Undoubtedly we are experiencing some of the toughest times our nation has faced in decades. Although it's easy to become filled with anxiety as we ponder all the doom and gloom around us, it's also no secret that positive thoughts affect quality of life. Try one or more of these stress remedies and see how it makes you feel.
Take Care of Yourself
People coping with stress often stop taking proper care of themselves. Focus on getting enough sleep and eating nutritiously. Avoid the tendency to oversleep, overeat, or eat unhealthy food. Don’t rely on alcohol to forget problems or feel better—it won’t help.
Be Grateful
Being grateful reminds us to look beyond ourselves at a larger picture. It reacquaints us with what's good in the present moment, and it gives us hope for the future.
Start each day by making a list of ten things for which you are grateful. Perhaps they are small items of simple abundance: the warm cup cradled in the hands, the dog curled on the rug, the sun shining overhead. Perhaps they are items as large as life: health, home, children.
Be Social
Don’t go into isolation. A strong and positive social network of friends and family can go far in helping people through tough times. The Mayo Clinic maintains that a social support network is beneficial in helping provide a sense of belonging, feelings of security, and an increased sense of self worth. Make it a point to stay in touch, not only with friends but with humanity in general.
Answer the phone, and return e-mails and invitations. Volunteer or take a class. Schedule a coffee date with a buddy. Host a potluck for a group of friends. Chat with a neighbor. Smile and wave at acquaintances. Strike up a conversation with the grocery clerk.
Get Out and Exercise
Maybe the fitness club is off the budget for now, but tough economic times are no excuse for not exercising. Regular exercise (2-4 times per week) reduces tension and promotes relaxation, both of which are great mood enhancers. If possible, add fresh air to the mix.
Go for a run. Walk briskly for half an hour. Take a bike ride. Weather not permitting? Workout to an exercise video. Do yoga, which both tones and relaxes. Research the community for inexpensive opportunities to swim or skate.
Note: If you are sedentary, or have other health problems, start slowly and get prior approval from an M.D.
Laugh
Truly, laughter is good medicine. Research conducted well over a decade ago by Drs. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan has shown that “positive effects of mirthful laughter not only decrease[s] stress…, but spontaneously increases the activity of natural killer cells that are vital to fighting and preventing disease."
Look for humor in everyday situations, even the difficult ones. Read the comics. Check out an upbeat book or movie from the library. And, because laughter is even better shared, joke good-naturedly with friends and family members.
Look Forward to Something
Find at least one thing to look forward to each day. It could be as simple as a phone call to a friend or the next chapter in a good book. Looking forward to something enjoyable can get people through a difficult day, thus encouraging an optimistic outlook.
Take a News Fast
We are bombarded with news, which can create feelings of anxiety and even anger. If such is the case, Dr. Andrew Weil recommends rejuvenating your spirits by taking a "news fast" for at least a day. Include television, radio broadcasts, newspapers, and the internet in this fast. Such an action might sound drastic, but it will help reinforce the notion that you are in control, not the media.
Know the Symptoms of Clinical Depression
It's normal to feel down or "blue" for a bit when things go badly. But if sadness or hopelessness settle in and won't go away, clinical depression could be the cause. Anyone who can identify with these signals might be clinically depressed, and should seek help:
- Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping too much;
- Inability to concentrate, "think straight," or make decisions;
- Pessimism and hopelessness about the future;
- Loss of appetite or overeating;
- Increased irritability or crying;
- Increased agitation or loss of energy;
- Thoughts that life isn't worth living anymore (seek help immediately. Call "911" or one of the US Suicide Hotlines: 800-273-8255 or 800-784-2433).
Research SourcesThe Laughter-Immune Connection, by Lee Berk Dr.P.H., and Stanley Tan, M.D., Ph.D. Presented at the American Association of Therapeutic Humor, November 1996.
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