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Tag Archives: stressed out

How you can avoid “stress traps.”

06 Tuesday Jul 2021

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caffeine, caffeine withdrawal, coffee, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, less stressed, stress, stress hormones, stress trap, stressed out, stressful

Some of the things we do in the name of alleviating stress can make it worse. So here are the most common “stress traps” to avoid, according to the latest science:

First: Be careful how much venting you do with friends. It seems logical to share our problems. But a study from Oklahoma State University found unless we’re asking friends for advice, most venting backfires. Because sharing details about whatever’s bothering you is like re-living the problem all over again. So, our body responds by releasing MORE stress hormones, not less. In other words: Only talk about your problems if you’re focused on finding solutions.

Also, when you’re stressed, that’s not a good time to cut back on coffee. Because, if you’re a regular coffee drinker, you’ll add caffeine withdrawal on top of the stress. Plus, a recent study found people who drank three daily cups of coffee performed better under stressful conditions. That’s because caffeine triggers the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine – making us up to 15% less stressed!

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We really DO hate hot weather.

26 Monday Apr 2021

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anxiety, anxious, back to work, back to work on Monday, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, hot temperatures, hot weather, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, irritable, stressed, stressed out

Environmental experts at the Vancouver School of Economics analyzed a BILLION tweets, comparing temperatures, and the use of positive and negative words and emojis. The result: Going from a mild 70-degrees to hot 90-degrees causes the same happiness dip we experience going from a relaxing Sunday to back to work on Monday. And when the temperature tops 100 degrees, people are 3 TIMES unhappier than when the weather’s cold. So why are we more irritable when it’s hot out? First, because high temperatures increase our heart rate, testosterone, and other metabolic reactions that trigger our stress response. Also, psychologically, hot weather makes us feel out of control. Because if it’s cold you can wear more layers… but, when it’s hot, after a certain point, you can’t remove any more clothing to cool down. And when we feel we have no control, it makes us stressed out, anxious, and irritable. 

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Effective stress relief!

23 Tuesday Mar 2021

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, daily stress, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, shop from home, shop online, shopping, stress levels, stress relief, stressed out, University of Miami

80% of people surveyed say they frequently experience daily stress for one thing or another. If that’s you, here’s a way to beat it: Shop from home. Seriously! Research from the University of Miami shows that 8 in 10 people who flip through catalogs or browse online retailers feel less stressed… and they get that effect whether they buy something or not! It releases a flood of feel-good brain chemicals.

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Need to de-stress at work?

15 Thursday Oct 2020

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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.

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If you’re stressed, try this side dish:

09 Wednesday Sep 2020

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cortisol, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lower blood pressure, papaya, red peppers, stress, stressed, stressed out, vitamin C

A red pepper and papaya salad. People who eat foods high in vitamin C are better at handling stressful situations, like a test and public speaking. Vitamin C is known to lower blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol. And a cup of papaya has twice as much vitamin C as an orange, and red pepper has even more.

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Can’t sleep? This may be why!

09 Monday Mar 2020

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can't sleep, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, fall asleep, insomnia, insomniac, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, stress, stressed out

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A study has discovered the personality trait that keeps people awake at night: It’s expecting too much of yourself. Insomniacs set much higher expectations for themselves than other people do. As a result, they’re too stressed out to sleep! That’s according to the journal Behavioral Sleep Medicine. If that describes you, jot down 3 things you accomplished during the day – or that you felt good about. That’ll help clear your mind so you can fall asleep faster.

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To reduce stress – listen to music!

17 Monday Feb 2020

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classical music, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dopamine, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, listen to music, lower blood pressure, music, reduce stress, slow heart rate, stress, stress-reliever, stressed out, stressful

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While classical music has a particularly soothing effect – it slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure and even decreases levels of stress hormones – ANY music that you love will flood your brain with feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine.

And music is particularly beneficial if you’re in the middle of a stressful event. If you don’t have access to music, make your own. A study on stressed-out nursing students found that singing relieved their stress and prevented burnout.

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We’re really anxious!

21 Friday Jun 2019

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anxiety, anxious, brain, brain chemicals, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, Google, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, mood, sage, stress, stressed out

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How do I know? Because Google-searches for the word “anxiety” has more than doubled. You may need therapy to deal with your issues – but in the meantime, sniff fresh, crushed sage – or a cotton ball with a couple drops of sage essential oil. Researchers at Simmons College in Boston found the smell of sage cuts anxiety for up to 4 hours. That’s because its compounds boost production of brain chemicals that help regulate our mood.

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We yawn less in hot weather.

06 Thursday Jun 2019

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68 degrees, cold, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, hot, hot weather, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, overheat, sleepy, stress, stressed out, tired, warm weather, yaning, yawn

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That’s because yawning helps cool the brain, so it can function at maximum capacity and help us stay alert. But when it’s hot out, we don’t get the brain-cooling benefit from inhaling boiling hot air. In fact, researchers found people yawn most when it’s around 68 degrees. And yes, being sleepy and stressed makes us yawn too because both of those physical states cause the brain to overheat.

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Don’t get stressed-out… eat some hummus!

13 Wednesday Mar 2019

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antioxidants, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, dip, eat hummus, eat vegetables, eat veggies, hummus, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, stress, stress hormones, stressed out, UCLA, vegetables, veggies

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Here’s a quick trick for reducing your stress hormones: Cut up some vegetables and dip them in hummus! UCLA researchers say the chickpeas in the Mediterranean dip contain one of the highest levels of polyphenols, an antioxidant that cuts down the production of stress hormones. The research showed that just a half-cup of hummus a day can cut our stress by at least 25% within 72 hours.

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