8 Ways To Reduce Your Stress
Stress is our bodies reaction to any demand placed upon it. So if you want to have a favourable reaction to the stressors in your life, here are 8 ways to reduce your stress.
1. Breathe. Take 8 deep breaths when you start feeling stressed. You will lower your heart rate and relax your mind and body.
2. Rub yourself the right way. Massage where you are most tense. Feet, neck, shoulders…as far as you can reach or touch. 2-5 minutes of self-massage can really make a difference in your tension.
3. Passion. Remember that making love with your spouse is good for both of you. I releases a whole pharmacy of positive chemicals into the bloodstream, boosting the immune system, lowering cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure. It even burns off 600 calories per hour!
4. Forgive someone. If you harbour anger or resentment, it hurts you, not necessarily the person you are angry at. Forgive them and you can move on in your life and end up living longer. Note: THEY need not accept your forgiveness…that is THEIR issue.
5. Take a hike! Walk off your stress at lunch. I do this when conducting full day seminars. I eat with my participants for 30 minutes and then walk for 25, clean-up and the afternoon is always better. Also any exercise in general will strip away body tension and anxiety.
6. Nap. Cranky kids take a nap and wake up as human beings. When you get cranky, maybe you need a nap.
7. Relax with music. Put on the headphones to tune out the world or if no one is home, turn up the sound system and listen to some music you find soothing. Can be baroque classical or hip-hop if you find it relaxing.
8. Pray. The power of prayer is well documented to lower heart rate, calm your senses and help you find peace and tranquility in life. I START everyday with prayer, END every day with prayer, pray before every meal, every speech or seminar and before every major or stressful decision. When God is my pilot, being co-pilot is so much easier.
