Different people get bothered for different reasons. A big sports game, an office presentation, deadlines at work, even other people and relationships --- all these can cause us stress. This feeling of mild anxiety can cause different outcomes, even negative consequences. A student can fail his or her exam simply by being stressed out or when he encounters a mental block that prevents effective study or getting the right answers to an exam.
Stress, as a normal human reaction, is the body's reaction to rising challenges and tough situations. Everyone, in some way or another, encounters stress whenever possible. It is simply inevitable. People and events tend to clash, therefore resulting in stress. People work, play, study, do things everyday, and it is impossible not to feel stressed at one way or another. At this point, when people do not want to experience any much of this, they turn to medications for anti stress, also associated with anti-anxiety for instant relief.
A healthier approach to relieving stress is by practicing stress techniques that can maintain the person's state of balance and regulation in both body and mind. Exercise is a stress technique that is not only good for your physical health but also helps relieve a person's tension and frustration. Sports and other fitness routines are excellent ways to relieve tension. Many people who want to manage stress go to a boxing class, join a cycling club, or engage in other exercise activities that would allow them to release their stress.
Aside from exercise, another useful technique is to practice deep breathing, which gives the person a feeling of relaxation. Proper breathing counts and rhythm is used as stress techniques that eventually lead to more relaxation. Relaxation activities such as Yoga or Tai chi can also eliminate stress by relaxing the mind and body, and thereby relieving stress patterns around the body. Yoga and tai-chi also helps develop concentration and positive body awareness. These Oriental arts have been practiced by millions of people for centuries and medical research have documented the beneficial effects of these modes of exercise. By moving slowly with ease and always in a state of relaxation, the person performing these activities will feel good, and soon the feeling of relaxation will follow. Muscle relaxation also works in relieving stress. By deep breathing and constant contraction and relaxation of different body parts, the person will feel relaxed every after contraction, which also releases stress. Massage therapy also helps fight stress. Massaging your scalp, putting pressure on your shoulders or even your eyes can really decrease stress in that certain part of the body.
People should take a second look at these stress techniques. But for those who have tried every massage or stress management technique, taking a prescription drug may very well be the last option. However, the use of these medications almost always have side effects. But with proper doctor's advice, the use of safe and proven drugs may help people who need fast relief. There are a lot of healthy ways to beat stress.
Showing posts with label relaxation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relaxation. Show all posts
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
10 Steps to Help You Get a Great Night’s Sleep
How did you sleep last night?
I had a great night’s sleep, but when I woke up I thought what a powerful effect a great night's sleep has on your metabolism, and I wanted to share with you some ideas about how to get a better night's sleep.
Now my idea of a great night's sleep is one in which you sleep soundly and wake fully refreshed and full of energy. During a great night's sleep you rarely, if ever, think about your troubles, your never think about the news, and you usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of your head hitting the pillow (with positive thoughts in your mind).
Also, a key factor in determining if you had a great night's sleep is if you dream 'positive' or 'fun' dreams. Because if your night full of 'bad' or 'stressful' dreams then you're most certainly tossing and turning throughout the night and NOT getting a "restful" sleep.
Why is it so important to get quality sleep each and every night? Your body and your mind break down and get worn out from stress during the day.
The only time that your body and your mind repair themselves and rejuvenate is when you're sleeping. But it's important to note here that "restful" sleep is the key. Tossing and turning all night or waking up every few hours is not considered restful sleep. I recently read an article that made it to my research center that stated the facts about how snoring effects your sleep and your health. People who snore tend to disrupt their sleep, on average, 300 times each night - now that's not a restful night's sleep! Now think about it this way for a moment - if you've been under stress lately, or if you're mattress sucks, or if you just plain haven't been able to sleep well for the past few weeks (or months), then you haven't given your brain or your body the time it needs to repair itself.
So you actually start each and every day a little bit less focused and less metabolically healthy than the previous day.
Don't try to catch up on your sleep. People tell me all the time that they know that they don't get enough sleep during the week - but they "catch up" on the weekends. Let me put an end to that myth right now. That does not work!!! Your body and your mind need a regular sleeping pattern to repair and rejuvenate - without it you're actually deteriorating yourself rather than re-energizing yourself.
So what's considered enough sleep?
Generally speaking, everyone should strive to get 8 hours of restful sleep. Now if you eat a very healthy diet and exercise properly, and give yourself a few mental breaks during the day, and if you sleep like a baby and awaken fully refreshed every day, then you might be the type of person who can get away with less sleep - maybe 6 hours each night.
On the other hand, if you experience extraordinary amounts of stress each day (mental or physical), then you'll need more than 8 hours. A marathon runner for example, tends to put his/her body through a lot of stress each day - that person needs more than just 8 hours because their body needs more repair time than normal. The same holds true for the person going through massive mental stress as well.
So what can you do to help facilitate a better night’s sleep for yourself and those around you?
10 Steps To Help You Get A Great Night's Sleep:
1. Make a list of what you need to do the next day, write it all down and keep that paper and pen near your bedside in case you think of anything else you need to do. When you write things down you’re giving your brain the signal that it no longer needs to think about those tasks.
2. Don't watch television or listen to the radio (especially the news) before retiring for the night - and certainly do not fall asleep with the TV or radio on.
3. Read some inspirational or self-growth material for at least 30 minutes prior to bed. Your goal is to fill your mind with inspirational thoughts before falling asleep so that the last thoughts you have before drifting off are uplifting thoughts - as opposed to the stressful thoughts that most people fall asleep thinking about.
4. Make sure the room that you're sleeping in is as dark a room as possible - the body is made to sleep when it's dark out - the darker the room the more potential for a deep sleep.
5. Make the room as silent as possible - turn off all electric devices and ask others in the house to be as quiet as they can be.
6. Don't eat for at least 3 hours before going to bed. When there's undigested food in the stomach, your body is forced to focus on digesting that food rather than being focused on repairing your body and mind - which is what sleep is all about! The body was designed to digest food best while moving - not while laying down.
7. Try to go to bed at approximately 10:00 pm and awake at approximately 6:00 am. In Ayurvedic medicine it's believed that there are cycles that are the most conducive for certain activities. Going to bed at 10:00 pm and arising at 6:00 am appears to allow the body to rest the deepest, rejuvenate the most, and give the person the most energy throughout the day.
8. Don't take drugs or vitamins/herbs that are supposed to help you sleep (unless required by your physician). Most of these artificial sleeping aids do nothing more than deaden your senses - the goal of 'sleep' is to give your body the time and means to repair itself and prepare for the coming day. When you drug yourself to sleep, every system in your body is slowed down, including all those systems that are responsible for repairing you.
9. Make sure that there's a fresh air supply in the room. The air indoors is said to be some of the most toxic air around. When you sleep, you're only able to breath in the air that surrounds you in your enclosed bedroom. Try opening a window (if it's cold outside then just open the window a crack). The fresh air that comes in while you sleep will help your body repair itself because you'll have access to cleaner, more oxygenated air.
10. During the day, do 60 minutes of mild exercise. If you don't have time to do 60 minutes in a row, then break it up into 2 - 30 minute sessions, or 3 - 20 minute session, or 6 - 10 minute sessions --- just get a full 60 minutes in. The best exercise when talking about general health and preparing your body for a great night's sleep is walking.
I wish you the best night's sleep tonight and every
I had a great night’s sleep, but when I woke up I thought what a powerful effect a great night's sleep has on your metabolism, and I wanted to share with you some ideas about how to get a better night's sleep.
Now my idea of a great night's sleep is one in which you sleep soundly and wake fully refreshed and full of energy. During a great night's sleep you rarely, if ever, think about your troubles, your never think about the news, and you usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of your head hitting the pillow (with positive thoughts in your mind).
Also, a key factor in determining if you had a great night's sleep is if you dream 'positive' or 'fun' dreams. Because if your night full of 'bad' or 'stressful' dreams then you're most certainly tossing and turning throughout the night and NOT getting a "restful" sleep.
Why is it so important to get quality sleep each and every night? Your body and your mind break down and get worn out from stress during the day.
The only time that your body and your mind repair themselves and rejuvenate is when you're sleeping. But it's important to note here that "restful" sleep is the key. Tossing and turning all night or waking up every few hours is not considered restful sleep. I recently read an article that made it to my research center that stated the facts about how snoring effects your sleep and your health. People who snore tend to disrupt their sleep, on average, 300 times each night - now that's not a restful night's sleep! Now think about it this way for a moment - if you've been under stress lately, or if you're mattress sucks, or if you just plain haven't been able to sleep well for the past few weeks (or months), then you haven't given your brain or your body the time it needs to repair itself.
So you actually start each and every day a little bit less focused and less metabolically healthy than the previous day.
Don't try to catch up on your sleep. People tell me all the time that they know that they don't get enough sleep during the week - but they "catch up" on the weekends. Let me put an end to that myth right now. That does not work!!! Your body and your mind need a regular sleeping pattern to repair and rejuvenate - without it you're actually deteriorating yourself rather than re-energizing yourself.
So what's considered enough sleep?
Generally speaking, everyone should strive to get 8 hours of restful sleep. Now if you eat a very healthy diet and exercise properly, and give yourself a few mental breaks during the day, and if you sleep like a baby and awaken fully refreshed every day, then you might be the type of person who can get away with less sleep - maybe 6 hours each night.
On the other hand, if you experience extraordinary amounts of stress each day (mental or physical), then you'll need more than 8 hours. A marathon runner for example, tends to put his/her body through a lot of stress each day - that person needs more than just 8 hours because their body needs more repair time than normal. The same holds true for the person going through massive mental stress as well.
So what can you do to help facilitate a better night’s sleep for yourself and those around you?
10 Steps To Help You Get A Great Night's Sleep:
1. Make a list of what you need to do the next day, write it all down and keep that paper and pen near your bedside in case you think of anything else you need to do. When you write things down you’re giving your brain the signal that it no longer needs to think about those tasks.
2. Don't watch television or listen to the radio (especially the news) before retiring for the night - and certainly do not fall asleep with the TV or radio on.
3. Read some inspirational or self-growth material for at least 30 minutes prior to bed. Your goal is to fill your mind with inspirational thoughts before falling asleep so that the last thoughts you have before drifting off are uplifting thoughts - as opposed to the stressful thoughts that most people fall asleep thinking about.
4. Make sure the room that you're sleeping in is as dark a room as possible - the body is made to sleep when it's dark out - the darker the room the more potential for a deep sleep.
5. Make the room as silent as possible - turn off all electric devices and ask others in the house to be as quiet as they can be.
6. Don't eat for at least 3 hours before going to bed. When there's undigested food in the stomach, your body is forced to focus on digesting that food rather than being focused on repairing your body and mind - which is what sleep is all about! The body was designed to digest food best while moving - not while laying down.
7. Try to go to bed at approximately 10:00 pm and awake at approximately 6:00 am. In Ayurvedic medicine it's believed that there are cycles that are the most conducive for certain activities. Going to bed at 10:00 pm and arising at 6:00 am appears to allow the body to rest the deepest, rejuvenate the most, and give the person the most energy throughout the day.
8. Don't take drugs or vitamins/herbs that are supposed to help you sleep (unless required by your physician). Most of these artificial sleeping aids do nothing more than deaden your senses - the goal of 'sleep' is to give your body the time and means to repair itself and prepare for the coming day. When you drug yourself to sleep, every system in your body is slowed down, including all those systems that are responsible for repairing you.
9. Make sure that there's a fresh air supply in the room. The air indoors is said to be some of the most toxic air around. When you sleep, you're only able to breath in the air that surrounds you in your enclosed bedroom. Try opening a window (if it's cold outside then just open the window a crack). The fresh air that comes in while you sleep will help your body repair itself because you'll have access to cleaner, more oxygenated air.
10. During the day, do 60 minutes of mild exercise. If you don't have time to do 60 minutes in a row, then break it up into 2 - 30 minute sessions, or 3 - 20 minute session, or 6 - 10 minute sessions --- just get a full 60 minutes in. The best exercise when talking about general health and preparing your body for a great night's sleep is walking.
I wish you the best night's sleep tonight and every
Sunday, January 17, 2010
"The Way to Health & Vitality"
It's time to start a Healthy life:
your 7 days program
How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you'll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don't feel like exercising?
While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn't mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness -- and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and
exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.
In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.
The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night, Exercise doesn't have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.
I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a
one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.
Here's a sample exercise program that may work for you:
* Warm Up -- seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.
* Resistance Training -- Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.
* Aerobic Exercise -- Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the
second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.
* Stretching -- Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.
When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.
* From one to eight weeks -- Feel better and have more energy.
* From two to six months -- Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.
* After six months -- Start losing weight quite rapidly.
Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don't stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,' says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is
impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:
* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day
* Make sure every meal is balanced -- incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and
fruits
* Limit your fat intake to only what's necessary for adequate flavour
* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day
* I also recommend that you take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
I suppose that's all I can think of for now. I should extend my thanks to a doctor friend of mine. Without him, I wouldn't be able to write this article, or keep my sanity.
Enjoy life, we all deserve it.
You'll find many more useful information and articles at Health & Vitality - to Enjance Your Life.
Health & Vitality for all your life-enhancing and personal development products. - Visit: >>> http://www.health-vitality.com
your 7 days program
How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you'll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don't feel like exercising?
While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn't mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness -- and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and
exercise at the proper intensity, you are informing your body that you want to burn a substantial amount of fuel. This translates to burning fat more efficiently for energy.
In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals fast metabolism, which, in turn gives you more energy throughout the day and allows you to do more physical work with less effort.
The true purpose of exercise is to send a repetitive message to the body asking for improvement in metabolism, strength, aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you exercise, your body responds by upgrading its capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night, Exercise doesn't have to be intense to work for you, but it does need to be consistent.
I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes per session, and resistance training four times per week for 20 to 25 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a
one-two punch, incorporating aerobic exercise to burn fat and deliver more oxygen, and resistance training to increase lean body mass and burn more calories around the block.
Here's a sample exercise program that may work for you:
* Warm Up -- seven to eight minutes of light aerobic activity intended to increase blood flow and lubricate and warm-up your tendons and joints.
* Resistance Training -- Train all major muscle groups. One to two sets of each exercise. Rest 45 seconds between sets.
* Aerobic Exercise -- Pick two favorite activities, they could be jogging, rowing, biking or cross-country skiing, whatever fits your lifestyle. Perform 12 to 15 minutes of the first activity and continue with 10 minutes of the
second activity. Cool down during the last five minutes.
* Stretching -- Wrap up your exercise session by stretching, breathing deeply, relaxing and meditating.
When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on.
* From one to eight weeks -- Feel better and have more energy.
* From two to six months -- Lose size and inches while becoming leaner. Clothes begin to fit more loosely. You are gaining muscle and losing fat.
* After six months -- Start losing weight quite rapidly.
Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don't stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits,' says Zwiefel. Counting calories or calculating grams and percentages for certain nutrients is
impractical. Instead, I suggest these easy-to-follow guidelines:
* Eat several small meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day
* Make sure every meal is balanced -- incorporate palm-sized proteins like lean meats, fish, egg whites and dairy products, fist-sized portions of complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta, wild rice, multigrain cereal and potatoes, and fist-sized portions of vegetable and
fruits
* Limit your fat intake to only what's necessary for adequate flavour
* Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day
* I also recommend that you take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
I suppose that's all I can think of for now. I should extend my thanks to a doctor friend of mine. Without him, I wouldn't be able to write this article, or keep my sanity.
Enjoy life, we all deserve it.
You'll find many more useful information and articles at Health & Vitality - to Enjance Your Life.
Health & Vitality for all your life-enhancing and personal development products. - Visit: >>> http://www.health-vitality.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)