H E A L T H
o f a situation,” Carson says. To adjust your
appraisal and counteract stress, she
recom m ends the follow ing strategy: W hen
a tense situation strikes, scan your thoughts
for negative statem ents that position you
as lacking control. Examples o f stress-fueling
thoughts include
W
h y d o t h e s e t h i n g s a l w
a y s
h a p p e n t o m
e ?
and
I d o n ' t h a v e t i m
e f o
r t h i s
r i g h t n o w
!
Then, revise those thoughts to
frame yourself as a take-charge survivor who
has the upper hand. Calm ing affirm ations
include
T h i s i s u n e x p e c t e d
,
b u t I c a n m
a n a g e
i t
and
O
n c e I a d j u s t m
y s c h e d u l e , t h i n g s w
i l l
b e O
K .
Your flat tire m ight have been an
unpleasant surprise, but you still have a say
in what happens next.
SKILL #
3
:
KNOW WHEN TO
CALL A TIME-OUT
It’s not even noon, and already your
furnace is on the fritz, the dog mauled your
snow boots, and your son was sent to the
principal's office. On days when nothing goes
right, battling stress can seem futile. The
more efficient option? Give yourself a break.
“A pleasurable distraction can interrupt the
body's fight-or-flight response by separating
the brain from the stress-inducing input,''
Carson explains. So put damage control on
hold for a few m inutes w hile you w ait for
the repairman. Watch a funny video online,
phone an upbeat friend, or do a crossword
puzzle. Afterward, your mind w ill be calm er
and you'll be better equipped to cope.
For longer-lasting calm , consider deep
breathing, m editation, yoga, or other regular
exercise. These activities boost the body's
resilience to stress and fire up the brain's
reward center— perks that linger even after
you've com pleted a session, Carson says. It
doesn’t take much for the benefits to kick
in, either. In a six-week study conducted last
year, volunteers random ly assigned to take
an hour-long yoga class once a week reported
feeling more self-confident during stressful
situations, as well as calm er and happier in
general, than th ose w ho skipped the sun
salutations. “The longer you engage in these
activities, the faster your body is able to relax,”
Carson says. “And when your body is calm,
you literally
c a n ' t
feel stressed.” ■
N u i s a n c e
F a c t o r s
E nvironm ental triggers can
set off th e body's stress
response w ithout you even
realizing it, says psychologist
Shelly C arson, Ph.D. Here,
four annoyances w o rth nixing:
AMBIENT RACKET
Studies show th a t back-
ground noise—say, from
a TV droning in another
room —stim ulates the
release of th e stress
horm one cortisol. If you
can 't quiet th e clam or,
try to distance yourself.
WARDROBE WOES
Itchy sw eaters, too-tight
hosiery, pum ps th a t
pinch. An uncom fortable
ensem ble can leave you
on edge all day. So w hen
choosing an outfit, don't
focus on how it looks
until you consider how it
f e e l s .
Not comfy? Slip on
som ething else.
CHRONIC CLUTTER
It's not how m uch stu ff
you have; it's how you
store it. S tress sets in
w hen objects are hard to
find or appear disorder-
ly. Two quick m oves th a t
help: Clear tabletops and
pick up loose objects
from th e floor.
4
“
urgent
”
e
-
mails
E-mails cause m ore
stre ss for w om en th an
m en because w om en
feel g reater p ressu re to
respond im m ediately.
So try tu rn in g off your
e-m ail alerts, and check
your in-box w hen the
tim ing is right for
y o u .
G o O n lin e
For more easy ways to rein in stress,
go to BHG.com/bestyearever.
C
a m
p b e l l ' s
®
V 8 ®
s o u p s a r e
a v e lv e ty , d e l i c i o u s w a y t o
h e lp y o u r e a c h y o u r 5 d a ily
s e r v i n g s o f v e g e t a b l e s .
WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?
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