10 Ways to De-Stress Anytime, Anywhere

OK, Here's the deal. We all know that too much stress is bad for us, and have heard the long litany of ailments associated with it -- high blood pressure, obesity and cancer, to name just a few. And "find a way to relax" is the piece of health advice everyone -- from our moms to our doctors -- gives us. So why aren't we relaxing, de-stressing or taking time to smell the proverbial flowers already? The truth is, the things highly stressed women are doing to cope -- eating comfort food and smoking -- according to a recent survey sponsored in part by the American Psychological Association (APA) -- are just exacerbating the negative effects of stress on our health. So what's going on here?

Basically, trying to cram in stress-relieving activities like finding time to meditate or taking a vacation has become its own stress inducer. "Women have come to see 'managing stress' as just one more thing to add to their to-do lists, and they get even more overwhelmed," says Kenneth Pelletier, Ph.D., co-author of Stress Free for Good (HarperCollins, 2005). But the either/or approach -- either schedule a massage or down a bag of chips -- isn't your only option. Here are 10 ways you can effortlessly weave stress relief into your hectic routine.

1. Before you leave work: Prep for tomorrow. Nothing is more stressful than being unprepared, says Mona Lisa Schulz, M.D., Ph.D., author of The New Feminine Brain (Free Press, 2005). Get organized so you're ready for the next day, taking a few minutes to make a to-do list and clean up before you leave. Knowing you've got everything covered means you'll be less likely to fret about work in the evenings. "When you come in the next morning, you'll have the sense that you're in control of the situation and can handle it," Schulz says. "This sets a positive tone for the day, which can help you get more accomplished."
2. Before you leave the house: Arm yourself with snacks. According to the APA survey, more women than men (one in three) turn to comfort food such as ice cream and cookies to ease stress. "It's common for women to deny themselves favorite foods because they're trying to lose weight. But under stress, the urge for them becomes even stronger," says Ellen Frankel, coauthor of The Diet Survivor's Handbook (Sourcebooks, Inc., 2006). In fact, researchers at Montclair State University in New Jersey recently confirmed that dieters are more likely than nondieters to overeat when under pressure, bingeing on the very same high-fat foods they normally try to avoid.

   The key is to not deprive yourself, Frankel says. Her advice: "Keep three or four snacks on hand that you know you'll probably want -- peanuts, if you like salty; string cheese, if you crave protein; a small piece of chocolate for something sweet -- so you aren't tempted to binge."

3. When you have only five minutes: Try a repeat performance. Doing almost any routine, repetitive activity (like vacuuming, shredding paper or knitting), or reciting a word that represents how you wish you felt (such as "calm") is a quick way to achieve a Zen-like state. Studies show the effects -- lower blood pressure and slower heart rate and breathing, and decreased muscle tension -- are the result of the relaxation response, says Herbert Benson, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Harvard University and Shape advisory board member. The crucial elements are to focus on a word, your breathing or a movement and to bring your attention back to your task if your mind wanders or negative thoughts intrude. Or look to your religion for a mantra: A recent study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found that repeating phrases with spiritual meanings helped participants cope with a range of problems from anxiety to insomnia.
4. In the bathroom: Wash your hands. When you're under pressure, you're more susceptible to cold viruses and other germs because your immune system is suppressed. Hand washing is your best defense. Lather up with soap and warm water for 10 to 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday."
5. In your car: Turn on some tunes. According to a recent study published in the British journal Heart, slow or meditative music (such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 9) is a proven stress buster, so set your dial to a soothing station during your commute. And, if you're stuck in a traffic jam, sneak in this quick exercise from Pelletier: Grab your steering wheel and clench the muscles in your fingers, arms, shoulders and back. Do this until your muscles begin to tremble (about 4 to 5 seconds), then release. "You'll produce a wave of relief in your upper neck and arms all the way down to your fingers," Pelletier says. Just make sure your foot's on the brake when you let go of the wheel!

6. On weekend errands: Use the ATM -- once. Limiting your cash
   withdrawals to once a week is a quick, easy way to monitor your
   spending habits, says Deborah Fowles, author of The Everything Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s Book(Adams Media, 2003). "Multiple trips to the ATM make it harder to track
   your money," Fowles says. "If you put yourself on an allowance and pay
   cash for everything, you're more aware of what you're spending and more
   careful about what you buy."

   And while thinking about your finances may be enough to send you
   over the edge, it turns out that getting them under control eases
   tension in the long run. (Money and work tied for first place as the
   leading sources of stress, according to the APA survey.)

   When you have a weekend afternoon free, do Fowles' No. 1
   take-control move: Write everything down, so you can see exactly where
   you stand financially -- what you owe, the amount of interest, your
   monthly income, your budget. "Not facing what you're up against creates
   even more stress, because it's always in the back of your mind," Fowles
   says. "But once you have the information down, you can begin setting
   concrete goals using real figures. And taking action will make you feel
   so much better."

7. At the gym: Hit the pool! You'll beat the heat and
   squelch stress: A new Swedish study published in the International
   Journal of Stress Management found that floating in water triggers the
   body's relaxation response, helping lower stress-hormone levels. Even
   better, nearly 80 percent of the subjects showed improvements such as
   feeling less tense and depressed.
8. At home in the evenings: Give your thumbs a rest.
   Thanks to e-mail, cell phones and BlackBerrys, it seems like your job
   never ends. The increasingly blurry boundaries between work and home
   life leave us with less downtime than ever before (and in some cases,
   no downtime!). "Advances in technology are a leading source of chronic
   stress, putting many of us in a constant state of alert," says Reed
   Moskowitz, M.D., founding medical director of Stress and Disorders
   Services at New York University Medical Center in New York City. Not to
   mention, it draws our attention away from our families: A recent study
   published in the Journal of Marriage and Family found a link between
   the use of cell phones and pagers at home and increased stress, which
   spills over into family life. To make technology work for you, screen
   calls with caller ID or, better yet, limit your cell phone and e-mail
   use to working hours only. Can't kick the "CrackBeny" habit? Set a
   regular time you'll check it in the evening (say, after dinner), so
   you're not constantly disrupting home life to keep tabs on work.
9. When you're facing a major life change: Recall a past
   success. Taking five minutes to reflect on how you pulled through other
   stressful situations, like your last breakup or when you switched jobs,
   can help you reconnect with your resilient side, Schulz says. "In the
   moment, it may feel as though you'll never get over your present
   problem, but when you look back, you realize that you felt similarly
   before and found a way to overcome it." If you're going through a
   divorce or recently lost a loved one, you also may want to seek out a
   support group: Research on grieving presented by the Center for the
   Advancement of Health in Washington, D.C., suggests that talking with
   peers is even more beneficial than one-on-one counseling in the initial
   months after a loss.
10. Before bed: Do an asana in your pajamas. A simple spinal twist can help you get a better night's sleep, says Edward Vilga, author of Yoga in Bed
    (Running Press, 2005), now out on DVD. "It alleviates tension that's
    built up in your lower back along the day," he says. Sitting on your
    bed with legs crossed, place your right hand down on the bed behind you
    and rest your left hand on your right knee. Sit up straight and inhale
    for four to eight counts, lengthening your spine as you breathe. On
    your exhale, begin to twist toward your right hand (don't strain your
    neck). Hold this position for four more full breaths, lengthening your
    spine on the inhales and deepening your twist on the exhales, if it
    feels comfortable. Repeat on opposite side.

Your Body, Under Stress
"We all need a little stress to keep us going," says Daniel Amen, M.D., psychiatrist and author of Making a Good Brain Great (Harmony, 2005). "But, as we've all heard, it's chronic exposure that can seriously harm your health."

How stress works: When you're under pressure, the hormones
adrenaline and cortisol kick in, making your muscles tense and
increasing your heart rate and blood pressure, so you're alert and
ready to leap into action. This "fight-or-flight" reaction is often a
good thing: It's what prompts you to swerve out of harm's way on the
road or to push to meet a really tight deadline. After the danger has
passed, your body stops producing stress hormones and within an hour,
tops, returns to its normal state.

When you're under chronic stress, Hormone levels stay high.
"When cortisol is elevated, it causes trouble for virtually every
system in the body, affecting everything from memory and sleep to
fertility and immunity," says Pamela Peeke, M.D., Shape advisory board
member.

Gail O'Connor is a freelance writer who lives in New York City.

Source: Shape. Powered by Yellowbrix.