The bestseller book about stress, stress-related diseases and coping, Why Zebras don’t get ulcers by Robert M. Spolsky, is as valid today as it was when published some years ago. The point is, in a very simplified interpretation by me, that Zebras cope with stressful situations, take action and then wind down and don’t think more about it. At least from what we know at this point about Zebras. Our physiological stress reactions are the same as Zebras, with the difference that we can process and think about threats, and make keep the stressful situations for days, months and years just by thinking of them and not dealing with them. Just let it continue to stress us without taking proper action to get rid of the stressful triggers. But we also have a choice to deal with them, and to find tools that are useful for us in stressful situations to handle and eliminate the threatful situation. Some tools we have and use are good and productive but some, such as using alcohol, is less good in the long run.
I’m sure you already know ways to wind down and to handle stressful situations. One important tool that we too seldom use is time to be and reflect. To take a step back and let it be. To sleep on it, as I was taught to do. And many times it works out really well. One of the other tools I use is to go to the gym, leave the phone at home and just focus on working out and breathing. Long walks are another favorite, or even doing dishes or to vacuum does it sometimes. Many times it helps me out to do something physical, and that probably because my day-to-day work and life are quite sedentary and by moving, doing something physical I have to let go of thinking and to refocus on something else. You also get the blood pumping through your body and get oxygenized, which helps to clear out your mind and body, and relaxes you. If you have trouble sleeping, one way to handle it is to focus on your breathing taking as deep breaths as you can, and after a short time you’ll find yourself relaxing since it’s impossible to breathe deep and have a tense body.
So, what are your tools to relax and get back into balance and get rid of the stress? Do you need to extend your toolbox with stress-handling alternatives? Books and suggestions are many, but only you know what suits you the best. Try, re-try, and find your own, healthy way to handle stress. And during life, you’ll have to develop and find new ways depending on the situation. Just be sure to focus and find tools that help and are constructive for you, and that doesn’t harm you in any way. The worst harm though is to do nothing about what stresses you and let it go on for years. But I know you’ll find good ways for you to handle stress if you chose to! Just go for it! Enjoy less stressful days to come,Life is stressful these days. We can work on “stress management” or “stress reduction”. Personally, I find it more realistic to accept that life is indeed stressful, yet I have finally learned how to release stress. In an ideal world, we would be on top of our game taking care of our emotional and physical health.
The Mayo Clinic says we need 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Therefore, I am chronically sleep deprived! We know that we need healthy nutrition and regular exercise. I try to eat healthy and exercise, until I become too busy and stressed to do so! Time with friends and family help reduce my stress levels, except when our sons are squabbling. I know I am a great candidate for meditation, but I just can not sit still. I have too much to do! We also know that stress raises our cortisol levels, and challenges our immune system functioning. Why is it so hard to take care of ourselves when we know intellectually what we need to do? In the book, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” Robert Sapolsky describes an interesting perspective from the wilderness. Zebras have a lot of stress in their lives running away from lions, but then they rest and graze. In contrast, humans have a lot of stress, but rather than rest and graze, we worry and look over our shoulders for more lions! If you are like me and want more relaxation and grazing in your life, let’s try some of these tips to release stress:
Schedule an hour to do nothing. Read an entertainment magazine. Make a pot of soup. Or if cooking is not relaxing for you, pour store bought soup into pot. Talk on the phone to a friend without multi-tasking. Take an afternoon nap. Take a bubble bath- any time of the day. Wander in a store-without a list. Hit bucket of golf balls Have a glass of wine & dark chocolate Have a cup of tea Look at pictures in a book Go for a walk Read an escape novel Sit quietly and do nothing. What other ideas do you have to release stress in your life? I would love to hear them. For more health and wellness support, please join The Kathleen Show: Good Health for Good Marriage.e mais milhares de eBooks estão disponíveis na . Frete GRÁTIS em pedidos a partir de R$ 99 para as regiões Sul, Sudeste e Centro-Oeste e a partir de R$ 139 para Norte e Nordeste. Compre e comece a ler a amostra digital deste livro enquanto espera ele chegar.
Faça download dos Aplicativos de Leitura Kindle Gratuitos e comece a ler eBooks Kindle nos mais populares smartphones, tablets e computadores pessoais. Para enviar o link de download para seu smartphone por SMS, use o formato internacional sem espaços (Código Internacional+DDD+Número. Para receber o link de download digite seu celular: Comece a ler Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers no seu Kindle em menos de um minuto. Você ainda não tem um Kindle? Compre seu Kindle aqui, ou baixe um GRÁTIS. Todos os dias, novos eBooks com desconto. Capa comum: 539 páginas Editora: Owl Books (NY); Edição: 3 (1 de setembro de 2004) 15,6 x 2,6 x 23,2 cm Peso do produto: 953 g (1 avaliação de cliente) Lista de mais vendidos da Amazon: no. 12,410 em Livros (Conheça o Top 100 na categoria Livros) em Livros > Inglês e Outras Línguas > Autoajuda > Controle do Stress Veja todas as avaliações de consumidores Principais avaliações de clientes