| Articles This article was first published in the
Florida Divorce
Magazine and are reprinted here with their full permission. |
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Stress Busters
Here are ten easy ways to
combat stress.
By Dorothy Henry
| 1. |
Start the day right. Wake to music on a favorite tape or
radio station. Allow yourself a minute or two to open your eyes, breathe deeply, and
adjust to being awake. Take a precious ten minutes for quiet meditation or prayer; this
can save you an enormous amount of frustration later in the day. |
| 2. |
Breathe away your stress. Several times a day, slowly
inhale through your nose, feel the air pass deep into your diaphragm, let your abdomen
expand to greet it, and feel the invigoration of that fresh breath. Exhale slowly through
your mouth and imagine that you are breathing out your stress. Many experts feel the
practice of deep breathing (greatly simplified here) is the basis of the relaxation
response. There are many tapes and videos that train you to breathe healthfully. |
| 3. |
Hang on to your humor. What you are going through now may
not seem very funny, but that's no reason to let your sense of humor wilt. This is the
time to maintain a sane perspective, and exploring what you find funny will help. Look for
the ridiculous and incongruous rather than the tragic in the news and around you. Share
your humor with others and revive their sense of fun. Can you laugh at yourself? |
| 4. |
Keep in touch with those you care about. Pick up the phone
and chat with a congenial friend or relative: suddenly you're not isolated with your
problems any longer. Send an e-mail or fax to a forgotten friend. Use cheap evening or
week-end rates and feel virtuous. |
| 5. |
Don't neglect your spiritual life. Renew or create ties
with the spiritual institution of your choice -- whether it be church, synagogue, or Zen
temple. (You won't, of course, choose one that doesn't sanction divorce.) Music and
ritual, together with the act of group worship or meditation, can bring you peace and deep
satisfaction. |
| 6. |
Try a therapeutic massage. Massage therapy is the
manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for a therapeutic effect. It's recommended
for general relaxation and stress reduction, back and neck pain, headaches, and athletic
injuries. If you're on a tight budget, some clinics offer student massage therapy at
reduced rates. |
| 7. |
Turn off the tv. An evening of television can actually be
stressful. Consciously limit the amount of time you spend watching: choose the shows that
interest you, watch them, then turn off the set and walk away. Walking away is also a good
strategy if others want to watch a show that doesn't appeal to you. Here are some relaxing
alternatives to TV:
- Music. Experiment with soothing music, such as the
"Music for Relaxation" collection (available on the London label), or try
something like Gregorian chant. Then there is the haunting music of Loreena McKennit or Enya. Tired of your own
CDs? Try a swap with a friend.
- Books. Save a book for a time when you're unlikely to be
interrupted, settle down in a comfortable chair with a drink that cheers but doesn't
inebriate, and lose yourself in another world. Background music shouldn't compete with the
book for your attention. (A precocious five-year-old boy we know recently asked his family
to "Be quiet, please: I can't hear my book.") Books on audio tape can help ease
the stress of your daily commute. And read to your kids: this is a wonderful, inexpensive
family activity they will never forget.
|
| 8. |
Take a hike. Researchers at West Virginia University have
discovered that stress is more likely to be relieved by outdoor than by indoor exercise.
Head for a calming, restorative environment for walking, cycling, horseback riding,
golfing, or tennis. Choose to exercise when your physical energy level is at its highest
-- f you punish your body with push-ups when it's tired, your mind could go into a
stress-spin. |
| 9. |
Garden of Eden. The healing power of gardens has long been
known: a hospital in Padua has a medicinal garden dating back to the 16th century, and the
Friends Hospital Garden in Philadelphia dates back to Colonial times. Stroll through a
public garden to relieve stress, or become a gardener yourself -- you may find that while
you nurture the garden it nurtures you. Gardening brings not only solace and satisfaction
but daily excitement as seeds shoot into plants and buds into flower and fruit. Allow
yourself to fully enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells that you share with the birds and
butterflies as you dig and water. |
| 10. |
Go back to the water. Scientists believe that life began
in the seas; we know that we spent the first nine months of life floating happily in
watery wombs. If you have access to a hot tub, pool, lake, or the sea, use it. If you're
stuck on dry land, pamper yourself at home with a 20-minute bath. If your muscles are sore
from exercise, throw some Epsom or sea salts into warm -- not scalding hot -- bathwater.
For a truly sybaritic experience, try aromatherapy or herbal oils. Light a few candles, turn off the lights, and wash your
troubles down the drain. |
Dorothy Henry knows all about stress:
after separating from her husband, she raised two children while teaching high-school
English and math.
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