Relaxation

We all know that the taste of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie can brighten your mood. Heck, just looking at the picture above brings a smile to my countenance - anything with chocolate in the name will do so.

Oddly enough, though, the smell of something like freshly baked chocolate cookies does more to lift our mood than the taste, itself. According to Alan Hirsch, MD (Director of the Smell and Taste Treatmentand Research Foundation), “You can actually derive more pleasure from inhaling a comforting scent than from tasting the food itself.” I know, I know I’m kind of skeptical, too. Which, of course, calls for testing….

Another great aroma for spirit lifting (so to speak) is apple cider. Put some on to simmer and let the scent fill the air. If you really want to get jazzy - and you strike me as the jazzy type - add some cinnamon sticks, cloves, or orange slices to the happy little brew.

Another great mood lifter is music (Nickelback, Jennifer Hudson, 80s rock, and Gwen Stefani lift my spirits but good). The prescription for a happy day? Baking a batch of Chocolate Chip cookies while listening to some soul-stirring, heart-pumping music. If you don’t share my love for baking, grab a package of the “Pre-made” Cookies. Someone else has done all the hard work, you simply pop them onto a cookie sheet and bake for the amount of time the directions tell you to.

Then inhale.

Make each happy moment count double,
~Joi

Stress doesn’t just affect your mood or temperment, it effects your entire body - preying upon system after system. Left untreated or unmanaged for any length of time it acts upon your health as any other disease would.

So, it goes without saying that feeling stressed isn’t something to take lightly. Don’t ignore it, hoping it will go away on it’s own - it most definitely hasn’t the decency to do that!

First you should know the warning signs of stress. We often blame a myriad of other things before we finally break down and give stress it’s due. “I’ve just been too busy.”, “I’m a little under the weather.”, “I’m not up to par.”, “Must be coming down with something.”, and my favorite “I’m just not myself lately.” —- Keep Reading

After the pic has loaded, click to play - be sure your volume is on.

The American Lung Association has published a report listing 52 Proven Stress Reducers. Given the number of people who suffer from stress, this really should be required reading. They’re all amazing and merit our consideration, but there some I liked better than the rest. Below are the ones that stood out to me as being especially good.

1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful. Getting up earlier is great advice, but ONLY if you’re getting enough sleep. Otherwise, you’ll just do more harm than good.

2. Do nothing you have to lie about later. Deception is more stressful than most realize, whereas a clear conscience makes the softest pillow imaginable!

3. Be prepared to wait. A paperback book can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant. You end up making the wait more pleasant, which keeps you from losing your cool. PLUS, as an added bonus, you’re practicing excellent time management skills. Double dipping into the time management bowl (also known as multi-tasking) is almost always a brilliant move.

4. Don’t put up with something that doesn’t work right. If your alarm clock wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers-whatever-are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones. My husband’s keyboard just trembled a little from across the room. It knows exactly what I had in mind while typing this tip out on my slick…never cause any “AUGGH“s….keyboard. I think a few of our remote controls are lining up on the defensive side, too.

5. Always set up contingency plans, “just in case.” (”If for some reason either of us is delayed, here’s what we’ll do…” Or, “If we get split up in the shopping center, here’s where we’ll meet.”) This one’s brilliance is made even more brilliant when kids are involved.

6. Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend. Some people are so uptight and rigid it’s a wonder they can even bend enough to sit down. It’s exhausting just to be around them, can you imagine what it must be like to BE them? They need to adjust the speed dial on their life…..turn it down and enjoy life. Laugh, smile, sing out loud with the radio, watch an old sitcom as if it’s the first time….

7. Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back the directions that someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old “the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get” idea.) I see the ramifications of misunderstandings happen so often, and they’re never pretty. Repeating someone’s instructions or wishes is just a great practice to get into.

8. Do unpleasant tasks early and enjoy the rest of the day. Get it over with and out of the way. This is the only way to make sure it doesn’t hound you for the rest of the day.

9. Make friends with nonworriers. Chronic worrywarts are contagious. I’d rather explain Shakespeare to Kevin Federline than try to reason with a worrywart. Methinks they kind of get off on worrywarting.

10. Stop negative self-talk: “I’m too fat, too old, etc…” It’s as destructive as sipping rat poison through a straw.

Click HERE to read all of them - it’ll be the most important 5 minutes you’ve spent in a while.

Make each moment count double,
~Joi

I recently read an interview with NYC psychiatrist Dr. Lynne Tan. The gist of the interview was reducing the levels of stress in your life and she listed 10 different suggestions to do so. Most of the suggestions were pretty familiar to those of us who study Mental Fitness (Pamper yourself, Take a relaxing bubble bath, go to the gym, meditate, laugh, bake, take a walk…) - but one really caught my attention. It’s one of those things in life that’s almost too obvious.

If you’re honed in on something in particular that’s stressing you out - Change your focus for a while.

We’re all pretty guilty of zeroing in on certain areas. Whether it’s the girl our son’s seeing (you know, the one that’s no where near good enough for him), the fact that our house is smaller than such and such’s, and so on. We get the thought(s) stuck in our mind and seem incapable of changing the channel. But the longer we remain on that depressing, discouraging channel - the more harm it’ll do to us.

The solution? FORCE yourself off of the Negative Channel and find a more Positive Channel to focus on. The new focus can be anything from starting to read a new book to starting to write a new book! It won’t be long before you realize that what you once thought was an earth-shattering problem doesn’t even register a blip on the radar.

If you want to see real growth, make certain that your new focus is challenging and mentally stimulating. The negative, stressful, worry-wart thoughts that easily become obsessions? They never lead anywhere worth going.

Change your focus - change your life.

Make each moment count double,
~Joi

That’s sounds good doesn’t, it - Kicking stress clean out of your life?! Sure, it’d be more appropriate to refer to it as “Managing the stress in your life” - but that’s not nearly as satifsying. We all have times when we need to relax and chill out - or Chillax, as it were - just like the Polar Bear in the pic.

We’ve gone over them before, but it’s too important to let that stop us from doing it again - so here are the symptoms of Stress: anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, stomach problems, sweating, racing heart, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, and irritability. While it would seem impossible to imagine someone suffering from stress without FULLY realizing it - if you think about it, it’s not that surprising.

After all, deep down, we all pretty much believe we’re capable of anything. We overestimate what we’re able to do and how much we’re able to handle. That’s why we often bite off more than we can chew and chew more than we could ever possibly swallow. We simply don’t often realize our limitations until we land smack dab in the middle of them.

That mentality combined with the human concept of “It could never happen to me…” lead to countless people walking around stressed to the max without even realizing it. Maybe if more realized it, recognized it and dealt with it, the collective stress levels in our society would start to lower to a healthier level.

So, what are the top tips for getting rid of stress?

1. Get more rest. If you’re having trouble convincing sleep to come, try different techniques until you find what works for you - try a fan, music, warm bath, cereal, Benadryl…. Often, it’s just a case of establishing a routine and sticking to it. It could make a world of difference.

2. Get more exercise. Studies have found that regular exercisers score higher on measures of psychological well-being and lower levels of stress. (It also helps with #1 - the more activity you get, the easier sleep will come for you.)

3. Take a vitamin supplement. The more I read about vitamins, the more I’m convinced that many, many, many, many ailments and complaints we have can be attributed directly to a lacking of certain vitamins and minerals. Our bodies require these vitamins and minerals to run properly - and if there’s a deficiency in a particular vitamin, our body and mind will react to it.

A lot of nutritionists point to vitamin C as being especially helpful for dealing with stress level. It can actually reduce blood levels of stress-related hormones.

According to GNC.com: “Several studies have evaluated a daily supplement of vitamin B1 (15 mg), vitamin B2 (15 mg), vitamin B3 (50 mg), vitamin B6 (10 mg), vitamin B12 (10 mcg), vitamin C (500 mg), pantothenic acid (23 mg), folic acid (400 mcg), biotin (150 mcg), calcium (100 mg), magnesium (100 mg), and zinc (10 mg) for combating stress effects. People participating in preliminary trials of this combination have reported some benefits that relate to the effects of chronic stress, including improved concentration, better mood, and less fatigue.”

4. Up your intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Animal and human studies suggest that deficiencies of omega-3 fatty acids “may contribute to behaviors associated with unhealthy responses to stress.”

5. Yoga and Meditation are considered sworn enemies of stress. You don’t have to be the most flexible person in the world to enjoy the benefits of yoga - just be willing. Grab a book, or better yet a video or dvd. Be patient and enjoy yourself - you’ll love it!

There are a lot of herbs that are said to help with reducing stress, but I’m afraid I haven’t done enough reading up on the subject (yet!) to make any suggestions at all. Herbs are potent and powerful, I wouldn’t want to point anyone in the wrong direction. I am reading up on the subject, though, and I can say this - the world of herbs is fascinating! As high as I am on vitamins and minerals (er, so to speak), I think herbs have every bit as much potential for righting a lot of wrongs. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know what all I find out.

You know, a lot of times when we’re under a great deal of stress, we just have to remind ourselves that we can’t control everything. Sometimes, we have to let something go - whether it’s the dishes, the laundry, or the lawn, sometimes we have to just say, “This isn’t as important as my sanity!”

Make each relaxing moment count double,
~Joi

If you’re ready to chill and you’re way past ready to relax - it’s time for you to chill-ax!

Below is a link to a free Relaxation mp3 Download. It’s called Alpha Break and it’s from Effective Learning Systems - if you’ve never heard of them before, you should really check them out. The more you know them, the better you’ll like them.

You might even find that they’re just what you needed in your life. Here’s a little information about the download:

This MP3 download will help you relax mentally and physically in just 10
minutes. Use your Alpha Break MP3 download any time during the day. It’s a
positive alternative to a “coffee break.” While it lasts only 10 minutes, it
will help you relax and lower your brainwave frequency to the alpha state
(7-14 Hertz). At this level of mind you will quickly raise your energy
level, generate new ideas, make decisions, or just renew your positive
attitude. It’s ready to serve you wherever you go. Try it now!

Here’s the link, see what you think. (A rhyme…. yeah, I went there.) - Alpha Break Relaxation Download

Make each chill-ax count double,
~Joi

If you have any sort of stress in your life - today’s the day I want you to show it the door. Your life will be so much better without it, you’ll feel like a kid again. Below are some of the benefits that will slide in the door when stress sulks out the door.

• 1. Weight Loss. A recent report from the University College London proved that individuals who are chronically stressed have a much higher incident of metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by hypertension and obesity.
• 2. Happiness. This one may seem impossibly obvious, but it’s too important to leave out. Stress robs a lot from a person, and at the top of the list is happiness. I’ve heard so many people who have learned to manage their stress say things like, “I forgot what it felt like to feel this good.”

  Think of when you have the flu - you can’t do anything but go from one slumping station to the next…. to the bathroom, to the bedroom, to the bathroom, to the bedroom, then maybe to the living room - - - no, that was too much, back to the bathroom. You can’t get excited about anything on tv, meals lose their importance, and for crying out loud, you can’t even enjoy a great cup of coffee. THEN, the day comes when you finally wake up and the room isn’t spinning, the sun remembers how to shine, you can get dressed again (!!!), and you practically skip to the coffee maker. One of the first things that occurs to you is that you’d forgotten how good good feels.

  Same thing with stress - it’s like the flu in a lot of ways. There are a few trade offs, of course. For example, it doesn’t send you to the bathroom or take away food or coffee - but it lasts a heck of a lot longer and takes a bigger toll.

• 3. Cancer Protection. Stress interferes with our immune system and is often blamed in the medical community for everything from colds to cancer. The sooner a person gets it under control, the sooner their immune system can get back on the job, protecting them from monsters they want no part of.
• 4. Sweeter Sleep. People under a great deal of sleep have terribly interrupted sleep patterns. It’s as though the stressed mind is saying, “I can’t sleep! I have far too many things to stress out over - wake up so I can get to them!”
• 5. Longer life. A University of Florida study puts it this way: Heart disease patients with lower mental stress are less likely to experience a decrease in blood flow to the heart, which can increase the risk of dying three-fold. Want it another way? Stress kills.
• 6. Better Relationships. This is an area that most stress victims are in strong denial over. The majority will tell you, “My relationships don’t suffer any because of my stress…” They’ll even say, “I keep it hidden from everyone else - no one knows the stress I feel.”

  That’s like hiding a gorilla in a carton of eggs.

  Speaking of eggs - when one person is suffering from stress, many times the people around him/her are walking around on egg shells. Waiting for the next blow up or melt down. It’s almost as miserable for the shell walkers as it is the stressed person who threw the shells down.

• 7. A healthier heart. The Institute of HeartMath in Boulder, CO. found that
  Hypertensive workers who participated in a 16-hour stress reduction program experienced a significant drop in blood pressure. Furhtermore, they benefited from a more positive outlook and a greater sense of peacefulness. Positive outlook? Greater sense of peacefulness? Do you realize how valuable those are????
• 8. Relief from aches and pains. Research shows that stress heightens the suffering of pain and illnesses - if the person had control of their stress, the unpleasant feelings would register maybe a 5 on their pain index. But stress causes the 5 to jump up to a 10 - adding, of course, more stress and more misery. Make no mistake about it, though - they aren’t just saying it feels like a 10, it really does.
• 9. Increased Memory. Those of us all wrapped up in the study of mental fitness love this one! Study after study proves that those who are relaxed and as free from stress as a human can be perform much better on tests than those who are at the mercy of their stress.
• 10. A Better Outlook. When a person suffering from stress looks out the window, it’s always cloudy. They don’t look forward to birthdays, holidays, the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs, television shows, the new Nicholas Sparks book - nothing excites them. This aspect of their suffering probably makes me the saddest. I can’t stand the thought of someone not being able to get excited about something! If this rings a bell with you at all - please don’t let the sun set on another day of not taking action.

Stress takes over an individual’s life and challenges itself to see how much misery it can cause. It takes away as much happiness, health, and harmony as it can carry off. Left untreated, it’ll take it all. Treated, it won’t make off with a damn thing.

You know how I sign off each post with “Make each moment count double” - well, if stress is in your life it won’t let a moment even count, let alone count double. If you have even a hint of stress in your life - e-mail me and we’ll iron it out together. Rest assured, I don’t have anything to sell you - if I did, and if I knew it would help, I’d give it to you! Also, no one except you and me would ever even know you’d emailed me. I don’t even tell my cats about my e-mail.

I’ve simply spent a lot of years researching stress and stress management and I’d like to help. Sometimes just knowing someone is on your side does a world of good, and stress starts stepping toward the exit. It’s actually a coward, you know!

Make each moment count double,
Joi

The eye-catching Sign Language - Stressed Out Magnet, at the top of the post, is available for under $5.00 at AllPosters.com!

A recent review of more than a dozen massage studiesconducted by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine concludes that massage therapy relieves depression and anxiety. It does so by affecting the body’s biochemistry.

In a group of studies which included about 500 men, women, and children with depression or stress problems, researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol in participants before and immediately after massage. Massage therapy lowered levels by up to 53%.

Massage also increased serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.

Speaking from experience, a good massage therapist can work wonders. After a car wreck messed my back up, a chiropractor put me back together - or at least it seemed that way! The chiropractor’s daughter, a “Core Massage Therapist,” was in business with her and my visits to her did as much for my back as the adjustments did. I also noticed that on the days I received massages, I was more relaxed than on other days. There was quite a bit of stress surrounding the accident - my car was totaled, the insurance agency of the other driver…the one in the wrong…. was a separate pain in a separate location, plus being in pain causes its own kind of stress. However, on the days I was in the massage therapist’s hands - none of that seemed to matter nearly as much.

To find a qualified massage therapist, visit The American Massage Therapy Association. Or check with your local chiropractic offices, they often have massage therapists on staff.

Make each moment count double,
~Joi

While a study shows that HALF of Americans worry that stress is wrecking both their mental and physical health, only a few are doing anything about it. Then, when we actually DO something, far too often it’s entirely the wrong thing.

One in four Americans say they turn to food for comfort when feeling stressed. This leads, of course, to weight gain and opens the window for a host of physical ailments (high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease…). In the end, it actually causes MORE stress, not LESS.

25 percent turn to cigarettes for relief of frustration and anxiety. I don’t even have to tell you the medical hell that could lead to. And, of course, the stress doesn’t actually go anywhere. It’s there, behind the smoke screen.

Oh, what to do, what to do?!
1. Determine that you simply aren’t going to accept this way of life. My husband has always told our girls to be proactive rather than reactive - if you want something to happen, you have to make it happen. It isn’t going to come knocking on your bedroom door and it isn’t going to send you a text message.

Remember, life isn’t supposed to be one long anxiety attack or recurring stress. That’s not life, that’s getting in the way of life.

2. Get in touch with your feelings. Learn to recognize how you truly feel at any given time. This way, you can recognize just how often your body and mind seem to be waving the red stress flag. If it happens several times a week, you should look into relaxation therapy. That’s a fanchy schmancy phrase, but all it means is, “Chill thyself out!” This blog, our main website (TMFC), and other online resources are chock-full of tips and techniques. It’s just a matter of finding what works for you.

3. Learn to pace yourself and realize that there isn’t an S on your top. No one can do everything - attempting to just leaves you frazzled, frenzied, and frantic. Sometimes you just have to say, “Big whoop! I’ll get to it tomorrow.” (Don’t go telling your boss that, though, okay?) When you look at all the things that are stressing you out, you’ll be able to tell which ones are urgent, which ones can wait a while, and which ones aren’t worth your time.

4. Be sure that you aren’t borrowing worry or stress. If something hasn’t happened, don’t go borrowing trouble. You can only eat what’s on your plate, you know, not what’s on the stove…and certainly not what isn’t even in the kitchen.

Also, while it’s very hard - especially for parents - don’t take on other people’s lives or problems. Take care of your own, and realize that others have to do the same. I’m a mom, so I know what it feels like to watch someone you love more than your next breath do something that may not be perfect for them. But when you start stressing over and worrying about their life, you aren’t really living your own. Plus you’re just creating more stress, that could actually knock years off of that life! Besides, be honest, it really gets you nowhere - they’re going to make mistakes irregardless. The same way we’ve made mistakes while someone else fretted over us. We survived!

5. If something in particular is causing you a lot of grief - take action IMMEDIATELY. Even if the problem won’t vanish that very minute, the fact that you’re doing something will make you feel 100 percent better. Feeling overweight? Take a 20-30 minute walk, go to the store and buy a big case of bottled water, do 50 push ups….okay, me neither, make it 25….10?

6. Stress festers in mess and chaos - but when things are tidier, it seems to have a harder time settling in. Is your desk cluttered? Stop what you’re doing and start in on it. Stress also loves inactivity - an inactive mind is an invitation to both stress and anxiety. See the lovely dog at the top of the post? If you see yourself in her positioning - just kind of lying down, giving up, and throwing yourself at life’s mercy - you’re asking for trouble with a capital stress!

Whatever you do, make sure you let stress know that it isn’t welcome in your life. For the love of all that’s calm and right, don’t put out the welcome mat.

7. If your quality of life is being reduced by stress, and you’ve tried to deal with it on your own to no avail - find someone to talk to. Sometimes just talking things out will make a world of difference. Best of all, you don’t always have to look far to find someone - very often, a member of your own family can be the best person to open up to. They know you and they know your life - they can be a great comfort and help.

8. Watch your mouth! I’m convinced that a lot of our emotions are cemented by our own words. We give them more power when we say, “I’m depressed…” (or stressed or overwhelmed, etc.) Instead, try saying “I’m so through with feeling __________. I deserve better and today’s the day I start making it happen!”

Just. Do. Something. Stress is serious, and you need to get serious about getting it out of your life. Then, and only then, can you go back to living life as it was meant to be lived.

Make each moment count double,
~Joi