Ways to De-Stress

Stressed?? Yes, I know. Week 3 has come and gone and I know that things can get stressful for people, expecially with midterms coming up. Here are some ways to de-stress. Incorporate them into your life and see how your life can be a less stressful.

Exercise regularly- this is one of the best ways to reduce stress and it keeps you healthy. Go for a run or jog, go to the gym or go to the REC center and check out all the fun activities they have to offer.

Eat healthfully- Eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, protein, grain, and calcium products and drinking at least six glasses of water per day enables our bodies to function in a much more efficient fashion.

Meditation, yoga, and tai chi- or just close your eyes and take deep breaths. These only take a few moments. Taking deep breaths that flow into our stomach and not just to the lungs quickly decreases stress; also deep breathing also tends to slow down heart rate.

Shrug your shoulders- tensing the shoulders while raising them to the ears and then totally relaxing them a few times, quickly releases tension.

Stretching- is a terrific way to control stress as many of us feel muscle tension when stressed.

Be Positive-. Negative self-talk puts a tremendous strain on both the body and self-esteem. Most of us aren't even aware of how we talk to ourselves or the negative messages and beliefs we harbor in our heads. Make a daily affirmation if you have to. Take a look at this young lady’s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

GET SOME SLEEP!!- seven to nine hours of sleep are needed to allow the body to recover and regenerate. I know, right your probably laughing. When do you have time to sleep?! Make time, take naps if you have to but definitely make time.

Be Social- We are social beings, not islands, others can be a great source of support and may even be able to help lessen the load.

Do something fun- Make some time to listen to music, dance, go shopping, have a girl’s night, go to a concert, have a spa day, cook, spend time with family, friends or anything else you might enjoy. This goes a long way to alleviate stress.

Living a balanced life- All work and no play burns you out really quickly.