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Posts Tagged ‘stress’
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
 Many people even think that tons of rigorous workouts can be beneficial for stress, but according to studies this can actually have the opposite effect, if misused. Try these methods, instead:
1. Find an exercise program you like. If you actually enjoy the workout, part of the stress relief has already taken place. Create, or get help creating, a program which is based on 2-3 resistance weight workouts and 3-5 cardio workouts per week.
2. Do breathing exercises 2-3 times per day. Breathing helps calm down the nervous system physiologically and helps the body find balance in stressful situations.
3. Meditate a few times per week. It can be a guided meditation, it can be sitting to your favorite music or in a quiet place, and it doesn’t have to be any more mysterious that that.
4. Eliminate unhealthy foods from your diet. Processed foods, refined sugars, and too much caffeine put stress on the body. Treat your body with healing products and energy-rich foods such as fruits and berries, fresh organic vegetables, and lean meats. And heal your metabolism by eating small meals every three hours.
5. Give to others. One of the most powerful ways to heal yourself, get stress relief, and feel joy is to give, give, give. Whether you choose to lend an ear to a friend in need or open the door for someone, give a gift every day!
As you can see, stress relief is about so much more than just working out. Get out there and Live as Loud as you can!!!
Image: Helga Weber
Tags: breathing, diet, exercise, giving, meditation, stress
Posted in Body-Mind Health | No Comments »
Thursday, September 29th, 2011
I wake up and think about the three clients I have this morning … I hop into the car, drive across LA, get out there and focus on each individual – all the while making the effort to maintain my spark and be fully engaged. Around midday my blood sugar drops, and I have not had time to workout. Lunch is happening soon but not soon enough. I must first find a dietitian for a client. I’ll make calls during my lunch break … I know I shouldn’t, but just a couple of calls …
Ahh, stress. It’s something I have to stay conscious of so I can avoid speeding myself up too much. I must respect the fact that there is only one Tanja, and that the world will not fall apart if I relax.
Where I live, you live to work. People talk about “good” and “bad” stress, which can be legitimate distinctions, but unfortunately what we often refer to as “good” is really an excuse to hurry and rush, avoiding the fact that we are torturing the beautiful bodies we have been given. Stress can really take its toll on both physical and psychological well-being.
What happens on an emotional level during all this stress and hurrying around, trying to squeeze everything in, is that we bypass our emotions. There is no space for them to flow freely, and at some point when we finally slow down, they can become overwhelming. It is common to feel emotions of sadness and anger when there is finally a break in the stress pattern.
During the week we encounter situations where it would be appropriate to emote, if only there was TIME for it. Instead, those emotions are suppressed and we hurry along to reach deadlines and fulfill obligations. The same thing happens when we don’t have time to enjoy and be happy about what’s around us. To actually feel an emotion, and live it out, requires an intimate relationship with the Self. This is easily lost during stress.
Try creating new habits for yourself to reconnect the “doing” and the “being.” Focus on unwinding, feeling, smelling, having thoughts and senses.
Give yourself some s p a c e and Love.
I wake up and sit and do my breathing exercises on the bed. Already before my day has begun, I decide to try and enjoy the day and my meetings. No telephone at mealtime – morning, noon, or evening. I’ll make it a priority to get a little alone time, even if it’s just 10 minutes on the toilet!
Image: stuartpilbrow
Tags: stress
Posted in Body-Mind Health | No Comments »
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
Is the economy or other stress distracting you from your health? I have found that in times of stress, physical exertion is one of the most important and effective actions we can take. Exercise releases feel-good hormones such as endorphins and adrenaline, and reduces stress hormone levels.
Yet our natural reaction to stress seems to be to remove things from our day that feel superfluous and time-consuming. Often that includes the time we spend on our health. We sacrifice that time, and ourselves, to other more “important” causes at hand, despite the fact that the stressor might be something we don’t have any control over, anyway.
Endless studies have confirmed that the right amount of exercise relieves stress and boosts the immune system. I would like to add a few other reasons to exercise that are highlighted less often, but are great incentives to find that time every day to just move:
• Taking time for yourself can have a meditative effect. Focusing on just your physical exertion and breath gives you space and time to disconnect from your worries for that moment. It’s a golden moment given to yourself by yourself.
• In times when you feel out of control, a planned workout gives you the ability to influence your environment, thus helping you take a break from feeling helpless.
• My favorite reason to exercise is that it’s a cathartic outlet. Exercising helps us let off steam and build coping skills. The time that we give ourselves to take care of our bodies is an act of self-love.
30-Minute Stress Relief Workout
Breathing is an important aspect of stress relief workouts. Yoga teaches us that nose breathing is proven to actually calm down the nervous system. Combine it with a workout, and you will experience several benefits just by moving and breathing! Try this workout where all elements are involved: high and low heart rate intervals, stability and mobility exercises, and a focus on nose breathing.
In 5-minute intervals, alternate the following moves:
1. Do plié squats with arms reaching overhead. When you come up, straighten legs to standing, gaze upward, and bring arms down alongside the body.
2. Dance, jump, skip, hop, jump rope, step up and down on a curb, or do jumping jacks.
3. Slowly do a sequence of sun salutations or upward and downward facing dog.
4. Dance, jump, skip, hop, jump rope, step up and down on a curb, or do jumping jacks.
5. Do a quick sequence of ab work: standing twists on a ball if available, or lying on the floor.
6. Do lying down stretches on the floor or, if you have a foam roller available, use the last 5 minutes to roll out leg and back muscles.
Image: stuartpilbrow
Tags: breathing, breathwork, stress
Posted in Body-Mind Health, Fitness | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Feeling stressed out lately? Give yourself permission to stop during the day and give yourself some love and care. Loving yourself helps you better love those around you … and it will spread like rings on the water!
Exercise: Back and Chest Expansion
Stand with your feet parallel on the floor, a little wider than hip-width apart.
Bring your arms forward like you are hugging a tree. Tuck your head in and also your hips. Feel the strong stretch of your trapezius muscle, upper and mid back.
Now open your arms wider towards the back of the room, stick your bum out, and lift your chin up towards the sky – in other words, the opposite motion of what you just did. Feel the stretch of the chest and front part of your neck.
Important: Make sure you breathe with every motion, take your time, and DON’T be afraid to move your body!!! Repeat 10 times slowly!
Image: aussiegall
Tags: back, chest, stress
Posted in Body-Mind Health | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
 All too often, we eat for reasons other than satisfying hunger. Food becomes a “remedy” that we turn to when we feel depressed, bored, angry, anxious, lonely, stressed, tired, or powerless.
This is emotional eating, and it often leads to weight-related illness. It is a problem for many of us. Generally speaking, all of the people I train who have serious weight issues have difficulty managing food on account of stress and anxiety. Rarely do their weight problems have to do with a lack of awareness about which foods are good or bad; that knowledge is widespread.
Are you an emotional eater? One way to answer this question is to carry a food diary. When hunger pangs set in, note how you feel. Are you stressed, have you argued with the kids or your partner, is there too much to do at work? Analyze whether your hunger is real, or if it was aroused by an emotional feeling.
***
One way to treat emotional eating is through cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you identify and change unhealthy thought patterns. For more information on CBT, visit the Mayo Clinic and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies sites. I will also have some exercises for overcoming emotional eating my upcoming book, Your Life Force.
Image: ginnerobot
Tags: anxiety, body weight, cognitive-behavioral therapy, depression, emotional eating, food diary, hunger, life force, stress
Posted in Body-Mind Health, Nutrition | No Comments »
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