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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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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.

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Your dog’s favorite music!

13 Thursday Aug 2020

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Bob Marley, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, decreased stress, dog, dog listening to music, dogs, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, less stress, reggae, relaxed, relaxing, soft rock

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You may prefer to relax to The Beatles or maybe Adele or Maroon 5. But your dog has favorite relaxation music, too. And she’d probably prefer Bob Marley. Scottish researchers found dogs seem to prefer reggae and soft rock over other music genres. Because when they played various tunes in a shelter, the dogs were calmer and lay down longer while listening to reggae or soft rock, as opposed to Motown, pop or even classical. And they showed a measurable decrease in stress levels.

So, want your dog to be more relaxed – especially when you’re away? Tune the radio to some reggae or soft rock.

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Feel happier with just one whiff!

24 Monday Feb 2020

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alpha waves, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, essential oils, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relaxing, rose essential oil, rose oil, smell, sniff, stir crazy, work cubicle

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When you’re cooped up inside – or your cubicle is making you feel trapped and stir crazy, sniff some rose essential oil. According to neurologists at the Smell & Taste Treatment & Research Foundation, one whiff of rose oil can help you feel calmer and happier for 90 minutes straight. It works by calming the brain’s anxiety center and increasing production of alpha waves, which promote relaxation. So remember, one whiff of rose essential oil and you’ll feel better for the next 90 minutes.

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Do you need an energy boost?

21 Tuesday Jan 2020

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comfort, comforting, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, energy boost, familiar, favorite movie, favorite tv show, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relax, relaxing, television show, University of Buffalo

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Watch one of your favorite movies or reruns of your favorite TV show. Research at the University of Buffalo found that familiar storylines create a so-called “restorative effect” by relaxing our brain. Providing an instant energy boost, improving our willpower, self-control and problem-solving skills – while new shows have no effect. The reason? Because familiar stories – just like familiar places, people and foods – can be incredibly comforting.

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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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What can a museum do for you?

25 Thursday Oct 2018

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art, art museum, calm, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, happy, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Italy, IULM University, lower heart rate, Milan, museum, paintings, reduce stress, relax, relaxing, sculpture, stress free

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Sure, it can expose you to fine art – but it can also slash your stress by 60%! That’s according to IULM University in Milan, Italy. The researchers measured people’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol, before and after they visited a museum. And they found just spending a few minutes admiring paintings or sculpture dramatically reduced stress. Their cortisol dropped 60%! Plus, the study participants said they felt happier and calmer. It works because, when we’re looking at art, we’re in the moment. And Stanford psychologists say that looking at something awe-inspiring makes us more patient and unselfish, and it makes time seem to slow down. Art also fills us with positive emotions, which lower levels of inflammatory proteins, reducing stress and lowering our heart rate.

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Feeling stressed?

23 Tuesday Oct 2018

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, feeling stressd, flowers, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, look out a window, nature, relax, relaxing, stress, stressed, trees

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Look out a window. Researchers at the University of Washington found the view outside is far more soothing – and lowers a person’s heart rate further than plopping in front of the TV. But there’s a catch: It has to be a view of nature. If you’re looking at a cityscape of buildings, traffic, and crowds of pedestrians, instead of flowers, trees or a burbling fountain, it’s not going to lower your stress.

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Take a walk to clear your mind

28 Wednesday Feb 2018

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blood flow, calm, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, obsess, obsessing, park, public park, relax, relaxing, Stanford University, take a walk

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If you’re obsessing over something negative that happened – go find a park and take a walk. According to Stanford University researchers, spending time in nature actually decreases blood flow to the part of the brain that we use to dwell on things. Which can make you calmer in just minutes.

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Forget having cereal for breakfast.

28 Thursday Dec 2017

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bedtime, bedtime snack, breakfast, calcium, calm, cereal, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, eat cereal, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, magnesium, relax, relaxing, serotonin, tryptophan

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It makes the perfect bedtime snack. The carbs in cereal increase levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which makes us feel happy and relaxed. And the milk’s tryptophan content converts to serotonin, too. Plus, there’s calcium and magnesium in milk, both of which are calming.

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Stick with your familiar workout!

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

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calm, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, exercise program, familiar, holiday, holidays, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, overwhelmed, relaxing, USC, workout program, worlout

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Want to keep up with your exercise program right on through the holidays? Stick with familiar workouts you could do in your sleep! Researchers at USC say when we’re stressed, we feel overwhelmed – and decision-making becomes harder. But following a routine is calming. So you’re more likely to do a workout you already know by heart, than to try something new.

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