How to release stress - tension

Stress can cause physical and emotional effects on you which can be positive or negative. It is the action that your body goes through, as it tries to adjust to your changing environment. It can either compel you to act and make you excited over something new or it can make you feel disgusted, rejected, angry, and depressed. Stress could lead to health problems like headaches, nausea, rashes, and high blood pressure. Stress can either help you re-adjust your life or hinder you. It all depends on how you react to it.

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Definitely you will be out off stress once you read and follow the below content.

1. Build in "Do Not Disturb" Time:

For thirty minutes every day, schedule time for no electronic interruptions.

Don't answer the telephone and don't check or send email. For some of us "Crackberry" addicts, that can seem unimaginable, but you'll find that even thirty minutes of uninterrupted time will enable you to accomplish more and feel less stressed.

If you have little ones at home, try exchanging baby-sitting duties with a neighbor so that you can have thirty minutes to focus, without interruptions.


2. Be Here Now:

Most busy women multi-task. Cleaning house while on the telephone and coaching the kids' homework while preparing dinner.

Try, instead, to be fully present while you do a single task. "Being here now", fully aware of what you're doing in the moment will quiet your mind and leave you more relaxed.

For example, while you're chopping vegetables, allow your mind to drift. This brief mental vacation will recharge your batteries so that when you do work with the kids on their homework, you'll feel less stressed and both you and the children will enjoy it more.

3. Manage Your "To Do" List:

Each morning start your day by reviewing your "to do" list. Prioritize into "must do", "nice to do" and "whenever I get to it". If your "must dos" are more than you can manage in one day, consider alternatives. Can someone else take it on, or at least assist? Does it really have to be done today?

If an item has been languishing on your "when I get to it" list, take it off. Seeing it every day is just a reminder that will induce guilt and stress. When you're really ready to do it, add it to the list and then just do it!

4. Reexamine Your Expectations:

From the time we're young, we're programmed to do and be the best. Admirable, but very difficult to achieve. Yes, you want to be the best wife, best mother, best friend, best employee, best daughter, best housekeeper and the list goes on. Just for today, decide which aspect of your life needs the most attention and place your focus there.

Also, reexamine your "best of" list. Perhaps you shouldn't attempt to be the "best housekeeper" and "best cook" while you have three kids under the age of five. For now, focus on being the best mom. Gourmet cooking and art on the walls that doesn't involve crayons can come later.

5. Get Moving:

Knowing you need to exercise more and not doing it doesn't solve the problem and just increases your stress level. Instead, look at what you are doing and congratulate yourself. Holding a toddler on one hip while schlepping grocery bags? That counts as exercise!

Next, look for additional ways to add more calorie burning activities to your routine. Parking further away from your destination, ignoring elevators and taking the stairs, and going outside to play games instead of staying in are all ways to incorporate exercise in your day, while you reduce your stress level.

6. Laugh!

You may not equate belly laughs with relaxation, but laughing reduces stress and makes you feel more relaxed. Find your commute raising your blood pressure? Put in a CD of your favorite comic. Had a tough day at work and now the kids are cranky? Put in a funny movie you all can enjoy, like Shrek or Finding Nemo.

7. Do What You Love:

It's easy to get so caught up in day-to-day activities and responsibilities that we forget to do what we love. We put our dreams on hold , assuming that someday we'll spend all our time doing what we love. Don't wait, start incorporating the things you love in your daily activities.
Love music but don't have time to practice? Make time! Perhaps you can form a family band, with the less musically inclined contributing with a tambourine. It may not be Carnegie Hall, but it will be fun and relaxing.

8. Breathe:

Well, duh, we breathe everyday. To relax, though, be conscious of your breathing. Conscious breathing can be one of the fastest ways to relax, and it's something you can do anywhere. Stuck in the world's longest grocery line? Instead of fuming, breathe in through your nose for five seconds. Hold it for five seconds. Let it out through your mouth for five seconds.

Conscious breathing will distract you from an annoying situation and make you feel more relaxed.

9. Take a 30-Second Vacation:

A fast way to feel relaxed is to take a quick vacation. Visualize your favorite vacation spot. Love the beach? Close your eyes and visualize the scene. Focus on the details and different senses. The feel the warm, gritty sand on your feet. The sound of the waves hitting the shore. The smell of the salty air and sun lotion. The feeling of relaxation and well-being.

Take a deep breath and come back to reality. As you return, bring that feeling of relaxation with you, knowing you can return to that vacation spot anytime you'd like.

10. Celebrate and Appreciate:

Studies have shown that people who keep a gratitude journal are generally happier. Whether you keep a journal or just spend a few minutes each day focusing on the positives in your life, you'll feel happier and more relaxed.

The old advice to count your blessings really is a valuable tool to help you relax, feel less stressed and more contented.

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