Chronic Stress:32 Quick Ways to Relax

Stress or tension is part of everyone’ life.Problems we all face, its how we react to them and still relax, which makes all the difference. We had planned for our daughter’s future education, by starting a  fund for her with a notable Insurance company. The agent was somebody who was having a business relationship with us. We had wanted a lump sum amount available for the future. Accordingly, we signed the necessary documents and received the insurance papers. The really stupid mistake was not perusing the document carefully. 2 years have passed since starting the policy.6months back while getting our papers in the order I discovered the sum assured will be paid on maturity in 10 half-yearly installments. Our main purpose of the investment was definitely not met. We were truly shocked. On careful perusal of that particular policy’s term online we realized there actually were two options for payment. The default option was lump sum at maturity with a choice of the other option, if wanted. For 6 months we tried to get a straight reply from the agent. But till date mystery’s still unfolding and we are in limbo. Why such a story about insurance? I really believe we should live the healthiest life possible. But we truly have to be ready for all eventualities. This actually means less worry! Taking advice and delegating is important. But more important probably is to do your research before taking important decisions. You really have to look after your own garden! What are the causes of your stress? Maybe the solution to a problem is just around the corner. You probably don’t want to overlook any potential problems or their solution. You don’t like to face sudden unpleasant surprises. You like being responsible. Now   Ask yourself these questions… 1)Have you taken adequate health-insurance? 2)Do you have Term life insurances of the right amount? 3)Do  you   have a  nest  egg  fund  for  emergencies 4)What is the status of your Savings? 5) What about retirement planning? When do you plan to retire? Are you keeping at least   10%   of your monthly salary for retirement? 6)What are your health worries? 7)What are your worries about your family? 8)Are you satisfied with your Job?  You should read the book ‘16  Personal  Financial  Principles Every Investor should know by Manish Chauhan of Jago Investor.This book will help you streamline solutions to many of your money issues. All   your   worries  may  be  divided  into :

• Health worries
• Family  worries
• Wealth  or  career worries
• Social worries

The biggest drain on financial resources can be healthcare costs. I want you to live a healthier life, but you really can’t be physically 100% healthy without mental peace. Only when you have planned and ready for emergencies, you will cut down on the excessive worries. Chronic stress: 32 ways to beat it!

• Increased stress can cause  and aggravate
• Elevated Blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Asthma
• Sleep problems
• Chest pain
• Stomach upset
• Sexual and reproductive problems, including infertility.
• Smoking alcoholism and substance abuse make stress worse.
• Increases weight/obesity

Cognitive symptoms of stress

Excessive pessimism Poor judgment and focus Forgetfulness, and disorganization. Too much clutter and outer chaos is a sign of inner stress and

Some behavior indicating stress include

Pacing, fidgeting, and nail-biting.

Interestingly stress can show up as a physical symptom too

Upset stomach, headaches, low energy, aches, pains, tense muscles, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, frequent colds, infections, etc. Stress causes a surge of excess corticosteroids in your body. They can play havoc with your immunity. Thats definitely not good.

Stress facts

1)43% of adults suffer the adverse health effects of chronic stress. 2)70% to 90%  of doctors visit is due to stress-related complaints. 3)Up to 50% of emotional disorders during a person lifetime is due to untreated chronic stress. 4)Women have a much larger area of the brain involved in emotions. We worry more because our emotional quotient is also higher. Since we have more empathy, we worry for ourselves, for our family and for our friends. Get rid of the chronic stressors. This weekend take time to write everything that is worrying you. Get started using this checklist. What worries you most about your finances and your insurances. How can you deal with the problems quickly and effectively? What is your personal life stresses you most? What are the stressors in Professional life? Write these all down in 1/2/3   pages. Next, write to be done, maybe later, delete next to all the topics you have covered. You will now find that your list of problems seems much smaller and more manageable.

32 Quick ways for Stress management:Relax

1)Know your priorities and delegate the less important. Health and family are the most important. 2)Keep some ‘me’ time every day. Preferably in the morning. Pause for 10  min to 25 min. Meditate. Tai -chi has also been known to decrease stress. Meditation programs can result in small to moderate reduction of multiple negative dimensions of psychological stress. 3)Read a good book. Few pages every day.Fiction, nonfiction, anything you enjoy at bedtime.I love murder mysteries. They help me unwind after a long day of managing patients. 3)Start a small garden: Gardening is therapy for tired minds.  Watching things grow will make you happier and the color green is naturally relaxing. My balcony garden 4)Breathe deeply. Sit with your back straight. One hand on your stomach.The other over your chest. While breathing in, hand on your stomach should move much more than the other hand. Release your breath slowly and make it really slow.

Breathing exercise to decrease stress

5.Set small goals and reward yourself when you are able to meet them.

1. Organize yourself. Clutter is a known stress inducer.
2. Listen to music. Sound of the waterfall, rainfall, birds chirping is all relaxing.
3. Laugh. Laughter is truly the best medicine. Read funny stories, watch cartoons! Just laugh. Good laughter releases endorphins in our brain, which are natural feel-good chemicals.

9.Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts, actions in the present. It helps us focus on the now. Whenever you find your mind wandering, stop, focus. Preventing multi-thinking and multitasking cuts down on stress. Studies with war veterans have shown the positive effect of mindfulness on decreasing stress.

1. Make friends. Socializing is one of the best ways to unwind. Even if you are an introvert make it a point to meet people at least once or twice a week.

• Look for the silver lining in the cloud. Think positive and speak positively. Sometimes if you can’t speak well, it’s better not to Speak! Take  a break and come  back when  you  are  calmer

12. Talk to a close friend or trusted counselor. Sharing   can  really  make   your  grief   lighter 13.Exercise.Walk, run, jog, yoga kickboxing…  anything. Aerobic exercises: jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, help in fighting stress. Mood improvements are caused by exercise-induced increase in blood circulation to the brain and by an influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative moods. It improves self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise also helps to improve low self-esteem and social withdrawal. Health  benefits  of  exercise include:

• Improved   sleep
• Increased  interest  in  sex
• Better  endurance
• Stress  relief
• Improvement  in  mood
• Increased   energy  and  stamina
• Reduced tiredness  that  can  increase  mental  alertness
• Weight  reduction
• Reduced  cholesterol  and  improved  cardiovascular  fitness

14. Be grateful. Give your loved ones a hug and a kiss. Count your blessings and be grateful for the wonderful people you have in your life. Gratitude is a very powerful emotion and can truly help you realize the power of positive thinking. Try keeping a gratitude journal. Research has proved that writing down 3 to  10 things you are grateful for once a week has a positive effect. Thankful Thursdays are my way.

1. Whenever you start worrying do a brain dump. Imagine a black hole in your brain where you throw in all the worries. Just concentrate on the blackness of the hole and relax.

• Do a gradual, progressive muscle relaxation. Start from your right foot, then left and move upwards. You can actually relax the muscles in your temple by concentrating ….just using your mind. This technique helps to relax the tight muscles and is a well-known technique to counteract sleep problems.
• Start a new hobby. Learn something new. Distraction works. Your  brain while  busy learning, stops worrying
• Start relaxing and losing weight. Stress causes excessive release of cortisol, a fat storing hormone. This can make you fat. Letting go of worries helps you lose weight is a great boost for all of us.

19. Don’t be a night owl. Have dinner and start unwinding at least 2/ 3  hours before  bedtime 20.Sleep.A least 7 hours at night. Less than 6 hours of sleep and more than 8 hours both are associated with an increased risk of stroke.

1. Have a peaceful bedroom. Keep your phone away in a different room in silent mode when you are going to bed. Preferably no television in your bedroom. You can check out The Inspired room blog for budget-friendly ways to make your bedroom your sanctuary.

• Don’t have caffeine before going to bed. Decrease your caffeine intake to 2/3 cups per day.
• Try to avoid long commutes. Commuting by any means for more than 10 miles every day has been known to

cause, fatigue, insomnia, and many health problems.

1. Avoid processed food . Packaged, processed food increase the level of cortisol hormone in your body. Signaling your brain to be in a stressful mode.

• Stop checking your inbox multiple times every day. Try doing it twice a day. Keeping  up  with the  information overload is tough

26. Drink green tea, white tea, chamomile tea, all are known to relax the mind and body.

1. Spend time with your family, play with children.

28.Delegate time for discussing problems. Try to avoid prolonged rants about the boss, office, in-laws, maids, etc. Spend 10 minutes ranting, then just disconnect. Don’t  let the bad mood, spoil the family time 29.Practice self-control. Angry words hurt. Whenever you find yourself losing your temper, breathe deeply, count to 10 and stop talking. 30.Visual Relaxation therapy: Visualize a happy moment in your childhood.A peaceful location where you have visited. Visual therapy helps calm a stormy mind.

1. Make a pact with a friend /partner/family member. Put money in a jar if you find yourself obsessively worrying about something. At least if you are a chronic worrier it may just make you rich!

32.Love and make love…one of the best ways to release endorphin and counter the effects of stress in your body.

The  diet which helps you Relax

• Eat complex carbohydrates like oatmeal which prevent blood sugar surges and mood swings(Sugars promote serotonin production in the brain which is feel-good chemicals.
• Pistachios, almonds. Vitamin E and the good fat in this help fight stress-related antioxidant damage.
• Oranges( they are rich in Vitamin C, helps to boost immunity and fight stress-related antioxidant damage to our tissues).
• Naturally, fatty fishes are rich in omega 3 fatty acids
• Spinach, leafy greens ..they are rich in magnesium which helps prevent headache due to stress
• A glass of warm milk at bedtime. Provides enough calcium to fight anxiety and depression.But it may not be for everyone.
• Have a piece of dark chocolate.
• Practically an unbeatable source of endorphin.

Take home message Worries and stress are a part and parcel of life. There are as many solutions as there are causes. Whether worries and stress are allowed to take over your life, depends entirely on you. There will always be some reason to worry and you must already be having your own way to cope with them. In this article, I have compiled  32 solutions to beat stress(don’t worry over the list)! Most of them must already be using to cope with the various challenges in your life. The others will help you some more. Lifestyle and dietary changes are very important. More important is your mindset. You can choose to not let stress ruin you. Take some action now to get rid of the silent disease stress. Small goals, definite goals.Slow,steady,persistent.Take charge. Live life to the fullest. Be grateful. Be stress-free! REFERENCES: 1)Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Goyal M1, Singh S1, Sibinga EM2, Gould NF3, Rowland-Seymour A1, Sharma R4, Berger Z1, Sleicher D3, Maron DD4, Shihab HM4, Ranasinghe PD1, Linn S4,Saha S2, Bass EB5, Haythornthwaite JAJAMA Intern Med. 2014 Mar;174(3):357-68. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018. 2) Mind/body techniques for physiological and psychological stress reduction: stress management via Tai Chi training – a pilot study. Esch T1, Duckstein J, Welke J, Braun V. Med Sci Monit. 2007 Nov;13(11):CR488-497. 3)The effects of relaxation on reducing depression, anxiety and stress in women who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer.Fahimeh Kashani,1 Sima Babaee, MSc,2 Masoud Bahrami, PhD,3 and Mahboobeh Valiani, MSc4.Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2012 Jan-Feb; 17(1): 30–33.PMCID: PMC3590692 4)Stress: Neurobiology, consequences and management .Anil Kumar, Puneet Rinwa, Gurleen Kaur, and Lalit Machawal.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2013 Apr-Jun;; 5(2): 91–97. 5)Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) reduces anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in veterans.  Serpa JG1, Taylor SL, Tillisch K.Med Care. 2014 Dec;52(12 Suppl 5):S19-24. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000202. 6)Relaxation training for anxiety: a ten-years systematic review with meta-analysis  .Gian Mauro Manzoni12*, Francesco Pagnini2, Gianluca Castelnuovo13 and Enrico Molinari13 7)The effects of an intensive lifestyle modification program on sleep and stress disorders.Merrill RM1, Aldana SG, Greenlaw RL, Diehl HA, Salberg A.J Nutr Health Aging. 2007 May-Jun;11(3):242-8. J Nutr Health Aging. 2007 May-Jun;11(3):242-8. 8)Effects of exercise on anxiety, depression and mood [in Polish] Psychiatr    Guszkowska M.Pol.2004;38:611–620.