. . . babysitting is cheaper than a divorce.

Marital relationships can be stressful at times. According to the January 2012 Ensign Magazine (pp 12-14)here are some ways to help eliminate some stress.

• Have positive conversations.
  
• Be humble and cultivate Christlike attitudes.
• Date frequently.
• Enrich your intimacy.
• Spend time with children and grandchildren(both of you).
• Seek feedback and help each other.

This is a great article on improving your marriage. Great suggestions, too. Mostly its important to remember you two are in the marriage together and neither of you will get everything you want, but each should get something they want.

Winter Runners Break

I, as well as a few other runners, can't stand to run in the really cold weather and take a couple of months off from the trail. And, even though its warm in Texas this week there is more cold weather on the horizon. So, what can be done to prepare for the upcoming running season? You can find alternate activities to help get you off to a great start when the spring thaw begins with a few winter activities.

1. If you can afford it gyms have treadmills. This can be a boring activity, but the weather will warm soon enough.
2. If you can't afford the gym go to the mall and walk a few rounds.
3. Husbands, hate to go grocery shopping with your wife? Impress her by tagging along and taking a walking tour of the store.
4. If you work in a building with stairs take advantage of them during lunch break.
5. Even if you can't bear to run in really cold weather you can always bundle up and take a long walk. While walking you can plan new routes to run or just enjoy the scenery.
6. And, don't forget to keep stretched out and do some mild to moderate exercise to keep your body in relatively good shape.

These are but a few of the things you can do to keep you going until its time to run again. I'm sure you can think of more. These activities work well for reducing winter stress and 'cabin fever', too.

Relaxation Lessons-Task 2

For Task Two your will get into the same position as Task number one.

• While lying in a quiet setting begin to think about your feet.
• Tighten or tense your feet only as in Task One. Take note of how this feels.
• Now, relax your feet and note how it feels.
• Then, tighten the feet along with your legs noting how this feels.
  
• Relax the feet and the legs paying close attention to the difference in feeling between tense and relaxed.
• Continue on by adding the torso-hips, stomach, chest, back. Tense and relax.
• Add the hands-clench your fists.
  
• Add the arms and shoulders.
• Add the neck and head making the best "lizard face" you can.

After completing the task of tensing , relaxing and paying close attention to how your body feels, just lie quietly for a couple of minutes and try to bring on a sense of relaxation. Note: If you are usually tense you may feel strange sensations when you relax your body. It is normal to feel tingling or other mild sensations when a very tense area begins to relax and let blood flow normally though it. Don't be concerned about this.

Happy Relaxation

Relaxation Lessons

While the ability to relax can help prevent insomnia, headaches and muscle tension, many people tell me they have difficulty relaxing on there own. So, the next few blogs will be to help those people do just that-relax.

Relaxation Task 1

• Lie on your back on a firm but comfortable surface. Your arms should be at your side and away from your body a little in a comfortable position.
• Next, tense both feet by pulling down the toes as if you were going to touch them to the bottom of the feet.
• Hold this position for about five seconds. Pay close attention to how this makes your feet feel.
• Now, relax and let your feet go back to normal. Pay close attention to how the feeling in your feet changes.
• Repeat these steps up to five times paying close attention to the different feeling between you flexing and tensing your feet and relaxing the m.
• Do this first task once a day for three days. Then, move on to Task 2.
  

The Coming Year: 2012

At this time you might be assessing your progress from last year and coming up with resolutions or goals for making progress in 2012. These are goals you might consider for a more stress free up coning year:

• Start of continue an exercise program-You don't have to do Olympic style training for it to be worth while. A moderate program will do just fine without stressing you out. Just remember, "Move it or loose it."
• Set aside 15 to 30 minutes a day to do nothing but relax. This lets your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and related glands time to rest and reset. It will also help to clear your mind.
• Provide service and help to others. You'll be amazed how mush this will help you.
• Get a massage every month or two to help your mind and body relax and be ready to meet a new day.

"Nuff Said"

"Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"

Don't let the crowds and hubbub of holiday shopping get you down and stressed.

• Remember who you are and what you believe.
• Take time to do unexpected service and kindness towards others.
• Visit the sick and afflicted.
• Be kind and speak with a quiet vice when adversary comes around.
• Be thankful and show gratitude.

And, don't forget to have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

"Nuff Said"

Chocohalism

In the Fall 2010 issue of Diabetes Outlook there is an article entitled, ”Can a quick walk curb your chocolate craving?” In this article it stated:

Go for a brisk 15-minute walk. In the journal, Appetite, people reported that a short walk could kick their chocolate cravings. Even those who were tempted with an unwrapped chocolate bar were less inclined to eat it if they had just finished walking.1

I would be interested in knowing if they would eat the chocolate bar if no one was looking-has anyone watched the main character on the television show entitled “The Closer?” Actually, there are many of us out here who are Chocohalics suffering from the dread disease of Chocohalism.

So, give a 15-minute brisk walk a chance. If it doesn’t work admit you’re a chocoholic and do the 12 step program.
“Nuff Said”

1. Deseret Mutual. Diabetes Outlook. Fall 2010. p. 2

Be a Rock!

Rocks are hard and can have many sides and textures.

The next time you are in a park or a field where there are a lot of rocks look around and pick a nice one that will fit in your pocket. Then, pick it up and put it there. When you begin to feel stress just touch or hold onto that rock. Feel its surface with all its little imperfections and textures. Then, remember you are like the rock. You have many sides, textures and imperfections, also. You can equally be as hard as a rock letting all of the daily troubles and worries bounce off of you and fall to the ground.

Relax, it can get worse, and then get better.

Laughteer "IS" the best medicine

The whole world seems in turmoil. Disasters, calamities,strong rhetoric all combine to sap your strength and stress you out. And, when you become stressed your health can suffer.

So, what can you do to relieve the stress?

One thing is to remember mankind has always had to face tough situations and it will be no different for us and those in the future. So, don't take everything so seriously. Don't be a "Very Worried Walrus"-a reference to a character in the Sweet Pickles children's book series. You see the Very Worried Walrus always concentrated on things going wrong. He did this so much he was miserable all the time.

Now, it is important that we take care of things we are in control of, but remember we can't control everything. Learn to laugh at those things you can't control. If you can learn to do this you will feel better and be less stressed. A secondary aspect of laughing at uncontrollable situations is that people will like you a whole lot better because nobody wants to be around someone who is gloomy and sullen all the time.

Also, once you have done all you can do to take care of what you can control, get a massage or do something else that is pleasant and relaxing.

"Nuff Said"

Diet Stress

This is a wonderful time to be alive. If only the average person from the 1930's could miraculously appear in a Golden Corral seeing the "all you can eat" buffet they would be truly amazed. All that food at your fingertips. Just eat up until your ready to pop! Well, all that food causing the extra baggage we carry around our middles can cause stress in our lives.
First, we are concerned about how we look and what people may think of us. Secondly, the extra weight is a constant stress on our bodily systems. But, with so much food around us all the time and all the commercials telling and showing us all of the scrumptious things we can eat, what can we do to combat this stress?
1. Understand dieting is a work in progress. Its what we have a habit of eating. And, we cannot change a habit in one day, two days or even two moths. Its a long term process.
2. We have to understand the process of changing a habit.
a. You think about and plan what you want to do and set a goal.
b. You come up with a plan, your diet.
c. You try the plan-your diet.
d. You mess up and eat things you shouldn't.
*e. Normally you become discouraged and quit thinking you are not capable of loosing weight. However, this is what you should do. You should treat this eating digression as an experience and say to yourself, " Oh well, I made a mistake today, but I'm not giving up. I'll just get back on the wagon and keep trying until I get it right."
f. Get back on the plan-the diet-and keep practicing it until you get if right. Be prepared for this to take some times. Habits, especially good habits, take a long time to acquire. Your goal may take a year or more to achieve so don't become discouraged. YOU CAN DO IT!
g. Eventually you will find the diet will become easier and you will make fewer mistakes.
h. Eventually you will achieve your goal and your diet will seem normal and natural. This may take a year or more to do.
DON'T GIVE UP. DON'T PUT YOURSELF DOWN! Just beginning this process puts you ahead of the class and proves you have the stuff to do this if you just keep trying and practicing.
"Nuff Said"

Chair Massage Event

$1 chair massage available Sat. Sept. 27 at the annual MS Walk/Run at Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, TX! Come out and participate in the fun and festivities for a good cause. And, get a relaxing chair massage at the following rates.
$1 for three minutes
$5 for six minutes
$10 for twelve minutes
Proceeds got to the MS Foundation.
See ya' there between 7:30 and 10:30 am.

Stress and Diabetes

I am amazed at the increasing number of people around me who have type II diabetes-I have it , also. While its obvious diet play a significant role in this problem, we should also explore how stress effect it. Therefore, the following article is enclosed to give you some useful information on the subject. Please read and heed. thanks, BG
__________

KEEP STRESS
IN CHECK

“So how does stress effect your body? When you are in a stressful situation your body reacts with the fight-or–flight response. This gets you ready for action or escape. Your body also produces stress hormones that change stored forms of glucose into blood glucose. The short-term effect is to raise blood glucose levels for quick action. However, people with diabetes might have a longer period of high blood glucose than the body needs.
Long term stress can cause a person to have raised glucose levels for an extended period of time. Stress can also make it more difficult to follow a diabetes management plan.

ARE YOU STRESSED OUT?
Stress can effect your body, mind and behavior. Some physical signs of stress may include:
* A faster or irregular heartbeat and rapid breathing
* Sweating
* Muscle tension
* Upset stomach

When you have an emotional reaction to stress you might feel:
* Anxious
* Irritable
* Angry
* Depressed

MANAGE STRESS IN DAILY LIFE
Even when you can’t change the source of stress , you can change how you respond to it. Here are some of the ways to help reduce the effects of stress:
* Exercise regularly.
* Work on inproving your time management skills.
* Learn relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation.
* Replace negative thoughts with realistic statements that put things in perspective.
* Write in a journal.
* Consider taking part in a support group.
* Treat yourself well. For example, get yourself a massage.

Good diabetes control will help, too. At your mext office appointment, talk with your health care provider about your treratment plan. If your having trouble following it, (they) can work withy your to make small changes and help you set realistic goals.
When you can take control of your diabetes and stress, you’ll have an easier time relaxing.”

"Keeping Stress in Check";DIABETES OUTLOOK, Summer 2008, p. 3; Optimal/health 730 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067

"NUFF SAID"

A Brutal Attack

I don't think anyone likes to be the butt end of a vicious and brutal verbal attack. No one likes to have bad things said about them. And, no one wants to here that they are imperfect and need to change. Yet, we lambaste ourselves all the time putting ourselves down, criticizing every little thing we do.
Now, we do need to improve and do a little better here and there improving some every day. Its just not necessary for us to be our own worst critics all the time. Lighten up a little on yourself. Realize you are not perfect, but you are doing the very best you can. Just hang in there and keep trying without being so critical when you don't get every thing perfectly right.
"NUFF SAID"

DON'T BE A BUG VICTIM!
Its that time of the year with the stomach bug, chest bug, et. al. floating around, looking for a hapless victim to attack, spreading carnage every every where. But, there are the usual common sense things you can do to help ward off these bugaboos.
1. Eat at least one fresh fruit per day.
2. Wash your hands frequently.
3. Don't take bites or sips of others food or drink.
4. And, please stay away from me if you feel ill.

You will be much less stressed if you can stay well.

"Nuff Said"
Ben Gustafson; LMT

Pain-Spasm-Pin Stress

Any type of log term injury causes stress. So, this post deals with the "pain-spasm-pain cycle" which stresses out many people .

When you injure soft tissue the muscles in the injured area contract to help support and protect the injured tissue. Other metabolic reactions also occur helping to slow the flow of blood in the area causing the build up of carbon dioxide and metabolic waste. The result is pain. The body then reacts to the pain as if it has being re injured. Thus, the pain-spasm-pain cycle begins. The initial injury causes the blood to slow building up waste material in the area. This causes new pain which causes the continued slowing of the blood in the area and on, and on, and on. So, even though you may start out with a simple bump, bruise or strain, it can turn into a fairly painful, long lasting injury.

Massage therapy from a professional therapist can help put an end to this vicious cycle. A good therapist can increase the flow of blood in the injured area and help build up pliable, pain free scar tissue to get you feeling better and back to your regular routine.

The Power of Forgiveness

People are just not fair. They can be insulting,callous,immoral, dishonest. Their behavior can even cause injury or death to the ones we love. So, its easy to be upset,offended or angered by the actions of others. Its easy to want to ‘get even’. However, wanting to ‘get even’ only hurts one person-You.

So, then what can you do if you are eaten up with anger, frustration or moral indignation over what someone has doe to you or a loved one? Heal yourself with forgiveness. Yes, that’s right, forgive them. Just let it go. Those who have committed a crime must still face legal consequences. Those who purposefully hurt your feelings, or the feelings of others, will eventually suffer the consequences of their indiscretions. And, those who just made a stupid mistake? I think we are all in that boat and need to be careful about throwing stones. After all, we want to be forgiven when we foul up.

“Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments,, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand other people and ourselves.” 1 Furthermore, when we forgive we free up life’s energy that can help us heal ourselves both physically and emotionally. So, be a forgiving person. It can be liberating.
“Nuff Said”

1 With Suzanne Simon,, Forgiveness: How to Make Peace with Your Past and Get on with Your Life (1990) , 19.

Stress Less with Ergonomics

Its always stressful when you get hurt. So, to stress less check out these simple ergonomic rules to prevent injuries.

Goggins. Rick; "Ergonomics for MT's and Bodyworkers; Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals; February/March 2007, pages 63-64.

Ergonomics - study of the interaction of people and tools, equipment and environments at work.

Lifting

1. Reduce the weight of the load to be lifted.
   
2. Place items to be lifted mid-thigh to waist high th.
3. Hold items as close to body as possible when lifting.

Carrying

1. Use carts or hand trucks to move items.
2. Add handles so items can be carried with two hands.and close to body.

Pushing/Pulling

1. Push instead of pull when possible.
2. Reduce friction by placing items to be pushed on slippery material. (blanket, mats, etc.)
3. Use large diameter wheels on carts and hand trucks, and maintain wheels and bearings.

Repetitive Motions

1. Eliminate unnecessary motions.
2. Use power tools instead of hand tools.
3. Reduce hand force. (see below)
4. Improve posture. (see below)

Hand Force

1. Grip with the whole hand rather than pinching. (Gripping is 4 to 5 times stronger than pinching.
2. Avoid griping or pinching motions for more than a few seconds at a time.

Awkward Posture

1. Place work at a good height to avoid bending or reaching.
2. Bring work close to you and avoid bending and reaching.
3. Alternate between sitting, bending kneeling and squatting when working down lo0w.

Vibration

1. Limit use of high vibration tools.
2. Use anti-vibration gloves.
3. Lean back (against the seat) when driving to relax the back muscles.
4. Avoid lifting right after driving.

Contact Stress

1. Arrange work to avoid contact with hard surfaces.
2. Round or pad sharp edges.

And, most important-If it is too heavy or awkward to lift safely, get help!

Please take these points into consideration. Its much better to follow a few simple rules than to injure yourself. Its much less stressful to be free of injury.

THE FORREST GUMP APPROACH

While watching TV this weekend, flipping past channels with reruns I had seen several times, I happened upon the ‘Forrest Gump’ scene where he is running across America to get over Jenny leaving him. You know the scene. Many people begin to follow him until finally in the middle of the desert he stops, turns and tells them he’s tired and going home to Alabama. And, in spite of the quaint absurdity of this situation it plays out a very good lesson on stress reduction.

I’ve noticed in my life when things get tough, when I’m angry, upset or just plain bored or depressed, physical activity of any kind-even work-can help get me through the day.

In my back yard I have a garden plot fenced off to keep the dog’s out. Every year around the end of February I go out and dig it up for spring planting. After I get it dug up I begin planting as early as I can. This usually means I have to go out and cover the plants to prevent late frosts from killing them. By the time frosts are over I begin to loose interest in the garden and the weeds begin to take over. Its also the time of year when it is sunny and warm and I can get out of the house more to do other things. Yes, I do harvest some vegetables, but that’s not the point. So, why do I bother with a garden if I don’t keep up with it all the time? By the end of February I’m suffering from a serious disease called “Cabin Fever”. Getting out of the house and moving around seems to be the best cure for it. The limited amount of produce I obtain from my strenuous gardening efforts is only a secondary purpose of planting the garden.

So now I’ll get to the point. Physical effort is a good cure for when things are not going right. It will get your mind off your problems and help you gain a better attitude. If you don’t believe me ask my wife. She hates housework. So, when she begins furiously cleaning or scrubbing things, I know she’s angry-usually about something I did-and I stay out of her way until she cools down and stops cleaning. So, don’t let problems or stress get you down. Get up and get busy with anything. Mow the lawn, clean the house, build a bookcase or a model airplane.

Finally, doing work that is of service and help to other people doubles your reward even if the work is difficult and tiring. Try it. You will be glad you did.

(Spencer) had occasional days when he felt physically exhausted. Of such days he wrote: "I started out very miserable and found myself wondering if I could get through the day, but . . . I seemed to become intoxicated with my work and forgot myself and it was a good day."
(Edward L. Kimball and Andrew E. Kimball, Jr., Spencer W. Kimball (1977), 376.

“Nuff Said”

End of Holiday Blues

"The time is far spent," along with all your money! January and a new year is upon us. Its time once again to think of resolutions we know we will forget in a few weeks. So, forget about resolutions. Instead, set up a few simple goals you wish to accomplish by the time 2008 comes around, and set up easy objectives that will get you there.

For example, if you want to get more exercise, figure out what type of exercise would be best for you and set up simple objectives to get you there. Lets say you wanted to walk and increase your endurance. Set up your goals and objectives like this.

Goal:
Improve Physical Endurance

Objectives:

1. Walk 20 minutes a day for six days a week for eight weeks.
2. Walk 30 minutes a day for six days a week for eight weeks.
3. Walk 40 minutes a day for six days a week for eight weeks.
4. Walk 40 minutes a day for six days a week and substitute in an hour walk 3 times during each month for the rest of the year.

You can keep up with your progress in a journal of daily events, on a calander, or make a special chart on your computer and print it out. This will give you something to look at and encourage you to go on with the program.

Important!

1. Set no more than five goals.
2. Make the objectives simple and reachable.
3. Don't panic and get discouraged if you get off track due to circumstances beyond your control. Just go back to your plan as soon as possible and don't worry about it.

In conclusion, the watch words are "don,t stress out.' Just keep going along at a steady pace doing a little at a time. Then, check back over your records between Christmas and New Year's Eve. If you followed these suggestions you will see all the progress you have made over the year.
Happy New Year
Ben Gustafson; RMT

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Poor Betty

Its November and poor Betty does not know what to do! She is running all over town to collect “fixings” for a twenty person Thanksgiving feast at her home. She is feeding one grandmother, four aunts, two uncles, two of her children (with their spouses), six grandchildren, two family friends and her husband. (She’s not including herself. She doesn’t think she will have time to eat.)
And, on top of shopping for “Turkey Day” she has lots and lots of Christmas presents to buy, cards to send out and holiday decorations to put up. Thank heavens she is going to her daughters house on New Years Eve and will not have to prepare refreshments for that party. She merely has to drive five hundred miles to get there!
So, with the holiday season in full sewing Betty doesn't seem to have as much energy as she should. She’s tired all the time and has to take naps during the day. But, at night she suffers from insomnia. And worse that all of that, she feels so sad most of the time. What's poor Betty to do?
Well, what she did was speak to her friend Lois. Lois told Betty she should see her doctor to rule out any medical conditoins that would cause her to be tired and sad all the time. So, that’s what Betty did.
Her doctor told her she was fine. She was just suffering from a little depression-the holiday blues. He said it could even be a mild case of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and her gave her a list of things she should do to beat it. This is the list he gave her:

• Go easy on yourself. Its not a weakness to feel depressed.
• Get moving physically to keep your spirits up. Take a walk, go to the gym or just get out of the house for a while.
• Avoid self medication with alcohol or drugs not prescribed by your doctor.
• Eat a healthier diet. Avoid too many sugary and starchy treats; and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Engage in positive conversations with family and friends.
• When it’s a sunny day go outside sun for about twenty minutes.

Betty’s friend Lois added one more item to the list. “Get a massage at least once a month.” Lois said the massage relieves her stress, helps her have more energy and she feels healthier.
Betty took the advice given her and no longer has a problem with her mild depression. She feels great, enjoys life and is looking forward to next years holiday season.
You can feel better this holiday season as well by following the advice given to Betty.
Ben Gustafson; RMT
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