Archive for January, 2008
Reducing Stress at Work
By Rod Berglund
Sixty hour work weeks, deadlines, and difficult customers can all cause us to become strained and stressed. Stress can increase blood pressure, raise cholesterol, and in severe cases cause ulcers and other intestinal problems.
One way to avoid these potential problems is to find ways to reduce stress while at work. If your employer provides you with an on site work out area and equipment then a thirty minute work out, perhaps at lunch would be one way to reduce stress and improve your overall health. For those that do not have access to such facilities, here are some suggestions.
Controlled Breathing Meditation
A simple meditation technique that can be learned quickly and used almost anywhere is the controlled breathing meditation. Follow these steps:
- Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can meditate. Make sure that you will not be disturbed. This technique can be performed either sitting down or lying down.
- Get comfortable. Loosen any tight clothing and do not to cross your arms or legs as this may cause you to move during the exercise. It’s ok to move, but less is better.
- Once in a comfortable position, take a deep breath, inhaling slowly but steadily from the bottom of your lungs. Hold the breath in for the count of two and then release it. Repeat this deep breathing two more time.
- Now breathe normally and start to shift your attention to your breath. Notice that your breathing is deeper and steady. Pay attention to your body as it relaxes. Imagine that with every “in” breath; you pull in fresh energy and that with every “out” breath; you release your stress.
Don’t worry about doing it right or how you should be feeling. Every time you practice this meditation technique, it may be different. Go with the flow of the experience. Practice makes perfect.
Music Meditation
When meditating one of the simplest ways to control your breathing and relax your mind is to listen to music. At work you will probably want to utilize a personal music device like a mp3 player or PDA with head phones.
For optimum health and to release the most alpha waves our pulse rate whilst resting should be between 60 and 110 beats per minute.Listening to something with a slower beat or a similar beat to our desired resting rate will effectively bring your body and mind to relax and imitate the desired rate quicker than if simply sitting in a quietened room.If used correctly, music can enhance the experience and also quicken the effects of meditation.
Some people do prefer to practice in a silent room without distractions but there are others who prefer to meditate with music.The more you practice how to meditate, the more you will be able to deal with things that would have bothered you in the past. This simple meditation exercise has allowed me to reduce stress and aggression from my life.
Guided Meditation
Guided meditation involves music and someone either in a classroom environment or via a recording coaching you on your meditative journey. There are many recordings available that will guide you on a meditation. Utilizing your personal dvd player and a quiet area, an effective stress relieving and relaxing meditation can be achieved.
Although you may not think of work as conducive to meditation remember this. The more relaxed and the less stress you feel, the healthier and happier you will be at work. Healthier and happier employees are more productive, absent less, and cost medical insurance program less.
Rod is an online researcher and marketing professional. His blog Relaxation Techniques 101 is devoted to the art of relaxation and meditation.
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After a busy day, most of us are looking forward to get home and lay in our beds, on a nice, comfortable pillow. But do you often get up with a pain in the neck? It is actually caused by improper sleeping posture during sleep. The solution would be that of starting using neck pillows right away, instead of the regular models that have caused you the problem in the first place.
We should not neglect the importance of pillows, since they play an important part in the relaxation. The suitable pillow according to our needs is very important for us. Do you feel any discomfort when lay on the regular pillow that you have at home? If this is the case, you must certainly make a change.
If you have droopy pillows through years of use, throw it out. You will need to replace your pillow once your pillow gets older. As your pillow gets older it becomes uncomfortable, lumpy and may have as much as 10% of their weight made up of dead dust mites and droppings. It is time to get a good supportive pillow. You want one that is hygienic without dust mites, washable and adjustable to keep your head in straight alignment with your back when you lay on your back or side.
Regular pillows do not fully support the neck and the spine, and not being able to maintain them adequately aligned while you are sleeping. Sleep is perhaps one of the most underrated aspects of keeping healthy and feeling great. If you have not had a good night sleep for a long time, it is time for you to change your regular pillow.
Most of the neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain can be prevented by specially designed neck pillow. OCA Water Pillows have a unique design that it can be adjusted to favors a correct sleeping position of the head and neck during sleep. It provides support and guidance for one to sleep in a comfortable manner. Unlike regular pillows that force the head to remain either in a too low or a too high position, OCA Water Pillows ensure the correct alignment of the head, the neck and the rest of the body.
OCA Water Pillow is also useful for people who have the snoring problem, since they are known to reduce snoring. Snoring is a widespread problem that can range from merely annoying to quite dangerous to peoples health. Sleeping in the correct position reduces airway obstruction, muscle spasm, stiff neck, and poor circulation allowing one to breathe easier and rest comfortably. These items will improve both your sleep and your sleeping partner. Your snoring will not longer be a “nightmare” throughout the night.
As you are more likely to spend six to eight hours of sleeping in a specific position, it is vital that you try to maintain the neutral position while sleeping. Incorrect sleeping positions do not allow the muscles to relax and release the tension accumulated during the day, this is the major reason why pains are felt sometimes in the morning. All you have to do is purchase a neck pillow that is good for you and make sure that it provides you the right level of comfort. By using such pillow, your sleep is not only deep, it is also healthy. You will wake up feeling refreshed, energized and ready to tackle the days.
OCA Water pillows are items that can immediately be ordered on the Internet and shipped to your home. Have a look here that sell them and see if they’re worth buying.
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Sleeping is something that all of us are familiar with. It’s like eating and drinking. We just can’t survive without it. If you are in perpetual state of lack of sleep, there will be a high chance that your health will suffer in the long run. Lack of sleep will cause a number of health problems such as emotional problems, high blood pressure, heart problems, reduced concentration and safety issues in the home and working place…
One common sleep problem that plagues a lot of households in the US is snoring. Snoring does not only affect the sufferer’s sleep but also affecting those who hear the sound of the snores. Some people have been able to reduce or eliminate their snoring simply by sleeping on their side during the night. Using OCA Water Pillow to properly elevate your head can be helpful for reducing your snoring. This pillow is designed to improve breathing ability to reduce the snoring problem.
The entire goal of your pillow should be to align your spine, head and neck. If you were a side sleeper, then you need something to support your head and neck correctly while you sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed and energized. OCA Water Pillow will help you to get the proper height and support because it is an adjustable pillow. The height of the pillow can be adjusted to fit your shape and make you feel extra comfortable when you sleep on it.
If you sleep on your stomach however, you don’t want to use too high of a pillow, or you’ll be end up with a major backache and probably a neck pain to boot. So you can lower down the height of the pillow. A pillow which is too high will lead to the neck being bent forwards, thus affecting backbone muscles, as well as the blood circulation of the brain, resulting in backbone diseases, pressing the blood vessels and nervous system, aches etc. In serious cases, uneasiness while resting will pressure in the throat and resulting in serious snoring.
Every person’s anatomy is slightly different. People have different preferences about the firmness of their pillow. On average, there are 12 major body shifts and 50 movements in head and neck position during sleep. It really depends on your body build as to what is the proper height. OCA Water Pillow adapts to different anatomical shapes and sizes.
Most neck pain is caused by stress and can be treated without surgery. It is important to meet with a doctor first to discuss your options, but once it is decided that non-surgical procedures are possible, there are several of products available to deal with neck pain. Some neck pain requires more serious solutions such as surgery, but others may easily be treated through exercise or even a supportive pillow such as OCA Water Pillow. Pillows can be an inexpensive way to alleviate neck pain before moving onto more intense therapies.
Most people will say that good back or neck pillow is their most vital travel accessory. Having a sore neck or back can really affect the way that you enjoy your holiday. OCA Water Pillow will be your travel pillow to improve your trip comfort. When traveling, it will be great for carrying and for sleeping in hotels. It can be folded for traveling purpose. You can easily fill in water and drain out water almost anytime and anywhere at your convenience. Since hotel pillows are traditional thick and fluffy, you will find out that the pillows are not comfortable at all because they are not designed for your specific needs, you will be much more comfort and sleep better with it. It can be carried anywhere so you will have no problems to take it with you wherever you need to travel. It will be your great travel neck pillow.
It is also specially treated to resist dust mites. So if you are an allergy sufferer certainly, it will not only provide you with a good night’s sleep, but also help to keep dust mites at bay as well. Relieve your neck pain with this neck pillow. OCA Water Pillow will be a great sleeping partner for anyone including regular travelers. If you want to read more about it, just enter in our site www.waterpillowonline.com
In the modern world, our lives have become so busy there seems to be hardly any time for us to devote to sleep. No matter how busy you are, make sure to enjoy the good night sleep you deserve before any health problems occur in your life! Enjoy your wonderful life!
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Stress Control in Diabetes Management By Seb Thiam
Stress can influence your blood sugar and affect your diabetes in adverse ways says psychologists and medical experts.
Stress is a word heard very frequently these days, even from young children. We all get stressed from time to time. sometimes, stress is not a bad thing as it may help motivate us to succeed but sometimes stress can affect us negatively.
Stress can influence our blood sugar control in two ways:
It can cause hyperglycaemia and subsequently interfere with our self-care, sleep, appetite, treatment, as well as dietary and exercise programme. When you are under a lot of stress, your sleep may be disrupted and you wake up feeling tired. You may also turn to “quick fix” ways to relieve your stress, such as smoking or excessive drinking. You may not bother to adhere to your treatment regime or do your regular exercises. some may resort to comfort eating. All these attitudes may produce a significantly negative impact on your diabetes management. When you are stressed, your blood sugars may increase and when your blood sugar level is not under control, you may feel even less able to cope.
For some of us, the management of diabetes can be a huge cause of stress. When diagnosed with diabetes, you may not be able to accept the fact and this can cause emotional distress. The changes to lifestyle (exercise, diet, quit smoking and drinking) that you have to make to better manage your diabetes can be most stressful. To better manage this stress, you should increase your knowledge of diabetes and its management and to allow it to be a part of your
new routine.
The other type of stress that we experience can also be managed by proper stress management strategies. These strategies can help reduce your stress levels and even if you are not stressed, serve as a stress prevention kit.
Some of these strategies include:
Good sleep habits
• regular sleeping and waking times
• limit caffeine intake to once a day and before 6 pm
• warm shower to help relax
• do not play very stimulating games just before bedtime
• do not go to bed worried, sad or angry. Try to resolve arguments before bedtime or only bring things (that you are unhappy with) up in the day
• set aside a time for worries
More articles from the author at http://www.springwell.biz
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Stress-Control-in-Diabetes-Management&id=869624
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Why Stress Is Dangerous By Elizabeth Boardman
Almost everyone finds stress annoying and unwanted in their lives, but not everyone knows how dangerous stress can be - especially when it stays in your body for a long time. Certain parts of our bodies are directly affected by stress and its adverse effects.
Stress begins in the brain. There is a sudden unexpected surge of “stress” hormones when you feel anxiety. When these hormones are released, sleeping and resting are nearly impossible. Though being extremely energetic is good when one is working, the human body is not built for such state for long periods of time. If the hyper-activity is extended too much, one will eventually experience headaches, mood swings, aggressiveness, and a loss of the ability to concentrate on a given task. During this time, it becomes difficult to retain information and short term memory can be affected.
There is a constant misconception that men are less susceptible to stress compared to women and this idea is now being challenged. Studies reveal that the difference between men and women is not stress susceptibility, but their way of dealing with stress.
Too much stress also stops the function of the “hypothalamus” which is where the brain regulates emotion. When we are stressed, the hormones that make us feel better (endorphins) are not well regulated. Thus, we lack energy to deal with problems and tasks, and we eventually feel unwell.
Another area affected by stress is the ears. Though high stress usually increases our awareness and therefore our hearing, it does not mean that it is healthy to be in this constant state of arousal. A study from Cornell University reveals that during hyper-awareness, there is a greater risk for heart failure. Since our hearing is increasingly sensitive when we are stressed, we are more exposed to hearing loud honks of car horns, too loud ringtones and shouting.
One’s lungs are also affected by stress, as one will more likely experience hyperventilation when he or she is under a lot of stress. It is a natural response for our body to demand more oxygen when it feels in danger or uncomfortable. Too much inhaling of oxygen will cause dizziness and a sharp pain on the chest. Asthma and other respiratory problems can be triggered if there is too much inhalation of oxygen.
When one is under stress, the adrenaline resulting from this state will dilate the eyes, thus improving one’s vision. However it also might cause eye ticks. Over time, your eyes become overused, over-stimulated and fatigued.
Uncontrolled stress also dries out the mouth, and leads to dehydration - something we all know is uncomfortable and unhealthy. Clenching jaws and grinding teeth are also normal mannerisms of people when they undergo stress.
As proven by countless researchers, aromatherapy is a good way to de-stress. One will instantly feel rejuvenated after a relaxing bath using products made from essential oils and plant extracts such as the oils of jasmine and lavender. Nice flowery scents take the mind off the problems that are impending, and stimulate the brain. Not only do they smell great, but plant based products tend to restore hydration and replenish oils in the skin that are lost during times of stress. The skin will not only look better from the outside, but it will also absorb the essential oils that are bundled with aromatherapy products and be healthier on the inside.
The San Francisco Bath Salt Company’s slogan is “Relaxing The World One Bath at a Time”. The company specializes in luxury bath salts for skincare and relaxation with the overall goal of improving health through bathing. Their website is a powerful resource of information about bathing and contains many more articles and the daily bathing blog. For more information visit http://www.sfbsc.com or to visit the complete resource section on bathing go to http://www.sfbsc.com/resource-center
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Relieve Your Neck Pain with Yoga
By Michael Russell
Everyone gets a little stiff neck once in a while, and yoga can wipe away the pain with a few concentrated exercises. First, though, you must be certain the pain isn’t related to something more serious than a simple stiff neck. Instead of yoga, see a doctor if any one of the following is true:
- You neck pain has persisted for more than three days, or it keeps coming back.
- Your neck pain is accompanied by dizziness or nausea.
- The pain seems to radiate down into your arms or legs.
- The pain began with a fall or accident.
If your stiff neck does NOT meet any of the above conditions, these simple yoga exercises can help increase your neck’s flexibility and strengthen the neck muscles. By exercising you speed blood and needed nutrients to the area, easing the neck pain gradually. Try these:
Neck Stretches
Sitting cross-legged, tall and straight, and inhale eyes forward. Exhale, moving chin to chest. Repeat this breath five times, the fifth time holding chin to chest breathing three times through the nose. Inhale, raising the head to center again. This time drop your right ear to your right shoulder during the exhale. Repeat this breath five times, the fifth time holding ear to shoulder for three breaths. Repeat this sequence with the left ear to left shoulder.
Half-Circle Rolls
Drop your chin to your chest. Slowly roll it up to your right shoulder, down to center, up to the left shoulder and down to center. Repeat this three to five times. Never roll the head in a full circle, as this can cause damage.
Shoulder Hunches
Hunch your shoulders up as high as you can, then relax them completely. Repeat five to six times. Next roll your shoulders in forward circles five to six times, then backward circles five to six times. Notice how relaxed your shoulders feel. Try this quick relaxation exercise any time you feel tension building.
Chest Expander
Stand with your feet together and your fingers interlaced behind your back. Inhale while raising your hands behind your back, squeezing your shoulder blades together and tucking your tailbone under to keep from over-arching your back. Hold this position for three to four breaths, then lower your arms slowly during the next exhale.
Arm Lifts
Hold your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the ground with palms facing each other but not touching. Inhale while bringing them up next to your head. Exhale while you bring them down again. Repeat this four to eight times.
Press It
Place either palm on the back of your head. Simultaneously press the head and hand against each other for a count of ten. Move the palm to the forehead and repeat the pressing for another count of ten. Now place the right palm against the right side of your head and press head and hand together for a count of ten. Repeat with the left palm and left side of the head.
These yoga exercises are designed to relieve physical stress and related pain. The best pain relief is pain prevention, so be sure to watch your posture and set your workspace to avoid slouching.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Yoga
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Relieve-Your-Neck-Pain-with-Yoga&id=636728
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