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Stop a fluttering heart from stress!

04 Monday Jan 2021

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, flutter, fluttery heart, heart, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, pressure points, relax, relieve stress, sense of calm, stess, stressful

Did you know that if your heart gets all fluttery from stress, there’s a way to “touch” it to make the flutter – and your stress – go away?

Just do this: Take your thumb, and press it firmly in the web between the pointer finger and thumb of your other hand. Or, press hard in the space between your second and third knuckles. Psychologist Dr. Sharon Melnick, who wrote “Success Under Stress,” says the nerves under those areas go directly to your heart. And when you apply pressure to those nerves, it activates them in a way that relaxes the heart, and creates a sense of, quote “instant calm.”

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How does soaking in a steamy bath scented with rose, vanilla, jasmine, or lavender essential oils sound?

09 Wednesday Dec 2020

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Like heaven, right? Well, doing that will raise blood levels of the feel-good and calming neurotransmitters oxytocin and serotonin… for SIX HOURS afterward! That’s according to research from Brown University. And because the bath itself soothes your brain’s anxiety center – it needs less of that surge of oxytocin and serotonin. So more of those feel-good chemicals will be used to relax the cells in the rest of your body.

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When you come home after a long and stressful day…

08 Tuesday Dec 2020

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…feel free to plop down on the couch and watch TV. A joint study between UC Santa Barbara and the University of Georgia found people’s stress hormones were slashed after watching their favorite shows. Sure, meditation and yoga can also help stress levels – but unless you’re really into those things, feeling the pressure to do something “healthy” can prevent your stress levels from dropping. So, if you have certain TV shows you’re really into – don’t feel guilty – enjoy! Because getting absorbed in the plot and characters takes your mind off your own stresses and turns your focus outward. 

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Here’s a new way to fight stress, tension and anxiety.

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

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anxiety, cognitive jujitsu, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, fight stress, in control, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, jujitsu, relax, tension

Don’t ignore it – or try to suppress it. Instead, consider how you’re feeling and label it. As in, “I feel overwhelmed.” Or “I feel pressured,” or frustrated, or angry. Psychologist Hans Hagemann calls it cognitive jujitsu. It works because when we label our feelings, it activates our prefrontal cortex – the rational, analytical side of the brain, and switches off the limbic system, the area fueled by stress and emotion. So, during your next meltdown, try cognitive jujitsu. Analyze your feelings, and label them. By the time you’re done, you’ll feel more in control.

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Need to de-stress at work?

15 Thursday Oct 2020

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Do it in 2 or 3-minute increments called micro-rejuvenation. According to Dartmouth College, all you need to do is step away from whatever you’re focused on at least once an hour, and give your brain a break. You can take a brisk walk, or scroll through happy photos on your phone. Because spending even a few moments changing up your mindset can make you feel relaxed, re-focused and re-energized.

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

04 Friday Sep 2020

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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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Indoor plants are a proven mood booster!

01 Monday Jun 2020

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Boost your memory, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, depressed, depression, English Ivy, fern, improve your mood, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, memory, mood boost, mood-booster, relax, relaxation, succulent

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Whether it’s a fern, English ivy or even a succulent, like aloe, being surrounded by greenery prompts an immediate mood lift, and lowers your risk of depression. According to the University of Michigan, our brains are naturally primed to release feel-good chemicals in the presence of nature, and it also triggers a relaxation response. Even when we’re stressed! Being near greenery also increases our ability to concentrate, makes us more productive, and boosts memory by 20%.

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How to feel calm quickly!

25 Wednesday Mar 2020

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People who listen to crashing ocean waves feel a lot calmer in 7 minutes. It’s down to something called the “biophilia hypothesis” – our innate connection to living things that we find reassuring and soothing. It explains our desire to care for animals and plants. And hearing ocean waves, rustling leaves, or a gurgling stream taps into that innate desire to be close to nature. Can’t get outdoors? Try one of these free apps: “Ocean Wave Sounds” or “Nature Space.”

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Eat edamame to feel less stressed!

03 Tuesday Mar 2020

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dopamine, edamame, feeling calm, grocery store, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Japanese, lower stress, magnesium, relax, soybeans, sushi, tyrosine

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If you’re feeling down, hit your favorite sushi place or the grocery store and get some edamame. For those who don’t know, edamame is the fancy Japanese name for soybeans in the pod. And research shows they’re ideal for soothing stress. Because edamame beans are loaded with an amino acid called tyrosine, which helps increase the brain’s production of dopamine – the neurotransmitter associated with producing a feeling of calm. In fact, one study found that a single serving of edamame can lower our stress for at least 2 hours! It also has a high magnesium content – which helps relax muscles.

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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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