Feeling overwhelmed? Here are 10 tips to reduce your stress, anytime,anyplace

[sateesh]

1.  Turn off your cell phone for 1 hour a day.  [Don't listen to the news]


2. Create rituals for yourself. Rituals help ground us, especially when we feel out of control. A ritual can be as  simple as going for a morning jog or enjoying an evening bath.
 

3.  Call a friend and let off steam. Friends are one of the great joys in life, You can share your feelings, cry when you need to, laugh and have fun with a friend. And there is growing scientific evidence that meaningful involvement with others actually buffers the wearing and tearing effects of stressful situations.


4.  Get your priorities straight. Think about what's really important - family, friends, good health - and make them the focus of your attention. Put unnecessary distractions at the very bottom of your to-do list. This will keep things in your life from spiraling out of control.


5.  Reconnect with nature. Take a walk in the park. Fill your life with flowers. There is a peace, a connectedness, a sense of balance and justice we get through nature that is vital to our emotional and mental health.
   

6.  Improve your lifestyle habits. Regular physical activity and a healthy diet can improve weight, energy levels, self-confidence and overall health and well-being, making it much easier for you to handle daily stressors.


7.   Breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose. Pull the air all the way down, deep into the lungs. Hold the breath for a count of six. Exhale slowly through the mouth to the count of six. Do this for several minutes.


8.   Smile. Have a good belly laugh. Watch funny movies, Read funny stories. Laughter is a great way to relieve stress. It dissolves tension and seems to help brighten the situation. Another plus - laughter seems to help boost your immune system, in turn making you less prone to developing colds and other infections.


9.   Do one thing at a time. One of the best ways to cope with feelings of being overwhelmed is to pick one urgent task and finish it. Once you accomplish that task, choose the next one, The positive feeling of  "checking off " tasks is very satisfying and will motivate you to keep going.


10.  When the world closes in on you and your head feels a size too small, reach for some Peace of Mind. Practice some massage onto the back of your neck, temples and earlobes melts away tension and tightness - in nature's gentle, non-habit forming way.