5 Stress Busters To Quickly Lower Stress

Hello Health and Lifestyle VIPs,

It’s Dr. Bernadette, your friendly informative family medicine doctor, prescribing health, healing and happiness and guiding you to your passion and purpose. Stress has a negative effect on your mind, body and spirit. But, since it is unavoidable, you must be equipped to de-stress whenever necessary. I have five simple ways to help you reduce tension. You don’t have to be afraid of “no stress” when you have these stress busters in your arsenal. Use one, two or five of these strategies to take a break and the hassle out of the moment.

5 Quick Ways To Lower Your Stress:

1. Journal––Write it out. A journal offers a safe space to inhale, exhale and let go. It is an ideal place to express your feelings and release them onto paper to subdue your frustrations. Journaling is therapeutic to free your heart of stressful pressure. Remember, a journal entry is not required to be written for publication––this is for your eyes only. Instead of keeping things bottled up, put pen to paper and write until your heart’s content.
2. Meditate––The spirit in me salutes the spirit in you. Mediation calms panic. Rather you have ten minutes or an hour, the practice of mediation helps you to center your thoughts and restore inner peace. It reduces background noise and re-establishes order. Meditation is like a changing of the guards that ushers in a fresh perspective. Do not make it complex. It can be as simple as sitting still and without judgement acknowledging your emotions. Mediation is a powerful resource to curtail stress.
3. Rest––Pause to allow the mind, body and spirit to recover. Unplug, slow things down, take a nap––give yourself a timeout. Even professional athletes have a rest day built into their training. It is necessary for the body to recuperate and maintain peak performance. Rest isn’t just for athletes, they are for you too. It helps you maintain balance, think clearer and manage stressors.
4. Laugh––A belly laugh is just what you need to lighten up a little. Laughter is a good reminder to not sweat the small––or the big––stuff. Whatever hurdles you are facing, if you can still laugh, you will clear them. When I hear the sound of my laugher, it reassures me that everything will be okay. A hearty laughter takes the edge off life and tickles the spirit.
5. Play––All work and no play, is not a fun or healthy lifestyle! Dance a little, take out the crayons, go to a movie, take a spin through the neighborhood on your bike, goof around with the kids outdoors––do not allow this “adult thing” to get in the way of playtime. Adult playtime is great way to ease the strain of our hectic lives. Here’s an idea––suggest a play break at work, it may be exactly what the office needs.

Don’t take life so seriously. Too much stress can be counterproductive and have negative effects on your health. Journal, meditate, rest, laugh and play to keep the lid on.

Thank you for visiting and sharing my blogs. Let’s connect again next week Thursday.

In Health, Healing and Happiness,

Dr. Bernadette

Bernadette Anderson, M.D., M.P.H. has devoted the past 20 years to developing, teaching and educating others on the principles of health and lifestyle transformation. Her approach is to provide simple tools to allow people to be champions of their own healing, health and happiness and transition to a life of purpose and passion. These are the same tools that helped her drop over 140 pounds! She is the founder of Faith Family Health, Inc., a speaker, a health expert for media, bestselling and international published author, has appeared on national commercials and featured in highly-recognized online magazines.Visit her at DrBernadetteMD.com.