So, now that you realize how destructive stress can be in your life, what are you going to do about it? Here are some helpful stress busters:

1. Laugh. It may sound silly, but laughter not only supplies oxygen to your body, it creates movement. I am personally addicted to episodes of “Absolutely Fabulous” but I have been known to slip an occasional “Fawlty Towers” cassette into my player and roll on the floor in hysterics.

2. Sing. The benefits of singing are numerous, especially if you learn to sing from your diaphragm (the part beneath your rib cage... not the one in your drawer!!) I especially recommend doing it in a foreign language so as to eliminate the embarrassment of not remembering the words.

3. Dance. There is nothing more stress relieving than an attack of “Happy Feet.” It doesn’t matter what style you choose, just move and breathe and feel the rhythm of the music.

4. Walk. Take 15 minutes a day to soak in the sunshine. Not only will you improve your mood but it can help you lose weight by adjusting your melatonin cycle and making you more responsive to insulin.219

5. Pose. Just making yourself be still can help blow off steam. Yoga or meditation are ways to lower the stress hormones. For others, running helps them meditate in motion. If you’re feeling stressed, assume the balance pose or T posture. Begin by standing comfortably, arms at your sides, and slowly fold forward from the hips. Extend your arms past your ears and bring your torso parallel to the ground. Simultaneously extend your left leg straight behind you. Breathe deeply and aim for stillness. Gently come back to your standing position and switch sides.

6. Primp. Pamper yourself. Remember, you’re a goddess and worth every cent you earn or spend. Take a bubble bath, a steam shower or soak in a hot tub filled with flower petals.

7. Sleep. Get to bed by 9:00 PM. Melatonin levels start to rise around 9:30 so pay attention to how much light you are exposed to in a 24 hour period. At least 9 hours of sleep are required by your body to reset your biological clock and improve your insulin sensitivity.

8. Inhale. Pay attention to aromas. Cleopatra soaked the sails of her ship in fragrant oils to announce her approach to Rome. Try relaxing oils of ylang ylang, bergamot, tuberose, motia or orange soaked on a cotton ball. Inhaling a fragrance can stir pleasing memories which cause endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, to be released. Burn a candle or put a diffuser in your room. Just a few whiffs of lavender oil can lull you to sleep.

9. Pray. Prayer-walking, also known as “walking meditation” provides an easy way to be active and relieve stress. It can be a meandering saunter down a garden path or a brisk march around a track. The point is to walk with prayerful intentions realizing that your journey is an interior one.

Source: http://www.grandtimes.com/Why_Stress_Can_Make_You_Fat.html

Cheers!

what are some good stress busters 4 when u are stressed out. i have to much on my mind lately, friends, family, personal relationships, and other silly things.
what actaully works

To avoid stress you should do to exercise regularly. Exercise dissipates the adrenaline that builds up in stressful situations and leaves us feeling with a sense of achievement and control. Learn to think clearly and set yourself realistic goals and objectives. Work through one problem at a time in a logical way.

Obviously there are a range of ways to treat stress, but I agree that the best immediate response is to exercise. Other than regular exercise, effective stress coping methods include eating the right foods, meditation, reading, and as mentioned by StayHealthy, an obvious one is spending time with family/friends...laughing, dancing, talking, enjoying life....

Go for a run!
Obviously regular exercise is essential to generally staying healthy and on top of your game, but it's also the best immediate stress relief. Going for a run, for example, at the end of a stressful day not only releases endorphins associated with exercise, it also gives you a chance to get some vitamin D, clear your head and appreciate nature, listen to some music or chat with a friend. Running (or any exercise really) has the therapeutic ability to put stress and problems in perspective, allows you to unwind and clear your mind, and leaves you fresh and energised, and in a better position to tackle whatever was causing stress in the first place.

Food.... put the right fuel in your body
Stress and poor diet go hand in hand. If you're stressed, you're probably busy, so takeaways or comfort-food are a logical option. Remember that food is your fuel! Without the right petrol your car won't run smoothly. Likewise, without the right food, you're body (and mind) can't cope with stress. Think about what you're putting in your body. Load up on some fruit and vege's, make (or buy) a smoothie - I guarantee that you will have more energy and a clearer mind. Banana's, oranges and pineapple are good for energy, mango's are really good for depression and anxiety. TRY IT!

Meditation
Meditation is a word that often gets an instant dismissal response, but it needn't. Meditation doesn't have to be ritualistic, with candles, and specific poses. Meditation can be as simple as taking 5 minutes in the morning to breath deeply, get some oxygen into your body and prepare for the day ahead. Stress goes hand in hand with poor sleep; Meditation can be as simple as lying down in bed, and instead of getting nowhere and staying awake going over the problems of the day, simply focus on your breathing, think about how your legs feel, how your torso feels, how your head feels (put on some relaxing music if you like.... Enya is really good). In no time you will drift off to sleep, and you'll have a much deeper, revitalizing rest.

Read a book
Reading is another good way to clear your mind of stressful thoughts and let your imagination run wild. Depending on what kind of reader you are, reading can also be a great way to get to sleep (poor sleep is a major result of and cause of stress).

I hope my thoughts help. Stress can be a real killer, and something that too many of us (including myself) often ignore for far too long.

Hi Smoothieguy,
You have me curious, since when has New Zealand had the same time zone as Seattle, you should be ahead of Australia by about 2 hours not behind by 19 hours.

I like what you have been writing I think it makes a lot of sense although I prefer something with less calories than smoothies, I owned a cafe for 19 years and never drank one of them, or a thick shake.

Cheers

Hi John,

Good to meet you. I'm not sure what's up with the time diff thing, maybe I have to adjust some setting.

Glad you enjoy my posts thus far. By 'smoothies' I'm not talking about smoothies with ice cream etc in them..... the smoothies I eat are basically all fruit and veges (I'm guessing they don't have alot of calories?). This morning I blended together beetroot, lemon, mint, and pineapple.... it was pretty awesome.

I'm not a nutritionist or anything so I don't really know alot about calories etc. I just find smoothies are a cool way to experiment with different combination's and eat healthily. Plus I walk, run, swim, play tennis quite a bit so I guess I use up any calories/sugar in there.

SmoothieGuy.... Greg