Stress – it comes at us from everywhere, everyday – the traffic, the bills, the kids, the spouse, the job, overbearing boss….and on and on it goes. And then there are life-disrupting events such as moving, divorce, illness, death of a loved one or a friend, a long visit from your nosy mother-in-law, these things are always ready to bombard us. We all know that stress takes its toll on us physically and emotionally. Some stress is unavoidable. But too much stress leads to troubles ranging from upset stomachs, peptic ulcers, insomnia, to headaches, anxiety attacks, and even heart attacks. Did you know that as many as 90% of doctor visits are for stress-related symptoms? What can we do to beat stress? Below are 3 tips to help you change a difficult situation – or the way you interpret it – to reduce your body’s response to stress and restore inner peace.
- Humor. The ability to take yourself and your life less seriously is stress buster number one. How tense can you be when you’re laughing at yourself? Try to look for the lighter side of every situation. Go look in the mirror and make funny faces at yourself. Keep a funny picture or cartoon around for the occasion. Turn your frown upside-down, laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 – 100 times!
- Bring out the kid in you. Do something for the “kid” in you everyday. No matter how old we are and how jaded we become over the years, we’re all still a kid at heart. Go play in the park with your kids; get on those monkey bars or the swing or whatever. Go eat ice cream for dinner. Remember how much fun it was to do that when you were little? Bring back those feelings of being young and carefree. Don’t sweat the small stuff! Kids don’t, and look, they have no wrinkles! And why should kids have all the fun?
- Vent. Don’t keep it in. Talk to your spouse, your friends, your parents, your kids…. Tell them what’s bothering you. Expressing your worries and troubles to a sympathetic ear often makes them easier to bear. These folks may contribute advice and empathize, or they may not, but at least you’re not keeping it inside your head. It has no where to go and will manifest itself. If you have no one to talk to, talk to God, He’s always around! Not a religious person? Write your thoughts down. Get it out in the open. An ulcer is ten times worse than whatever it is you’re worrying about.
All articles and information on this website are for educational purposes only and are not substitutes for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. They are not to be regarded or relied upon as medical advice. The articles and information have not been evaluated by the FDA. We do not accept responsibility for the consequences of the use of this information or its most up-to-date accuracy. Carefree products are not intended to cure, treat, heal, mitigate, or prevent a disease or illness. Results may vary per person. Consult your health practitioner if you have health problems.
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