You Can Deal With Stress » Stress Management

Easing Computer Eye Strain

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:55:07 +0000

If you are someone that spends a lot of time in front of a computer screen for work or for pleasure, you may experience some strain on your eyes. There are a few things that you can do to ease this strain and save your eyes some pain. Blinking often can help keep your eyes from drying out. Blinking often can bathe your eyes in tears which are naturally therapeutic for the eyes. Follow a 20/20/20 rule when working with digital devices. This means that every 20 minutes you should spend 20 seconds look at something 20 feet away. This will allow the your eyes to rest. Ensure that you have proper lighting when working. If you are working with poor lighting it can cause eye strain. Keep a bright light overhead to a minimum and position it to shine on your desk not on you. Position your monitor in a way that reduces reflections and glare from windows and overhead lights. Optimally your computer screen should be about 4 to 5 inches below eye level and about 20 to 28 inches from the eyes. Try rearranging your workspace to accommodate your eyes you will feel a difference in how your eyes feel.

Social Relationships Needed for Survival

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:54:57 +0000

A new study suggests that having satisfying social relationships is crucial to your well-being. Seems like a no brainer really. What is interesting is that they compare it to quitting smoking as it relates to your lifespan. Regardless of sex, age, or initial health status it was found that those with stronger relationships have an increased likelihood of survival. Social relationships can buffer the negative effects of stress, illnesses and transitions and changes in life. It really makes sense when you think about orphanages in the mid 20th century where babies had a high mortality rate because of the lack of human contact. Being part of a social network can give you a meaningful role that can provide you with esteem and purpose in life. They can provide encouragement for each other’s good habit and indirectly be good models. It’s really important to have good relationships in life.

Trouble Sleeping? It Could be Stress

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:58:32 +0000

Have you found that you’re exhausted but have trouble falling sleep? Or maybe you are so over scheduled that you don’t take the time to sleep. Do you wake up in the night worried over things going on in your life? Stress could be the culprit keeping you awake. Stress can affect you in several different ways and wake you up at night or keep you from falling asleep. To get you back onto a regular sleeping pattern, you have to find a way to relax and reduce your tension. There are pharmaceutical methods, but you can find ways to reduce stress naturally by doing yoga, meditation and exercise. When you are able to reduce your stress you will be able to relax more easily and eventually get to sleep and stay asleep.

Three Natural Stress Fighters

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:47:55 +0000

Normally you look to comfort foods when you are feeling stressed like cookies, ice cream, pizza and macaroni and cheese. These foods can actually trigger ups and downs in your blood sugar levels and result in fatigue and possibly depression. There are natural ways to fight stress and give your mood a pick up. Water is essential not only for hydration but for overall well-being. You should be drinking 6-8 eight ounce glasses of water every day. Almonds not only have protein, fiber and healthy fats, but they are rich in magnesium which helps you focus and boost your energy levels. If you love chocolate then you will be happy to know that small amounts of it can lower blood pressure. It is also full of disease fighting antioxidants. It triggers the release of serotonin which is known as a “feel good” hormone. All of these are natural and practical and can be found pretty much anywhere to keep on hand when you’re feeling stressed.

Using Creativity to Relieve Stress

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:14:32 +0000

We have all heard about the typical stress relievers, exercise, relaxation and sleep, but what about creative endeavors? Maybe you’ve had a creative project in mind but haven’t gotten to it. When you’re stressed, that may be a great time to begin taking your mind off of a busy or challenging day. Gardening is also a great stress reliever. You get to enjoy being outdoors while caring for your flowers and vegetables. If you play an instrument take some time to just play some tunes and enjoy creating music. Even if you don’t consider yourself very artistic taking photos, drawing or painting is a great way to relax and and take some time for yourself. Maybe even taking on a creative endeavor that is new for you can help take away your daily stress and give you a sense of accomplishment and most of all you can have some fun.

More Sleep May Make You Smarter

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:30:01 +0000

New research adds to the fact that sleep can improve your every day performance. This is especially true for athletes. Researchers at Stanford University find that getting extra hours of sleep can help improve football player’s performances when doing drills. Even when they thought they were getting enough rest at night they showed moderate levels of daytime fatigue. Going beyond the athletic side of things a new study showed that the sleep habits of preschool children played a unique role in their development. This study surveyed children from 9 months old through kindergarten. The children who had a specific bed time rule had higher scores on language and math skills. They were small but significant differences but a very good example of the power of a god night’s sleep.

How to Have an Abundance of Energy

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:14:53 +0000

If you have ever felt like you need an energy boost but don’t want to take a pill or have an energy drink here are some tips for get and keep your energy. To start off the day eat. Instead of pancakes, waffles or donuts, have high quality carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. Oatmeal with almonds, an omelette with avocado and a side of berries are great foods to start the day with. Dress for the day and even if you don’t feel like you have the energy, fake it., Research has shown that just smiling can release endorphins and boost serotonin. If you’re in a funk that’s bringing you down, it can actually soak up your energy. Replace the slump with things that are positive and gratitude-centered. Changing up your daily routine even if they are small changes can make a difference in your energy levels. Stay hydrated throughout the day, even mild dehydration can take away your energy. Read more about ways to find and keep your energy.

A Component of Broccoli May Prevent and Treat Breast Cancer

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:55:47 +0000

Scientists at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center say they have found a compound to treat and potentially prevent breast cancer. It’s a component of broccoli and broccoli sprouts. It targets cancer stem cells, these cells are specifically responsible for fueling the growth of breast cancer tumors. Researchers tested this component, sulforaphane in animal studies. Their findings showed that sulforaphane targeted and killed cancer stem cells and prevented any new malignant tumors from growing. What’s so extraordinary about this is that chemotherapy doesn’t so anything to stop the cancer cells and cancer can return. The results of the animal tests shoed a dramatic decrease in the number of cancer stem cells after treatment with sulforaphane and there was little effect on the normal non-cancerous cells. As of now the research team is looking into a way to extract and preserve sulforaphane.

Eating High fat Foods May Worsen Asthma

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:55:41 +0000

Research from Australia has shown that those with asthma that eat high fat energy meals may not be advisable. Doing so can lead to airway inflammation and may suppress the use of a asthma medication. Studies done found that within hours of eating high fat meals subjects were showing signs of airway inflammation which was not seen when eating a low fat meal. It has also been shown that the rates of asthma have gone up in westernized countries in recent decades an health experts suggest that environmental factors play a role, like lifestyle and diet. This is an important study that may really help asthma sufferers by advising them to eat better and eat more foods that are low in fat and calories.

Take Care of Your Health, Be a Powerful Patient

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:07:13 +0000

I am sure all of us at one time or another have taken our doctor’s advice without flinching or asking questions because they are supposed to help take care of us. We all need to be aware of our bodies and really make use of our time at the doctor’s to be sure we are clear about all of the options we have and get answers to any questions we may have. Our doctor’s have access to knowledge that we may not, that’s why we go to them and pay them for their services. It’s really important not to hesitate in getting all of the facts and possible side effects and outcomes of any diagnosis. Your doctor should be asking important questions like, “what are your health care goals?”. “Do you want to live pain free?”, or have you experienced side effects from particular drugs you have been using?”. Americans pay a lot for their health care and should be very clear about what they are up against and what they can do for themselves.