Reduce Stress Today: Part 3

This is the third part of a three part series on reducing stress in today's hectic world. The first part covered the topics about the need to embrace change, be open to learning, getting back in control, focusing on the important and finding joy in one's work. The second part outlined a further five strategies about accepting the givens, taking time to exercise, breaking away mentally, finding one's quiet spot and connecting with ones spirit. Today we deal with the final five strategies that will enable you to reduce stress today.

Change Your Thinking: Do you see your cup half full or half empty? Individuals who approach life from a positive perspective live with less stress. The Mayo Clinic points out that those who have more positive thoughts than negative thoughts approach life optimistically; and, when we live with an optimistic frame of mind we reap the benefits of improved health and are in a better position to cope with negative stress. We can change our negative thought processes to positive ones by: 1) replacing them with positive self-talk; and 2) surrounding ourselves with positive friends and associates. Positive people encourage us to remain optimistic and that in turn helps us reduce stress. Approaching life optimistically and surrounding yourself with positive influences reduce stress.

Eat, Pray and Relax 

• Eat: Eating well balanced meals regularly and keeping to a low fat, low sugar and low caffeine diet will boost energy and strengthen tolerance to stress. In an article “Eat Right To Fight Stress”  Willow Lawson points out that snack foods, although tempting, are the worst thing to reach for when we’re stressed out. Instead, drink water, eat vegetables, fruit and oil rich fish – food that enriches our immune system and provides greater hormonal balance. Eating healthy food reduces stress.

• Pray: There is an ample body of research that suggests prayer and religion rank high among the best stress busters. Dr. Roberta Lee, devotes a chapter in her book The SuperStress Solution, on prayer, spirituality and religious piety. She points out that people who are more religious or spiritual  use their spirituality to cope with life. She found that they are better able to cope with stress, heal faster and have a greater sense of well-being. She highlights the benefits of prayer and spirituality as a way of letting go of control. Her book cites several research papers including one comprised of approximately 126,000 people who attended religious services increased their odds of living longer by 29 percent. Of particular interest to me was a study she summarized about the positive impact of campus ministries in reducing stress among college students; and, the research of Harold Koenig, M.D. associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at Duke University, appraising the effects of prayer on health.   Praying reduces stress.

• Relax: Under “Find Your Quiet Spot” I suggested unplugging the noise as a way of calming yourself down. Here are three more ways to further relax your body and mind. 1) Relax with Music – This may seem to contradict "unplugging the noise" but playing relaxing music also has a calming effect. Music which relaxes is in the ear of the beholder. What relaxes me may not be the same for you. Music I've found relaxing range from jazz, classical to chant genres. Here are four CD titles you may enjoy: "The Most Relaxing Jazz in the Universe", "Water Music College - Handle Water Music and Many Others", "The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe", and "Chant – Music for the Soul".  2) Relax with Aromatic Candles – Many of my clients and friends light aromatic candles whenever they feel stressed. The flickering of the light and the aroma that fills the room calms their mind and relieves tension from their body. 3) Read a Book – recent research finds that reading a book is one of the best ways to relax and unwind. Reading silently for just six minutes slows down our heart rate and eases muscular tension. Try this exercise: sit in a quiet spot with a good book, a cup of hot tea and play relaxing music softly in the background. Relaxing reduces stress

Reach Out to Others: This three part series on reducing stress today outlines some of the effects of positive and negative stress on our body, mind and emotions.It also identifies a number of strategies to reduce negative stress. But can negative stress really be positive? Is there a different approach to how we view positive and negative stress? Recent research indicates that negative stress may have a positive outcome. This turns our present thinking about negative stress upside down. It suggests that stress may only be bad for us if we believe that to be the case. Is this another way of saying that people who think optimistically have less stress than those that don’t?  Listen to this TED Talk wherein Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to view negative stress as a positive and introduces us to another strategy for stress reduction: reaching out to others. Reaching out to others reduces stress.(Thanks to Dr.Treena Swantson, for alerting me to Kelly McGonigal's presentation). 

What to do: If you feel stressed out as you go through your day-to-day activities review the fifteen strategies incorporated in this three part series and pick one strategy to begin working towards a less stressful life. Working on one strategy which reduces stress is better than nurturing anxiety that just leads to more stress. If you have a stress reducing strategy that works for you, let me know in the comments below.

From the archives Fontanie Learning Solutions

Image: A quiet spot in my backyard.

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