How to Reduce Stress in Your Life - Start Enjoying Life Again

Like many things these days, relaxing isn't as easy as it used to be. Years ago, folks took it for granted. If they weren't busy working inside or outside the home, they thought they were relaxing. Nowadays, many people work at relaxing. They know that if they don't devote enough time to the problem everyday, their health and happiness may suffer.

I encourage people to find things in their lives that give them a sense of pleasure and relaxation. Everyday, you have to have some point where you let down. But if you spend too much time relaxing - or use the wrong methods of relaxation - you can get into trouble.

Some people will pile their day with relaxation techniques that, overall, will make them tense. Then there's the pitfall of looking for "quick and easy answers" to the problem of how to relax. An evening of overuse of drugs or alcohol may give temporary relief from tension, but have much longer periods of negative effects.

Before going too far, however, let's look at the flip side of relaxation: stress. Many health experts believe that stress is a major problem in today's society, and that life is at least as stressful, if not more stressful, than in the past. They also believe relaxation is one way to handle stress, but not the only way.

There are broad societal "stressors," such as crime, poor economy, threat of nuclear war; community stressors, related to a particular neighborhood; subcultural stressors, related to racial and ethnic background; occupational stressors, and many more.

People can be re-energized by taking some time to relax. Get any sort of relaxation pattern. Take time out everyday to sit and watch a sunset, review the day in your mind or read something enjoyable. Here are some other relaxation techniques suggested by local health experts:

Deep breathing.

Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, count to 10 and repeat. Do this 12 to 15 times a day. Put a dot on your watch or clock, so every time you look at it, you're reminded to take another deep breath.

Progressive muscle relaxation.

Lie down, then tense and relax each muscle group, including the hands, arms, face, back, chest, head and feet. Tense the muscles when you're inhaling, and relax them when exhaling

Natural breathing.

Close your eyes and breath naturally, noticing the rhythm of your breathing.

Meditation and mental imagery.

Close your eyes and imagine that you're someplace where you normally feel relaxed. Use all of your senses to recreate the setting. If a visit to the ocean relaxes, you imagine how the crashing waves look, sound, smell, taste and feel.

Hobbies

Take up a hobby completely different from the tasks you do for a living. If you're a professional

writer, take up sewing. If you're a seamstress, start writing poetry.

Exercise.

Exercise, particularly aerobic exercises like jogging and walking, can help you physically and psychologically. It can rid your body of chemicals like adrenalin and epinephrine that are produced by stress. It also can distract you from the problems, of everyday life.

Tapes

Play tapes designed to help you relax. The tapes may tell you how to breathe and relax your muscles, or they may recreate a favorite relaxing place.

Communication.

Learn to communicate more openly and express your emotions more freely.

Biofeedback.

Biofeedback teaches people what they're doing to cause tension in their bodies. Theoretically, they develop better control over how to handle stress.