How do you deal with stress? We all have many stresses in our lives but how we deal with stress drastically affects our quality of life. There are both positive ways and negative ways to deal with stress… which methods are you practicing?

1. Laugh - It has been said that laughter is the best medicine–and it’s true! Research proves that laughter is especially good for the heart. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine say that laughter contributes to an increase of blood flow to. See a funny movie, buy a book of jokes–LAUGH.

2. Take a break – When was the last time you went on vacation? Everybody needs a break every now and then. Plan a nice getaway with your spouse or family. Leave work at work. Get out and have some fun, relax and reduce your stress levels.

3. Manage your time wisely – One of the biggest causes of stress is poor time management. Do you often feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything you need to do? Do you run from one appointment to another, sometimes even arriving late? Planning and managing your time in a more wisely manner can greatly reduce a lot of stress.

4. Loosen up – Are you uptight? Do you take little time off for fun? While your time should be managed, stress can be caused by living a life that is too strictly controlled. If you find it difficult to have fun anymore, try loosening up the reigns just a bit. Take a day off; go for a stroll in the park; buy a flower and give it to a stranger.

Laughter is fun and it is also good for you. There are some serious benefits of laughter that exist and they all indicate that laughter is simply good for you. When you laugh at something funny or laugh with your friends as a way to bond with them, you are doing something that actually benefits your health in a positive way. And the good thing about the benefits of laughter is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money or go to extremes to make it happen. Here is some more information on the benefits of laughter.

It Feels Good

Laughing makes us feel good. When we laugh, hormones are released and we get a rush of “feel good” energy. This is the type of energy that you need in order to feel really happy. Ever notice that people who are truly happy in life also seem to laugh a lot? Well, they are laughing to not only express their happiness but it could be said that the laughing can help cause their happiness.

Relieves Stress and Tension

Another of the benefits of laughter is that it relieves stress and tension. People react to stressful events differently. People who love to laugh or who have learned about the positive benefits that laughter has on that stress understand that by laughing about it, this can help make the situation appear not as bad. It is good to see a humorous angle to something that is really annoying and stressful. This will release the proper hormones and chemicals that will make you better able to cope.

Healthy Immune System

Laughter is also good for the immune system. It can help your body heal in times of sickness and stress. If you are not feeling well a good thing to do is to find some reasons to laugh. This isn’t as costly as any drugs you may need and there are no negative side effects. But when you laugh it releases the right amount of hormones and chemicals that will help you cope.

Laughter is good for you. There are several benefits of laughter including making you feel good, helping you deal with stress, and boosting your immune system. If you find at least one reason to laugh each day it will help your immune system out a lot.

About the Author:

Paul Ingersole is an Australian based business person who enjoys writing.Paul discovered a great system that makes small continuous recurring profits using the internet.You can see Google Sniper at Paul’s website

http://www.guruswipe.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – You need to laugth at work to be productive

Stress is defined as a reaction to continued excessive pressure or responsibility when you feel inadequate or unable to cope. It is inevitable that we all get stressed out at some point throughout our lives. It could be due to our personal life, professional life or both. Since we all have problems and get stressed at some point, why to some people respond better than others under stressful situations? Why do some people seem to have no problems at all while others just carry that ‘I’m having a bad day’ look almost all the time? The key is the way we respond and cope with stress. Its right that a little stress is good as it makes us work harder and gives us a sense of achievement however too much of stress could be detrimental to one’s health and might also indirectly affect one’s loved ones. How do you know when the stress is affecting you or your loved one in a negative manner? A few signs are:

 1.) Being easily irritable, angry

2.) Looking visibly tired and exhausted

3.) Getting headaches, stomachaches and other physical ailments more easily

4.) Frequent Insomnia

5.) Depression, not being interested in the things that one normally likes for a period of time

6.) Sudden change in eating habits, either overeating or eating less than one normally would

 Fortunately, there are various methods that one could adopt in order to manage stress. Here are some very useful tips:

 1.) Breathing Exercise: The way to breathe in order for one to really get the full benefit of each breath is to practice ‘belly breathing’. We have been taught to breathe through the mouth deeply and raise one’s shoulders as we do so. However the more effective method would be to breath in deeply first through your nose. As you do so, feel your belly rising as your shoulders remain as they are. Hold your breath for a count of 5, and then breathe out through your mouth. As you do so, your belly retracts. In this method of breathing, more oxygen enters the lungs and would thus put us in a more relaxed frame of mind. Although ideally done lying down, it can be done standing and sitting as well.

 2.) Acupressure Techniques: Acupressure is the ancient technique of applying pressure using the thumb and fingers to various points in the body in order to stimulate it and improve the overall well being. It’s just like acupuncture but without using the needles! Acupressure is a very beneficial form of natural therapy as it can assist in healing a huge variety of common ailments and especially those that are very closely associated with stress such as headaches, stomachaches and shoulder strain. The method of applying the pressure to the points are as follows: Apply pressure to the points mentioned using the thumb and /or finger of the hand that you are not working on and apply it to the other hand/part of the body that you are trying to stimulate. Apply firm pressure for 30m seconds. After which, stop the pressure and relax for about a minute. After which, carry on another 30 seconds of pressure and repeat until the ailment subsides or when you feel a little better.

There are hundreds of points that one could use but here are some acupressure points (plus some hand reflexology techniques) for various common ailments that are closely related to stress:

i) Migraine- Use your thumb or the end of a blunt object (e.g. the eraser end of a pencil) and apply pressure to the centre of the thumb of the other hand. Start with the left hand and after one 30 second repetition, do it on the thumb of the other hand.

ii) Eye Strain- Apply pressure using your thumb on the web (space between your pointer and middle finger) on your hand that corresponds with the side in which you have the eye strain (or watery eye or any other eye irritation). Remember, right hand stimulation for right eye and vise versa.

iii) General Anxiety- Press the tips of your fingers together. For this condition, it’s ideal to hold in this position for about 5 minutes but if you have trouble holding on, relax and carry on once you feel comfortable.

3.) Listen to music: It does not just have to be your favourite instrumental music or ‘sounds from the ocean’ CDs. It can be from any of you’re your favourite artist from a variety of genres including country, classical, pop and oldies. Music relaxes the mind and puts one in a calm state. But stay away from alternative music as it puts one in a more ‘aggressive’ state of mind.

4.) Laugh: Yes, never underestimate the old saying that laughter is the best medicine. An it’s free too. You could read a simple comic strip from the papers, watch a short animation clip or just have a chat with someone who cracks you up with their good jokes. It’s advisable for everyone to laugh for at least 15 minutes in a day. Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones (epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone) associated with stress response. Believe it or not, laughing equivalent to “an internal workout/jog”. Thus laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises. In addition, laughter decreases stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity thereby boosting the immune system.

5.) Visualization: Close your eyes breathe deeply and imagine yourself in your favourite place. Places that make you feel feelings of true joy; it could be the beach, your usual food centre, friends meeting place or just a quiet spot in your neighbourhood. Pretend that you’re there at that point in time, seeing your favourite things, smelling the smells, hearing the sounds associated with the place. Do this for about 10 minutes. After which, open your eyes. You should feel a whole lot better.

6.) Do some simple stretching: Spend about 5 minutes doing some simple stretching activity. Firstly, rotate your head from the right, all the way to the back, to the left, down and then back. Do it very slowly and feel the stretch in your neck. Secondly, shrug your shoulders all the way up; pretend that you are trying to make it touch your ears. Hold the stretch for a few seconds and relax. Next, rotate your wrist in one direction slowly. Do about 10 rotations then rotate the other direction. Lastly, rotate the left ankle slowly about 10 rotations. Repeat with the right ankle. These stretching should stimulate blood flow throughout your body, making you feel more refreshed and relaxed.

 7.) Care for a pet: It’s a great way to unwind after a stressful day! Relax, play fetch with your pet and enjoy the unconditional love that a pet would shower over you. Studies have shown that caring for a pet relaxes the mind and create a sense of personal satisfaction seeing the pet so happy. But remember, keeping a pet comes with great responsibility so please consider all aspect before rushing to the pet shop or SPCA to adopt a pet. For more information about the responsibilities that comes with pet ownership, please view the SPCA’s website at www.spca.org.sg.

 By Nawaz

About the Author:

Nawaz is an Entrepreneur/Trainer/Alternative Therapist based in Singapore. He has helped thousands of students/adults with his unique brand of personal development/wellness programmes/courses. He i the inventor of the Isolex System for muscle strengthening as well as the Total Stress System(TSS) for students, based on thr principles of laughter/humour therapy.

www.bodypulse.blogspot.com
www.bodypulse.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Powerful methods to reduce stress

You should incoporate some laughter in  your Life, because life will seem incomplete without the ingredient of humor. Laughing, especially at youself at times is a very essential part of life. When you’re too serious, you life ends up becoming gloomy and boring. Laughter can have a lot to do with staying sane, healthy, happy, and-above all-calm.

Laughter is the best medicine to any kind of stress. All our facial muscles and nerves work in the process of laughter and when we laugh, we forget all our worries and problems. When I was young I used to ask my always cheerful grandmother why does she laugh all the time. She would tell me laughter is good for and because " a smile a day, keeps the sorrow away".

Laughter can be used to relieve stress by various means. It works very well to relieve social and emotional tension and ameliorated stress. When you laugh it generates healthy and positive energy that drives away many negative feelings that we might harbor within ourselves. It leaves us feeling light due to the release of all the emotions suppressed because of stress.

Laughter also produces endorphins that creates optimism in us. You can watch the various humorous programs on television or rent movies that leave you in a good mood. Whenever you feel stressed, just tune in to one of the many comedy shows or movies and you will instantly feel relaxed.

Another new idea that is fast catching on among the new and the old alike is the various laughter clubs that are popping up in major  cities in the US.  A laughter club is the place where you can laugh until you are tired of laughing and there are no restrictions on laughing. If you are suffering from  any type of stress then you can join one of these laughter clubs and I promise you will feel a change in your mood instantly. Laughter immediately relieves you of all your stress.

A unique way to inject laughter in your life is by making a conscious effort to stop whining and complaining about everything about your life. The only thing that leads to is more stress. There are plenty of situations in life on which you can actually laugh and let go of those situations. However, if we keep on thinking about those situation that negatively affect then stress will creep in on you. You should always try to search for humor in every stressful situation that you face, and see how much of a difference that makes in your everyday life.

There will be times when you don’t want to laugh, and your laughter may not be genuine, This maybe the case, but any type of laughing affects your mood. Smiling even when you do not feel like smiling is very helpful. Smiling or laughing helps in staying positive all the time. Therefore, you should always try to smile especially when you are feeling very low or sad. You should always laugh amongst friends. Sharing jokes and funny anecdotes assists you in this task.

All in all, make sure that you keep smiling, and always and spread joy and happiness with everybody else. It will help you deal with life’s everyday frustrations and major obstacles you will face. If you stay cheerful and use laughter in the right way then stress will stay clear of you. When this is part of your daily life you will know why laughter is good for you.