Five ways to cut stress in a 24/7 world
It's possible to reduce stress — even in the downsized, technology-laden, post-recession workforce.
Physician Francoise Adan, who heads integrative medicine at University Hospitals in Cleveland, suggests these five stress-reducing tips:
1. Breathe. Take a moment and breathe slowly. Start with one minute a day that isn't negotiable. Breathe in to a count of four. Breathe out to the count of six. Experiment to make it your own exercise.
2. Affirm to anchor. Take a moment. Close your eyes and bring an image of peace into your mind — whether it’s a word, symbol, place or face. Repeat silently as you are breathing in, “I am...” Then, breathing out, “Peaceful and Present.”
3. Practice mindfulness: Be in the present, not the past. Release regrets and sorrow. Don’t think to the future and the worries, the “to do” list. Become aware of what is going on with you and around you.
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4. Be positive: Take a moment. Start every meeting with “one good thing that happened within the past 24 hours.” Smile and meet a person’s eyes as you walk in. It’s contagious.
5. Express gratitude: Don't wait to say, “Thank You.” Be appreciative and give thanks. Start or finish every day with acknowledging what you are grateful for. The list, she says, should be endless.
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