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Tag Archives: stressed

Is your nose cold?

28 Monday Sep 2020

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cold, cold nose, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, stress, stressed, stressful, take a break, University of Nottingham, working hard, working too hard

It could mean you’re stressed and working too hard! 

Researchers at the UK’s University of Nottingham found when people were concentrating really hard on a task, their noses got colder – dropping almost 2 degrees temperature-wise! The scientists say, when we’re feeling overwhelmed by intense cognitive activity, more blood gets diverted to the brain… and less goes to the nose. Because it takes extra energy to pump blood there. So, if the tip of your nose starts to feel chilly, it may be time to take a quick break at work. 

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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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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

look-out-window-wp

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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When you’re stressed, go sniff a lemon!

06 Wednesday Jun 2018

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anxiety, anxious, citrus, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, fatigue, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lemon, orange, smell, sniff, stress, stressed, stressed out

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When participants in a recent study spent as little as ten minutes inhaling the fragrance of citrus fruit, they saw a significant increase in their overall mood – which included a DECREASE in their levels of tension, anxiety, depression, confusion, fatigue and anger.

So, peel an orange, get a whiff of a citrus essential oil, or mix up a batch of lemonade. And be sure to breathe deeply.

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

18 Thursday May 2017

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blood pressure, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, doctor, exam, hypertension, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, nurse, stress, stressed, stressed out, systolic, white coat hypertension

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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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To improve your mood, do something artistic!

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

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art, artistic, bad mood, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, decoupage, drawing, improve your mood, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, knitting, mood, negative thinking, Northern Arizona University, painting, positiv thinking, relax, relaxation, repetitive, sculpting, stress, stressed, stressful, Van Gogh

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It doesn’t matter if you’re not exactly Van Gogh, doing something artistic, whether it’s painting, drawing, sculpting, or even decoupage or knitting – can pull you out of a bad mood. That’s according to research from Northern Arizona University. In their study, when people created art – even if they didn’t consider themselves artistic – they felt happier and less stressed. That’s because art distracts you from negative thinking. And the repetitive movement involved triggers a relaxation response.

Simple way to lower your stress:

12 Tuesday Jul 2016

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babysit, babysitter, children, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, kids, playful, relax, stress, stressed

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If you’re a stress case, ask a friend if you can babysit their kids. And it’s especially effective if you’re over 50 years old. Dr. David Bach is a longevity researcher – and he says spending time with kids makes people more playful, and relaxes the mind. And that can counteract the damaging effects of stress.

Stress is contagious!

10 Friday Jun 2016

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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, contagious, cortisol, couples, fight-or-flight response, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, stress, stress hormone, stressed, stressed out, stressful

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Studies show just seeing someone who’s freaking out can flood your body with the stress hormone, cortisol. And if your partner’s the one who’s stressed out, you’re 25% more likely to be affected than a stranger would be. The response is a holdover from our ancient ancestors…… Because if one person flipped out when a lion charged the village, everyone experienced the same fight-or-flight response, so the group could instantly go into defensive mode. Today, our reaction remains the same, but the “danger” is more likely to be a crashed computer.

We all should laugh more!

16 Monday May 2016

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blood vessels, cardio, cholesterol, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, heart disease, heart health, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, laugh, laughing, laughter, stress, stressed

friends-laughing-wp

One minute of laughing is the equivalent of 10 minutes of cardio…as far as your blood vessels are concerned. Because when we’re laughing, our blood vessels can widen by up to 50% – compared to when we’re stressed. That’s the same result we get from a cholesterol-controlling prescription – or 10 minutes of exercise. And that’s why laughter can help protect against heart disease.

 

Relax for 60 seconds

11 Wednesday May 2016

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bad mood, cat, cat fur, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cozy, Dr. Paul Zak, fur, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, neurology, oxytocin, relax, sensation, soft, stress, stressed, touch, Yale, Yale University

pet-soft-cat-wp

When we’re stressed and frazzled, it triples our risk of being dragged down by a bad mood. That’s according to Yale University. But we can turn those negative feelings around just by touching something soft. Neurology professor Dr. Paul Zak says, try this: Relax for 60 seconds, and run your fingers across a soft sweater, blanket, or even the soft fur of your cat. The sensation of something cozy touching our skin produces a spike in mood-boosting oxytocin – which can beat back a bad mood.

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