Some Proven Stress Reducers:

Mental Health Tip(s) of the Week: Please comment and suggest any other good ones you may utilize!

• Get enough sleep. If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.
• Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.
• Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments.
• Prepare for the morning the evening before. Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.
• Don't rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc.
• Don't forget to take a lunch break. Try to get away from your desk or work area in body and mind, even if it's just for 15 or 20 minutes.
• Make duplicates of all keys. Place a house key in a secret spot and carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.
• Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
• Plan ahead. Don't let the gas tank get below one-quarter full; keep a well-stocked "emergency shelf" of home staples; don't wait until you're down to your last postage stamp to buy more; etc.
• Get up and stretch periodically if your job requires that you sit for extended periods.
• Say "No!" Saying "no" to extra projects, social activities, and invitations you know you don't have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect, and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and be alone.
• Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep, or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect (the possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost zero). Or use an answering machine.
• Turn "needs" into preferences. Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm. Everything else is a preference. Don't get attached to preferences.
• Become more flexible. Some things are worth not doing perfectly and some issues are fine to compromise upon.
• Create order out of chaos. Organize your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are. Put things away where they belong and you won't have to go through the stress of losing things.
• When feeling stressed, most people tend to breathe short, shallow breaths. When you breathe like this, stale air is not expelled, and muscle tension frequently results. Check your breathing throughout the day, and before, during, and after high-pressure situations. If you find your stomach muscles knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax all your muscles and take several deep, slow breaths.
• Learn to live one day at a time.
• Every day, do something you really enjoy.
• Add a little love to everything you do.
• Do something for somebody else.
• Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.

stress reduction