10 Ways to Create Calm
Want to achieve a more peaceful state of mind but not sure
where to begin? Start here. Following even one or two of these simple
suggestions will make a difference.
From: Strengthen Your Immune System, Reader's Digest Canada
1. Go Slow
When you have to go somewhere, start out 10 minutes early
instead of waiting until the last possible moment. You won’t have to rush, and
you’ll be less stressed. Also, make an effort to move and talk in a very
relaxed manner and see if your stress doesn’t ebb away. Drive within the speed
limit; pause before you reply to a question; let the phone ring a few times
before answering it. And sit back and do nothing for a few minutes every day.
2. Grab Some Green
Practitioners of feng shui (an Eastern discipline that
purportedly helps you fine-tune your environment for comfort and success)
believe plants increase vitality, which is the first step toward achieving
happiness.
3. Give Yourself a Break
You can’t make everyone in your life happy all the time. And
it’s okay to make mistakes now and then.
4. Fit In Time-Outs
To avoid tension buildup, follow this rule: For every 50
minutes you work, take a 5-minute break. Don’t feel guilty: Time-outs are
proven to increase productivity.
5. Get a Pet
A dog, cat, bird, or even a fish can play a vital role in
stress relief. In a Johns Hopkins Medical Center study, 50 out of 53 pet owners
were alive a year after their first heart attacks, while only 17 of 39 people
without pets lived that long.
6. Make Vacation Time
Austrian researchers recently showed that a two-week
vacation does more than just clear the mind and calm the spirit. It also
improves health and reduces stress levels for up to five weeks. Both during and
after a good vacation, we sleep better and enjoy better moods. For a vacation
to be healing, however, it must be restful and not overly structured. People
who didn’t have any down time on their vacations didn’t enjoy the same health
benefits. In Home vacays work too!
7. Take Up a Hobby
Do something for the sheer pleasure of it, whether it’s
knitting, collecting rocks, or bird-watching. Hobbies instill self-confidence
and help you connect with others who share your interests. And being engaged in
numerous pursuits will help shield you from depression, which has been linked
to impaired immune function and increased risk for cancer and other diseases.
In one key study, men and women were asked to rate their
happiness on a moment-by-moment basis for six weeks. The results showed that
overall happiness depended upon how much time each person spent doing something
that made him or her feel good.
8. Learn to Love Lists
Try making daily to-do lists if you tend to forget things or
if it makes you feel more organized. Prioritize your goals for the day, then
divvy them up into realistic chunks of available time. If something won’t fit
onto today’s list, move it to tomorrow’s.
9. Read
Nothing takes your mind off your worries faster than a good
book. Since reading is a silent activity, it also lets you escape noise—a known
stressor—for a while. For the quietest refuge, head to the library.
10. Play Around
The next time you’re feeling anxious or stressed, take a
break and do something childish: Find crayons and draw a picture, rent a
favorite childhood movie, blow bubbles, or search the attic for a few of your
favorite old toys.
RESOURCE: http://www.readersdigest.ca/health/healthy-living/10-ways-create-calm
No comments:
Post a Comment