Appreciate the Power of Pets

 STRESS BUSTERS

October 14: Appreciate the Power of Pets Animals have the ability to lower our stress, anxiety, and depression. They can also ease loneliness, encourage us to be more active, and provide an overall boost to our well-being. Perhaps most importantly, though, pets add real joy and unconditional love to our lives! Take time for some belly rubs with your four-legged bestie and notice any changes in your mood.*

Lower Your Stress with All Pets Remember, a pet doesn’t necessarily have to be a dog or a cat. Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and lower heart rate. From fish to guinea pigs to dogs and cats, interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and lower blood pressure.  *If you know you do not want a pet, you should not get one. Taking responsibility for a pet you are not interested in will likely cause increased stress rather than stress reduction.

The Power of Pets / How Owning a Dog or Can Can Reduce Stress

Break the stress/sleep cycle

STRESS BUSTERS 

October 13: Break the Stress/Sleep Cycle Being stressed can cause poor sleep and being under rested can result in feelings of more stress. It is a cycle that is tough to break once you are in it! A few forward thinking actions can help you prepare for sleep even when you're under stress. Break your stress/sleep cycle by taking one or two small steps to help calm your thoughts and get your body ready for sleep.  Get sunlight during the day. Natural light keeps your internal clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle. As we move into winter it is harder to get sunlight, so prioritize getting out of the office for a sun break during the day. Sleep away from electronics. The blue light emitted from the screens of cellphones, computers, and tablets suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences circadian rhythms. Avoid looking at screens an hour or two before bed and sleep with electronics charging in a different room. Use the 4-7-8 breathing technique. In this technique you inhale to the count of four, hold your breath for seven, and exhale for eight seconds. It forces the mind and body to focus on regulating your breath, rather than replaying your worries when you lie down at night. Establish a pre-sleep routine. Ease the transition from wake time to sleep with a period of calming actions before bed. Take a bath/shower, read a book, or practice deep breathing. If you tend to take your problems to bed, try writing them down and then putting them aside. 12 Simple Tips to Improve Sleep / 4-7-8 Breathing / Sleep and Stress / Blue Light and Sleep

Move it!

 STRESS BUSTERS

October 9: Move It

Physical activity is an easy and effective strategy for keeping stress at bay. Find something that you enjoy! Walk, play with your kids, or work in the yard. Take a hike with a friend, try a free yoga video online, or do some squats and lunges while you brush your teeth. Dancing is also a fun way to get some physical activity! Experts recommend 30 minutes or more of movement for adults and 60 minutes for children on most days. Can’t find a 30-minute chunk of time? Break it up into 10-minute blocks throughout the day. Notice the change in your physical and mental tension after  just 10-minutes of movement!

Exercise and Stress / The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise  / 30 At Home Exercise Moves

Laugh a little

 STRESS BUSTERS

October 8: Laugh a Little Laughing is both a physical and mental stress reliever. A good laugh can soothe tension, aid in relaxation, and release feel-good hormones to your brain. Laughter has also been shown to strengthen a person’s immune system and help relieve pain by encouraging the body to release its own natural painkillers. Best of all, out of everything you can do for stress managment, laughter takes the least amount of effort and planning. Don't let a day go by without a moment of laughter! Bring More Laughter to Your Life Smile! Smiling is the beginning of laughter, and like laughter, it’s contagious. Smiling at others is more challenging with a face mask on, but it's a great opportunity to practice your best smize*. Add humor to conversations. Ask friends, family members, and co-workers, “What is the funniest thing that happened to you today?” Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about the times when you took yourself too seriously. Channel your inner child. Notice how children play and try to emulate them. They are the experts on being silly, taking life lightly, and laughing at ordinary things. *Smile with your eyes! Laughter is the Best Medicine / Humor at Work / Stress Relief from Laughter

Eat Calming Foods

 STRESS BUSTERS

October 7: Eat Calming Foods During times of stress it's common to eat comfort foods that temporarily soothe and distract us. Salty, greasy, sugary things that taste good but don't offer a lot of nutritional benefit. It's normal to crave these foods, but when it comes to nutrition and stress, one of the best things you can do for your body and mind is to reach for whole foods like fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. Treats have their place every now and then, but try adding nutrient-rich foods to your plate more often. Notice if you feel a difference in your mood. Pause and reconsider your food choices during high-stress times.

Reach for Nutrient-Rich Foods Fresh fruits, like oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, berries, and even bell peppers* are all high in vitamin C, which can help lower the levels the stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure during high-stress situations. Nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pumpkin seeds, pack a nutritional punch! They are a great source of magnesium, which has been found to improve sleep quality. Fatty fish, like wild salmon, tuna, and rainbow trout, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which promote overall brain health and may help manage depression and anxiety. *Yes, peppers are botanically a fruit!

Vitamin C: Stress Buster / Nutrition and Stress

Do some deep breathing

STRESS BUSTERS 

October 6: Do Some Deep Breathing Deep breathing is one of the very best ways to manage stress. It relieves anxiety by helping regulate the autonomic nervous system and sends a signal to your brain to release physical tension. Deep breathing is easy to learn and can be done almost anywhere. It can also be combined with other relaxation strategies such as listening to music, practicing yoga, and walking. Practice deep breathing the next time you notice yourself feeling stressed or anxious.  Practice Deep Breathing Sit with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little. Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your stomach muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little. Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale. Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief / Relaxation Techniques: Breath Control

What is your stress level? The Perceived Stress Scale is the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of stress. Start by taking the Perceived Stress Scale today and again at the end of the month. You will be able to compare your scores to see if you had an improvement in your level of stress.  Take the Perceived Stress Scale*  *You are not required to enter an email address to complete the scale.  The scores on this self-assessment do not reflect any particular diagnosis or course of treatment. They are meant as a tool to help assess your level of stress.

Make a Stress Busting List

 If knowledge is power, and sharing is caring, then this I must do.

Working for state department of health and welfare has its perks. One of which is the benefit of having access to and being the recipient of timely and topical information about our health. October is Stress Management month, and with all the information coming at us from every possible direction...not to mention the current state of the world...some relevant and valuable information recently came my way.

It would be foolish not to share.