• About

ConnieSelleccaBlog

~ Intelligence for Your Life

ConnieSelleccaBlog

Tag Archives: relax

What’s the best way to improve your work/life balance?

29 Monday Mar 2021

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, enjoy your family, exercise, exercise regularly, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relax, unwind, work lif balance, work-life balance

Exercise regularly! Researchers from Saint Louis University found working long hours, and spending more time away from the family hurts our home life. But people who exercised regularly were less stressed at work, even if they were having personal problems. So, they got more done and were more likely to leave on time, which reduced the friction at home. Plus, exercise boosted their mood and confidence, making them better able to forget about work after hours. Making it easier for them to relax, unwind, and enjoy their family.

Follow me on Facebook

Who has time to meditate?

05 Friday Feb 2021

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

breathe through your nose, breathing, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, focus, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, meditate, meditation, relax, Yale University

You do! Because all you need is 16 SECONDS a day to alter your brain! Yale University researchers found meditation decreases activity in the brain area responsible for negative thoughts, and a wandering mind – which is typically linked to ruminating, worrying about the past and future, and being less happy. But meditation keeps you focused in the present. It also physically changes the brain. It increases brain cell volume in the hippocampus, which regulates emotions. And decreases it in the amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anxiety, and stress. 

And all you need is 16 SECONDS a day – as long as you’re consistent! So breathe in for a count of 4… hold it for 4… exhale for 4 seconds… and pause for 4. Done.

Follow me on Facebook  

If you – or the people you’re around – need to calm down:

25 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

calm down, calming effect, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, paint a room pink, reduce violence in prisons, relax, the color pink, wear pink

Wear pink – or paint a room pink. According to the American Institute of Biosocial Research, when study subjects looked at something pink – in less than 3 seconds, 99% of them felt calmer. 

That’s because the color pink relaxes the endocrine system – the one that triggers our fight or flight stress response. So it has a tranquilizing effect. It creates slower, calmer brain waves. That’s why so many hospitals have walls painted pink. It works in prisons, too. From Missouri to Texas to Arizona, prisons have been painting jail cells pink to pacify the prisoners, and reduce violence. 

Follow me on Facebook

Stop a fluttering heart from stress!

04 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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.”

Follow me on Facebook 

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

09 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, jasmine oil, lavender oil, oxytocin, relax, relaxing, rose oil, serotonin, soaking, soaking in bath, steamy bath, vanilla oil

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.

Follow me on Facebook  

When you come home after a long and stressful day…

08 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, meditation, relax, stress, stressful, stressful day, watch tv, Yoga

…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. 

Follow me on Facebook  

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

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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.

Follow me on Facebook

Need to de-stress at work?

15 Thursday Oct 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, Darthmouth College, de-stress, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relax, stressed out, take a break, take a walk, work stress

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.

Follow me on Facebook

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

04 Friday Sep 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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.

Follow me on Facebook

Indoor plants are a proven mood booster!

01 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

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

indoor-plants-wp

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%.

Follow me on Facebook

← Older posts

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014

Categories

  • Intelligence for Your Life
  • Photos

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×