Get more Balanced: De-stress your life!

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Get more BalancedDe-stress your life!
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Are you feeling too busy?

• 1. STRETCH

Sitting upright on a chair, and keeping your back
straight, extend your arms in front of you as far
as possible. Hold for ten seconds. Repeat, with
your arms behind you. Then hold on to the sides
of your chair and push your body upwards. Feel
your spine stretch. Hold for ten. Now stretch
arms to the ceiling, to release tension in back
and shoulders. Relax and shake your arms.
2. USE SCENT TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD
Certain aromas are thought to activate the
production of the brains feel-good chemical
serotonin (although one recent research study
suggests that the benefits claimed for
aromatherapy may derive from the power of
suggestion. Ed.). Drip a few drops of the
following aromatherapy oils on a tissue to sniff
when you feel stress levels rising jasmine,
neroli, lavender, chamomile, vetiver, clary sage.
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• 3. DE-CLUTTER

Mess creates confusion and a sense of loss of
power. If your desk/home/car is messy and
disorganized, have a good clear out and tidy up.
Youll instantly feel more in control.
4. CHANGE THE HABIT
Many stresses are habitual. If you start to feel
anxious or stressed out, do something out of
character. Stop what youre doing and do
something else. Or take a minute to take stock
and work out why youre feeling uptight.
5. THINK POSITIVE
Use affirmations positive strands of thought
put into words. Repeating, I am a loving and
much loved person, can work wonders. Say it and
believe it. And it will become true.
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Relieving your Pressures

• 1. KEEP A DIARY

Keep a list for at least a fortnight of
events, times, places, and people that seem to
make you feel more stressed. You will probably be
surprised to find that a pattern soon emerges
and this may be linked to time pressure,
personality clashes, inappropriate demands or
simply trying to do too many things at once. Once
you have identified your pressure points you can
move on to the following situations
2. TALK
Talk through your diary with a good friend or
your partner even the act of discussing things
often makes you feel better. Ask for impartial
advice as to how to ease the problems that you
have discovered, or choose the sort of stressful
situations that you have identified in which to
use the following relaxation techniques
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• 3. LEARN HOW TO RELAX

Practice deep-breathing techniques such as
slowly inhaling while counting to five hold your
breath for five seconds then breath out slowly.
Repeat this 10 times when feeling stressed,
concentrating on nothing but your
breathing. Stretch the muscles of your neck and
shoulders by keeping your shoulders level and
trying to touch each shoulder with your ear. Look
right up at the ceiling, down at the floor and
then rotate each shoulder in wide circle. Repeat
five times. Open and close your jaw widely after
each time since stress often causes tenseness in
the jaw area. Take time out. For five minutes
every hour, try to shut down and think of
nothing but your perfect situation. This could be
a dream holiday, ideal partner or simply thinking
about nothing at all. You will be surprised at
how effectively this can lower stress levels.
4. EXERCISE REGULARLY
You do not have to be a gym freak to get the
stress-beating benefits of exercise. Even 20
minutes of brisk walking three times a week will
help to reduce stress as well as promoting
restful sleep.
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5. PLAN BREAKS IN YOUR DAY
The aim here is to allow time for the unexpected
(which, as we all know, will happen!). Get up 15
minutes earlier than you think you need to and
prepare for the day without rushing. Even better,
get things ready the night before. Try to have 20
minutes in the morning and afternoon that is
exclusively your time, in which you can do
whatever you want, even if it is simply sitting
doing nothing. Look forward to these times when
things get busy and if you are unable to use them
always remember to catch up later.
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What is Stress?
Stress is the wear and tear our bodies
experience as we adjust to our continually
changing environment it has physical and
emotional effects on us and can create positive
or negative feelings. As a positive influence,
stress can help compel us to action it can
result in a new awareness and an exciting new
perspective. As a negative influence, it can
result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger,
and depression, which in turn can lead to health
problems such as headaches, upset stomach,
rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure,
heart disease, and stroke. With the death of a
loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion,
or a new relationship, we experience stress as we
readjust our lives. In so adjusting to different
circumstances, stress will help or hinder us
depending on how we react to it.
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Ten Rules to Sleep Better

• Sleep as much as needed to feel refreshed and
  healthy during the following day, but not more.
  Curtailing time in bed a bit seems to solidify
  sleep excessively long times in bed seem related
  to fragmented and shallow sleep.
• A regular arousal time in the morning seems to
  strengthen circadian cycling and to finally lead
  to regular times of sleep onset.
• A steady daily amount of exercise probably
  deepens sleep over the long run, but occasional
  one-shot exercise does not directly influence
  sleep during the following night.
• Occasional loud noises (e.g., aircraft fly-overs)
  disturb sleep even in people who do not awaken
  because of the noises and cannot remember them in
  the morning. Sound-proofing the bedroom might be
  advisable for people who have to sleep close to
  excessive noise.
• Although an excessively warm room disturbs sleep,
  there is no evidence that an excessively cold
  room solidifies sleep, as has been claimed.

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• Hunger may disturb sleep. A light bedtime snack
  (especially warm milk or similar drink) seems to
  help many individuals sleep.
• An occasional sleep pill may be of some benefit,
  but the chronic use of hypnotics is ineffective
  at most and detrimental in some insomniacs.
• Caffeine in the evening disturbs sleep, even in
  persons who do not feel it does.
• Alcohol helps tense people to fall asleep fast,
  but the ensuing sleep is then fragmented.
• Rather than trying harder and harder to fall
  asleep during a poor night, switching on the
  light and doing something else may help the
  individual who feels angry, frustrated, or tense
  about being unable to sleep.
• Current Concepts The Sleep Disorders. By Peter
  Hauri, The Upjohn Co., 1977

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Alcohol, Sleep, and Learning
College students may think that moderate drinking
has no effects on learning and health. As little
as one drink, however, can impair a persons
ability to get a good nights sleep, which can
lead to more significant problems. Most people
find that a drink or two before bed helps them
fall asleep faster. This may be true. However, as
alcohol is metabolized during the night, sleep
becomes progressively lighter and more disturbed.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep may also be
particularly effected. Disturbances of sleep lead
to fatigue and sleepiness during the day. The
more one drinks, the faster the person will fall
asleep, but the likelihood of sleep disturbances
increases. Alcohol consumed up to 6 hours before
bedtime can affect sleep patterns, increasing the
longevity of disturbances alcohol causes in the
bodys sleep cycles.
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The average adult sleeps for 8 hours a night,
though different people may need more or less
sleep. People who do not get enough sleep are
more susceptible to

• Depression disorders
• Learning impairment
• Irritability
• Poor concentration
• Coordination/performance impairment

• Decreased cognitive abilities
• Memory deficits
• Impaired social and occupational function
• Medical conditions such as heart disease

Lack of sleep and alcohol consumption are common
occurrences in a college students life. Many
college students are significantly
sleep-deprived. The adverse effects of alcohol on
sleep magnify this effect. Both of these
practices can have negative effects on cognitive
abilities, especially when paired together.
Source National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism, Alcohol and Sleep. Available at
http//www.niaaa.nih.gov.
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Coping with Exams and Exam Anxiety

• For most students, exam time is particularly
  stressful. Paradoxically, many students attempt
  to deal with this stress in ways that are
  counter-productive or even self-defeating their
  behavior and attitudes tend to diminish their
  performance on exams rather than enhance it.
• While there is no guarantee for an easy time on
  exams, there are some specific guidelines that
  students can follow which will help them learn
  more efficiently during exam time.
• Remember that you are not alone almost everyone
  gets somewhat anxious at exam time.
• It is clear that it does NOT help to put added
  stress on yourself by
• Keeping irregular hours
• Pulling all-nighters
• Eating irregularly or eating junk food
• Relying on ineffective learning strategies.

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Guidelines

• Try to stay on a reasonably regular schedule of
  reviewing, eating, sleeping, and relaxing. Start
  at least a week, or preferably two, before exams
  begin.
• Dont attempt to study 24 hours a day your
  efficiency and capacity to retain material will
  rapidly decrease.
• Dont force yourself to study beyond your normal
  limits of concentration. If you find yourself
  able to concentrate for only ten or twenty
  minutes, study for only that period of time and
  then take a short break. Your concentration
  should return. In fact, short and regular study
  periods are more productive than lengthy single
  sessions.
• Eat a well-balanced diet and drink lots of
  fluids. Excessive amounts of coffee may produce
  confusion and even disorganization of thought
  processes.

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• Dont use drugs or alcohol they can decrease
  your ability to think clearly. Take medication
  only under the supervision of a physician.
• Be conservative and reasonable about the demands
  you place on yourself.
• If you have a problem you believe will interfere
  with taking your exams, be sure to notify your
  professor.
• Contact the Academic Skills Center for additional
  suggestions and advice.

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De-Stressors
Keep a planner or calendar Do art paint a
picture, color with crayons, etc. Bake cookies
downstairs in the kitchen Eat more
nutritiously Do your nails
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De-Stressors
Take a dog for a walk (take a head
residents) Go for a run Go for a walk in the
Arb Play your favorite CD Take a shower
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De-Stressors
Call an old friend from home Chat with a
friend Get better sleep at night Read a
magazine Take a nap
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Nutrition Tips for Students Away From Home

• Dont skip meals (especially breakfast)
• Include a fruit or vegetable for each meal
• Practice portion control
• Limit late night snakes
• Choose your drinks wisely
• Above allExercise
• Information from the Yale-New Haven Hospital
  hotline [phone]