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10 Ways to
Help Relieve Stress
Are you feeling
overwhelmed? Do you need help controlling
your stress? If so, here are some ways that
have helped me improve my stress.
1)
Give breathing exercises a try.
First, turn on some relaxing music. Then sit
in a comfortable chair or lay down on a
couch. Close your eyes. Shake your arms and
legs to loosen them. Relax. Breathe in
through your nose, hold it for a second, and
slowly exhale through your mouth. Let the
tension melt away from your muscles. Focus
on your breathing, not on your problems. Do
this at least ten times. If you have medical
problems see your doctor first before doing
this breathing exercise.
2)
Go for a quiet walk and do breathing
exercises (same as above but with eyes open)
to calm you.
3)
If you're able and in good health,
try physical excursion to relief stress.
Take up running, kick-boxing, tennis, dance,
racquetball, aerobics, etc. If I feel really
stressed, quick physical movements which I
have to focus on helps.
4)
Take up tai chi or yoga. If you've
tried yoga before and didn't like it, I've
been there. I don't like slow yoga with
strange positions that are uncomfortable.
But there are different kinds of yoga
classes. I found a yoga class I like. It's
more of a regular girl stretching class with
breathing exercises. If you have a medical
condition you should talk to your doctor
before picking a sport or physical activity
to do.
5)
If you are limited in mobility as far
as sports and don't want to try yoga or tai
chi, take up a hobby. Knitting, playing the
flute, etc. Even planting flowers or doing
dishes can help. The point is to get your
mind off the problem that is stressing you
and focus on something else.
6)
Watch funny movies which make you
laugh. Or read a funny book.
7)
Get a massage to relax your muscles.
Just make sure you get a masseuse that
doesn't make tense necks or backs worse. Get
a recommendation.
8)
Take a relaxing bath. I do deep
breathing in the bath to combat stress.
9)
Try visualization. Before bed or
during a quiet moment sit back with closed
eyes. Visualize yourself in a beautiful
place, like on a quiet beach. Smile. Feel
your stress melt away. If it won't,
visualize yourself having fun. Having a
picnic. Throwing a ball to your dog. Give
your mind a break from thinking about
problems.
10)
Try meditation. You can get a book on
it or take a class. Depending on where you
live there could be a variety of classes
offered. If you have tried meditation and
find it hard, you're not alone. My mind has
a hard time being still. I think about how I
have laundry to wash, which makes me think
about how my stinky dog needs a good wash,
which leads me to think how I need to buy
her dog food, etc. That's why I listed 10
ways to help with stress and not just one. |
