More than 40 of the world’s top wellness superheroes (and even a Grammy nominee) offer the following anti-stress tips for busy people.
Preparation, Breathing and Prevention
Tonight, PREPARE all the things you need for tomorrow morning in advance. Rx: Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, get your purse or briefcase in order, etc. Why it’s a great anti-stress! When you’re stressed you’re more definitely irritable, snappy, agitated and not much fun to be around. By not having to rush, you are freeing yourself from stress!
Today, stop and BREATHE. Rx: Give this Pranayama technique a try: 1) Inhale deeply, 2) Hold your breath for 4 seconds, 3) Exhale for count of 4 seconds, 4) Repeat this pattern for about one minute. Check your breathing throughout the day and note how, when you are relaxed, both your abdomen and chest expand when you breathe. Why it’s a great anti-stress! By taking several large deep breaths, stale air is expelled, oxidation of the tissues is complete, muscle tension is released and the extra oxygen let your mind and body know that everything is ok, even when it is not. Stay young by freeing yourself from stress!
Today, practice PREVENTIVE maintenance. Rx: Schedule your physical and dental cleaning, nurture your relationship(s), bring your car for a check-up, check your investments, or prepare essential documents. Why it’s a great anti-stress! Prevention frees you from unnecessary stressful situations. By being prepared, your body, relationships, home, car and assets will be less likely to fall apart and you will have more time to enjoy your life.
The above tips are byiStayYoung.net, which offers daily short & simple tips to keep you Young.
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Anticipate Something Positive
Give yourself something to look forward to. When my wife was going through chemotherapy, we saw a postcard from Tahiti. I said, “When this is over, we’re going to Tahiti!” and we put the postcard on the refrigerator. Seeing it there every day gave us hope which soothed our stress.
Dave Balch, founder of www.CopingUniversity.com where world-class experts share their wisdom to help people cope with serious illness or with life in general. For more tips: www.CopingQuickies.com
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Eat Ice Chips
Being an entreprenuer is wonderful, yet has it challenges like anything else. It always seems like the crises all happen at once. So what do I do to manage the “hair pulling” times? I eat ice chips! Yes, as weird as this may sound for some, it keeps me cool, focused and on task. By the way, I get to eat ice chips at least once every 10-14 days.
Sherell Edwards, owner of a small trucking company, Founder of a national Christian association and upcoming author. www.Leadershipexch.com
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Hot Tubs, Chamomile and Plant-based Foods
As a worker bee author-intuitive (I pen a Healing Powers series and am a phone psychic) I need to be on top of staying balanced. So, I practice these strategies: 1. I swim and take a hot tub every other day. Each day I walk my Brtittanys. We all get the feel-good endorphin fix that provides energy and calmness. 2. I drink plenty of chamomile tea. It’s the soothing tea for my nerves. 3. I eat a plant-based diet, nutrient-rich foods and drink only 1 cup of java per day. 4. No added sugars except honey, the good stuff. 5. I get 8 hours of sleep each night and cuddle up with my de-stressing companion trio–2 dogs and a cat.
Cal Orey, journalist and author of The Healing Powers Series and the upcoming The Healing Powers of Honey. www.CalOrey.com
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Interpret Things Differently
What is, is. All the rest you make up. Therefore, stress is an interpretation of reality, not reality. So you can make up whatever you want about a given “stressful” situation. The choice is always yours. When you change your own mind, your change is permanent.
Darshan Shanti, author of The 24 Hour Champion. www.The24HourChampion.com
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Question Your Story
The stories we tell about what “needs” to be done cause unnecessary stress. You “must” do X,Y and Z, and it “has to be” done by noon. Really? Are the consequences as dire as we imagine? In real life, things come up and the world rarely falls apart. When we question our stories, we realize that.
Amy Johnson, psychologist, master certified life coach and blogger.www.DrAmyJohnson.com
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Create a Momentum of Peace for Stress Relief
Start by breathing diaphragmatically. You should feel the abdomen inflating like a balloon while you breathe through the nose. You’ll feel a slight massage in the lower back and groin. Make this your habit. Then, find little activities that are personally grounding, balancing, centering and spiritually meaningful to you. Slip these into the day, even for 1 minute intervals, along with stretching and other physical activities. Meditate at the same time each day. Put all these elements together for 30 days, and you will see profound results.
Tom Von Deck, corporate meditation trainer, stress management speaker, Ultimate Stress Blog Founder and author of Oceanic Mind – The Deeper Meditation Training Course. www.DeeperMeditation.net
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Breathe
Stop what you’re doing. Close your eyes and breathe a deep breath to the count of five. Hold for five and exhale for ten. Do it five times.
Lois Levy, author of Undress Your Stress: Thirty Curiously Fun Ways to Take Off Tension. www.LoisLevy.com
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Change Your Expectations
Next time you feel absolutely stressed out ask yourself, “What expectation do I have with regards to what is going on?” Are you trying to make a person or the situation perfect? Stop and realize that your expectations are unreachable for any body. Focus on what you can realistically achieve.
David Craig, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (NMD) and Chief Wellness Officer for 3 Impressions, inc. www.3Impressions.com
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Positive Reinforcement
Consider this: The next time you’re left waiting for an hour and you’re feeling agitated and stressed, stop and think about how you feel when your best-laid plans go wrong. We’ve all had those days when we’ve been interrupted, stalled and thwarted. How did we feel? We were discouraged, weary and wanted to give up. Purpose to never rattle someone’s already fragile emotional cage with your unrelenting demands or unrealistic expectations. Rather, tell them you understand. Tell them you appreciate their diligent service. Tell them thank you. Guaranteed, you’ll begin to see the person behind the professional façade and we all know how terrific it feels to have someone see the “us” behind what we “do.” Stress Buster: Never view waiting as wasted time, these are simply opportune moments allotted for the purpose of regaining some inner stillness, calm and clarity.
Michele Howe is a reviewer, women’s health columnist, and author of ten books for women including Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life’s Challenges with Strength (and Soul). www.MicheleHowe.Wordpress.com
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Don’t Eat for Stress Relief – Create a Ritual
Rather than eat when you’re stressed after work, create a transitional ritual. Once home, leave your briefcase by the door, slip into slippers, turn on the kettle and grab a tea bag. Turn up your favorite CD and plop yourself in an easy chair with eyes closed for 5 minutes.
Karen R. Koenig LCSW, M.Ed., psychotherapist, eating coach, national speaker, blogger, and international author of four books on eating and weight. www.EatingNormal.com
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Breathe Into Your Heart
Breathe deeply into your heart space slowly five times. As you do, think of something you’re grateful for or that makes you feel loved and peaceful. Feel your heart expand with an image of that gratitude and/or peace. Count back silently from 10-1 as you breathe. Come back to this anytime you’re stressed.
Therese Tappouni, partner and stress reduction expert with Lance Ware at ISIS Institute, author, poet, producer of visualization CDs and counselor. www.IsisInstitute.org
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Learn from Nature
I think we can learn a lot from Mother Nature when it comes to controlling stress. For example, there’s no such thing as a stressed-out wild dolphin because dolphins play! Scientific research on humans shows that taking time out to play during the work day not only reduces stress but it also increases productivity and creativity!
Tom Porter is an entrepreneur, speaker and author of All I Need to Know About Business I Learned from a Duck. Read more about his “back to nature” approach to life and business at: www.BusinessLessonsFromNature.com
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A Few Tools
Progressive relaxation • Mindfulness practice •Guided imagery •Stretching •Slowed breathing •Being prepared•Refocusing negative thoughts •Meditation or prayer APS •Awareness of your triggers •Have a plan before you’re triggered •Stack the deck: Prepare, to reduce being put under pressure
Lisa Schilling, registered nurse, fitness director, speaker and author of The Get Real Guide to Health and Wellness. www.GetRealWellnessSolutions.com
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Walk the Dog
I have an Australian Cattle Dog as a pet. I walk her three times a day and her sonstant joyful spirpt gives me power. I am a financial advisor for 21 years now.
Ernie Nivens, fnancial advisor, author, international speaker, Evangel Publisher.www.EvangelPublisher.com and www.ErnieNivens.com
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No Complaining, Just Problem Solving
If something is stressful in your life, rather than complaining about it, think about what it is you need or want that’s different, and how it can be achieved. Work towards the solution. Do not stay mired in the problem. If there is a situation over which you feel you have no real control, think about writing a letter to the newspaper, calling your congressmen, your local council, etc. Start or join a support group or volunteer organization that deals with that particular issue.
Loren Gelberg-Goff provides a unique style of psychotherapy that helps people become authentically empowered so that they are able to live their lives to their fullest potential. You can also download a stress-reducing meditation that meets your needs.www.WellFromWithin.com
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Shrink Your Stressors
Shrink stressors by mentally shrinking yourself–by expanding your sense of time and place. Evoking wonder or transcendence displaces stress, so contemplate something vast, grand or ancient. Touch an old tree. Read about evolution. Watch clouds. Browse timeless quotes about serenity, unity or purpose. Participate in a spiritual ritual.
Valerie Tarico is a psychologist in Seattle, Washington. She is author of Trusting Doubt: A Former Evangelical looks at Old Beliefs in a New Light and founder ofwww.WisdomCommons.org.
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Change Your Thoughts
Most of our stress doesn’t come from events in our lives, but from what we think about those events. If you can change your thoughts, you can change your world!
Charlton Hall, Marriage and Family Therapist with a two-year post-grad Fellowship in Mindfulness and the Family System. Charlton has been practicing mindful meditation since 1974. www.MindfulEcotherapy.org
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Your Internal Critic
Take charge of your “Internal Critic,” that little voice in your head that tells you that you aren’t smart enough, pretty enough, athletic enough, etc. This voice has been keeping you from happiness in your life and has kept you stressed.
Dr. Jack Singer, nationally renowned Licensed Clinical Psychologist and author of The Teacher’s Ultimate Stress Mastery Book. www.DrJackSinger.com
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Use Guided Imagery
Self-guided visual imagery can help you de-stress. Visualization helped me remain fearless when facing the surgical removal of my cancerous prostate gland in April 2007. I simply visualized stroking my soft furry cat as he purred on my chest while “we” were wheeled on a gurney into the operating room.
Rabbi Dr. Edgar Weinsberg, author of Conquer Prostate Cancer: How Medicine, Faith, Love and Sex Can Renew Your Life. In the book and on its companion blog, he depicts ways to reduce pain and stress. www.ConquerProstateCancer.com
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Shift Your Perspective
You can’t eliminate stress completely. If you’re alive, you’re stressed. But you can react differently to the changes that cause stress. View change as an opportunity for growth. Take a step back from your life and view it as an outsider. Small shifts in perspective can make a huge difference.
Happy Hour Effect is an online resource and award-nominated health supplement company that helps you ease stress and promote work/life balance.www.HappyHourEffect.com
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Spin Your Feelings
All feelings have a spin. Feel the feeling and in which direction it is spinning (clockwise, coounter clockwise, vertical, horizontal). Make it spin fast. Take the spin outside your body and then reverse the spin. Faster. Then think of something REALLY funny and put it into the spin. Bring the spin back into your body and feel the stress is gone.
Seth-Deborah Roth, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Master NLP Practitioner and Nurse Anesthetist, specializes in the reduction of stress so you can lead a healthier life. The web site is informative about hypnosis and health as well as contacting her for in-person sessions, Skype sessions or conducting group management classes or speaking engagements. www.HypnotherapyforHealth.com
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A Finger Exercise for Stress
For an easy way to relax, hold each of your fingers, one at a time, for 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll find that this will ground you and help you release unwanted negative emotions to boot. See the top video of my website for detailed instructions.
Rev. Maria “Dancing Heart” Hoaglund, author of The Last Adventure of Life, is a transformational healer, and end-of-life and grief coach. Maria also delights in learning about and sharing the integrative, ancient modalities of healing.www.ChangeWithCourage.com
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Smile
Smile until you feel happy. It may take a while if you feel stressed, but your ‘smiling’ muscles will induce your brain to produce happy feelings and you will immediately feel more relaxed. Rinse and repeat!
Sile O’Broin, Founder and CEO of Natural Migraine Relief.www.NaturalMigraineReliefNow.com
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Don’t Be Perfect
Relieve your stress? 5 words: Let go of perfection and BREATHE! Perfection weighs on your heart, mind and body, imprisoning us in rigidity, not fluid flow. Feel the difference when you demand of yourself, “This has got to be perfect,” vs., “I always do my best.”
Adria Firestone, The Transformation Coach, enables her clients to harness their fears, voice their vision and change their lives. www.AdriaFirestone.com
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Shrink Your Mental Bandwidth
In this era of digital information overload, the continuous stream of emails and digital data creates a shrinking of what I call with my clients “mental bandwidth” – the capacity to think, dream, see perspectives, imagine the future. It is very important to make a deliberate effort to keep that mental bandwidth open, on the one hand by practicing meditation and on the other hand by becoming one’s own “data dietician”. Learn to process information more effectively so that it becomes a tool of empowerment rather than a form of distraction.
Stefania Lucchetti, author of The Principle of Relevance and professional speaker.www.StefaniaLucchetti.com
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More Finger Stuff
When stressed and anxious, you’re driven by emotions, not rational thought. Tap the fingers of the right hand (or left, if left-handed) for 45 seconds. This activates the left side of the brain, so logical thinking can guide your actions, rather than being a slave to your irrational, messy feelings.
Ann Dunnewold, Ph.D., is a psychologist and author whose mission is to arm individuals against our pressure cooker culture. She blogs at LIVING Self-Care, “Who Says?”, and at the sister sites, Imagined Magazine and Conducive Chronicle.
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Let Go of Who is Right
For relationship stress relief, let go of who is right. Each person has a unique perspective based on their history, experience and learning. Approach the other person with curiosity about their perspective rather than judgment. Besides, you don’t want to be in relationship with a loser. Do you?
Aila Accad, RN, is an award-winning, speaker, best selling author of “34 Instant Stress-Busters” and well-being coach, who specializes in quick stress relief techniques atwww.AilaSpeaks.com.
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Breathe from the Belly
Controlled Breathing unloads stress in 2 minutes. Here’s how: breathe from your belly, controlled in 4 steps: In, hold, out, hold, repeat. Perform each step to a slow count of 4. As you work up to a slow count of 6, then 8, you’re in a meditative state.
Dr. Tom Taylor is a 20-year practitioner and trainer in Bio-Energetics, nutrition and Mind-Body wellness. He is the co-author of the book and audio coaching program, CLEAN HOUSE – How to Live Well in the Body God Gave You, available atwww.VictoryForLeaders.com.
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Let Go of Control
To reduce stress I suggest writing down all of the aspects of your life where you feel responsible for outcome (work, family, church, community, etc). Take an honest look at how much authority/control you feel you have to meet those expectations. Addressing the discrepancies between accountability and authority will greatly reduce stress.
Dr. Robyn Odegaard, President, Champion Performance Development, partnering with successful and driven high performers to achieve more from their potential.www.ChampPerformance.com
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The Art of Presence
You can reduce stress by practicing the Art of Presence. The Art of Presence is a combination of your unique body posture and sharp mental awareness. It allows you to present yourself powerfully and positively by standing tall with your head held high. 3 simple tips: lift your lungs, put your ears over your shoulders, and breathe deeply.
Kristie Abruzzo is the owner of The Back Place and she teaches the Art of Presence to organizational groups and individuals. www.TheBackPlace.biz
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Breathe Into Life
We give life to whatever we breathe into. Usually, we breathe into our thoughts, which creates stress. If we had the ability to breathe into silence, that would be an immediate release from activating stressful thoughts. Imagine if a simple breath freed you from anxious thoughts in a second.
Marc Lerner, President of Life Skills Institute, wrote the book, A HEALTHY WAY TO BE SICK, to empower people in a health crisis and gives tele-seminars on the subject.http://LifeSkillsInc.com
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Replace Your Thoughts
Reduce your stress by replacing your thoughts. When you’re stressed, you’re thinking of things that make you anxious and uneasy. Try doing “Affirmations and Gratitudes.” Affirmations are stating positive things about yourself. Gratitudes are stating things we’re grateful for. Do 10 affirmations and gratitudes daily. Think positive and you’ll feel positive and act positive and be less stressed.
Fran Sherman is a South Florida psychotherapist who’s been in practice more than 25 years. She ‘s always got a helpful ear to lend in her private practice and at her website.www.AskTherapistFran.com
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Laugh
Laughter has been proven to not only reduce stress but also aid heart health, lower cholesterol and impact weight loss. We have CD of contagious laughter that helps people get in touch with their ‘inner laugh’ so they can destress.
Betty Hoeffner, creator of Laughtercising(tm) is the author of the “Stop Bullying Handbook” which is a step-by-step resource to help youth understand and protect themselves and others from bullying. She is Co-Founder and President of Hey U.G.L.Y. – Unique Gifted Lovable You, the nonprofit dedicated to helping youth counter bullying.www.HeyUgly.org
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A Song and a Dance
Sing. Dance. Or just listen to these perfect for helping us get through those stressful times in life. Singer/songwriter Karen Taylor-Good sums up her philosophy with the song “What If” — what if everything that makes me sad turns out to be not so bad? What if everything in life’s a gift? Enjoy “Lighten Up” – no way to stay stressed with this toe tapping bit of wisdom Stressing over aging parents, or loss of a friend or loved one? Try “On Angel’s Wings” or “Sometimes Love Means Letting Go” , or “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye” for a new perspective. Parents facing the overwhelming stress of caring for a special needs child find great comfort in “The Life That’s Chosen Me”. Tune in to “I’m Not That Powerful” – reminding us that we can’t fix everyone or everything. Acknowledge the stress with “Real Men Cry” or “Spin Cycle”. Or just dance the stress (and maybe a few pounds!) away with the “Feel Good Song” or “Happy Dance” or “I just feel like waltzing today.”
Karen Taylor-Good is a Grammy nominated singer/songwriter, author and speaker. She writes music for grownups and helps us move on through life’s big – and little – stresses. www.KarenTaylorGood.com
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Create Life Affirming Space
Creating surroundings that say I am important and worthwhile as a person. I deserve to live in a way I am proud of. By starting with well organized attractively decorated space I am taking the first step to creating a blessed not stressed life.
Michael Love, Interior designer and a Fellow of the American Society of Interior Designers. www.InteriorOptions.com
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A Relaxation Technique
Close your eyes. Place feet flat on the floor. On each exhalation repeat your name for 25 breaths. Add a word on the inhalation that you want to embody. E.g. relaxed, peaceful, quiet, serene. Repeat this word on the inhalation and your name on the exhalation for another 20 breaths.
Catherine Ewing Rinker, owner, coach, psychotherapist, minister, energy healer, Reawaken Your Dreamer. Spirit Matters, LLC www.ReawakenYourDreamer.com
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Try Mudras
Ancient gestures called mudras can ease your stress. Use them anywhere, anytime. Try one. Hold your hands up at ear level and rotate them like leaves twirling. Soon your hands will feel heavy. This is long enough. Feel all the tension leaving your hands when you finish.
Emily Fuller Williams is the author of “Mudras: Ancient Gestures to Ease Modern Stress.” Emily has practiced massage therapy since the 1980′s with an emphasis on its emotional benefits. www.InnerPeaceMudras.com.
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Run
Nothing beats running for stress relief and mental clarity. The endorphin rush is like nature’s valium! After an evening run, I sleep like a baby and wake up completely refreshed.
Lisa Hall, human resources professional, marathon runner, and author of Taking Charge of Your Own Health. www.TheProactivePatient.com
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Set Boundaries
Become comfortable saying no to non-essential task requests from others. If spending more quality time with your family is your goal, then taking time away from them to raise funds for a non-profit organization (while a very worthy undertaking) may need to wait for another time in your life.
Candi Wingate is the founder of Nannies4Hire.com and Care4Hire.com, and author of 100 Tips for Nannies & Families and The Nanny Factor: A Parent’s Guide to Finding the Right Nanny for Your Family.
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Adjust Expectations
The key to understanding stress is knowing how you cause yourself to be stressed. This formula explains that… stress ==> expectations≠reality. You get stressed when what you expect to be happening does not match what you perceive is happening. In short, you can reduce your stress by adjusting your expectations or changing how you choose to view your situation (reality). When expectations = reality, there is no stress.
Ed Daube PhD, The Emotions Doctor, author of Emotions as Tools: A Self Help Guide to Controlling Your Life not Your Feelings. www.EmotionsAsTools.com
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Gratitude
We learn to replace daily agonizing regrets, lost loves, forbidden pleasures, wealth never gained, grinding jobs, deadly duties, with kinder, simpler, less expensive delights. Daily thanks for friends, hugs, jokes, tenting adventures in camp sites cloaked in green trees, shimmering water rippling deliciously under clear skies, pork and beans sizzling warmly in well worn pans.
Pauline Duncan-Thrasher, Communication Speaker/Trainer.www.CommunicationExcellence.com
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Cardiovascular Exercises
If your day tends to leave you feeling stressed, cardiovascular exercises are the way to go.Cardiovascular fitness training reduces the heart’s response to psychological stress. Aerobic exercise also offers protection against the risk of coronary heart disease. So, the next time you feel stressed, go for a quick 20-minute run or put in your favorite cardio kickboxing DVD.
Scott Schmaltz, Fitness Trainer. www.CustomWorkoutVideos.com
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