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Posts with tag relaxation

Moms need "me" time, Mother's Day and every day

Posted: May 6th 2008 2:00PM by Bethany Sanders
Filed under: Emotional Health, Healthy Habits, Stress Reduction, Women's Health

A few weeks ago, I went to a movie by myself for the first time ever. I was feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, exhausted. I needed a few minutes of not being needed, and there was no babysitter in sight for a date night. So my husband took over and I took off. Thirty minutes into the film -- 27 Dresses at the $2 theater, if you're curious -- I realized that I was really enjoying myself.

As moms, we make time with our kids a priority, as we should. We also carve out couple time for our partners -- again, important. But far too often, there's little left over for ourselves ... and that's just not good for anyone.

CNN reminds us this Mother's Day that taking time for yourself is just as important as taking time for every other member in your family. When you don't have time to relax and unwind, you create stress on your emotional and physical health. So don't let this Mother's Day be the only day this year that you take time to rest and relax -- make it a regular occurrence. I'm already planning my next solo trip to the movies, but even a bubble bath or an hour alone to read a book in peace may be enough to help you refuel.

Gallery: Simple ways for moms to relax

Hide out with your favorite bookTake a long soakTake a walkPamper yourself


Jumpstart Your Fitness: By easing stress, pain, and bad moods

Posted: May 5th 2008 6:00AM by Rigel Gregg
Filed under: Jumpstart Your Fitness

Swimsuit season is fast approaching! It's just around the corner so now is the time to uncover that beautiful beach body you've been keeping under wraps all winter. Is yours hidden beneath an extra layer of winter flab? Have a great exercise plan in mind but having a hard time getting motivated because of stress, pain, anxiety or even depression? Relaxation is one of your body's best healing mechanisms, but it's not always easy to do. Natural techniques like breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, and guided imagery can help, plus you don't need any special equipment or training to reap the benefits.

Continue reading Jumpstart Your Fitness: By easing stress, pain, and bad moods

The "do nothing" yoga

Posted: Apr 29th 2008 3:00PM by Maggie Vink
Filed under: Emotional Health, Fitness, Stress Reduction

Yoga is well-known for the flexibility it promotes, but the meditative and relaxation qualities are also beneficial. If the twists and turns of traditional yoga methods don't appeal to you, you could try yoga nidra -- a style that focuses solely on the meditative side.

Also known as yogic sleep, yoga nidra involves lying very still and listening to meditative instructions. Fans of yoga nidra report better stress management and sounder sleep. So what exactly does it involve? Yoga nidra classes are usually 20-45 minutes long. Participants lie comfortably on their back and listen to a series of instructions including focusing on a goal, and focusing on awareness of each part of the body. Participants are also encouraged to think of a situation or emotion that is difficult and then think of its opposite.

While yoga nidra obviously doesn't have the physical benefits of more traditional yoga, the mind-body connection and stress-relieving aspects can be so beneficial for the body and spirit.

Fit Factor: Take a breather

Posted: Mar 28th 2008 6:00AM by Martha Edwards
Filed under: Fit Factor

By now, we should all be aware of the importance of breathing. After all, it's what keeps us alive, right? So why is it that when we work out our hardest, we sometimes forget to breathe? That's when our bodies need it the most--when we're pushing our limits and challenging ourselves to the max.

So how's your breathing during your workout? For me, it's the weights that make me forget my breath. I take a weight-lifting class a few times a week and funny though it sounds, I usually need to be reminded by the instructor to breathe--otherwise I'll hold my breath until I get a short break. No wonder I get dizzy sometimes!

Continue reading Fit Factor: Take a breather

Music therapy

Posted: Mar 22nd 2008 9:47AM by Maggie Vink
Filed under: Alternative Therapies, Emotional Health, Stress Reduction

For me, turning up the soundtrack to Rent and singing (questionably well) along can just wipe all my stress away. Finding relaxation through music is a wonderful thing, but it's not the same as true music therapy. So what is music therapy exactly? Music therapy involves a trained therapist who uses music as a medium to promote physical, psychological, and social well-being.

Music therapy can be used to help reduce stress for hospital patients -- reducing pain and improving mood. It has helped Alzheimer's patients remain calm and improve memory. It can help new parents calm infants and reduce anxiety in kids of all ages. Even the Cancer Treatment Center of America keeps a library of music and holds music therapy sessions to help its patients.

Do this Pilates routine even before you get out of bed

Posted: Mar 6th 2008 8:15AM by Bethany Sanders
Filed under: Fitness, Healthy Habits, Stress Reduction

Once I've showered and eaten breakfast, morning really is my best time of day. But getting from bed to shower can be a chore, especially when I have to be up before the sun rises. My kids don't have a snooze button, though, so I'm always looking for ways to get my motor running in the mornings.

Here are five Pilates moves you can do while your still in bed in the morning. If your bed is too soft, you can move on to the floor and do them as well. These exercises will stretch your spine, work your legs and abdominals, and hopefully give you the boost of energy you need to put your feet on the floor and start your day.

Workplace Fitness: Staying healthy on vacation

Posted: Feb 20th 2008 6:00AM by Rigel Gregg
Filed under: Workplace Fitness

An important part of being successful in your working life is to take advantage of vacation time benefits to refresh and revive your mind, body, and spirit. But obviously getting sick on vacation and spending the majority of the time not relaxing but recovering and suffering instead does nothing for you but waste your money and your time and send you back to work feeling more exhausted than when you left.

Taking some simple steps towards staying healthy can be the difference between coming back from vacation feeling relaxed and refreshed and ready to hit the ground running or coming back tired, drained, and barely able to get motivated. Whether you're going on a cruise through the Caribbean or on a drive across the country Forbes has compiled some tips to help you stay healthy and make the most of your time away from your desk, your career, and all the other stresses of your everyday life.

Continue reading Workplace Fitness: Staying healthy on vacation

Remember these relaxation techniques

Posted: Nov 10th 2007 7:27AM by Brian White
Filed under: Fitness, Stress Reduction

If you're already into the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season, you probably know that stress comes with the territory. With that, you need a strategy -- a strategy to relax.

Relaxation techniques are a must of the holiday season if you're up to it (and you should be), since they can make the holidays enjoyable instead of feeling like you're on pins and needles all the time.

Try these (thanks Diana!) if you're ready to spend that Saturday evening trying to get back to normal after an afternoon on your toes in all those stores:
  • Invigorate muscles with a visit to a massage therapist.
  • Meditate. Sit quietly or listen to soft music.
  • Practice deep breathing.
  • Imagine yourself in a relaxing place, such as in the mountains or on the beach.
  • Stop stressful thoughts before they spin out of control.
  • When you feel stress, your muscles tense up. Learn to relax your muscles to release stress.
  • Practice yoga or tai chi.

The 3 Rs of a restful sleep

Posted: Oct 9th 2007 10:41PM by Martha Edwards
Filed under: General Health, Healthy Habits

Anyone who's ever had insomnia that lasted more than a few days realizes the importance of sleep. I've been an insomniac before, and I swear, it's one of the worst feelings in the world. Everyday Health has some advice, though -- their Three 'R's of sleep can help you have a good night:
  • Relaxation: Relaxation therapy can help your mind stop racing and your muscles relax. Talk to your doctor.
  • Restricted Sleep therapy: Many insomniacs spend their nights sitting in bed, awake and frustrated. But planning to either get up earlier or go to bed later can help, and make sure not to lie in bed awake for too long -- do something productive instead of focusing on your lack of sleep.
  • Reconditioning: Make sure you don't use your bed for anything but sleep or sex. That includes watching TV, doing work and reading. You body will eventually come to understand that the bed is for sleep only -- not staying awake.

Slow down every now and then

Posted: Jul 20th 2007 2:15PM by Martha Edwards
Filed under: Emotional Health

People of the new millennium are masters of multi-tasking, but this stressful, hectic, frantic lifestyle can take a toll on our health. A lack of sleep, a lack of physical activity and lack of proper, sit-down meals leaves us ... well ... lacking in health. So for the sake of your body, slow down every now and then.

The folks at eDiets concur -- it's important to do nothing every now and then. According to a study by Harvard University found that 60 to 90 percent of visits to the doctor are stress-related. Yikes! Relaxation can do wonders for you -- it helps calm your mind, and it helps your body recover from stress too.

So here's a challenge. For just a few hours a week -- an afternoon, an evening, you pick -- make a plan to do nothing ... and stick to it.

Walk fast? Talk fast? You may be living too fast as well

Posted: May 9th 2007 2:00PM by Bethany Sanders
Filed under: Emotional Health, General Health, Healthy Habits, Stress Reduction, Work/Home Balance

Recently, Rigel wrote about "hurry" disease and how to slow down the pace of your life a little bit. Living a fast-paced, impatient life can lead to excess stress, something that's definitely not good for your health.

Here's an interesting way to measure how much "hurry" you have in your life -- your walking pace. No, not your fitness walking pace, which should certainly be brisk, but the pace with which you travel through your every day life. A recent UK study found that people are speeding up all over the world, and that indicates that we may be eating more on the run, not getting enough exercise, and not taking time to relax or to connect with others.

Want to test the pace of your life? Here's the quiz. I'm not really sure how scientific it is, but it may open your eyes to how fast-paced your life really has become.

Try going on a vacation that's actually RELAXING

Posted: May 5th 2007 12:19PM by Rigel Gregg
Filed under: Healthy Places, Stress Reduction

It's kind of sad the way many of us take vacations: we pick somewhere we've always wanted to go and when we get there we spend the whole time rushing from historical landmark A to tourist attraction B and then on to itinerary item C. These types of vacations are fun and memorable, but are they relaxing? I don't know about you but even though I always have a blast, I also always come back from trips like that more tired than I was when I left. Whenever I can I try to give myself an extra vacation day before I'm due back at work, just to recover from my vacation.

Seeing everything there is to see is a great thing, but maybe you don't have to do that every time you plan a big trip. What about going somewhere exotic on a "de-stressing getaway?" Imagine spending your time getting massages and spa treatments, enjoying gourmet spa cuisine, and doing yoga and meditation in Bali, Zanzibar, Thailand, or if you want to stay closer to home even....Iowa?

Different "de-stressing getaways" offer different things, and although they don't come cheap they all have one focus in common: relaxation.

Having a hobby = Less stress and more fun!

Posted: May 4th 2007 8:25AM by Rigel Gregg
Filed under: Healthy Habits, Stress Reduction

People with hobbies are shown to be happier and less stressed than those without, but unfortunately the definition of a hobby is "something you do in your free time." Free time? What free time? It's easy when you're so busy and pulled in so many different directions to lose sight of the things that you love to do for fun, and when you do it can take a real toll on your stress levels and your health. So follow these three steps to less stress and more happiness!
  • Hobbies are a great way to follow your dreams in a small and manageable way. Sign up for a class or join a club that relates to something you've always wanted to try.
  • Search out organizations that relate to your newfound (or rekindled) hobby and see what they have to offer.
  • Recruit a buddy to go along for the ride. Friendships also suffer in today's bustling world, and there's no reason you can't multi-task and solidify friendships while working on a fun project.

Combat your PMS with essential oils

Posted: Mar 21st 2007 11:02AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Emotional Health, General Health, Healthy Relationships, Natural Products, Spirituality and Inspiration, Stress Reduction, Women's Health, Healthy Products

essential oilsThrow away that Midol, Ladies; there is a natural way to combat your PMS. Aromatherapist Jennifer Davidson Dowd says essential oils are great for mild PMS and help improve your mood and relax your muscles. Lavender, clary sage and geranium are used most often for this.

According to the original report, the essential oils should be added to a bath or massage lotion, or inhaled by using a diffuser.

I have been using essential oils for years to help with PMS, in the form of aromatherapy baths mostly. It is a wonderfully relaxing way to find that emotional and physical balance you need when your hormones are anything but balanced.

Workplace Fitness: Steps to a less stressful commute

Posted: Mar 14th 2007 6:00AM by Rigel Gregg
Filed under: Stress Reduction, Workplace Fitness

We all have enough stress at work without experiencing it to and from work on top of things. Learning to relax and let things go isn't easy, but trying the following tips may help you have a better and less tense commute:

Start off by taking a breather. Make a conscious effort to relax and set the right atmosphere for yourself -- be calm on purpose. This one surprised me, but believe it or not being calm and creating that atmosphere really will be a lot easier in a luxury vehicle. Going into debt over a buying pricey vehicle won't reduce stress for most of us, but if it does happen to be an option for you then by all means, consider it.

Continue reading Workplace Fitness: Steps to a less stressful commute

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