Stress Reducer Blog » stress reduction

Your Brain on Computers

Stress Reducer — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:50:59 +0000

I’ve been a long time advocate of taking unplugged vacations. Now the research is starting to catch up.

I’ve also been experimenting with turning the computer off earlier in the evening, and I’m finding the quality of my sleep is significantly better when I turn the computer off.

Though the research is just getting started on the impact of all this screen time, this article is worth reading.

…on a day-to-day basis, too much digital stimulation can “take people who would be functioning O.K. and put them in a range where they’re not psychologically healthy.”

Your Brain on Computers is a post from: Stress Reducer Blog

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Mindfulness therapy pushes the bad thoughts to one side???

Stress Reducer — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:49:44 +0000

Clearly this reporter doesn’t grasp what mindfulness really is…being present to whatever is going on, not pushing stuff to the side. Yikes!

Other than that, however, the article is quite good and makes a good case for meditation in general and mindfulness meditation specifically when it comes to stopping anxiety and reducing stress.

Want to learn more about mindfulness meditation, get Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Full Catastrophe Living

Mindfulness therapy pushes the bad thoughts to one side??? is a post from: Stress Reducer Blog

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Staying in the present moment as a stress reducer

Stress Reducer — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:01:32 +0000

Living in the present moment is a piece of ancient spiritual wisdom worth remembering in this discussion of uncertainty and lack of control.

Staying focused on the present is a massive stress reducer. For right now, at this moment, I am okay. For today, I have shelter, food, income, a loving family, good friends and a healthy dog.

Any of that could change tomorrow. That’s always been true, but in the normal course of most of our lives we choose to keep that awareness in the background. We don’t think about how it could all change in an instant. We expect continuity as we move into the future.

Currently we are living in a world of Chicken Littles…the sky is falling, the sky is falling…and it’s really hard to stay removed from all that catastrophizing.

I’m finding it as hard as anyone else, but I am also finding that the lesson of Heidi’s illness has been to remind me that for today she is fine and for today I am fine. And you know what? It’s enough. It’s actually more than enough to keep the stress monsters at bay.

Staying in the present moment as a stress reducer is a post from: Stress Reducer Blog

Technorati Tags: Dealing with Uncertainty, Stress Reducer, stress reducers, stress reduction

So…how’s your diet?

Stress Reducer — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:46:59 +0000

I know you know all this so take it as a friendly reminder.

By far the best way to get good nutrition is through the food you eat.

Now I’m no hard core food fanatic. Mostly I go for what I like and what makes me feel good, but there are some real basic, common sense adjustments you can make that can really help with stress reduction.

First eliminate caffeine and sugar.

I love my coffee and I understand how hard it can be to stop drinking it, but too much can really jangle the nerves. I’ve experienced and I’m pretty sure you have too. If stress is a problem in your life, try switching to decaf for a week and see if it makes a difference. If you can’t switch all at once, start with half high test and half decaf then gradually increase the decaf.

The same goes for sugar. Just run an experiment to see if eliminating it helps. Would it be worth living without your regular sugar rush if it reduced your overall stress? Think about it.

Next, look at what you’re eating. The best sources of the stress reducer nutrients you need are in whole grains, dairy, nuts (especially almonds), green veggies (broccoli is one of the best) and some fish. If these aren’t a regular part of your diet, then try adding a bit here and there to start. Some of it’s really yummy, and some an acquired taste, but all of it’s really good for you and can help to reduce your stress.

So…how’s your diet? is a post from: Stress Reducer Blog

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Stress Reducer Tip – Physical Resilience

Stress Reducer — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:33:10 +0000

Emotional resilience is tied to physical resilience so make sure you’re getting the nutrition you need to stay healthy. This is especially true when you’re in the middle of a crisis even though that may be the hardest time of all to eat well.

In my old copy of Nutrition Almanac, the list of nutrients recommended to reduce stress reads like the label of a multivitamin. So first make sure you’re getting your basic daily requirements. Of particular importance for stress reduction are B vitamins, calcium and magnesium.

Now don’t go out and buy these supplements and start taking them without some guidance. I am not a medical doctor, and even if I were, I couldn’t customize your treatment from a website. Capeesh? Consult your health care provider first.

Stress Reducer Tip – Physical Resilience is a post from: Stress Reducer Blog

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Stress Reducer Tip – Stop!

Stress Reducer — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:26:46 +0000

Okay, here’s another counterintuitive technique.

Stress and overwhelm are inextricably linked. Our natural inclination is to struggle to get out of the overwhelm by ramping up our activity. Somehow if we move fast enough the thinking goes, we’ll get out of it. If we could only finish everything that needs to be done…

It’s something like trying to swim out of a rip current*. It’s not possible. You can’t swim to shore when you’re caught in a rip current and you can’t outrun your overwhelm.

When feeling overwhelmed, the only thing you can do is STOP.

Stop what you’re doing. Take a deep breath. Take the day off. Go for a walk. Go on vacation. It doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t really matter how long you stop as long as you put on the brakes and come to a complete stop.

Overwhelm feeds on itself and unless you break the cycle, you’ll drown in it. The worst part is that for all that effort and struggle, you become less and less effective until it feels like you’re trying to win a race by running backwards.

I understand this goes against all your instincts, mine too, but I have learned from hard experience that the most effective way to deal with overwhelm and the stress it creates is to stop and rest. Then I can return to whatever needs doing feeling refreshed and renewed. You can too.

When you do this, something very interesting happens…many of the things you were feeling pressured by, no longer feel urgent or even important. In fact you’ll probably look at your to-do list (more on that later) and start crossing things off because they really don’t need doing. Now that really does lighten the load.

* For those of you who don’t live near the ocean, a rip current is a strong ocean current that pulls you away from shore, and it is impossible to swim back to shore no matter how strong a swimmer you are. The only way out is to swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim in.

Stress Reducer Tip – Stop! is a post from: Stress Reducer Blog

Technorati Tags: for stress relief, how to handle stress, how to relieve stress, overcome stress, overwhelm, Overwhelmed, stress busters, Stress Reducer, stress reduction, Stress Reliever, stress solutions, ways to relieve stress

Stress Reducer Blog » stress reduction

Your Brain on Computers

Other Stress Reducer Post

Mindfulness therapy pushes the bad thoughts to one side???

Other Stress Reducer Post

Staying in the present moment as a stress reducer

Other Stress Reducer Post

So…how’s your diet?

Other Stress Reducer Post

Stress Reducer Tip – Physical Resilience

Other Stress Reducer Post

Stress Reducer Tip – Stop!

Other Stress Reducer Post