Four Quick De-stress Tips For Your Body

In nursing school I learned that 85% of all illness and dis-ease is caused by Stress. Why do we continue to treat the symptoms rather than the cause? In this article you will learn four quick tips to treat the cause of stress in your body.

What is Stress? Hans Selye coined the terms stess, and general adaptation syndrome (GAS), a complex of reactions to prolonged unrelieved stress, in 1936. Briefly, we have primitive fight and flight responses which are designed to effectively help us deal with immediate threats to survival. When these responses are engaged for long periods without rest deterioration of the body ensues.

Chronic stress keeps the immune system shut down resulting in chronic illness.Unfortunately, a lot of us are on "red alert" for long periods in this high-pressure culture. It is important to give your body some much needed rest and supplies to combat the fatigue of long-term stress.Here are some quick and easy tips for de-stressing your body.

They take very little time to do and pay off greatly in not only reducing stress, but also in building more energy and stamina.These tips are simple and practical to incorporate into your busy schedule. Yet, I think you will agree that in our hectic days we often ignore these basic human needs.

Tip 1~ BreatheTake a moment before going on to the next task in your day for this simple act: take a deep breath, center yourself and smile. What a difference that moment will make toward relaxing and restoring your body and mind for the next situation.Why it works~When the body stresses, breathing becomes shallow. You may even notice that you hold your breath. Consciously taking a deep breath gives your cells the oxygen they need, so the body begins to relax and the mind is sharper. When you take that breath deep into the pelvic floor, you will find you stand up straighter and feel more centered and balanced. Standing strong and in charge of your next step feels great, so smile. When you smile, you actually feel better. Your body takes that physical cue as an indication that you are happy, so endorphins start to flow. A genuine smile cues everyone around you too. You may find that others respond better to you as well. Take this simple action several times today. Feel the difference it makes in your outlook at the end of the day. Teach it to others and see the difference it can make in the whole group!

Tip 2~ EatTaking just a few moments for you, before giving to others is time well spent. Now, you are giving from your abundance rather than from an empty basket. Think about your nutritionally empty cells for a moment. Pack a piece of fruit, some nuts, raisins or other quick snacks to have on hand when you feel the need to work beyond meal breaks. Something you can grab fast instead of donuts, candy or fast food from the vending machine. This does not require elaborate preparation, or time. Grab a zip lock bag, throw in a few unsalted nuts, dried berries, raisins, or other dried fruits, or natural foods you like in it, and put it in your pocket, purse or desk.

I also have supplements in my energy pack. Take a handful or two whenever you feel a hunger pang or drop in energy.Why it works~A small change in eating can create a huge increase in energy levels immediately and in health over time. Your cells need nutrients to produce energy for work and to regenerate when they are under stress. Fast food, sugar and salt actually have a deteriorating effect on the body. Sugar can provide a temporary high, but to balance that high the body will rebound with an equal or greater low.You actually have less energy in the end. Eating a little bit of nutritious food every couple of hours not only feeds the cells what they need, it also has side benefits. When your body knows you are going to feed it regularly, it stops packing on fat to prevent you from starving. You won't get so famished you would eat anything in sight as long as it is fast (donuts, chips, fast food). As a bonus, your body may also release a few unneeded pounds, which can make everything feel lighter.

Tip 3 ~ Drink WaterMost of us have gotten into the habit of drinking many things our body cannot use (caffeine, sugar, carbonation). Replace one beverage a week with pure water and feel the rejuvenation in your cells. Ease into this change by replacing just one soda or cup of coffee with a glass water each week. Over a few weeks, your body will actually desire more water, and the transition becomes easy. You will find that your body prefers water once you get started. Keep a mug of water on your desk, or strap on one of those water bottles, so you always have some with you. Sip it all day long. Yes, you will need to take precious time to pee more often at first. This is time well spent. Once your body gets used to the idea that you will be giving it the valuable water it needs regularly, it will stop retaining water. Your drinking and peeing ratio will level out in a couple of days. As your cells re-hydrate, you will look and feel younger and more vibrant.Why it works~Our cells are predominantly water. We need to replace the water lost from sweating, tears and the body's heating and cooling system on a continuous basis. Dehydration is associated with decreased energy, increased hunger, tiredness, and aging wrinkled skin. In addition to actually drinking water, you can eat more water-based foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables for hydration. Another good reason for replacing carbonated beverages with water is that carbonation leaches minerals from your body.

Tip 4 ~ RestTake a break every couple of hours or whenever possible. There have been many studies proving that workers who take a break increase their productivity. While you are taking that break, stretch your arms, back and legs. Most animals stretch regularly. Watch a cat or dog sometime, and notice how often they stretch.Why it works~Stretching improves the elasticity and mobility of the body, which allows for more relaxed movement and less tension. Resting the body and the mind to a state of quiet opens the senses and the mind for more presence in the moment, creativity and peace. When you create some spaces in your day, you can experience more of what is present and come up with creative solutions to stressful situations.Putting the pieces together~While you are taking that stretch break for 5-10 minutes, have a glass of water, pop some of those nutritional snacks, take a deep, deep breath into the floor of your pelvis, let it out and smile. Feel the return of energy and relaxation to your body, clarity to your mind, and caring to your heart.When you feel stressed and depleted, try these simple tips for incorporating the basic needs of your body ~ breathing, eating, drinking water and rest ~ into your hectic day. Experience for yourself how taking care of YOU, provides the precious resources you need to do what needs to be done from a place of strength and abundance.Copyright (c) 2008 Aila Accad

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With over 30 years of education and experience in personal and interpersonal growth, Aila Accad is an RN, Speaker, Trainer, Author, Certified Well-Being & Life Coach and founder of LifeQuest International, LLC. She has been tagged the 'De-Stress Maven' more at www.ailaspeaks.com

Anger Management Skills

Knowing that you need to better understand this topic I recommend that you take a few minutes to read what we have to say. Surly it would help to get a grasp on Anger Management Skills. Anger is a lifelike emotion, it is not possible for anybody not to be angry as we face different circumstances. Some people may respond very harshly to their feelings and therefore their saying creates problems.

The flare-up of anger should not upset our relationships with family members and colleagues at work place. Therefore we must learn the anger management for well being of everybody around us. We need to talk with counselor if we are facing this problem again and again.

Now tougher laws are in force therefore it's more significant now than ever for everyone to take obligation for their behavior. People who could not help themselves in controlling anger need to learn the Anger management skills. To master the anger people should share the feeling with somebody who may understand them.

If you get together with any anger management camp then you will come to know the success stories of other people. Also you may will find a support group. If you feel that your anger is truly not controllable you might study counseling to learn how to deal with it in a better way better. There are anger management classes and groups which helps us to change our behavioral pattern.

In these classes with late research, many different strategies and skills for anger management intervention have been well-tried and tested.as Relaxation skill for example helps to bring down the anger arousal. It also influence your overall mind clarity and it fundamentally targets both emotional and physiologic Arousal attached with the anger. Cognitive interventions target in information processing and cognitive appraisals.

It helps to identify distorted patterns of thinking, develop more reality-based. Actual expression of anger is targeted by behavioral coping and sociable skills. It includes interpersonal communication, negotiation, feedback and parenting, budgeting and fiscal planning, self-asserting communication. Problem resolution skills are useful to key the problem, generate alternative solutions, reckon the consequences of each solution and selecting an efficient and appropriate response. Other strategies let in avoiding situations that make one angry, ever-changing environments, concentrate on something positive, engaging in substitute positive activities, and improving communication and sociable skills.

Another skill to consider is humor that is very useful if it is constructive. Numerous integrated and prepackaged programs are prepared for people to learn to cope their anger more effectively. It is useful to practice skills learned in counseling to one's natural environment. It may be classroom, the workplace or even home.

In school a counselor may work with a student separately to develop more efficient anger management skills... for further information on this topic, please check our web site by following our link below... Thank you for taking the time to read my article it is greatly appreciated. Try searching through my other articles.

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Michael Malega presents several anger management skills articles for your information. You can visit Michael's web site at: Anger Management Skills www.anger-management-skills.com/Anger-Management-Skills.php

Are Yoga And Meditation Good For My Brain? A Scientific Take On Stress Management

Yes!Yoga, meditation, and visualization are all excellent ways to learn to manage your stress levels. Reducing stress, and the stress hormones, in your system is critical to your brain and overall fitness.Why is this so? It’s clear that our society has changed faster than our genes.

Instead of being faced with physical, immediately life-threatening crises that demand instant action, these days we deal with events and illnesses that gnaw away at us slowly, without any stress release.Dr. Robert Sapolsky, in an interview about his book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, points out that humans uniquely “can get stressed simply with thought, turning on the same stress response as does the zebra.” But, the zebra releases the stress hormones through life-preserving action, while we usually just keep muddling along, getting more anxious by the moment.Prolonged exposure to the adrenal steroid hormones like cortisol, released during the stress response, can damage the brain and block the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus, which is the key player in encoding new memories in your brain.

Recent studies have shown these neurons can be regenerated with learning and environmental stimulation, but while short-term stress may improve attention and memory, chronic stress leads indirectly to cell death and hampers our ability to make changes and be creative enough to even think of possible changes to reduce the stress.What are the best defenses against chronic stress?- Exercise strengthens the body and can reduce the experience of stress, depression, and anxiety.- Relaxation through meditation, tai chi, yoga, or other techniques to lower blood pressure, slow respiration, slow metabolism, and release muscle tension.- Biofeedback programs that provide real-time information, allowing you to learn effective techniques for reducing stress levels.- Empowerment, because attitudes of personal confidence and control of your environment resolve the stress response.- Social network of friends, family, and even pets help foster trust, support, and relaxation.

If you want to learn more about the science behind these recommendations, you can enjoy these scientific papers:- Bedard M, Felteau M, Mazmanian D, Fedyk K, Klein R, Richardson J, Parkinson W, Minthorn-Biggs MB. Pilot evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention to improve quality of life among individuals who sustained traumatic brain injuries. Disabil Rehabil. 2003;25:722-31.- Bremner JD. Traumatic stress: effects on the brain. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2006;8:445-61.- Czeh B, Muller-Keuker JI, Rygula R, Abumaria N, Hiemke C, Domenici E, Fuchs E. Chronic Social Stress Inhibits Cell Proliferation in the Adult Medial Prefrontal Cortex: Hemispheric Asymmetry and Reversal by Fluoxetine Treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2006 Dec 13; [Epub ahead of print].- Warner-Schmidt JL, Duman RS. Hippocampal neurogenesis: opposing effects of stress and antidepressant treatment. Hippocampus. 2006;16:239-49.- Sapolsky, RM. Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (Owl Books; 2004). ISBN: 0805073698Copyright (c) 2007 SharpBrains


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Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains.com, which provides the latest science-based information for Cognitive Fitness and Cognitive Health, and has been recognized by Scientific American Mind, MarketWatch, Forbes, and more. Alvaro holds MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches The Science of Brain Health at UC-Berkeley Lifelong Learning Institute. You can learn more at www.sharpbrains.com/