Install the new Firefox10 Surprising Stress Busters
That is not the face of a woman under pressure. (Photo: Getty Images)
Gaining control over external stressors starts with two things: accepting that they’ll always be there, and being confident that you can manage stressful feelings using an arsenal of mental and physical strategies. (Controlling self-induced stress is a little more challenging because it requires accepting yourself and learning to love your body, but in my new book 20 Pounds Younger I have a plan for that, too.) Let’s start with techniques for living effectively with chaos.
1. Learn to say no. “Overcommitting reduces the time you have to tend to your own needs — like eating healthfully, sleeping an appropriate number of hours, or caring for your immediate family,” says Nanette Gartrell, MD, author of “My Answer Is No — If That’s Okay with You.” Not sure how to gracefully decline? “I simply cannot fit it into my schedule” — followed by an expression of gratitude — will suffice, says Dr. Gartrell.
2. Go to sleep earlier. Fatigue raises cortisol levels and exacerbates anxiety and feelings of being out of control. What’s too little sleep? Fewer than seven hours. Ideally, try to get seven or even eight. See how you feel after both durations, and from then on, try to get the right amount for you. Sleep is when your body repairs and rebuilds tissue. Cheat your body out of that essential process, and your skin will suffer. University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland found that women who slept five or fewer hours a night or who had poor-quality sleep due to tossing and turning had more signs of facial aging — like fine lines and uneven pigmentation — in just one week.
(Photo: Getty Images)
3. Sip a cup of tea. In a study from University College London, people who drank a cup of black tea before completing stressful tasks experienced a 47 percent drop in cortisol afterward, compared to just 27 percent in those who didn’t drink tea.
4. Have more sex. Scottish scientists found that people who got randy at least once every two weeks were better able to manage stressful situations, such as public speaking. Why? Possibly because orgasms trigger a relaxation response and bathe your body in endorphins and other feel-good brain chemicals.
5. Take a video break. At work, spend 60 seconds of every hour watching a funny video. Laughter is one of the world’s best stress relievers — and it’s free.
