Take some time out for yourself to relax

Learning how to de-stress is key to a healthy life. Follow our tips to make stress melt away with mind games and breathing exercises.

Stress can be good—in emergencies and when you’re on the spot—but chronic stress is a risk factor for many health problems. It raises your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Daily pressures at work and home can lead to unhealthy habits.
The first steps are to restore healthy behaviors: watch what you eat, make time for regular exercise, practice good sleep habits. Reducing the amount of caffeine you drink can help. Eating a balanced diet keeps you strong. Exerting yourself outdoors or in the gym also helps relieve stress.
Next, build in breathing time. Taking a little time each day to meditate, stretch, or just breathe deeply and focus can slow your heart rate and relax muscles. Give yourself 15 minutes each morning or evening to clear your head.

Breathe deep
One technique you can do any time is deep breathing:
• Inhale, for a slow count of five
• Exhale, slowly counting to five
Breathe all the way into your lungs, from bottom to top. Then breathe all the way out, from top to bottom. Try it again, with an added step: after you inhale, hold the breath for a slow count of five.
If you can, sit or lie down, try closing your eyes and consciously relaxing each muscle in your body:
• Start at your head
• Relax your forehead, then your eyelids, your ears, your jaw
• Move on to your neck, your shoulders, your shoulder blades
• Work your way down your body
Or you can start at your toes and work upwards instead. The key is to focus on each muscle in turn and choose to relax it.
Meditating can calm you:
• In a quiet space, sit or lie comfortably with your eyes closed
• Breathe deeply and slowly
• Repeat a positive word or phrase in your mind
If your thoughts wander, simply refocus on the word or phrase. Listening to instrumental music can also be relaxing.

Have a focal point
In all these techniques, try to think only about your focal point—the lungs as they fill and empty, the muscles as they release tension, the phrase you are repeating, the flow of the notes.
Finally, identify the causes of stress:
• Working long hours? Schedule times for breaks, at the end of the week or month. Make time both to be alone and to gather with friends. Figure out which tasks are most important and do those first
• Carrying a load of responsibilities? Review your schedule to cut out tasks that don’t help you do the things most important to you. Practice saying “no” when asked to take on a new task
• Frustrated with work or other life issues? Make time for activities that lift your mind or body out of the routine: arts, sports, crafts and hobbies. Helping others can raise your spirits—and put your stress in perspective
Still feel overwhelmed? Ask your doctor for help. A therapist can help you to find better ways to handle your stress.