Top 10 Way to Stress Less

I’m a self- help junkie. I admit it. In fact, I’m pretty proud of it. I consistently strive for self -improvement, deeper understanding and general personal growth. Sometimes all that self-improving can be a bit stressful and occasionally I’m forced to realize that I could use a little growth in the stress-reduction department.  When I read  The Mayo Clinic’s Top 10 Stress Relievers, you can imagine all the personal growth potential I saw in it! When stress sneaks up, why not try one (or two) tips from the list.

1. Get active The Mayo Clinic  does not require that we run a marathon or mountain bike across jagged terrain. Just get moving. Daily.  You can walk, jog, houseclean, do yoga, dance. In return you’ll be rewarded with a flood of endorphins , an improved mood and a new perspective on life’s minor irritations.

2. Meditate I meditate with some regularity and can tell you it’s a great stress reliever. Often misunderstood, meditation can be just  3 or 4 minutes  of breathing deeply and repeating silently “breathe in, breathe out” as you do just that.  Just those few minutes bring calm, clarity and peace.  (Unlike the butt exercises that fitness magazines say you can do in line at the grocery store and no one will notice, you really can breathe deeply in a public place completely on the QT)

3. Laugh A lot. Often. With friends. At smart humor -and potty humor. Not at others.  The Mayo Clinic points out that a  good laugh starts by stressing you slightly  but then relaxes you, increasing heart rate and blood pressure and producing an all around good feeling.

4. Connect When I’m exhausted and stressed, I like to head home and just chill. If you’re like me, the truth is that’s precisely when we should head to a party or invite friends over or go to church. Not only will contact with others help beat the stress, it can distract us from the stress  in the first place and help life’s ups and downs smooth out a bit.

5. Assert yourself (aka “just say no”) Not only can we not have it all, we can’t do it all.  When we try to please all of the people all of the time, somebody gets left behind, and it just might be ourselves. Yuck. Nobody wants that. Say no, delegate and do what you want to do to avoid  stress, anger, resentment.

6. Do yoga Ohmmmm my gosh, I love yoga. It’s a great blend of physical and mental work and I am so relaxed and thoughtful after a session on the mat. The Mayo Clinic says yoga helps manage stress and anxiety, but I can’t help but notice all yoga teachers have great bodies.  If you haven’t tried it yet, I encourage you to do so. I go to YogahOMe. (check out the special holiday Candlelight Yoga practice with Lilias Folan)

7. Sleep. While these tips are top stress reducers, there is so much  research that links sleep deprivation with obesity. Why do we  feel we can do with out enough sleep? Good quality sleep recharges both brain and body. Good sleep boosts mood, energy and general functioning.  Beauty sleep is no myth, either. Make sure your room is quiet, cool -and dark.

8. Journal Dear Diary, today I could have gladly left my family behind and not looked back over my shoulder even once…..Writing such things can help prevent them. And if you can’t think of a thing to say, a friend of mine suggests you literally write “I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say” until suddenly, the words come and you discover you do, in fact, have plenty to say.

9. Get musical Think  about mood music. Work-out music. The music they play at the spa. It changes- even transforms- our mood. Somedays head banging rock may be what’s needed to pound the stress right out of you. Other days a church organ may be just the ticket. All of it belongs on your iPod because, according to the Mayo Clinic,  music provides a mental distraction, reduces muscle tension and decreases stress hormones. Rock on.

10. Seek counsel As in tip 5, we can’t have it all or do it all- and we just don’t know it all. Sometimes it takes a professional to help us understand the causes, and coping skills for, our stresses.