Stay Healthy – Stress Less!

Tip Sheet #3 – More Things to Do to Feel Less Stressed

 

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More Things To Do To Feel Your Best

• Exercise. Set a goal for 30 minutes of daily exercise. Get moving!

• Eat right. Eat slowly. Don’t eat too much too fast. Enjoy your food. Don’t eat a lot of fast food. Don’t eat a lot of sugary snacks. Eat foods that are good for you – lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  

• Watch out for coffee. The caffeine in coffee can give you a nice buzz. But too much coffee can make you feel nervous and jumpy. If you feel that way, cut back or switch to decaf. Remember that many kinds of soft drinks also have caffeine.
   
• Stay away from alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs do not help you have less stress. In fact, they may cause more stress.  
   
• Get plenty of sleep. Stress may cause a person to have trouble sleeping. You need 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night to stay healthy. Here are some things to do to help get a good night’s sleep. 

✓ Go to bed and get up at about the same time each day.

✓ Make sure your bedroom is cool (but not cold), dark, and quiet.

✓ Have a mattress and pillow that feel good.

✓ Don’t eat too much close to bedtime.

✓ Get daily exercise during the day.

✓ Don’t drink coffee, tea or other things with caffeine late in the day.

✓ Limit alcohol. Don’t smoke.

✓ Keep naps to 30 minutes or less.

✓ Relax before bedtime. It’s a good time to meditate.

✓ If you can’t sleep, get up. Do something to relax until you feel sleepy.

There are other health problems that may cause poor sleep. If you still can’t get a good night’s sleep, talk to your doctor.

Let’s Do Some Deep Breathing! Take deep breaths:

o Get comfortable.

o Close your eyes.

o Breathe in deeply and slowly through your nose.

o Feel your belly fill with air.

o Now breathe out slowly and gently. 

o As you breathe out, picture a calm place.

o Imagine all your stress going away.

o Let your body relax.

o Now do it again. Keep doing it until you feel calm.

So, how did that feel? Try deep breathing with the Stress Less - Take a Breath video, or try other relaxation exercises such as yoga and meditation to feel less stress.