It’s Complementary Archives

Spring 2008 – Knowing Yourself and Getting Rid of Stress

Want to know exactly how much stress you have in your life right now? The Health Encyclopedia at AOL offers an interactive tool to help you.

So what are the best ways to deal with the stresses you have? In past columns we have talked about some of the complementary medicine methods people use like meditation, yoga and tai chi. For more information about these and other methods to help you better handle stress visit Healthguide.org. Helpguide.org was created in 1999 by the Rotary Club of Santa Monica with active participation by Rotarians Robert and Jeanne Segal following the tragic suicide of their daughter. Since then, a dedicated team of talented people have collaborated to create this free resource to help people in need.

Elizabeth Scott, who has counseled people on stress management techniques for more than 13 years, offers other creative stress relievers in her Guide to Stress Management. Here are some of her ideas:

• Play With Pets. For those who love animals, take 5 or 10- minutes to caress a cat or love your dog. Even spending time with other pets, like fish or hamsters, provide soothing benefits.
• Exercise. Take a new exercise class. The fun of learning something new can take your mind off your stressors and the class atmosphere can foster a positive type of peer pressure to keep you wanting to show up.
• Bake. Many people find stress relief when baking, which provides comforting aromas and soothing, repetitive motions to give you another focus.
• Laugh. Look for situations that will make you laugh.
• Daydream. Visualizations are great to help you manage stress, so enjoy daydreaming. Vividly imagine your best memories, visualize your success or take yourself on a peaceful walk on a secluded beach. Giving yourself a mental break in this way is a quick and fun way tostep back from your stressor.

Discovered a great stress reliever that works for you? Let us know and we’ll be happy to share it with other Outlook readers. Send your tips to info@bcan.org.