Hi all Are there any Stress Relieving Excercises if so what are they pls help. Regards
From India, Hyderabad
From India, Hyderabad
I do not want to give you a very short reply because short cuts lead to more stress !! So please find below my note on How to beat Stress. Hope it will be of some use.
How to reduce your stress levels
1. MAKE YOUR LIFE REGULAR
If you suffer from OVERSTRESS, you have disrupted the function of your Body Clock. Re-setting your Body Clock is vital if you are to feel well, sleep soundly, and awake refreshed. Give yourself a definite wake up and sleep time. This sets a frame of reference for your Body Clock. It will take two or three weeks to synchronize your Body Clock to your schedule. So, stick to your schedule!
But what if I try to go to sleep at 10 p.m. and I can't fall asleep? Or what if I fall asleep but keep waking up during the night?
Sleep difficulty is the hallmark of OVERSTRESS. When your Body Clock stops working, you may have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Or conversely, you may feel sleepy all the time. Either symptom may be produced when the Body Clock stops working. It all depends on which "position" the Clock was in when it stops: wakefulness, or sleepiness.
So, do not expect to have your sleep problems go away until your Body Clock is working again. Go ahead and set yourself a reasonable wake up time and bed time. Do the best you can to stick to these times. As you lower your stress levels, your Body Clock will begin to work. It will then match its cycle of wakefulness and sleep to the times that you have set for it. Remember, this process will take at least three weeks, so stick firmly to your time schedule.
But what if I put myself to bed at my bed time, and I just lie there without falling asleep?
If, after 45 minutes, you have not fallen asleep, get up and read a book or do something around the house. Sooner or later, you will feel sleepy and fall asleep. Keep putting yourself to bed at your bed time every night. As you reduce your stress levels, your Body Clock will begin working. Your Body Clock will gradually match your chosen sleep schedule. In the meantime, be patient and work to reduce your stress levels as much as possible.
If You Must do "Shift Work":
Your Body Clock will always try and synchronize itself with your daily schedule. If your job requires you to work varying shifts, however, you may have difficulty in getting your Body Clock to match your shift. When properly synchronized, your Body Clock tells you to be awake for your work, and tells you to go to sleep after your work. If you do evening work, your Body Clock will shift itself so that you will be awake for your evening work, and be able to sleep during the day. But this change requires two or three weeks to occur. If your employer rotates your shift more often than every two or three weeks, your Body Clock will always be mis-matched with your work requirements. You will be trying to work when your body wants to sleep, and trying to sleep when your body wants to work. This will make it practically impossible to restore the proper functioning of your Body Clock.
If you are OVERSTRESSED, you should avoid "shift work". If you MUST do "shift work", try and work at least three weeks at each shift before rotating to a new one. And always make sure the direction of shift rotation to is "morning to evening to night to morning again".
Do you remember that the untrained cycle of your body clock is 25 hours? Because of this, it is always easier to stay up later, than to try and force yourself to go to bed early. So never try to rotate shifts from "night to evening to morning". Your Body Clock will blow a fuse.
2. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK TODAY
You must give your body adequate time to repair itself, and to regenerate Happy Messengers. If you are having symptoms of OVERSTRESS:
• Fatigue
• Aches and pains
• Anxiety
• Problems sleeping
• Lack of enjoyment of life
• Depression
Give your body a chance to heal itself.
Every morning make a list of things that you want to get done...
THEN, CUT OFF THE BOTTOM HALF OF THIS LIST!
3. LIGHTEN UP YOUR LOAD OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS
Let someone else do the holiday dinner for the family, or make it a pot luck on paper plates. Only go out once this week. Tell your visitors from out of town (who always expect to stay at your house) to call you "just as soon as they get settled in a hotel room".
SAY "NO" A LOT MORE OFTEN TO REQUESTS FROM OTHERS OF YOUR TIME.
4. POSTPONE MAKING ANY CHANGES IN YOUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT
Remember, CHANGE IS STRESS. So relax, postpone any big moves or changes for awhile.
• Postpone remodeling your home or apartment.
• Postpone moving to a new house or apartment.
Making a change in your living environment, even if it is a change that you are excited about, is a major stress. It will add a minimum of 25 stress points to your life; and, if it is a financial strain, may add as much as 65 stress points!
When you consider that you would like to reduce your stress level to 150 or below, you will see why postponing a change in your living environment will be very helpful in obtaining that goal.
5. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOURS YOU SPEND AT WORK OR SCHOOL
If you are a "workaholic", or a "school-a-holic", you need to reduce the energy drain you are placing on your body. Work or school more than 40 hours per week adds 40 stress points to your life.
TAKE SOME TIME OFF
6. THE OVERSTRESS DIET
Keep Your Blood Sugar Steady
People who are OVERSTRESSED almost always begin to use sugar as a Pick-Me-Up. Their blood sugar goes up and down wildly. Thus, the most important dietary consideration is to keep your blood sugar from swinging high, or swinging low. In order to feel well, you must level out your blood sugar, avoiding the"sugar highs", and "sugar lows". Take your sugar in the form of complex carbohydrates, such as cereals, rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. These foods, comprised of tightly interlinked sugars, are broken down slowly by the body, releasing their sugar over a long period of time. Eating frequent small meals, instead of a few large ones, also helps keep your blood sugar stable.
Eat More Vegetables
Your brain's production of one of the Happy Messengers, Serotonin, is sensitive to your diet. Eating more vegetables, can increase your brain's Serotonin production. This increase is due to improved absorption of the amino acid L-Tryptophan. (Vegetables contain the natural, safe, form of L Tryptophan. Meats contain natural L-Tryptophan also, but when you eat meat, the L-Tryptophan has to compete with so many other amino acids for absorption that the L-Tryptophan loses out. The net result is that you get better absorption of L-Tryptophan when you eat vegetables.In other words -- eat a salad for lunch.
You should also take a good multi-vitamin and mineral preparation.
7. REDUCE YOUR USE OF PICK-ME-UP'S
Beware of Cue Reactions
To cut down on your intake of Pick-Me-Up's, remove them from the house, and any other place that is within easy reach. Do not forget to clear your desk drawer at work, and the glove compartment of the car. Even though you want to reduce your sugar, caffeine, tobacco or alcohol consumption, just the sight of a cookie can lead you to eat it; just the sight of a beer might lead you to drink it -- before you even have a chance to stop yourself.
8. AVOID ALLERGIES
Allergy is a major source of stress for some of us. If there are certain things that trigger YOUR allergies, you should avoid them.
9. START AN ENJOYABLE EXERCISE - REST YOUR MIND
Begin an exercise that you enjoy, Preferably, do something that brings you into contact with other people. The value of such exercise, three times a week for 20 minutes to two hours, can not be over emphasized. Enjoyable exercise, in moderation, boosts your HAPPY MESSENGERS in a smooth sustained fashion. It will make you feel better right away!
Exercise has another beneficial effect. Most people, when exercising, do not worry. They are actually resting the nerve cells in the brain that worry, giving those cells time to renew their stores of HAPPY MESSENGERS, so they can function normally the next time they are needed.
There are other ways of "resting your mind". Dancing, listening to music, reading, working on a craft, playing a musical instrument, meditation, self relaxation, and biofeedback also relieve stress. Any activity which concentrates your attention on a subject other than life's problems will help rest your mind. This rests the "Problem Solving" part of your brain, allowing it to regenerate HAPPY MESSENGERS and renew itself.
10. STOP YOUR PUT-ME-DOWN'S
Tranquilizers and calmatives will prevent your body from restoring its Happy Messengers. Unlike Pick-Me-Up's, which can usually be taken in modest amounts without harm, Put-Me-Down's should be avoided altogether.
By reducing your stress load, stabilizing your blood sugar, improving your diet, avoiding allergies, and getting some exercise, you will find you will not want tranquilizers and calmatives.
Before stopping any prescription medicine, however, always, check with your doctor. We do not want you to accidentally stop a heart medicine or anti-epilepsy medication. Also, many of the Put-Me-Down's must be tapered down slowly, rather than stopped abruptly. Ask your doctor before you make any change in medication.
(If someone has given you Put-Me-Down's to help you sleep, particularly the ones in the Valium family, you may have a real problem stopping them. They are best tapered off very slowly, and under medical supervision. Even then, the withdrawal symptoms from these drugs are very unpleasant. The chief withdrawal symptoms is inability to sleep, and vivid disturbing dreams. If you try to stop them on your own, you may experience sleeplessness that is worse than ever! Then you may erroneously conclude that you need more, not less of the Put-Me-Down! It is very easy to be trapped by Put-Me-Down's.)
If the Ten Simple Steps are Not Enough
If you have done all of the preceding and still have significant symptoms of OVERSTRESS:
• Fatigue
• Aches and pains
• Anxiety
• Problems sleeping
• Lack of enjoyment of life
• Depression
THEN IT IS TIME YOU OBTAINED SOME ASSISTANCE...
VISIT YOUR DOCTOR
OVERSTRESS that you can not clear up yourself may be the earliest warning sign of some hidden illness.
• Thyroid disease
• Calcium imbalance (too much or too little)
• Anemia
• Diabetes
• Manic-depression (Bi-polar disorder)
• Liver disease
• Kidney malfunction
• Vitamin deficiency
• Hormone deficiency
These are examples of physical illnesses that you might not be aware of - but which cause enough stress on your body to create OVERSTRESS.
Your doctor should do a thorough history, and a complete physical examination, including tests on blood and urine. The automated blood testing machines can do a complete blood count, as well as measure your thyroid function, liver enzymes, kidney function, calcium and phosphorus, iron and blood sugar for a very reasonable price.
So, if your symptoms are not getting better with the TEN SIMPLE STEPS -- be sure to see your doctor.
ELIMINATE FOODS WHICH CAUSE BAD REACTIONS
If a certain food makes you wheeze, or gives you a stuffy nose, or diarrhea, or red itchy bumps on your skin, you should obviously avoid that food. Any allergic reaction of this type is a stress on your body which will contribute to your OVERSTRESS.
There is another type of food reaction you should avoid. ANY FOOD THAT YOU CRAVE OR BINGE is a brain active food. You are craving or binging it because it is directly affecting your brain. Most of the time these are foods which contain the Pick-Me-Up's, sugar or caffeine. But sometimes the substance in the food is corn, milk, or yeast protein. Many people have sensitivity reactions to corn, milk, or yeast containing products. The protein in these substances directly affect brain messenger function. If, by this point in the book, you are STILL not feeling well, try a corn-free, milk-free and/or yeast-free diet.
Checklist for Handling Overstress
REDUCE YOUR STRESS LOAD:
-----Reduce the pace of change in your life.
-----Reduce the social obligations.
-----Reduce work or school obligations.
-----Postpone changes in your living situation
-----Say "No" more often.
-----Eliminate possible food or environmental allergens.
-----Reduce environmental toxins.
GET OFF THE "ROLLER COASTER":
-----Diet: Take a multivitamin, mineral, trace element preparation; stabilize your blood sugar; eat more vegetables.
-----Exercise: Twenty minutes to two hours, three times a week.
-----Stop Your Pick-Me-Up's (consult your physician)
-----Stop Your Put-Me-Down's (consult your physician)
DO A "REST FOR YOUR MIND" ACTIVITY:
-----Exercise
-----Recreational reading, arts, crafts, music,
-----Dance
-----Meditation
-----Yoga
-----Biofeedback
-----Self-Hypnosis
-----Religious counseling
HELP YOUR BODY CLOCK RE-SET ITSELF:
-----Set regular sleep times
-----Avoid time zone shifts or rapid changes in your work shift
-----Use daylight spectrum fluorescent lights to set your body clock's "awake time".
VISIT A PHYSICIAN
-----Check for hidden illness
VISIT A COUNSELOR
-----Obtain help with self relaxation and general psychological counseling.
IF YOU JUST CAN NOT MAKE ENOUGH HAPPY MESSENGERS:
-----Have your doctor prescribe for you a brain chemical re-balancer
THREE RULES TO PERMANENTLY CONQUER OVERSTRESS
RULE ONE: LEARN TO READ YOUR BODY SIGNS
Learn to check your body frequently for signs of OVERSTRESS. Watch for the telltale disturbances in your sleep pattern, as this is usually the earliest sign of OVERSTRESS.
You must learn to read your body signs in much the same way as the diabetic learns the early warning signs of abnormal blood sugar. In order to cope successfully with diabetes, the diabetic has to learn to read his body's signals. If he has a constant thirst, fatigue and excessive urination.
Cheers
Prof.Lakshman
From Sri Lanka, Kolonnawa
32How to reduce your stress levels
1. MAKE YOUR LIFE REGULAR
If you suffer from OVERSTRESS, you have disrupted the function of your Body Clock. Re-setting your Body Clock is vital if you are to feel well, sleep soundly, and awake refreshed. Give yourself a definite wake up and sleep time. This sets a frame of reference for your Body Clock. It will take two or three weeks to synchronize your Body Clock to your schedule. So, stick to your schedule!
But what if I try to go to sleep at 10 p.m. and I can't fall asleep? Or what if I fall asleep but keep waking up during the night?
Sleep difficulty is the hallmark of OVERSTRESS. When your Body Clock stops working, you may have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Or conversely, you may feel sleepy all the time. Either symptom may be produced when the Body Clock stops working. It all depends on which "position" the Clock was in when it stops: wakefulness, or sleepiness.
So, do not expect to have your sleep problems go away until your Body Clock is working again. Go ahead and set yourself a reasonable wake up time and bed time. Do the best you can to stick to these times. As you lower your stress levels, your Body Clock will begin to work. It will then match its cycle of wakefulness and sleep to the times that you have set for it. Remember, this process will take at least three weeks, so stick firmly to your time schedule.
But what if I put myself to bed at my bed time, and I just lie there without falling asleep?
If, after 45 minutes, you have not fallen asleep, get up and read a book or do something around the house. Sooner or later, you will feel sleepy and fall asleep. Keep putting yourself to bed at your bed time every night. As you reduce your stress levels, your Body Clock will begin working. Your Body Clock will gradually match your chosen sleep schedule. In the meantime, be patient and work to reduce your stress levels as much as possible.
If You Must do "Shift Work":
Your Body Clock will always try and synchronize itself with your daily schedule. If your job requires you to work varying shifts, however, you may have difficulty in getting your Body Clock to match your shift. When properly synchronized, your Body Clock tells you to be awake for your work, and tells you to go to sleep after your work. If you do evening work, your Body Clock will shift itself so that you will be awake for your evening work, and be able to sleep during the day. But this change requires two or three weeks to occur. If your employer rotates your shift more often than every two or three weeks, your Body Clock will always be mis-matched with your work requirements. You will be trying to work when your body wants to sleep, and trying to sleep when your body wants to work. This will make it practically impossible to restore the proper functioning of your Body Clock.
If you are OVERSTRESSED, you should avoid "shift work". If you MUST do "shift work", try and work at least three weeks at each shift before rotating to a new one. And always make sure the direction of shift rotation to is "morning to evening to night to morning again".
Do you remember that the untrained cycle of your body clock is 25 hours? Because of this, it is always easier to stay up later, than to try and force yourself to go to bed early. So never try to rotate shifts from "night to evening to morning". Your Body Clock will blow a fuse.
2. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK TODAY
You must give your body adequate time to repair itself, and to regenerate Happy Messengers. If you are having symptoms of OVERSTRESS:
• Fatigue
• Aches and pains
• Anxiety
• Problems sleeping
• Lack of enjoyment of life
• Depression
Give your body a chance to heal itself.
Every morning make a list of things that you want to get done...
THEN, CUT OFF THE BOTTOM HALF OF THIS LIST!
3. LIGHTEN UP YOUR LOAD OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS
Let someone else do the holiday dinner for the family, or make it a pot luck on paper plates. Only go out once this week. Tell your visitors from out of town (who always expect to stay at your house) to call you "just as soon as they get settled in a hotel room".
SAY "NO" A LOT MORE OFTEN TO REQUESTS FROM OTHERS OF YOUR TIME.
4. POSTPONE MAKING ANY CHANGES IN YOUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT
Remember, CHANGE IS STRESS. So relax, postpone any big moves or changes for awhile.
• Postpone remodeling your home or apartment.
• Postpone moving to a new house or apartment.
Making a change in your living environment, even if it is a change that you are excited about, is a major stress. It will add a minimum of 25 stress points to your life; and, if it is a financial strain, may add as much as 65 stress points!
When you consider that you would like to reduce your stress level to 150 or below, you will see why postponing a change in your living environment will be very helpful in obtaining that goal.
5. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOURS YOU SPEND AT WORK OR SCHOOL
If you are a "workaholic", or a "school-a-holic", you need to reduce the energy drain you are placing on your body. Work or school more than 40 hours per week adds 40 stress points to your life.
TAKE SOME TIME OFF
6. THE OVERSTRESS DIET
Keep Your Blood Sugar Steady
People who are OVERSTRESSED almost always begin to use sugar as a Pick-Me-Up. Their blood sugar goes up and down wildly. Thus, the most important dietary consideration is to keep your blood sugar from swinging high, or swinging low. In order to feel well, you must level out your blood sugar, avoiding the"sugar highs", and "sugar lows". Take your sugar in the form of complex carbohydrates, such as cereals, rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. These foods, comprised of tightly interlinked sugars, are broken down slowly by the body, releasing their sugar over a long period of time. Eating frequent small meals, instead of a few large ones, also helps keep your blood sugar stable.
Eat More Vegetables
Your brain's production of one of the Happy Messengers, Serotonin, is sensitive to your diet. Eating more vegetables, can increase your brain's Serotonin production. This increase is due to improved absorption of the amino acid L-Tryptophan. (Vegetables contain the natural, safe, form of L Tryptophan. Meats contain natural L-Tryptophan also, but when you eat meat, the L-Tryptophan has to compete with so many other amino acids for absorption that the L-Tryptophan loses out. The net result is that you get better absorption of L-Tryptophan when you eat vegetables.In other words -- eat a salad for lunch.
You should also take a good multi-vitamin and mineral preparation.
7. REDUCE YOUR USE OF PICK-ME-UP'S
Beware of Cue Reactions
To cut down on your intake of Pick-Me-Up's, remove them from the house, and any other place that is within easy reach. Do not forget to clear your desk drawer at work, and the glove compartment of the car. Even though you want to reduce your sugar, caffeine, tobacco or alcohol consumption, just the sight of a cookie can lead you to eat it; just the sight of a beer might lead you to drink it -- before you even have a chance to stop yourself.
8. AVOID ALLERGIES
Allergy is a major source of stress for some of us. If there are certain things that trigger YOUR allergies, you should avoid them.
9. START AN ENJOYABLE EXERCISE - REST YOUR MIND
Begin an exercise that you enjoy, Preferably, do something that brings you into contact with other people. The value of such exercise, three times a week for 20 minutes to two hours, can not be over emphasized. Enjoyable exercise, in moderation, boosts your HAPPY MESSENGERS in a smooth sustained fashion. It will make you feel better right away!
Exercise has another beneficial effect. Most people, when exercising, do not worry. They are actually resting the nerve cells in the brain that worry, giving those cells time to renew their stores of HAPPY MESSENGERS, so they can function normally the next time they are needed.
There are other ways of "resting your mind". Dancing, listening to music, reading, working on a craft, playing a musical instrument, meditation, self relaxation, and biofeedback also relieve stress. Any activity which concentrates your attention on a subject other than life's problems will help rest your mind. This rests the "Problem Solving" part of your brain, allowing it to regenerate HAPPY MESSENGERS and renew itself.
10. STOP YOUR PUT-ME-DOWN'S
Tranquilizers and calmatives will prevent your body from restoring its Happy Messengers. Unlike Pick-Me-Up's, which can usually be taken in modest amounts without harm, Put-Me-Down's should be avoided altogether.
By reducing your stress load, stabilizing your blood sugar, improving your diet, avoiding allergies, and getting some exercise, you will find you will not want tranquilizers and calmatives.
Before stopping any prescription medicine, however, always, check with your doctor. We do not want you to accidentally stop a heart medicine or anti-epilepsy medication. Also, many of the Put-Me-Down's must be tapered down slowly, rather than stopped abruptly. Ask your doctor before you make any change in medication.
(If someone has given you Put-Me-Down's to help you sleep, particularly the ones in the Valium family, you may have a real problem stopping them. They are best tapered off very slowly, and under medical supervision. Even then, the withdrawal symptoms from these drugs are very unpleasant. The chief withdrawal symptoms is inability to sleep, and vivid disturbing dreams. If you try to stop them on your own, you may experience sleeplessness that is worse than ever! Then you may erroneously conclude that you need more, not less of the Put-Me-Down! It is very easy to be trapped by Put-Me-Down's.)
If the Ten Simple Steps are Not Enough
If you have done all of the preceding and still have significant symptoms of OVERSTRESS:
• Fatigue
• Aches and pains
• Anxiety
• Problems sleeping
• Lack of enjoyment of life
• Depression
THEN IT IS TIME YOU OBTAINED SOME ASSISTANCE...
VISIT YOUR DOCTOR
OVERSTRESS that you can not clear up yourself may be the earliest warning sign of some hidden illness.
• Thyroid disease
• Calcium imbalance (too much or too little)
• Anemia
• Diabetes
• Manic-depression (Bi-polar disorder)
• Liver disease
• Kidney malfunction
• Vitamin deficiency
• Hormone deficiency
These are examples of physical illnesses that you might not be aware of - but which cause enough stress on your body to create OVERSTRESS.
Your doctor should do a thorough history, and a complete physical examination, including tests on blood and urine. The automated blood testing machines can do a complete blood count, as well as measure your thyroid function, liver enzymes, kidney function, calcium and phosphorus, iron and blood sugar for a very reasonable price.
So, if your symptoms are not getting better with the TEN SIMPLE STEPS -- be sure to see your doctor.
ELIMINATE FOODS WHICH CAUSE BAD REACTIONS
If a certain food makes you wheeze, or gives you a stuffy nose, or diarrhea, or red itchy bumps on your skin, you should obviously avoid that food. Any allergic reaction of this type is a stress on your body which will contribute to your OVERSTRESS.
There is another type of food reaction you should avoid. ANY FOOD THAT YOU CRAVE OR BINGE is a brain active food. You are craving or binging it because it is directly affecting your brain. Most of the time these are foods which contain the Pick-Me-Up's, sugar or caffeine. But sometimes the substance in the food is corn, milk, or yeast protein. Many people have sensitivity reactions to corn, milk, or yeast containing products. The protein in these substances directly affect brain messenger function. If, by this point in the book, you are STILL not feeling well, try a corn-free, milk-free and/or yeast-free diet.
Checklist for Handling Overstress
REDUCE YOUR STRESS LOAD:
-----Reduce the pace of change in your life.
-----Reduce the social obligations.
-----Reduce work or school obligations.
-----Postpone changes in your living situation
-----Say "No" more often.
-----Eliminate possible food or environmental allergens.
-----Reduce environmental toxins.
GET OFF THE "ROLLER COASTER":
-----Diet: Take a multivitamin, mineral, trace element preparation; stabilize your blood sugar; eat more vegetables.
-----Exercise: Twenty minutes to two hours, three times a week.
-----Stop Your Pick-Me-Up's (consult your physician)
-----Stop Your Put-Me-Down's (consult your physician)
DO A "REST FOR YOUR MIND" ACTIVITY:
-----Exercise
-----Recreational reading, arts, crafts, music,
-----Dance
-----Meditation
-----Yoga
-----Biofeedback
-----Self-Hypnosis
-----Religious counseling
HELP YOUR BODY CLOCK RE-SET ITSELF:
-----Set regular sleep times
-----Avoid time zone shifts or rapid changes in your work shift
-----Use daylight spectrum fluorescent lights to set your body clock's "awake time".
VISIT A PHYSICIAN
-----Check for hidden illness
VISIT A COUNSELOR
-----Obtain help with self relaxation and general psychological counseling.
IF YOU JUST CAN NOT MAKE ENOUGH HAPPY MESSENGERS:
-----Have your doctor prescribe for you a brain chemical re-balancer
THREE RULES TO PERMANENTLY CONQUER OVERSTRESS
RULE ONE: LEARN TO READ YOUR BODY SIGNS
Learn to check your body frequently for signs of OVERSTRESS. Watch for the telltale disturbances in your sleep pattern, as this is usually the earliest sign of OVERSTRESS.
You must learn to read your body signs in much the same way as the diabetic learns the early warning signs of abnormal blood sugar. In order to cope successfully with diabetes, the diabetic has to learn to read his body's signals. If he has a constant thirst, fatigue and excessive urination.
Cheers
Prof.Lakshman
From Sri Lanka, Kolonnawa
Hi,
After what prof. Lakshman has contributed, you don't need anything.
But this is something I didn't find in his post also,so it might be of help.
Stress, when not handled properly, may cause a range of physical or psychological problems. A maladaptive stress response can disrupt your nervous system and mar your ability to perceive the world or function well in it. If you suspect there is too much stress in your life, you need to learn ways of coping with it.
There are several ways to reduce stress. Many organisations across the globe are adopting stress-managing strategies. Transcendental meditation, yoga, aerobics and callisthenics are some of the methods that organisations insist on having. Mangers too need to help themselves from within, to reduce the stress.
How to manage stress?
Some people seek help when a specific problem triggers their stress alarm. They accept the fact that they are not managing the stress in their lives as successfully as they should. Others wish to evaluate and improve their existing coping skills so that they can be prepared to minimise major life crises as well as chronic stress. However, one important aspect is that people suffering from stress-related illnesses remain unhealthy as long as they merely seek relief through medication or make temporary changes in their lifestyles. A planned and conscious effort needs to be in place for such people.
1. Develop a stress strategy
An overall strategy for managing stress is crucial. It includes reviewing the options available to build resistance to stress simultaneously taking positive action. Focus on just one positive step and slowly build a personal stress management plan.
2. Call up the relaxation response
Stress response has an opposite reaction, the "relaxation response". Everyone possesses a natural protective mechanism that allows him to turn off the fight-or-flight reaction. This counteraction decreases heart rate, lowers metabolism, slows rapid breathing and brings the body back into a healthier balance.
Numerous techniques are used to promote relaxation. Some simple and quick ones, useful in specific situations and some requiring regular practice with a lasting effect! For instance, inhaling for a count of three and exhaling for a count of two will have an immediate calming effect in the middle of a stressful situation.
Meditation: This technique enjoys undeniable benefits. Four elements are used to evoke the relaxation response:
A quiet environment
A point-of-focus, such as a neutral word. This word helps the person meditating to concentrate, when repeated in his mind.
A passive and accepting attitude
A comfortable position.
Meditating once or twice a day for ten to twenty minutes brings rapid relief from chronic stress. It also increases the level of stress tolerance. Meditation without doubt enhances a general sense of well-being.
# Visualisation: It involves using the mind's eye to "see" how to manage a stressful situation. Be it a business presentation or a medal-winning performance in a race, many people find visual rehearsals boost self-confidence. It enables them to adopt a positive approach to a difficult task.
# Stress Inoculation: This is a relaxed mental exercise in which a stressful event can be analysed in advance to avoid anxiety or tension. Coping with stress is a matter of knowing what to do. If the difficult aspects of a situation are anticipated, along with the desired reaction, you will be better prepared for the actual event.
3. The tried and tested
Many time tested, basic and common sense measures are available to build resistance to stress and minimise its ill effects. Some are even fun! Regular exercise is a popular way to relieve stress. It gives the body a chance to use the hormones that the fight-or-flight reaction pumps into the bloodstream.
Healthy lifestyle habits buffer common stress and increase resistance to stress. They include good nutrition, limited intake of caffeine, adequate rest and careful use of alcohol.
Other conventional methods like laughter, tears, warm bath, a good book or favourite music help in unwinding. In fact, simple relaxation is an art that many people are unaware of. Experts recommend spending at least half an hour each day relaxing in whatever way is most enjoyable. It is essential for our physical and mental well-being.
4. Decide what works
Each one must determine his commitment to a stress management plan.
5. Check the work place
Many companies strongly believe in stress management. They are offering opportunities for group exercise, employee assistance programs and hearing suggestions for improving working conditions.
Until recently, it was the executive who was most likely to succumb to chronic stress. Research indicates that employees at all levels, particularly those who have a routine job, may suffer from job-related stress.
It is neither possible nor desirable to eliminate stress from our lives. However, you can modify situations that cause it. Learn to channel stress energy into a positive force while reducing its potentially harmful effects. Not only will this enhance the quality of your life it may also save it. Managed stress can disallow the onset of illness or other disability.
Cheers
Archna
From India, Delhi
After what prof. Lakshman has contributed, you don't need anything.
But this is something I didn't find in his post also,so it might be of help.
Stress, when not handled properly, may cause a range of physical or psychological problems. A maladaptive stress response can disrupt your nervous system and mar your ability to perceive the world or function well in it. If you suspect there is too much stress in your life, you need to learn ways of coping with it.
There are several ways to reduce stress. Many organisations across the globe are adopting stress-managing strategies. Transcendental meditation, yoga, aerobics and callisthenics are some of the methods that organisations insist on having. Mangers too need to help themselves from within, to reduce the stress.
How to manage stress?
Some people seek help when a specific problem triggers their stress alarm. They accept the fact that they are not managing the stress in their lives as successfully as they should. Others wish to evaluate and improve their existing coping skills so that they can be prepared to minimise major life crises as well as chronic stress. However, one important aspect is that people suffering from stress-related illnesses remain unhealthy as long as they merely seek relief through medication or make temporary changes in their lifestyles. A planned and conscious effort needs to be in place for such people.
1. Develop a stress strategy
An overall strategy for managing stress is crucial. It includes reviewing the options available to build resistance to stress simultaneously taking positive action. Focus on just one positive step and slowly build a personal stress management plan.
2. Call up the relaxation response
Stress response has an opposite reaction, the "relaxation response". Everyone possesses a natural protective mechanism that allows him to turn off the fight-or-flight reaction. This counteraction decreases heart rate, lowers metabolism, slows rapid breathing and brings the body back into a healthier balance.
Numerous techniques are used to promote relaxation. Some simple and quick ones, useful in specific situations and some requiring regular practice with a lasting effect! For instance, inhaling for a count of three and exhaling for a count of two will have an immediate calming effect in the middle of a stressful situation.
Meditation: This technique enjoys undeniable benefits. Four elements are used to evoke the relaxation response:
A quiet environment
A point-of-focus, such as a neutral word. This word helps the person meditating to concentrate, when repeated in his mind.
A passive and accepting attitude
A comfortable position.
Meditating once or twice a day for ten to twenty minutes brings rapid relief from chronic stress. It also increases the level of stress tolerance. Meditation without doubt enhances a general sense of well-being.
# Visualisation: It involves using the mind's eye to "see" how to manage a stressful situation. Be it a business presentation or a medal-winning performance in a race, many people find visual rehearsals boost self-confidence. It enables them to adopt a positive approach to a difficult task.
# Stress Inoculation: This is a relaxed mental exercise in which a stressful event can be analysed in advance to avoid anxiety or tension. Coping with stress is a matter of knowing what to do. If the difficult aspects of a situation are anticipated, along with the desired reaction, you will be better prepared for the actual event.
3. The tried and tested
Many time tested, basic and common sense measures are available to build resistance to stress and minimise its ill effects. Some are even fun! Regular exercise is a popular way to relieve stress. It gives the body a chance to use the hormones that the fight-or-flight reaction pumps into the bloodstream.
Healthy lifestyle habits buffer common stress and increase resistance to stress. They include good nutrition, limited intake of caffeine, adequate rest and careful use of alcohol.
Other conventional methods like laughter, tears, warm bath, a good book or favourite music help in unwinding. In fact, simple relaxation is an art that many people are unaware of. Experts recommend spending at least half an hour each day relaxing in whatever way is most enjoyable. It is essential for our physical and mental well-being.
4. Decide what works
Each one must determine his commitment to a stress management plan.
5. Check the work place
Many companies strongly believe in stress management. They are offering opportunities for group exercise, employee assistance programs and hearing suggestions for improving working conditions.
Until recently, it was the executive who was most likely to succumb to chronic stress. Research indicates that employees at all levels, particularly those who have a routine job, may suffer from job-related stress.
It is neither possible nor desirable to eliminate stress from our lives. However, you can modify situations that cause it. Learn to channel stress energy into a positive force while reducing its potentially harmful effects. Not only will this enhance the quality of your life it may also save it. Managed stress can disallow the onset of illness or other disability.
Cheers
Archna
From India, Delhi
hi to all
These are really very powerful, Implement whenever you can.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3.Try to get enough sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to____ today."
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did last year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake
.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class
but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
IMPLEMENT WHENEVER YOU CAN
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. Burn the candles, use the nice bed sheets, Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will ,this matter?"
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
32. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
34. The best is yet to come.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36. Do the right thing!
37. Call your family often. Keep in touch with them.
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I
am thankful for ___." Today I accomplished ____.
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!! May your troubles be less, May your blessings be
more. And may nothing but happiness come through your door!
enjoy ur day
Sebastian
Clinical Psychologist
These are really very powerful, Implement whenever you can.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3.Try to get enough sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to____ today."
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did last year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake
.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class
but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
IMPLEMENT WHENEVER YOU CAN
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. Burn the candles, use the nice bed sheets, Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will ,this matter?"
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
32. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
34. The best is yet to come.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36. Do the right thing!
37. Call your family often. Keep in touch with them.
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I
am thankful for ___." Today I accomplished ____.
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!! May your troubles be less, May your blessings be
more. And may nothing but happiness come through your door!
enjoy ur day
Sebastian
Clinical Psychologist
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