One out of three Americans is living with 'extreme' stress, according to a poll by the American Psychological Association. One third of us have symptoms such as: fatigue, tiredness, irritability, nervousness, headache, upset stomach, muscle tension, eating too little or too much, teeth grinding, diminished sex drive and dizziness. Phew! - That is a broad category of aches and pains and misery.
And 75% of the people who said they were living with extreme stress reported one or more of these symptoms daily.
What is a person to do?
Just be quiet and live with it?
No definitely not.
There are many simple quick daily Wellness Practices that a person can do to live a healthier, happier, more rewarding life.
One is to get out of bed every day, greeting the new day, with a fresh plate of lovely options. Each day is a new day. Yes we all carry some baggage over to the next day-- The idea is to lighten the load, have less to carry forward. Breathe Stretch Set a Vision/Intention for your new day. Try it - it only takes a few minutes. The results are long lasting. Some feel that they have to carry the weight of the world with them-- is that you? Look into that. Why do you feel that way? What could you do to lessen the burden you feel? Maybe nothing. Maybe one tiny thing will get the ball rolling. You are not meant to be miserable!!
One easy way of sleeping better and waking up refreshed is to end each day with a goodnight letting go! Bedtime routines have been proven to help you get a rest at night, instead of tossing and turning. It certainly works for putting the kids to bed, why not us too?
- Avoid sugar and caffeine in the evening - as they are stimulants.
- Establish a regular bedtime.
- Rather than watch TV in the bedroom, get up and go to the bedroom for sleep. Change the scene and the routine.
- Block out all sources of light- even that blaring alarm clock- can you turn the light down or cover it. Try an eye pillow filled scented with lavender.
- Sit beside or lay in bed and with your eyes closed, breathe out with a big sigh, all the way out until your lungs are empty. Now take in and release air slowly five more times, each time letting go of some stress, hurt feeling or unsettled business. Each time you breathe, let go, letting the stress float away from you-- things you cannot change- let them go.
- Now lying down in the darkened room, stretch out; wriggle around until you get comfortable. If you are still tense, try progressive relaxation. Start at your toes, then feet, then calves - you get the picture - go all the way up your body, tensing and relaxing the muscles. Don't forget to include the face muscles, grimace and smile - now let yourself know that you are held and loved in every single moment of every day and...
- Sleep like a baby
Remember it takes a while to change a routine - up to 3 weeks.
Try these wake up and go to sleep routines and let us know how it works for you.
