TEN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

Did you know that a recent Stanford
University study conducted by cellular biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton concluded
that “over 95% of all illnesses occur because of stress in the body’s autonomic
nervous system”?

Did you also know that stress can seriously accelerate the rate at which you
age because of the incredible strain it puts on your body?



Stress was already at alarming levels before these past few months, but it’s
now at critical levels for so many of us. There is no escaping the media
coverage of the planet's recent economical debacles and everyone, at some
point, will feel some pain in their pocketbook.



Most of us have never (EVER) thought about how dangerous stress can be to our
health and as a result very few of us make the conscious effort to manage
stress so it doesn’t take over our lives.



Granted, a recent survey shows that normal levels of stress doesn’t harm
someone, but high levels of stress can lead to negative health conditions like:

• Heart palpitations


• Panic/anxiety attacks


• Chest pain


• Dizziness


• Depression


• Chronic fatigue (constant
  tiredness)


• Chronic headaches, etc.

Stress
can also change one’s personality and affect how someone interact and deal with
others. For example when you look at problems like anger, irritability,
aggressiveness, verbal abuse, mood swings and road rage, you can see how they
can be brought on by too much stress in your life.



When stress gets out of hand, it’s time to find practical ways to slow down and
lower your stress levels.



Here are 10 easy stress-reducing activities you can do right now to help lower
your negative stress levels:

1.   Turn off the TV: This
might sound obvious but watching the financial news channels all day long will
only increase your stress level since they report on the persistent downs in
the stock market on a minute-by-minute basis.

2.  Go for a walk: This time
of the year is so precious, especially if you live in an area with tons of
trees. Take time to reconnect with Mother Nature and take time to escape from
all the bad news.

3.  Call up a friend: Sometimes,
just the fact of spending time with a friend over a cup of coffee or a walk can
make a huge difference to the way you feel. Don’t underestimate the power of
human contact and friendship when times are difficult.

4.  Take advantage of free events:
Each city has a list of weekly free activities that are open to the public.
Grab a newspaper and find out which ones might interest you and go out there
and discover something new!

5.   Hang out at your favorite bookstore: This
is an activity I’ve always enjoyed so much. For example you can spend hours
just browsing and looking at the latest books. Who knows, this might spark your
creative juices!

6.  De-clutter your
home: An average Nigerian have closets and even garages filled with
products that they’ve bought and never used. In many cases, a lot of us still
have sales tags on items that are just sitting there. This might be the perfect
time to clean up your home and organize a garage sale or you take your clothing
to secondhand stores. 

    Remember that someone’s junk is someone
else’s treasure. Also, because times are tougher, many people will turn to
secondhand stores and garage sales to find affordable items for themselves or
to give as gifts during the Holidays. 

7.  Treat yourself to a hot bubble bath
by candlelight: This is such a relaxing activity. If you take as little as
thirty minutes to soak away your worries, you’ll feel like a new person. 

8.  Bake your favorite cookies or your
favorite cake: Nothing is more comforting than homemade desserts and
cookies. Why not take time to make some and take the time to enjoy them. The
activity of baking will get your mind off of things and your hands working.
Now, you might have to buy a few extra ingredients that you don’t usually store
in your pantry, but this stress-reducing activity should not cost you much.



Note: If you are stressed everyday, please don't eat a cake everyday. This is
for occasional use only!

9.   Brew a special cup of tea or
coffee and sit down in your favorite chair: Grab a book or your favorite
hobby magazine and take some “me” time. Even if you’re able to take 30 minutes
of “me” time while the kids are away to their summer lessons … this will do you
a world of good. 

10.Update your photo album: We usually take photos of
the happy times we want to remember. By updating your photo album and putting
in recent photos you’ve not had the time to file yet, you can be transported to
those times where you were happy and smiling.

      The feeling from this
activity will surely lift your spirits and lower your stress levels. 

Sometimes
the simplest things can be extremely effective and because there is no (or
little) investment of money, you can start putting these stress-busters to
effective use immediately!