![]() ![]() "It makes it hard to think and takes you away from being mindful. ![]() "Loud noise triggers the stress response," Dr. "Watch a movie or TV show that makes you laugh, maybe your favorite episode of ‘I Love Lucy.’" It reduces stress hormones and becomes an expression of joy, optimism, and hope," Dr. William Fry, and may provide a source of healing. "Laughter has been referred to as ‘internal jogging’ by Dr. ![]() If arthritis or another condition make walking difficult, ask your doctor about other aerobic exercises you may be able to do. Getting 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, is important for all aspects of health, including stress management.īut even a quick 10-minute walk when you’re feeling triggered can help "burn off" stress hormones, counter muscle tension, and release the body’s feel-good chemicals, which promote relaxation. Ramchandani says, "Or it could be taking a mindful shower or a leisurely and mindful walk through nature." "It could be having a cup of tea and noticing its warmth in your hands, the scent of the tea, and the way it feels going down your throat," Dr. It’s like a real-time imagery exercise: you note all of your senses as you do something soothing. Being mindful helps elicit the relaxation response by bringing you to the present moment it can break a cycle of stressful thoughts. "While sitting or standing, inhale, raise your arms overhead, lace your fingers together, stretch, release your fingers, and exhale as you lower your arms to each side. Hold this image for a few minutes and notice the relaxing effect." "Imagine all the sensations you’d experience there, such as the sight and sound of the waves, the smell of the ocean, and the breeze brushing against your skin. Or try an imagery exercise: "Imagine being in your favorite vacation place, maybe the beach or in nature," Dr. Ramchandani recommends a basic breathing exercise, such as taking 10 very slow breaths in and out. It slows your breathing, reduces your heart rate, and lowers your stress hormones. The relaxation response - the opposite of the stress response - was defined by Harvard Medical School professor Herbert Benson. Try any of these tips for on-the-spot relief.ĭo a relaxation exercise. Something else that helps: quelling the body’s stress response whenever you feel triggered. Shalu Ramchandani, an integrative medicine specialist at the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "If you’re practicing all these healthy habits, it helps you become more resilient and better able to adapt to life’s challenging situations," says Dr. The best way to cope with stress is by getting at least seven hours of sleep per day, eating a predominantly plant-based diet, exercising regularly, meditating, and staying socially connected. If you get stressed out frequently, however, the stress response can become constant and cause ongoing harm, including chronic inflammation - the persistent activation of the immune system, which sharply raises the risks for many diseases such as dementia, heart disease, and stroke. When danger subsides, your body goes back to normal operations. When you sense a threat or danger, your body rises to the challenge by releasing stress hormones, tightening your muscles, making your blood pressure rise and your heart and lungs work harder, and releasing a surge of fat and sugar to give you energy. We need the body’s stress ("fight or flight") response to get us through tough times. Stress increases the risks for chronic disease, to which the body is already more vulnerable after a lifetime of wear and tear (and perhaps unhealthy habits, such as a poor diet or not exercising). Try these tips to ward off ongoing stress and its many health risks, such as chronic inflammation and chronic disease.ĭo you handle stress as well as you used to? For most folks, it gets harder as the years go by - and that’s a potential problem for health. ![]()
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