Relax, already!

On my recent flight to Dallas I read the latest Redbook magazine and found some stress relievers worth adopting. More than ever, we are all finding stress in our lives to be at an all time high.

5 ways to find your calm in 20 minutes (or less).
By Karen Asp

1. Tidy up a little. Doing 20 minutes a week of housework could decrease your stress levels. Not to mention how great you will feel when you accomplish something on your to do list.

2. Stare out the window. You know how good a walk outside makes you feel. But even just peering through a window can calm you down. Make a point of sitting by your biggest window with a view when you can.

3. Sniff some coffee. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed, slip into a Starbucks and take a whiff. Ahh! Research shows that scents can lower anxiety in humans.

4. Score a yoga buzz just by breathing. It's no secret that meditation, prayer and yoga can chill you out. All of those practices bring about what's called the relaxation response: a calming of mind and body that can actually decrease the experession of certain genes in the body, thus lowering baseline stress. Sit quietly and close you eyes. Allow your muscles to relax. Shrug your shoulders; roll your head and neck and sit at ease breathing in and out slowly. Just 15 minutes of this a day can keep the anxiety away!

5. Go on vacation. Okay, so she didn't write this one, but I had to add it. I know you can't do it in 20 minutes each day, but there's proof that people perform better in their daily lives and at work when they take regularly scheduled vacations to decompress, relax and rejuvenate. Did you know it was necessary to vacation? No longer is it a luxury. Now you have strict orders to start planning your vacation.

For the entire article visit redbookmag.com or get the February 2010 Redbook from your local retailer.