Relaxing Resolutions

Stress-busting tips for a calmer New Year

1. Take a deep breath or two. - Deep breathing tells your brain to relax, and then your brain passes along the message to your body. When that happens, everything from a faster heart rater to high blood pressure begins to decrease, and you become calmer. Try This: Belly breathing is an easy, basic exercise you can do anytime to help you relax. Sit comfortably and then put one hand on your stomach just below your ribs. Place your other hand on your chest. Breathe in deeply through your nose and let your belly push your hand out. Make sure you chest doesn't move as you breathe. Then breathe out through pursed lips and feel the hand on your belly go in and use it to push all the air out. Breathe like this three to ten times.
2. Let go with laughter. - Consider laughing a little like taking a vitamin: One laugh daily con really lighten you up. Laughter helps produce a spike in your body's hormones that makes you fell good. AT the same time, it causes a drop in your body's stress hormone, cortisol.
3. Eat well, stress less - Food can be a superhero that fights the bad guys of stress hormones and adrenaline. Some food can boost calming brain chemicals, while others lower levels of harmful stress hormones. And by having a more nutritious diet overall, you could strengthen your immune system and even lower blood pressure - making you better equipped to handle the little stresses of life. Try This: Cozy up to a bowl of warm oatmeal for breakfast -it's a comfort food that can raise levels of serotonin in your brain, producing a sense of calm. Also, stick with complex carbs such as whole-grain pastas and grains to prompt your brain to produce more stress-fighting serotonin. Also try a comfort drink such as chamomile tea.