Tag Archives: stress

What can a museum do for you?

15 Friday Sep 2017

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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 I-U-L-M University in Milan. The researchers measured people’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol, before and after they visited a museum. And they found that just spending a few minutes admiring a painting or sculpture dramatically reduced stress. Their cortisol dropped 60%! That’s because art fills us with positive emotions, which lower levels of inflammatory proteins, reducing stress.

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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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Watching TV can make you sick!

02 Wednesday Aug 2017

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Watching too many medical dramas on TV – like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Chicago Med” – can actually make you sick! A study from the University in Belgium found that those who watched the most medical shows on TV were more likely to be afraid of catching the illnesses they saw on the show. And the more people stressed about getting sick, the more likely they were to actually become ill – since stress has a negative impact on the immune system.

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Trouble sleeping? Eat THIS!

20 Thursday Jul 2017

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If you can’t sleep, get more magnesium in your diet. According to the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, people who get enough magnesium in their diet have less trouble sleeping. Because it helps neurotransmitters in the brain shut things down at night, so we can relax and rest. To get the optimal amount, all you need is a handful of nuts and seeds daily.

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Feeling a bit anxious & stressed?

06 Thursday Jul 2017

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Have you ever noticed that the longer you sit, the more anxious you feel?
Well, there’s a scientific reason for that: It’s because sitting for 2 hours or more makes the stress hormone cortisol build up in our system – without any way to be released. That’s according to the journal BioMed Central Public Health. To combat that rising stress, all you have to do is rise, yourself! Stand up, stretch, take a short walk. That’ll significantly reduce cortisol production and your feelings of stress.

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To beat a heat wave, have some Earl Grey tea on hand.

12 Monday Jun 2017

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But you don’t need to drink it – simply sniff a teabag. Yale University researchers found that taking 6 slow, deep whiffs of Earl Grey tea calms our amygdala – which is a region of the brain linked to stress and anxiety.
And when there’s a heat wave, the hot, oppressive weather is known to over-stimulate the amygdala, which is why we get easily irritated and anxious in sweltering weather. So the next time that happens to you, take 6 deep whiffs of Earl Grey, and you’ll be calmer in 2 minutes or less.

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If you’re a caregiver, try this to relax and reduce your stress:

05 Monday Jun 2017

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Get crafty! A study in the Journal Of Nursing Scholarship focused on people caring for relatives with cancer… And those who had a crafty, creative outlet – from painting to knitting to scrapbooking – were able to reduce their stress in 10 minutes.

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You’ve heard of “white coat hypertension,” right?

18 Thursday May 2017

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Where the minute a doctor or nurse starts taking your blood pressure, it spikes, simply because you’re stressed about being examined. Well, next time they’re about to put a blood pressure cuff on you: Take 3 or 4 deep, slow breaths over 30 seconds. In a study, people who did that lowered their systolic number by 15 points – that’s the top number. Deep breathing works to slow your heart rate, which triggers the reflexes that control blood pressure, and brings it down to where it normally is when you’re not on an exam table.

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Your smile could help you live longer!

17 Wednesday May 2017

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People who smile a lot live longer than people who tend to look somber and serious… A whole seven years longer! Researchers at Wayne State University studied photos of hundreds of baseball players taken in 1952. Of the players who’ve since died, those who were seen smiling the most, lived an average of 80 years – while non-smilers lived to only age 73, on average. The researchers say it’s because being happy reduces stress, which also lowers our risk of heart disease.

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To reduce stress in under a minute:

15 Monday May 2017

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Inhale deeply, while raising your shoulders toward your ears. Then exhale slowly, and push your shoulders down. Repeat 5 times. Stress management experts say combining a shoulder shrug with deep breathing releases tension in our neck, shoulders and upper back. It also produces endorphins, which cancel out stress hormones, and reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Allowing you to literally shrug off your stress in under 60 seconds.