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10 Unusual Ways to Reduce Stress

by: Dr. Nancy Olthoff

You may think some of the ideas below are pretty far out and perhaps downright Weird...

But that's okay. These are ways Real people have used to cope with Stress.

Here's the thing...just read through these and choose one or two and see how they work for you. You know what they say. Different strokes for different folks. So just pick a couple to start with, and see how they help you.

They're not in any particular order. Simply read through the list. See what "jumps out" at you. Don't try to do too many at once. (You may stress yourself out even more.)

1. Hide a Toy in Your Pocket

What? How will that help you say?

It will remind you each time you stick your hand in your pocket, not to take life too seriously.

Remember how you felt when you were a child and life was carefree? Grab on to that feeling each time your fingers touch that toy.

2. Schedule Your Worry

If you have stress that comes from worrying, do this:

When you start to worry, tell yourself you're not going to worry about it now, that you've set a time to worry. Say, each day between 7 and 7:30 pm, you've scheduled as Worry Time.

When it's 7, then sit down. Better yet ---- Pace the floor! Then WORRY!

Really get into it! Worry BIG! Catastrophize!

Awfulize! (I don't think that's a word, but you get the picture.)

Worry like you've never worried before!

You'll feel really odd doing this, but go at it.

I know it sounds crazy, but trust me. I've recommended people do this and it helped them.

No kidding!

3. Do Something Silly :0)

Eat Twinkies for breakfast or something.

I know, Twinkies are junk food, but break your routine once in a while. It's good for you.

4. Curl Your Toes

Huh? Yes, tighten your toes for 15" as tightly as you can, then relax. Do this with all muscle groups up through your body. All the way up. Finish with wrinkling up your face. It works.

5. Grab Your Pillow and Beat the Heck out of the Bed

(If you've got a feather pillow, be sure to check for holes first!)

Beating on the bed is good for releasing stress that comes from anger.

I knew a lady who actually put a punching bag in her basement just for getting out her anger!

She swore by it.

6. Don't Answer the Phone/Door/Cell Phone/ Pager...

(Say, Does anybody out there still have a pager?)

Sometimes you don't feel like talking to anyone, right?

Give yourself a break and don't.

7. Nuts -- Eat Nuts!

Good for "anger stress" to crunch on something.

Go ahead. Take out all your aggression on the Nuts. They won't mind!

You could eat crunchy raw veggies, but the nuts are better.

8. Get good at Procrastinating

Egad! Heresy? Sometimes it's the very best thing you can do for yourself.

Ask yourself, "Will something Awful happen if I put this off til later, to cut myself some slack?"

If you answer No, then put it off, as long as possible.

9. Act Like a 2 Year Old

They're Real Good at saying No, aren't they?

You gotta take care of yourself.

If you don't, who will?

Say No more often to the demands others want to heap on you.

10. Act Like an 84 Year Old

Now wait a minute!

You just told me to act like a 2 year old.

Now you're saying act like an 84 year old?

What's up with that?

Well, here's it is.

When you're in stressful situation, ask yourself...

"How would my 84 year old future self handle this or say about this?"

See what wisdom surfaces from within you.

So there you have it, the 10 unusual stress tips.

I sincerely hope these ideas will be helpful to you.

To Your Health,

Dr. Nancy Olthoff

About the author:

Dr. Nancy Olthoff lives in Apache Junction, AZ, with her husband and 2 mini dachshunds. Mini dachshunds are great stress reducers! :0) For years she practiced as a psychologist. Now she is helping people reduce their stress in an entirely different way......

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More Article Pages 1 - 2 - 3

Mom's Job Stress May Spread to Kids
by: Rita Jenkins

Low job satisfaction in working mothers increases the stress levels of their children, but allowing them to spend more time in childcare can help overcome these effects, according to new research published in Developmental Psychobiology.

Children whose mothers found their jobs emotionally exhausting or otherwise less rewarding had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than children whose mothers reported more enjoyment from their jobs, researchers found in a study involving more than 50 nursery school children.

Levels of cortisol in the evening were more than double in the children whose mothers experienced less job satisfaction. Placing those children in childcare would help to significantly reduce their stress, the research suggests.

The researchers also found that children from families that were either highly expressive or very reserved exhibited higher than average cortisol levels.

Greater support is needed for working mothers to help improve their job satisfaction and increase the availability of affordable childcare options, says the report.

More Time in Childcare

Dr. Julie Turner-Cobb, a health psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Bath, Dr. Christina Chryssanthopoulou from the University of Kent and Dr. David Jessop, a neuroimmunologist at the University of Bristol collaborated on the study.

To measure cortisol levels, they took saliva samples in the morning and evening from 56 children aged three to four years old. They also surveyed mothers about their workplace conditions and home life over a six month period.

"Spending more time in childcare makes a big difference to the stress levels in children whose mothers have low job satisfaction," says Dr. Turner-Cobb.

"It can help protect children from the effects of their mother's low job quality and emotional exhaustion. Ensuring that mothers of young children have good support in the workplace is essential for supporting both mothers and their children," she adds.

"Improving the job satisfaction of working mothers means that they are less stressed themselves," says Dr. Jessop, "and extending the availability of affordable and adequate childcare may not only improve the quality of life for the mothers but, in doing so, may improve the long term health of their children."

Healthy Adaptation to Stress

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that regulates blood pressure and cardiovascular function and immune function. It also controls the body's use of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Cortisol secretion increases in response to stress, whether physical -- such as illness, trauma, surgery or temperature extremes -- or psychological. It is a normal and essential response without which we would not be able to function in everyday life.

When these levels remain high or become disrupted in some way over a prolonged period of time, however, they may have consequences for health. It is important to promote healthy adaptation to stress in children, and good quality childcare is one way of doing this, say the authors.

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