March 2002
As we get ready to go into Spring, it is particularly appropriate to look at what causes stress in our lives ... and what we can do about it. Here are several tips that experts say will work:
- Learn to let go. Limit your concerns to things over which you have some control. The Serenity Prayer states this motto well: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
- Enjoy your food and eat those foods which put less stress on the system; relax at mealtime without rushing the digestive process.
- Be positive! Smile! Even a forced smile has a chemical reaction in the body which will make life easier.
- Get your sleep. Put your worries aside or they will haunt you in the evening. Frequently, creative solutions will arise in your subconscious when you least expect it if youre relaxed and open to new suggestions.
- Exercise regularly, even if its only a short walk each day.
- Daydream. This kind of reverie allows free thinking and often sparks creative strategies for situations that cause stress.
- Listen to your doctor. Get regular check-ups and pay attention to your body signals; failure to do so will only cause your body to get your attention with a more serious bell, such as a heart attack.
Suggestions made by Gloria Albert, Director of WellnessWorks
by Edward Poll, J.D., M.B.A., CMC
