Hurry up and relax! No time for stress?

You know what stress is. It’s the traffic jam on the way to the airport, the workaholic boss with one little favor to ask, or your two year old—on his back in the cereal aisle screaming for the colorful frosted kind while everyone for miles passes judgment on your parenting skills. You also know that you need to relax; hundreds of studies confirm that stress leads to increased risk of colds and flu, migraine, PMS, back pain, fatigue, depression, heart disease and the list goes on. Frankly, if you thought you could fit “relaxing” into the remaining six seconds that you have to yourself in a day, you’d do it

Well, sit back, drop your shoulders, take a deep breath (through your nose—hold for a count of three—exhale slowly), and read on. There are ways to reduce the stress in your life without adding more to your “to do” list! First of all, ditch the “to do” list and replace it with a good daily planner to record your daily, weekly and monthly goals. Use the same book for both business and social/family commitments, and there will be less likelihood of forgetting to pick up your daughter at ballet class. You’ll also know at a glance if your boss has asked for one favor too many, and what weekend is good for out-of-town guests

Take another deep breath—hold—exhale. Now might be a good time to find your “calmness” trigger word or phrase. It’s the word that you will repeat to yourself, quietly or out loud, whenever you feel that familiar tightening in your stomach. Make it a word that you associate with feelings of tranquility. Practise repeating the phrase whenever you have a few free minutes, like in your morning shower. Gradually you will feel your breath become slower and deeper, your muscles unclench, and your mind at rest. Believe it or not, this is meditating. Daily practice of relaxation techniques can reduce your body’s reaction to stress hormones, not only for the length of time that you spend soaking in the tub or doing yoga, but for the entire day. You’ll see benefits with as little as ten minutes of relaxation time per day! And don’t underestimate the power of a time-out when you feel your tension levels rising. It worked for your two year old after that horrifying grocery store incident, so why wouldn’t it work for you? Removing yourself from the stress for as little as five minutes will give you the ability to switch your focus from worrying about the problem to starting to create possible solutions.

Inhale—hold—exhale. Since stress is a natural (and sometimes life-saving!) reaction to a perceived threat, your body prepares for action. It makes sense, then, that one of the best ways to de-stress is to give your body what it is expecting. Move! Exercise will give you the ultimate relief, and you should find a way to fit a cardiovascular work-out into your schedule at least four times a week for about half an hour each session. During the workday, use the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up off of your chair and stretch. Walk around the block before you eat lunch. In fact, walk to the video store and rent a comedy to watch with your family after dinner. Laughter lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol which can be so damaging to your immune system, and which ultimately leads to poor health and disease.

Time with your loved ones and time spent in spiritual pursuits will help you to keep your stress levels in check as well. Spirituality does not necessary imply meditation and prayer, though they are powerful tools. You can experience spirituality in many ways: absorbing the fragrance of a flower, losing yourself in some beautiful music, taking a hike in the woods. In fact, any activity that brings you joy—gardening, cooking, grooming your dog—can decrease stress and help to bring peace.

The most important change you need to make is to remove the bad coping strategies from your life. Cigarettes, alcohol and poor diet are detrimental in so many ways, but you know that. Aim for eight hours of sleep each night as well, because you don’t want to be stressed and irritable!

Try to avoid adding to your problems by worrying about your stress level; remember that the only way to be totally stress-free involves a flat line on a cardiogram! And don’t forget the easiest de-stressing strategy of all: filling your lungs with a deep breath puts more oxygen into your bloodstream and gives your body the tools it needs to cope. Inhale—hold—exhale.