10 ways to a blissfully stress free life

10 ways to a blissfully stress free life

1. Meditation: When you catch yourself thinking about your job, your relationship or your lifelong to-do list, experts say to simply let the thought escape, and bring your mind back the repetition of the activity. Try it for just 5 to 10 minutes a day and watch stress levels drop.

2. Envision relaxation: To start, simply visualize anything that keeps your thoughts away from current tensions. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a fantasy island, that penthouse in New York City -- or something "touchable," like the feel of your favorite silk robe or cozy sweater. the idea is to keep your mind from wandering to stressful situations and keep it focused on that place of Zen.

3. Take a few deep breathes: when we fell stressed, we tend to breath shallow and tense. Our hear rate changes and blood pressure goes up. There are ways of evoking calm through breathing. Try these techniques: let out a big sigh – exhale through your mouth and take a slow deep breath in through your nose. This will recirculate the oxygen in your body and slow your heart rate.

4. Look around your environment: "Mindfulness is the here-and-now approach to living that makes daily life richer and more meaningful," says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress. It's approaching life like a child, without passing judgment on what occurs. Mindfulness means focusing on one activity at a time, so forget multi-tasking! Staying in the present-tense can help promote relaxation and provide a buffer against anxiety and depression. Practice it by focusing on your immediate surroundings. If you're outdoors, enjoy the shape and colors of flowers, hear a bird's call or consider a tree. In the mall, look at the details of a dress in the window, examine a piece of jewelry and focus on how it's made, or window-shop for furniture, checking out every detail of pattern and style. As long as you can keep your mind focused on something in the present, stress will take a back seat

5. Drink Hot Tea: If you're a coffee-guzzler, consider going green. Coffee raises levels of the notorious stress hormone, cortisol, while green tea offers health and beauty, says Nicholas Perricone, MD, author of 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity. Chamomile tea is a traditional favorite for calming the mind and reducing stress. And black tea may be a stress-fighter, too, researchers from University College London report. Participants who drank regular black tea displayed lower levels of cortisol, and reported feeling calmer during six weeks of stressful situations than those who drank a placebo with the same amount of caffeine.

6. Share the love: Induce the relaxation response by cuddling your pet, giving an unexpected hug to a friend or family member, snuggling with your spouse, or talking to a friend about the good things in your lives. Experts say social interaction helps your brain think better, encouraging you to see new solutions to situations that once seemed impossible.

7. Give yourself a much needed massage: When your muscles are tense and you've no time to visit a pro, try this simple self-massage moves- rub each shoulder and neck with the opposite side hand, rub the base of the skull where it meets your spine, make curricular motions on your temples, use all five fingers on your scalp and massage firmly, let one hand massage the other and trade – focusing on the muscle between the thumb and palm, and gently rub the earlobes and cartilage around the ears. All the while, practicing steps one, two, and three.

8. Take a time out: when you feel your stress level increasing and you feel like you might get angry or worse, erupt, walk away. Find a quiet place to sit and get a grasp on the situation. Ask yourself if this is a situation you can control and remind yourself that you are truly the only person you have real control over. Take a few moments to practice some of the above mentioned techniques.

9. Play music: Soft, calming music can lower the heart rate and decrease blood pressure. Consider playing a selection of classic arts. It has calming effects and increases brain waves- helping with concentration and memorization as well.

10. Remind yourself to snap out of it: Thirty seconds is enough time to shift your heart's rhythm from stressed to relaxed. Engage your heart and your mind in positive thinking. Start by envisioning anything that triggers a positive feeling -- a vision of your child or spouse, the image of your pet, that great piece of jewelry you're saving up to buy, a memento from a vacation -- whatever it is, conjuring up the thought will help slow breathing, relax tense muscles and put a smile on your face. Creating a positive emotional attitude can also calm and steady your heart rhythm, contributing to feelings of relaxation and peace.