our basic physical needs are food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don’t get attached to preferences.
  20. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
  21. Make friends with non-worriers. The behavior of chronic worrywarts is contagious.
  22. Take frequent stretch breaks when you’re sitting a lot.
  23. If you can’t find quiet at home, wear earplugs.
  24. Get enough sleep. Set your alarm for bedtime.
  25. Organize! A place for everything and everything in its place. Losing things is stressful.
  26. Monitor your body for stress signs. If your stomach muscles are knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax your muscles and take some deep, slow breaths.
  27. Write down your thoughts and feelings. It can help you clarify ideas and give you a renewed perspective.
  28. Do this yoga exercise when you need to relax: Inhale through your nose to the count of eight. Pucker your lips and exhale slowly to the count of 16. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.
  29. Visualize success before any you experience fear. Take time to go over every part of the event in your mind. Imagine how great you will look, and how well you will present yourself.
  30. Take your mind off the task for awhile. If the stress of a deadline gets in the way of doing a job, use diversion. You will focus better when you return to it.
  31. Talk out your problems with a friend. It helps to relieve confusion.
  32. Avoid people and places that don’t fit your personal needs and desires. If you dislike politics, don’t spend time with politically excited people.
  33. Learn to live one day at a time.
  34. Do something you really enjoy every day.
  35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.
  36. Take a bath or shower to relieve tension.
  37. Do a favor for someone every day.
  38. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood, on loving rather than on being loved.
  39. Look good to feel better.
  40. Take more time between tasks to relax. Schedule a realistic day.
  41. Be flexible. Some things are not worth perfection.
  42. Stop negative self-talk: “I’m too old.” Make it positive: “I’ve learned from life”.
  43. Change your pace on weekends. If your week was slow, be active. If you felt nothing was accomplished during the week, do a weekend project.
  44. Pay attention to the details in front of you. “Worry about the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves”.
  45. Do one thing at a time. When you are working on one thing, don’t think about everything else you have to do.
  46. Allow time every day for privacy, quiet, and thought.
  47. Do unpleasant tasks early and enjoy the rest of the day.
  48. Delegate responsibility to capable people.
  49. Take lunch breaks. Get away from your work in body and in mind.
  50. Count to 1,000 (not 10), before you say something that could make matters worse.
  51. Forgive people and events. Accept that we live in an imperfect world.
  52. Have an optimistic view of the world. Most people do the best they can.

Search

+