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Acupuncture And Tai Chi For Stress Management

July 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Acupuncture and tai chi are methods which many people believe can help to release the flow of energy throughout the body. These ancient forms of health care are becoming more and more commonly used in the western hemisphere, as people realize the benefits to their health and well-being.

In a study conducted at Yale University Medical School in the 1990’s acupuncture was demonstrated to significantly reduce stress. The study showed that the technique succeeded in lowering blood pressure, anxiety state, heart rate and electrodermal activities in the majority of test subjects.

In a second study, published in 1998, acupuncture was successful in treating 85.7 percent of test subjects with General Anxiety Disorder.

Acupuncture is considered a holistic medicine, and those who are treated generally experience no side effects. This is in stark contrast to the many side effects often experienced by patients taking prescription medications to reduce the affects anxiety and stress.

While acupuncture requires the use of very small, fine needles applied to specific areas of the body, tai chi is a non-invasive form of acupuncture, which requires no needles to be effective.

Both procedures have been shown to reduce the presence of certain chemicals in the body which are produced at high levels during periods of stress. Additionally these procedures help to optimize nerve transmissions along the spine, and stimulate the internal organs, increasing their ability to function properly.

To find a licensed and certified acupuncture therapist visit the “National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine” on the web.

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Sit Back and Let the World Go By

June 3, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

At some point in your hectic life, you may feel like screaming “Stop the world, I want to get off!” Life can come at you in a blur at times. It’s at those moments you want to sit back and let the world go by.

Taking time to refresh yourself is extremely important in today’s hurried pace. Rather than trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’ why not make a change to your life for the better. Learn to step back on a regular basis and enjoy a day of peace and quiet.

* Do you like to read but never find time to do it? How long has it been since you’ve simply lost yourself in a book? Set aside time each week to do just that. Give yourself permission to spend a couple of hours delving into the newest novel by your favorite author. Or go back and re-read one of your favorite books. Curl up with a cup of coffee or hot tea and allow yourself to get lost in the pages. You’ll feel refreshed and more ready to face your busy schedule once you’ve taken a break.

* When was the last time your family took a vacation? How about a long weekend where you could get away from your normal schedule? If you live close to the beach, setting aside time to enjoy the sunshine and the sound of the waves may be just what your family needs to get rejuvenated.

* Take a walk during your lunch hour instead of hurrying to eat and get back to work. Take your full allotted time so you can relax a little bit before rejoining the rat race. Spend some time sitting on a bench watching the people passing by. Enjoy the warmth of the sun and the fresh air. You’ll be amazed at how awake you are when you return to work.

* Head to the gym when you feel the pressure and stress of a busy schedule getting the best of you. Not only will exercise strengthen your muscles, it will also help reduce the effects of stress you may be feeling. Does this mean you have to spend hours at the gym to get these benefits? Of course not. However, a minimum of 30 minutes three days a week is recommended to get the most benefit.

* Take the time to do some research on the internet to see if there are meditation retreats in your area. What’s a meditation retreat? They are short trips to facilities which are known for being quiet. This could be a convent or monastery but could also be a campground in the mountains. The point is to take the time away from your stress-filled days to reconnect with your own hopes and dreams by spending time in meditation.

When your world is going crazy and there doesn’t seem to be enough time to breathe, getting away to sit back and let the world go by can be what you need most. Give it a try! Use one of the above ideas to help you step back from your hurried life and bring back a sense of peace and sanity.

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Stress Management Techniques for Seniors

May 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Stress is something nearly everyone has to deal with. You may not be able to do much about the things stressing you, but can you do something to help the senior citizens in your life? What stress management techniques for seniors can you pass along to help them?

Even though most seniors already know it, you may want to help them remember that managing stress is simply taking charge of the things in your life that you can control. This may mean managing a schedule that seems to have gotten out of control. It could also mean being sure to strive for balance in life rather than letting life run you ragged.

Help them identify what the stressors are in their life. Are they concerned about having enough money to live off of in their golden years? Can you go with them to speak with a financial advisor? They may be able to subdue some of the fears which are causing so much stress.

Are the seniors in your life stressed about their health? Go with them to their next doctor’s appointment and discuss their concerns with the doctor. They will likely be able to address those concerns or recommend they visit a specialist who can better help them. Their doctor may suggest they spend time with a psychologist to help them deal with the stressors they experience.

Suggest they take yoga classes to help them manage their stress. Yoga will teach them to improve their posture, learn to breathe properly, and may help them become more limber. Another benefit to learning yoga is that it helps the body relax, which means they’ll learn to manage the stress they feel.

Meditation is another stress management technique seniors may want to try. Once they learn to meditate, they will find their heart rate slows, their blood pressure lowers, and they’ll be taking in more oxygen. All of these things lead seniors to manage their stress in a more effective way.

Have you always liked to put together jigsaw puzzles? There’s something very relaxing about putting puzzles together. They can concentrate on the puzzle alone which may make the stress seniors feel less of a problem.

Suggest they stay away from people who cause them stress. Perhaps they have a neighbor that bothers them and wants to borrow tools all the time. They can learn to say ‘no’ when a request is made, or simply refuse to answer the door. If they’re able to avoid the stressor they won’t be affected by it.

They may want to downsize their home. Even though your parents may have lived in the same home their entire married life, if they’re in a two-story home and neither can climb stairs very well, it might be time to move to a one-floor home. The thoughts of moving may cause stress, especially if they have years of accumulated things, but they may feel a sense of freedom once they’re in a new, smaller home.

No one wants to be affected by stress, particularly when they’re supposed to be headed to their golden years. There are many stress management techniques for seniors to try. Encourage them to try several methods until they find the one that’s best for them.

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Improving Your Time Management Skills

May 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Strengthening your time management skills is always a good idea no matter what your current skill level is. Life is always moving and changing, and you’ll want to keep up with the latest time management techniques.

Evaluate Your Current Skills

A good place to start is by identifying your current time management effectiveness. When you struggle to get things done, what do you think the cause is? When you successfully manage your time, what do you do differently? If you know what to work on, that’s half the battle right there.

For instance, you might have good time management in your home life, but lack the ability to get your tasks done at work. Since you’d like to improve your skills at work, you can go further by figuring out the reasons why your work projects don’t go as quickly as planned.

Is it because other people are getting in the way of your completing your work? If so, you can strengthen your communication skills too, so everyone works together more effectively. Maybe you’re just bored with your job. If that’s the case, you’ll want to find ways to fight the boredom and motivate yourself.

Better Time Management

Try these techniques to strengthen your time management skills:

1. Avoid procrastination. If you make a habit of procrastinating, you’re just wasting precious time. Ask yourself why you’re putting things off, and try to tackle the root problem. When you do, you’ll get back on track in no time.

• It’s possible that you’re expecting too much out of yourself and feel overwhelmed. It’s okay, and even more productive, to take breaks and make time to relax. Then, when it’s time to work, you’ll feel refreshed and motivated to get the job done.

2. Get organized. It’s easy to waste time if you can’t find things, or if you aren’t sure what task you’re supposed to be working on at the time. Organize your workspace and eliminate clutter. Then move on to keeping checklists and goal sheets, enabling you to use your time more effectively.

3. Set deadlines. It’s always a good idea to start your projects with a time goal in mind. Without a clear goal, you might give yourself a week to complete a task that should’ve only taken a day. Set attainable deadlines and then stick to them.

• Schedule your time to maximize your productivity while still remaining relaxed and happy. Avoid stressing yourself out with unattainable deadlines, or you’ll run the risk of burnout.

4. Learn to delegate. When it’s appropriate, delegate certain tasks in order to save yourself time for things that you must do on your own. At work, this might mean passing out jobs to your employees or colleagues. At home, this may mean sharing tasks with your spouse or assigning chores to your children.

5. Have a daily to-do list. At the beginning of each day, make a to-do list and plan the tasks that you hope to accomplish. Keep flexibility in mind, because plans might change.

• Cross off the items as you complete them. In doing so, you’ll be motivated to finish the rest.

• Choose a ranking system where you prioritize which items on the list should be completed first. You might want to start off your day with the most important ones, or establish momentum with some quick, easy tasks. Find something that fits your personal style.

If you have the will to change, you’ll be able to strengthen your time management skills. Practice these strategies each day and soon you’ll be a master at time management.

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How to Make Your To-Do List More Effective

February 25, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

You already know that to-do lists help you get focused and organized throughout the day. When you have your to-do list in hand, you’re freeing your mind from all the disorganized thoughts and, instead, getting them down on paper.

However, this technique can go awry if your to-do list isn’t organized as well as it should be. You might lose your motivation and drive and, at the end of the day, you may notice that most of the things from your list are not crossed off.

Follow these tips to create an effective to-do list:

1. Clarify Priorities. It may help you to develop some sort of ranking system for your to-do list. Certainly every item on the list can’t be equally important. You can even use a number system and rank them from 1 to 5. Items ranked 1 might have a lower priority, while the 5s are tasks you should attend to first. [Read more...]

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Stress Management through Guided Relaxation

January 7, 2010 By admin 2 Comments

Is stress controlling you? Stress and tension is one of the hardest things that a person has to learn to deal with. Stress and tension will control you if you let it. Therefore, you need to learn how to reduce it as much as possible.

How managing stress helps you to relax:

To reduce stress you will need a stress management program. The program may include walking, socializing, using music; bathing, fragrances, massages, videos and more that help you relax. You can use books as well. Books designed to teach you to relax will help you set up a stress management program.

Finding relief with books:

If you enjoy reading, go to the library and pick up your favorite books. Instead of rushing through the day, take a moment out for you and relax. Read your book and do not allow demands to take over you. For example, if your mind is telling you to get those dishes done, put it off. We are not promoting procrastination; rather we are saying that sometimes you just need to relax. If the dishes are bothering you, ask someone else to handle the task. Ultimately you can get it out of the way, and then take time out to read your book. [Read more...]

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Stress Management – How to Eliminate Your Stress With Meditation Walking

November 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

There are an almost limitless number of stress management techniques. Some are easily recognized while others are more unique. Meditation walking involves combining the technique of mediation with walking. Both are extremely effective at eliminating stress.

Isn’t it typical we overlook the obvious. What’s the one thing you do when you’re at the peak of your anxiety when you feel everything is collapsing around you – walk. Or should I say pace. You know the feeling your heart is racing, your breathing is shallow, your mind is racing and you begin to pace. You literally feel like you can’t stand still.

Well how would you like to use some of that natural reaction to your advantage? Could it be your subconscious mind knows something your conscious mind doesn’t. Of course it does. [Read more...]

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Stress Management Activities You Can Try Out

October 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

It is quite possible to easily cope with stress if you find the right activities to help you get your mind off the problem that’s bothering you. Even if having fun does not directly get rid of the source of the problem entirely, diverting your mind from it for a short period of time will calm you down and regain your composure before taking it on again.

You don’t have to go on an extended vacation just to get rid of stress. In fact, you can easily have fun while in the comforts of your own home to get your mind off it. You can indulge in word or board games, sports, music and art, and many others to fill up your time with something you like to do and forget your problems to help you relax.

Let Your Mind Have Some Fun

Since stress is centered on your mind, then it would only be plausible to divert it into something more productive and fun. Try to delve into games that require your mind to think. Chess is a great way to stop thinking about the problem and focus more on how to beat your partner. You can also try playing word or number games that will put your logical mind at work, like scrabble, Sudoku, word puzzles, crosswords, and the like. This will help divert your mind from stress to help you achieve a sense of relaxation. [Read more...]

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Relaxation and Stress Relief — Tips and Ideas to Help You Unwind

October 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

By Julia Barnard

Relaxation — what is it?

Relaxation is the opposite of stress. It helps reduce tension levels and reverse the symptoms associated with stress. We are also better able to cope with future stressful situations. It is well worth finding time each day to relax.

Why is it so important?

When we are relaxed, stress is reduced. Symptoms of stress disappear since it is very hard for our bodies to feel stressed and relaxed at the same time. This in itself calms us mentally. We no longer feel anxious, our thoughts have calmed and we are at ease once more.

Relaxation, stress relief and mood enhancers

[Read more...]

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Stress Management 10: Emotional Freedom Techniques

September 16, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

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