Stress Busters
A palette of techniques you can use to manage stress!
In today's world, everyone's stress level is high. You can take charge of your own stress using some common-sense techniques you probably already know about, and adding a few new ones.....
Deep and Balanced Breathing
You can calm yourself simply by changing your breathing in specific ways.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
By tensing your muscles, and then relaxing them, you become aware of any tension you were previously holding in those muscles.
Mindfulness
An exercise in noticing what's around (or in) you, without judgement.
When you get good at this, try it with your emotions. How would an alien describe anger, sadness, loneliness, fear, anxiety, grief, etc.? What about love, joy, peace, satisfaction, gratitude, etc.? Remember to include both the emotional and physical components of each feeling. While you're at it, notice how many feelings (even opposing ones) you can hold in your mind/body at the same time.
Positive Imagination
An exercise in using your imaginative "Super Power" for good
Safe Place
An exercise in using your powers of fantasy to create the most comforting environment imaginable.
You can calm yourself simply by changing your breathing in specific ways.
- Notice your breathing. Without changing it in any way, count how many seconds each inhale lasts and how many seconds each exhale lasts.
- Balance it. Adjust the inhale, the exhale, or both so that they each last the same amount of time.
- Lengthen it. Gradually lengthen the duration of each breath until it is longer than it was when you started, but is still comfortable.
- Deepen it. Place an open palm on your belly just below your navel. When you breathe in, draw the air all th way down into your belly allowing it to expand - pushing your hand outward. When you exhale, allow the belly to deflate and your to drop toward your spine.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
By tensing your muscles, and then relaxing them, you become aware of any tension you were previously holding in those muscles.
- Sit or lie down and get comfortable
- Tense up the toes of both feet as tight as you can get them. Hold the tension for a few seconds.
- Relax those same muscles and imagine them melting into whatever they are resting on, as if they were butter. Notice how good that feels.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 on each set of muscles you can isolate - beginning with the feet and moving to the legs, thighs, pelvis, buttocks. belly, lower back, chest, upper back, upper arms, lower arms, hand, neck, jaw and eye area.
Mindfulness
An exercise in noticing what's around (or in) you, without judgement.
- Choose an item you can hold in your hand.
- Study this item as if you were an alien from another planet and you had never seen this item before. Try to learn everything that is possible to learn about it using your 5 senses. Observe without judgement: nothing is good, bad, better or worse than anything else. It simply is.
- Notice the colors. If you were to paint this object, how many colors would you need in your palette?
- Notice in detail the shape(s), the texture, the size, the weight
- What can you do with this item? Does it bounce? Float? Sink? Can you squeeze it? Taste it? If so describe the taste.
When you get good at this, try it with your emotions. How would an alien describe anger, sadness, loneliness, fear, anxiety, grief, etc.? What about love, joy, peace, satisfaction, gratitude, etc.? Remember to include both the emotional and physical components of each feeling. While you're at it, notice how many feelings (even opposing ones) you can hold in your mind/body at the same time.
Positive Imagination
An exercise in using your imaginative "Super Power" for good
- Think of a goal you'd like to reach
- Get comfortable, close your eyes and imagine that you've already met your goal. What would that feel like emotionally? Physically? What new thoughts/beliefs would you have about yourself? What beliefs would melt away? How would your body movements change - your gait, posture, walking speed, etc.? If you like, draw a picture of it, write a song or poem, or create a dance.
Safe Place
An exercise in using your powers of fantasy to create the most comforting environment imaginable.
- Imagine the safest place you can think of - real or imaginary. Would it be on a beach? In the mountains? A field of flowers? A cave? Your bedroom? Floating in the clouds? Swimming under water? Choose a place where no other people are present. Animals are ok as long as nothing about them will bring you any sadness or uncomfortable feelings.
- Imagine you are in that place, as comfortable as you can imagine feeling.
- What are you seeing in that place as you look around? List several things and imagine exactly what each one would look like.
- What do you smell? Imagine it.
- What do you hear? Imagine it.
- Do you taste anything, such as salty air? Or perhaps you are eating or drinking something - if so, what does it feel like in your mouth?
- What do you feel on your skin? Feel where you center of gravity is. Whatever is supporting your weight, feel that against your body.
3 Golden Oldies Rules for Stress-busting
Nutrition
Eat a balanced diet, including lots of fruits, vegetables (especially green, leafy ones), fiber, protein and some good fats (olive, canola or corn oil). void fatty and fried foods, high fructose corn syrup (read your labels) and highly processed foods like white sugar and white flour.
Exercise
Choose your favorite physical activities and engage in one or more for at least 20 minutes every day. Vary them from day-to-day and include both aerobic and muscle building types of exercise. In addition to just making you feel better and less stressed, this aids in a much better night's sleep. Which brings us to....
Sleep
Reward yourself with 7-8 hours of sleep every night. You deserve it! If you have trouble falling asleep, or tend to wake in the night and then have problems falling back to sleep, try any or all of the following:
Eat a balanced diet, including lots of fruits, vegetables (especially green, leafy ones), fiber, protein and some good fats (olive, canola or corn oil). void fatty and fried foods, high fructose corn syrup (read your labels) and highly processed foods like white sugar and white flour.
Exercise
Choose your favorite physical activities and engage in one or more for at least 20 minutes every day. Vary them from day-to-day and include both aerobic and muscle building types of exercise. In addition to just making you feel better and less stressed, this aids in a much better night's sleep. Which brings us to....
Sleep
Reward yourself with 7-8 hours of sleep every night. You deserve it! If you have trouble falling asleep, or tend to wake in the night and then have problems falling back to sleep, try any or all of the following:
- Exercise, but not within 3 hours of bedtime
- Go to bed at the same time every night
- Avoid caffeine altogether, or for at least 6-8 hours before sleeping.
- Develop a calming bedtime ritual and follow it with only a few variations every night. It could include listening to relaxing music, soaking in a warm tub, reading something calming and comforting, listing things you are grateful for, prayer, progressive muscle relaxation, or any of the other exercises described here.
A quick list of Stress Busters
Watch a comedy show on TV
Play a musical instrument
Sing a song (or lip-sync!)
Count your blessings
Call an old friend
Tell a joke
Pet a cat
Smile
Dance
Exercise
Volunteer
Play with a child
Paint/draw a picture
Read a book to a child
Play catch/fetch with a dog
Hug a friend or family member
Ask an older person about his/her life
Make up your own!
Watch a comedy show on TV
Play a musical instrument
Sing a song (or lip-sync!)
Count your blessings
Call an old friend
Tell a joke
Pet a cat
Smile
Dance
Exercise
Volunteer
Play with a child
Paint/draw a picture
Read a book to a child
Play catch/fetch with a dog
Hug a friend or family member
Ask an older person about his/her life
Make up your own!