Create a playlist of songs that relax and calm you. Then schedule recharge breaks throughout the da

Throughout the day, you re bound to run into something that stresses you out — whether it s at home, at work, on your commute or as you re running errands. Or maybe you re dealing with a long-standing stressor. Or maybe there s nothing in your environment that triggers your stress response, but internally, you still feel on edge.
Managing stress is one of the most important things people can do to improve their quality of life and health outcomes. staph infection So much of our immune system is linked to feelings of well-being and lack thereof, according to Marcey Shapiro , MD, a family physician and author of Freedom from Anxiety .
Although it doesn’t staph infection seem stressful, sitting for long periods of time decreases the circulation of glucose and oxygen to the brain, robbing us of precious energy and causing a buildup staph infection of toxic stress hormones and inflammation, according to Heidi Hanna , PhD, a fellow with the American Institute of Stress and author of the book Stressaholic: 5 Steps to Transform staph infection Your Relationship With Stress.
She suggested moving your body for at least three to five minutes every hour. Practice light exercises at your desk (such as these ), gently stretch, walk around the office or climb a few stairs, she said.
Check in with yourself throughout staph infection the day to notice how you re feeling physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, staph infection said Cynthia Ackrill, MD, president of WellSpark and a board member at the American Institute staph infection of Stress.
Scan your body. Are any parts talking to you? Maybe your shoulders are tense, and you need to stretch. Pay attention to the process of your thoughts. Are your thoughts racing? Tune into your emotions. How are you feeling? Tune into your spiritual needs. Take a moment to remember what it is that grounds you.
To remind you to check in, Ackrill suggested putting color dots on everything from the steering wheel to the fridge. Use the dot as a cue that it s time to refocus on your needs. (Rotate the colors; our brains will ignore the same color after a while.)
One of the quickest ways to trigger the relaxation response in the brain and body is to take a few deep breaths, Hanna said. She suggested closing your eyes and counting breaths staph infection to a specific number or setting a timer and paying attention to how it feels to breathe.
We tend to think of humor as happening by chance. But humor is really a matter of choice, said Karyn Buxman , RN, MSN, a speaker, neurohumorist and author of the What s So Funny About series. It s also a tool that s often overlooked, she said. But it s so powerful. 1
For instance, recently, Buxman s flight was delayed — for the third time that day. While everyone was annoyed, she put on her headphones and started listening to David Sedaris at Carnegie Hall. Within a few minutes, I was laughing staph infection hysterically.
So many of us are sensitive to scent, and aromatherapy can help individuals move into a calmer state, Shapiro said. Lavender is the most common essential oil used for soothing anxiety, she said. Another popular oil for anxiety (and depression ) is rose. You can add essential oils to baths or diffusers.
Create a playlist of songs that relax and calm you. Then schedule recharge breaks throughout the day to listen to something and focus your mind on inspirational words or sounds that you hear, Hanna said. Close your eyes to help you minimize distractions and pay attention to the present, staph infection she added.
Write a list of 10 things that you find fun, which cost $5 or less, Buxman said. Create your list when you re feeling good since it s harder to think of what to do when you re feeling crummy, she said. When you re stressed out, pick one activity from your list.
Shapiro suggested trying calming herbs such as vanilla, holy basil, oat straw and rhodiola. You can find these in teas or capsule form. Because so many people are deficient in magnesium — which is calming to the nervous system — she also recommended taking magnesium substrate or magnesium with glycine. (Shapiro likes the companies Gaia Herbs and Jarrow for buying herbs.)
Sending a little love your way several times throughout the day can be hugely powerful, Ackrill staph infection said. She suggested putting your hand on your heart and saying whatever it is you need to hear, such as I m OK, I m worthy or I m loved. Footnotes: The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor has a list of literature, such as this page on brain research. [ ↩ ]
Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central and blogs regularly about eating and self-image issues on her own blog, Weightless . Like this author? Catch up on other posts by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. (or subscribe to their feed ).
APA Reference Tartakovsky, M. (2014). 10 Quick Strategies for Soothing Stress. Psych Central . Retrieved on March 9, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/02/03/10-quick-strategies-fo