Lessons from the Back Bumper…

I saw a funny bumper sticker the other day:
"What if the hokey pokey IS what it's all about"?
I chuckled and of course thought of a great wellness tip...
What better way to lift your spirits, stay in shape, tone muscles, feel youthful and be silly than to do the hokey pokey.
If not, then at least the words can inspire you, they actually carry much wisdom if you listen...

Put your right foot in ("try something you've always been curious about like learning to belly dance or taking cooking lessons")
Take your right foot out ("listen to your gut, if it feels unsettling in there-don’t do it")
Shake it all about ("shake off people/stuff/negative thoughts that bring you down by taking deep breaths and putting on a fake smile which actually works to lift your spirits")
Turn yourself around ("you can start anew or re invent yourself at any age-I learned to swim the freestyle stroke at age 40")

George Carlin said 'Cloud nine gets all the publicity, but cloud eight actually is cheaper, less crowded and has a better view.'
My kind of attitude!

Try this dramatic exercise for a better attitude, calmness and relaxation:

WRITING ABOUT WHAT BOTHERS YOU

This exercise can contribute to the prevention of illness and help you move ahead by reducing the anxiety associated with things that concern you. This is different than keeping a daily diary or journaling because no one ever reads it and you are free to express yourself fully. You can use this technique to write about things that have bothered you for years, or something that occurred yesterday. It is simple to do, and yet the effects are usually dramatic. Pick any issue of concern to write about but at first start out with some unemotional topics.

Take a sheet of paper and something to write with. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for 15 minutes.

·The only rule is that you write continuously for 15 minutes. If you run out of things to say, just repeat what you have already written. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or sentence structure.
·While writing DO NOT READ what you have already written.You can also write in letter form.
·Do not be concerned if you start crying while writing, it is common for this to happen.
·Your writing is completely confidential. When you finish writing, tear up what you have written and toss it out so that no one will ever see what you wrote.
·If you find it helpful you can write 3-4 times a week.

Modified from the original by Dr. Bruce Rabin
UPMC Healthy Lifestyles Program
Pittsburgh, PA

I have noticed that knitting is this era's answer to stress management. Women knit on my bus heading downtown, women knit at book club, women knit while they wait or watch TV. Everywhere I go someone is knitting.
Studies show that this type of "active stillness" activity can lower blood pressure and heart rate, provides a repetitive, rhythmic, calming response similar to meditation and Tai Chi.
When I have asked these knitters why they do it, they claim :
alertness
calm
focus
enjoyment
It's a good distraction that keeps you away from the fridge
I can ignore people I don't like...
Skill of the month:
Autogenics is an effective way to relax your entire body.
Try this easy technique as you transition into work or home to make a distinct dividing line between needing to DO and just BEING. After all, we are humanBEINGS, not humanDOERS.

Take a deep breath, way down into your belly. Say the word "warm" to yourself as you breathe in.
As you exhale, say the word "heavy" to yourself.
Repeat the in breath, thinking "warm"to yourself.
Pause.
Let it go and think "heavy" upon breathing out.
Feel the warmth and heaviness in your arms and legs and let this feeling spread through your whole body. Feel each muscle become heavy and warm as you become totally relaxed.

Stay in this "BEING"moment for as long as you wish...

I hope these simple yet effective stress reduction tips will help you see that you are in control of how stress affects you. I can't take away your stress, but I can help you change your perception of the things you experience and then control how these events affect your mood, health and longevity.Take full deep belly breaths often when you feel good and you can eventually use deep breaths to calm yourself when you need it. Breathe in through your nose, belly pushes out/breathe out through nose or mouth and belly comes back down.

Finding some quiet time is also good when you are becoming more aware of how you feel about and how you respond to stressors in your life.

Stressors can be people, events or even thoughts, feelings and memories.They affect you differently than they affect others, stress is personal and perspective oriented. How you respond though, will determine many things, from how those around you respond to how your body ages.

Lower heart rate, blood pressure and increase feelings of well being by doing one easy, free, thing the next two weeks:

Listen to only classical music while in your car or on headphones (try 89.3FM in Pittsburgh). This is most beneficial during commutes and for some transitional quiet time before going into the house after work. Try this for two weeks. Let me know what you think. Keep breathing!

Fabi

Test Blog

This is what I call stressful.