Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Our lifestyles today are packed with personal and professional deadlines. We can find ourselves overwhelmed with to do lists and racing against the clock to get that last project completed. Ruminating over these deadlines or obsessing about what needs to be completed can often lead to anxiety and depressive symptoms.

So if you are that type A personality that is prone to obsessing you might want to try the following interventions to stop the ruminating.
1. Put on the music and dance, watch a comedy, call a friend, clean the kitchen. Do a task that takes about 10 minutes. That is the minimum of time needed to break the cycle of thoughts.
2. Allow your self five minutes to ponder the list you have to tackle and then move on with your plan of action.
3. Meditate for a minute by taking that cleansing breath, closing your eyes and just focus on your breathing.
4. Ask yourself what is the worst thing that can happen in this situation. Accept that and then move forward to cope.
5. Use your support system to let you know when you are out of control.
6. Accept that you are human and will make mistakes. Sometimes we are kinder to a stranger than we are to ourselves.

Be sure to practice your self-care daily and seek professional help when your obsessive thoughts interfere with your sleep and quality of life.

Best wishes,
Gina

Hugs and Kisses Decrease Stress

A recent study from the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine reports that loving touches can lower our stress hormone cortisol by 7%. Anything from sex to holding hands can do the trick! You will become calmer every minute you are enjoying a pleasureable touch. The stress-snuggle connection was studied by Beate Ditzen PhD. who studied 51 couples for a week, asking them to record their activities and take saliva samples every three hours. The results were that intimacy reduced cortisol levels by improving their mood.

Studies have already proven that a loving touch can reduce blood pressure and have other health benefits. Angry hugs don't work, which is why only happily married couples benefit from longer and healthier lives. If you don't have a mate handy for hugs, try getting the benefit from family and friends as there have been other studies that have linked friendship with good health, longevity and less stess. So in these stressful economic times just borrow a hug and feel better!

Best wishes,

Gina