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"