HOW A PERSON GET STRESSED:
Rest is essential to repair and recover from the effect of stress hormones in our bodies. The body’s hormones work in delicate balance. When the three main stress hormones are fired they affect the levels of all the others. Notably, insulin which regulates sugar levels and energy. Also serotonin (the happy hormone which affects mood and sleep). When they go awry over long periods of time, the results can be disastrous for our health, both mental and physical. Which is why we start off stressed and end up stressed, fat, unhappy and unhealthy. There are different stress management ways by which a person can reduce his stress level.
One of the Simple solutions is: build relaxation into your life, hour by hour, day by day.
5 MINUTES EVERY HOUR:
See your day, not as a ling purgatory of stress. But as lots of small stress responses punctuated with mini relaxation breaks. As a rough, rule every waking hour should have five minutes of pleasure. So after every hour of work, take a minimum to do something pleasurable. Ex: call a friend, stretch your shoulders, have a cup of green tea. Can’t leave your desk. Spend a few minutes daydreaming of something that makes you happy.
30 MINUTES EVERY DAY:
Practice active relaxation – listening to music, yoga, sex, dancing. TV is passive and doesn’t count. It has been noticed that a person involved in some of the above activities has brought down their stress level significantly.
3 HOURS EVERY WEEK:
At least three hours every week should be spent doing an activity you love. It should be calming and non-work oriented. For die-hard perfectionists, one useful rule of thumb when deciding on your actions is that it only counts as your ‘three hours’. if you could do it without wearing make-up- in other words, it doesn’t count if it involves people judging you. You will know yourself if your activity is truly relaxing. Be honest. This cannot be an activity that furthers your career, your ambitions, your children’s friendships or your perfectionist streak.
