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Tag Archives: destress

Long day at work? De-stress with rituals!

15 Monday Feb 2021

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, create rituals, de-stress, decompress, destress, have a cup of tea, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, patterns, ritual, rituals, walk the dog

Here’s great advice for de-stressing after work, from Harvard business school professor, Dr. Teresa Amabile. She says, think about how you set up your day. For example, you say ‘hi’ to the security guard, grab a coffee, and check your email. So, create another ritual at the end of the day to decompress. For example, maybe you listen to your favorite music on the way home, take the dog for a quick walk, and have a relaxing mug of tea. The more you engage in a set pattern of rituals, the quicker you’ll relax and detach.

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Having a stressful day? Doodle!

28 Thursday Jan 2021

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calming effect, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, destress, doodle, doodling, draw waves, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, sense of calm, stress, stressful, stressful day, waves

The next time your commute to work is irritating – and then you get stuck in an annoying meeting – do this to dial down your frustration: Doodle. But not just any doodle.  Spend a few minutes doodling a pattern that contains nothing but curves – like ocean waves. Handwriting analysts say any movements that flow across the page like waves are calming. And psychologists say doodling is a perfect way to release tense energy.

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Here’s a one-minute meditation to help kick your food cravings.

04 Friday Sep 2020

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, crave, cravings, decrease stress, destress, focus, food cravings, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, meditate, meditation, relax

It comes from Bob Roth, one of the most experienced and sought-after meditation teachers in North America. 

Here’s what to do:

Place 3 fingers of your left hand on your right wrist and find your pulse. 

Then, let both hands rest in your lap. 

Close your eyes.

Focus on the feeling of your pulse.

Allow your thoughts to come and go, not focusing or dwelling on them. 

After a minute, you’ll feel more relaxed – and you’ll be less likely to reach for food to self-medicate your stress.

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Lift your mood by engaging in a calming leisure activity!

05 Wednesday Feb 2020

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calming, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, de-stress, destress, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, jigsaw puzzles, knit, knitting, leisure, puzzles, reduce stress, relax, University of California at Merced

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Want to de-stress? Do something soothing and hands-on, like knitting. British researchers surveyed over 35-hundred knitters – and the more frequently they sat down with needles and yarn, the lower their stress. Don’t want to learn a new skill? Try jigsaw puzzles. University of California at Merced researchers found people engaged in calming leisure activities reported a‑third less stress than those without a relaxing hobby. But the best ones create a finished product, whether it’s a completed puzzle or a knit hat. Because the accomplishment lifts our mood and reduces stress.

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Take a deep breath!

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

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breathe, breathing, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, de-stress, destress, exhale, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relax, relaxing, stress relief, take a deep breath

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When it comes to relieving stress, people say, “Take a deep breath.” But a deep EXHALE may be more crucial than a deep INHALE. Physical therapist Dr. Emily Kiberd says most people think deep breathing should be about taking IN more oxygen. But the stress-relieving oxygen doesn’t reach our bloodstream until we breathe OUT. So, try this: Inhale through your nose for a count of 4… Hold it for another 4 seconds… Exhale for 8 seconds. That’s in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8. That’ll calm your nervous system, relaxing you.

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Here’s a surprising stress reliever:

05 Thursday Dec 2019

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calm, calming, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, destress, flowers, fractals, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, patterns, relax, repeat, repeating patterns, stress, stress-reliever

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Look at something containing “fractals,” or repeating patterns… Like how a flower’s petals are all the same shape, getting bigger as they go from the center to the outer edge. There are also repeating patterns in leaves, seashells and ocean waves. Researchers found repeating patterns calming, so looking at a natural fractal for a few minutes can reduce stress by up to 60%! No natural fractals around? Try the app FRACT.AL or go to FractalFoundation.org.

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Do you find it hard to unwind after work?

21 Thursday Nov 2019

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, cranky, de-stress, destress, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, stress, stress hormones, unwind, walk the dog, work

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Well, the lingering stress hormones, like cortisol, could make you cranky, and hurt your health in the long run. So, work-life balance expert Mary LoVerde recommends a “power hour” ritual to help you switch from work mode to home mode. So maybe you walk the dog and take a soothing shower. Or you change into sweats and start dinner if you find that relaxing. Just make your “power hour” a repetitive ritual, because planning something new every day will just ADD stress. LoVerde says rituals make it easier to wind down and relax. They also make you more mindful, so you’ll spend your time at home “in the moment,” instead of stressing about work.

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Improve thinking and focus by placing a plant on your desk.

19 Wednesday Jun 2019

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anxiety, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, de-stress, desk, destress, focus, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, nature, plant, plant on your desk, spider plant, stress, thinking

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We’ve said before that having a plant on your desk can improve your thinking and focus. That’s because being within eyeshot of something from nature triggers the release of positive brain chemicals that make you feel refreshed and recharged. Well, there’s even more to it than that. By afternoon, indoor air pollution is at its peak. And according to Johns Hopkins University researchers, those chemicals increase brain inflammation – which produce feelings of anxiety. But if you have a plant on your desk, it’ll absorb the pollutants and pump out oxygen, which can leave you feeling calmer. And one of the best plants you can get is a spider plant. It thrives indoors – is hard to kill – and within 24 hours, it’ll soak up 87% of airborne pollutants in the immediate area. And not just carbon dioxide. It’ll eliminate dangerous volatile organic compounds – like benzene, ozone, and formaldehyde – that are emitted by plastic, fabric, computer printers, and cleaning solvents.

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Are you looking for a great way to relax?

03 Monday Jun 2019

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anxiety, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, destress, hammock, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, porch swing, relax, rocking, rocking chair, sleep, stress, swing

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Do you have a hammock, porch swing, or rocking chair? Use them! According to the University of Rochester, that’s a proven way to relax… even if you’re totally stressed. It can also relieve aches and pains caused by tension. It goes back to when we were babies because being gently rocked releases calming brain chemicals that act like pain-relieving antidepressants. Rocking can even improve sleep by boosting production of brain-calming neurotransmitters which reduce anxious thinking, the same way anti-anxiety drugs help prime you for sleep.

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Feeling tense?

24 Monday Jul 2017

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antioxidants, belly-fat, blueberries, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, de-stress, destress, dopamine, feel-good brain chemical, feeling tense, folate, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lower blood pressure, peaches, potassium, stress hormone, sunflower seeds, tense

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Here are a few foods proven to help you de‑stress:
Starting with Blueberries. They contain antioxidants so powerful, they counteract the production of cortisol, the stress hormone that increases blood sugar levels. And high levels of cortisol are linked to belly fat.
Another anti-stress food: Peaches. The potassium in peaches helps lower blood pressure.
Finally, when you’re stressed, load up on sunflower seeds. They contain high levels of folate, which helps your body produce the feel-good brain chemical dopamine.

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