Geezer is stressing out because he was completely unaware of National Stress Awareness Day. How stressful is that? To atone, he offers readers six ways to relieve stress:
1. Exercise: Regular
exercise leads to lower baseline heart rates, lower blood
pressure and lower stress hormone levels when at rest, all of which
makes it easier to handle stress.
2. Sleep: Shoot for six to eight
hours of sleep a night. Fewer than 5 1/2
hours is bad for your health.
3. Be Sociable: Research has shown that
being part of a social network helps us cope with many kinds of stress.
4.
Chill: Let it go. Meditation is good, and simply doing deep breathing
exercises twice a day can relieve stress.
5. Fall in Love: Love has a
relaxing effect on the parasympathetic arm of the nervous system.
That's a good thing.
6. Get Some Perspective: Reframe your
priorities, think about what really matters.
For more, including a stress-inducing sidebar on what stress
does to your body, read
more in the Los Angeles Times.