More About Stress

I just got some very bad news about a family member. As a result, I find myself in a very stressful situation, thinking about this person's future and how it will impact everyone else in the family. Over the years, I didn't always choose healthy ways of coping with stress. I was a smoker and an emotional eater, but I've since quit smoking and have found other ways to cope with stressful situations that won't compromise my own health. What I have learned is that although I cannot control all aspects of my life, there are still many other things in my life I CAN control. By exercising control in some areas of my life, I am able to alleviate stress and feel more empowered because, from what I've learned, stress if about feeling helpless, hopeless and unempowered. It is in stressful times like these I will make a point to eat healthy and exercise. One very tried and true method of relieving any anxiety brought on by a stressful event is deep breathing. Here are some tips to doing it correctly so that you get the most benefits from this: Step 1) Inhale naturally through your nose (it is important to do this slowly and make the breath as deep as you can without causing you discomfort). Step 2) After holding your inhaled breath for at least five seconds, exhale that breath slowly. Do this ten times. Try to do this with your eyes closed, but if this is uncomfortable for you, then just lower your eyelids a bit while you are doing this breathing technique. Try focusing on your breath and nothing else. There is an actual physiological reaction in the body while you are doing these deep-breathing exercises that helps bring on a calm, both physically and emotionally. I will discuss further, in one more post, about progressive muscle relaxation.