Stress Reduction

There are many ways in which negative stress can take its toll. Problems with relationships at home and at work, work overload, money management, unfounded fears, all create stress and lead to a loss of mental and physical wellness. Stress manifests in poor health, exaggerated bad habits, depression, and sleep loss.
Very few people operate well on less than 8 hours sleep a night. Since sleep is often the easiest stress-creating problem to remedy, actions that help provide a good night’s sleep will be emphasized. Sleeping well requires some preparation.

1. We need to eat dinner before 8 pm so that the food has time to digest, and not create indigestion and acid reflux.
2. Stick to a regular bedtime, even on the weekends. Staying up late on the weekends and trying to make it to work on time on Monday morning results in the equivalent of jet lag.
3. It makes sense not to watch shows that drive up our adrenaline before bedtime. If you love a particularly exciting show, tape it and watch it early in the next evening.
4. Develop a ritual of relaxing activities and habits for the hour before bed. Try soothing music or use a white noise generator to help relax you.
5. Practice deep breathing and relaxation techniques prior to sleep.
6. Try journal writing to help relieve anxieties, starting and ending with a positive entry.
7. If you are lying awake, try reciting the “Gratitude Alphabet .” Start with A and think of all the things that begin with A that you are grateful for, then go on to B – it’s likely that you won’t reach Z.
8. If you really cannot sleep, don’t lie awake tossing and turning. Get up and do some calming activity like reading a book (but not a murder mystery – something non-fiction).
9. If sleep has been elusive for several nights, stay up until after midnight, but get up at the same time as usual. Studies show that we get our best and deepest sleep after midnight. This will work as long as you don’t make a habit of it.
10. Avoid cigarettes and alcohol for at least 3 hours before bed, and don’t drink coffee after 2 pm.

Repeat the same rituals before going to bed to get the mind into the frame for settling down to sleep.

Source:RHPU/BAR

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