Staying Healthy:
Eight Tips on Knowing
How to Manage Stress
by Joyce Dillon
Stress is inevitable. While you can't entirely eliminate it from your life, you can learn to neutralize its harmful effects via relaxation techniques. A daily dose of relaxation "medicine" may ease symptoms if you have a stress-related condition. It can help you cope with a chronic disease, and is also an important component of a healthy lifestyle.
Of course, keeping your stress levels in check is sometimes easier said than done, but the following measures can help.
- Practice a relaxation technique each day . Some options are breath work, meditation, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation. It's best to learn from a practitioner, but you can also learn these techniques from books, audiotapes, and classes.
- Explore the power of touch . Massage and other forms of bodywork, while not substitutes for daily relaxation practice, can do wonders for muscle tension.
- Get regular exercise . Physical activity relieves tension, improves mood, and makes your body more resistant to the effects of stress. Yoga or tai chi is a good complement to aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, or biking.
- Strengthen your social support network . Positive relationships with family, friends, coworkers, or members of a community or support group can buffer you from stress. Also, religious involvement offers comfort to many people.
- Keep doing things you already find relaxing . These may include soaking in the bathtub, eating lunch at a park, puttering in your garden, or watching funny movies.
- Express yourself . Making music or creating art is both therapeutic and a great way to unwind. So is journaling.
- Eat healthy . Eat a healthy diet and try to get enough sleep.
- If necessary, get help . Seek out a mental-health professional if you're having trouble coping on your own.
© 2006 Joyce Dillon, R.N., M.N. health coach and wellness practitioner works with individuals and groups who want to dramatically improve their health, reduce stress and live a more balanced lifestyle. Learn more at www.healthylivingandbalance.com or contact Joyce directly at 404-881-1322 or jjdillon@mindspring.com
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