Tag Archives: reduce anxiety

Flowers can make us happy!

25 Friday Feb 2022

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Next time you go to a grocery store or farmer’s market, buy flowers. Because just seeing cut flowers at home or work produces feel-good brain chemicals, and makes us less anxious and prone to depression. Plus, MRIs show looking at flowers increases blood flow to the brain area linked to feelings of empathy and altruism, and makes us friendlier. So we end up thinking fewer negative thoughts and thinking more about others, instead of ourselves. It’s the power of flowers!

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The importance of getting more sleep!

05 Tuesday Oct 2021

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If you’re anxious about what you have on your plate tomorrow, get a little more sleep tonight. According to the experts at UC Berkeley, increasing your sleep before a stressful event – by turning in a little earlier, or sleeping a little later – can reduce anxiety. It works by decreasing activity in the area of the brain that heightens stress – the amygdala. So if you have a job interview tomorrow – an exam – or an important sales call – get a little more sleep, and you’ll feel calmer and more in control tomorrow.  

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To relieve your anxiety:

06 Friday Aug 2021

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Talk to someone who’s as anxious as you are! That advice comes from USC psychologist, Dr. Sarah Townsend. She says, connecting with someone who’s having the same feelings you are can buffer you against stress. That’s because you’ll be reassured that your emotional state is completely normal. And it’ll calm you down more than sharing your anxiety with someone who’s totally calm.

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Which vegetable can make you feel less anxious?

17 Wednesday Mar 2021

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A cucumber! That’s according to neurologist Dr. Alan Hirsch from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. In his studies, the scent of cucumber was so effective at relieving anxiety that it even helped people suffering from claustrophobia! In fact, when people with claustrophobia were put in a small elevator with the scent of cucumber, 75% felt calmer. Dr. Hirsch says the scent changes a person’s perception of space – making places feel more expansive. And it works so well, some hospitals use cucumber oil to calm patients before MRI scans! For the best results with a fresh cucumber – slice it before taking a whiff. That’ll release more odor molecules.

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Flowers can make us happy!

01 Monday Feb 2021

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Next time you go to a grocery store or farmer’s market, buy flowers. Because just seeing cut flowers at home or work produces feel-good brain chemicals, and makes us less anxious and prone to depression. Plus, MRIs show looking at flowers increases blood flow to the brain area linked to feelings of empathy and altruism, and makes us friendlier. So we end up thinking fewer negative thoughts and thinking more about others, instead of ourselves. It’s the power of flowers!

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To fall back asleep fast – try this:

28 Monday Dec 2020

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Think about something you love. I mean, really think about it, to the point you immerse yourself in the visualization. That advice comes from sleep specialist Dr. Christopher Winter. He’s a sleep coach for professional baseball players – and tells them to visualize throwing 30 perfect pitches. Smell the grass, feel the seams on the ball, feel the sun on your face, hear the crowd – picture everything. He says his patients usually can’t make it past 5 pitches before they’re back asleep. Dr. Winter says visualization reduces anxiety and lets our brain’s sleep mechanism take over. And according to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 65% of the hospital patients who used that visualization technique took less time to fall asleep, experienced significant improvement in sleep quality, and felt less fatigued the next day.

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How can you wake up happy and ready to tackle the day?

19 Monday Oct 2020

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Keep flowers on your nightstand! Harvard psychology professor Dr. Nancy Etcoff says any fresh flowers are such a mood-booster, they can even prevent workday blues. Fresh flowers also reduce anxiety and stress, two major sleep disruptors – which means, you’ll be sleeping better and waking up happier within a few days. But replace the flowers when they start to wither and turn brown. Otherwise, they can make you feel that time is slipping away and things are out of control in your life.

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Managing our emotions is easy!

07 Friday Sep 2018

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You know how pro athletes visualize themselves sinking a putt – or hitting a home run – and it can help them achieve those results in real life? Well, we can use visualization to manage our emotions, too. Dr. Stephan Kosslyn is a neuroscientist, and he says, imagining yourself doing something strengthens the connection between the body and the brain. So, let’s say every time your boss talks to you it makes you so anxious you can hardly think straight. Try this: Picture an encounter with the boss. Hear her condescending voice, picture how she stands, and the way she looks at you over the rim of her glasses. The point is to trigger your anxious response – and then breathe deeply and slowly and calm yourself down. Practice that trick half a dozen times – and the next time your boss says, “Come to my office I want to have a word with you,” your body and brain will be primed to stay cool, calm and collected.

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Time for a game break!

03 Thursday May 2018

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Playing Bejeweled isn’t a time waster… It’s an anxiety reliever! According to East Carolina University, playing a mobile game like Bejeweled for a few minutes is all it takes to feel 57% calmer. Because the mental focus it takes shifts your brain away from whatever is causing you anxiety. And just 5 minutes of playing a game can reduce stress for up to an hour.

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Who doesn’t like a good massage?

06 Wednesday Sep 2017

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Well, your dog wants one, too! And it can be really good for them.
Massaging can relieve anxiety and lower stress levels in anxious dogs. So, massage your dog’s head, neck and tips of the ears with light pressure, and a slow but consistent pace.
For digestive issues: Massage your dog’s back and belly. That’ll help your dog’s stomach muscles relax, and reduce gas and bloating.
And for older dogs, massaging their back legs can help reduce stiffness and improve flexibility.
Overall, vets say that massage stimulates circulation and lowers tension so effectively, that a lot of them use massage to calm dogs after surgery. And it’s easy to give your dog a calming massage at any time, whether they’re standing, sitting or lying down. Just use the “zigzag touch.” Simply spread your fingers wide, and make zigzags along your dog’s sides, between the hips and shoulders.

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