HealthyLife Articles

Tag: relaxation

Short Trips, The Road To De-Stress

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

To mentally rejuvenate and de-stress, the obvious choice may be to take time off from work or get away from the routine at home with a vacation, but a psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham says a long vacation may not be your best bet.

“Although vacations themselves rank fairly low on the list of stressors, they combine elements like travel, sleep disruption, and food changes that can themselves be stressful,” explained Dr. Christopher Robinson, a psychology professor.

Robinson, who said research has shown that people who were about to go on vacation were happier-evidence that anticipation of a break is a mental perk-offered tips to maximize the short-term increase of happiness vacations provide:

* Take shorter trips throughout the year instead of only one long vacation.

* Sprinkle spontaneous weekend getaways into the schedule.

* Request a morning off after an evening out to extend the break.

Whether it is hiking or camping, a relaxed family game night, golf, going to the beach or getting a baby sitter and having an evening out with one’s partner or friends, Robinson encouraged fitting in regular mental health breaks.

“I find that regularly taking time to sit around a fire pit with friends helps me de-stress far better than involved vacations with tons of planning,” Robinson said. “While what’s relaxing varies from person to person, any time off that offers an escape from the everyday can help.”

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Wellness Gifts

FAMILY LIFE

Give presents that promote a healthy lifestyle. Keep health in mind when making your list and checking it twice.

Ask for or give “Gift of Time Coupons” for shoveling snow, cooking a healthy meal, cleaning the house, and doing other active household chores throughout the year.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Massage

Healthylife® Weigh

Part 5

Massage can be a form of recovery for your muscles. Massage, especially deep compression massage, can help relax tight muscles and knots that have formed between muscle layers. This can help with normal blood flow, keep your muscles flexible, and reduce pain.

A professional massage therapist or a friend can assist you with massage. Or, you can give yourself a massage.

Self-Massage

Use a foam roller, tennis ball, Thera Cane®, or muscle roller stick. These items are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased from major retailers and sporting goods stores. Or, using your fingers is free! Apply pressure to specific parts of your body. Go slowly. If you purchase a self-massage tool, follow package instructions.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Practice Relaxation Techniques

Healthylife® Weigh

Part 6

Use relaxation techniques to manage emotional eating triggers.

Learn These Four Skills to Relax

1. Relaxation Reflex: Get rid of muscle tension.

2. Mindfulness: Be fully present in the moment.

3. Deep Breathing: Feel relaxed by breathing in more oxygen.

Plan Relaxation Time

Plan 15 minutes during the day to intentionally relax. You can also do relaxation exercises as needed throughout the day. Practice these techniques before eating or to cope with an emotion that is triggering you to eat. Relaxation techniques can help reduce stress-related health problems, such as high blood pressure, headaches, and pain. These tools also help you to have greater mental and physical control and improve your response to negative emotions.

How the mind can control the body:

* It can slow brain wave patterns.

* It can reduce heart and breathing rates.

* It can increase blood flow to the limbs.

* It can relax muscles.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
4 Ways To Beat Stress – Fast

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Whether it’s work, family matters or another issue, it can be hard to relax and wind down when stress hits. Our body has a physical response when we feel stressed or upset. Most people will find that their muscles tense, their breathing gets faster, blood pressure may rise and they may even feel ill. Fortunately, there are some quick ways to help stop this physical response, which will help you feel better mentally, too. Try these simple steps to start feeling better right now:

1. Take slow, deep breaths

Deep breathing is great for the mind and body. It doesn’t take any special equipment, and you can do it anywhere. Put a hand on your belly so you can feel it rise and fall as you breathe. Then, take a slow deep breath in through your nose. Feel the belly push out as you do this. Next, slowly breathe out through your mouth, pursing your lips like you’re whistling. You should feel the belly push back in as you exhale. Repeat this at least 3 times, or more if needed. Slow, deep breathing helps calm the body’s stress response.

2. Put down the technology

It can be tempting to keep scrolling through your phone or zone out in front of the TV when you’re feeling overwhelmed or tense. But this may make your stress feel worse. Some research suggests that getting outside and enjoying nature can make you feel better mentally. If you can, take a walk outside in a natural area like a park. Or, sit under a favorite tree or in a hammock with a book or magazine.

3. Get up and move

Whether it’s walking, jogging, swimming, kickboxing or another exercise, get your body moving. Exercise releases feel-good brain chemicals and has been shown to help lower stress and anxiety. But, don’t wait until you’re stressed to exercise! Get into a daily habit to help with everyday stress before it happens.

4. Talk to someone

If you have a trusted friend or family member to turn to, call them on the phone if you can. Better yet, step outside and enjoy nature while you talk to them. If you can’t reach anyone, pick up some paper and write down your thoughts and feelings. Getting your feelings out with words can help you feel some relief.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
9 Easy Ways To Manage Stress

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Don’t let stress take over your day! Try to do one (or a few!) of these things to start feeling better:

1.Connect with friends:Meeting up with other people can help reduce symptoms of stress and increase feelings of happiness.

2.Meditation:Meditation, such as mindfulness, is a proven way to help reduce stress.

3.Deep breathing:Slow, deep breaths can calm the body’s stress response and help you relax.

4.Playing with pet:Walking the dog or petting an animal companion may calm you.

5.Yoga:Practicing yoga can help the body relax. Try doing yoga videos at home or attending a local class.

6.Listen to music:Music helps the body cope with stress. Listen to music that makes you feel happy or relaxed.

7.Read a book:Escape to another world and take your mind off the day with a favorite book.

8.Exercise:Regular exercise has many benefits, including improving your mental health and stress management.

9.Massage:A massage not only feels good, but it can help reduce stress and muscle tension.

Sources: Anxiety and Depression Association of America, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Calming Road Rage

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Often it’s frightening. Sometimes it’s deadly.

Road rage-where flaring tempers mix with two-ton machines-continues to be a problem on America’s highways. Sometimes this problem leads to accidents, assaults, and even murder. It’s a puzzling problem in part because it can happen at anytime and anywhere that roads and vehicles are involved. Yet specific statistics on how often it occurs are hard to come by.

The biggest triggers are drivers who are texting, tailgaters, left-lane hogs, slow drivers, and drivers multitasking, according to an Expedia report.

When you come across an aggressive driver, you don’t want to engage him or her, said Scott Morofsky, author of the books The Daily Breath: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time and Wellativity: In-Powering Wellness Through Communication.

Head off your own road rage or avoid the rage of others:

*Don’t turn that ignition.If you are feeling stressed and anxious before you even start your trip, then take time to calm down now, not after you are on the highway. Take that deep breath you always heard would work. You might even try counting from 1 to 10, inhaling on 1, exhaling on 2, up to 10 and back to 1 again.

*Stop right there.If you are already driving, and you feel your anger is starting to impact your judgment, pull over for a few moments. Is any problem important enough to risk lives?

*Don’t react or retaliate.You can’t control those other drivers, but you can control how you react to them. If someone is tailgating you, flipped you off, or is just infuriating you with bad driving habits, ignore them.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Direct Talk

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Learn how to listen and learn how to say what you mean. It’s the glue that can help you weather crises and other stress situations at home and at work.

How to listen

* Put aside what you are doing to show the speaker you intend to listen.

* Reserve your own opinions, thoughts, and conclusions until you’ve heard what the speaker is trying to say.

* Have an attitude of openness and respect for what your family member or coworker is saying. You may not agree, but being willing to hear what the other person says demonstrates your respect for that person.

* Listening is difficult when strong emotions are present. Just being with someone who is going through a hard time shows that you care. A gentle touch or hug can show support, when you don’t know what to say.

How to express yourself

* Say what you mean in a simple, direct way. Be specific rather than general: “I had a discouraging talk with my boss today” rather than “Oh, I had a terrible day.”

* Describe how other people’s behavior affects you without blaming or evaluating: “I really need to talk to you” rather than “You don’t ever listen to me.”

* Don’t avoid talking about something that is important to you because you are afraid of how the other person may respond. Be ready, in turn, to listen and try to understand the other person’s reaction.

* Be aware of your nonverbal communication. If people know you, they will believe what your face, tone of voice, and posture say more quickly than your words.

Source: Maria Pippidis, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Enjoy Every Moment

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

The idea of enjoying each moment may be good for your health, say scientists at NIH. Yes, but how? The idea is called mindfulness. This ancient practice is about being completely aware of what’s happening in the present.

Becoming more mindful-instead of going through life on autopilot-requires commitment and practice:

*Take some deep breaths.Breathe in through your nose to a count of 4, hold for 1 second, exhale through the mouth to a count of 5. Repeat often.

*Enjoy a stroll.Notice your breath and the sights and sounds around you. As thoughts and worries enter your mind, note them but then return to the present.

*Practice mindful eating.Be aware of taste, textures, and flavors in each bite. Listen to your body when you are hungry and full.

*Find mindfulness resources.Yoga and meditation classes, mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, and books are helpful.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Get Better Sleep Starting Tonight

SELF-CARE CORNER

After a long and exhausting day, you probably just want to get some much needed rest. And, there may be some simple things you can begin doing today to ensure you wake up feeling refreshed and energized. Try these tips to start getting the sleep your body needs:

* Don’t stay up too late. Waiting until you are overtired can make it harder to wind down. Try to go to bed when you first feel drowsy, not when you’re exhausted. Turn down those late-night activities with friends and “turn in” a little earlier.

* Skip your nap. If you are having trouble with nighttime sleep, you may be tempted to make up for it by napping during the day. Daytime naps, even short ones, can interfere with your quality of sleep at night. Try eliminating them for a few days to see if your nighttime sleep improves.

* Turn off your phone, computer and other devices. The light emitted from computer and smartphone screens can keep you awake. It can trick the body into thinking it is daytime, rather than bedtime. Allow at least one hour before bedtime as “screen-free” time. Take a bath, a relaxing walk or read a book instead.

* Don’t drink alcohol. Although a drink seems relaxing and may make you feel sleepy, it can actually make your sleep worse by waking up through the night.

* Eat dinner earlier. Eat dinner at least three hours before bed. If you’re hungry, have a light snack, such as small portion of yogurt or oatmeal, about 45 minutes before bedtime.

* Turn down the temperature. Most people sleep better if their room is between 60-67 degrees. A hot room makes it difficult for the body’s temperature to drop, which tells it to go to sleep.

If these tips don’t help, talk to your doctor about your sleep problems. Sleep is an important part of overall good health and your doctor can help you find solutions to get the rest you need.

Sources: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026