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37 Stress Management Tips

from the Experts
Stress is a fact of life, but being stressed out is not.
We don’t always have control over what happens to
us, says Allen Elkin, Ph.D., director of the Stress
Management Counseling Center in New York City,
and yet, that doesn’t mean we have to react to a
difficult, challenging situation by becoming frazzled
or feeling overwhelmed or distraught. Being overly
anxious is not just a mental hazard; it’s a physical
one too. The more stressed out we are the more
vulnerable we are to colds, flu, and a host of chronic or life-threatening illnesses. And the less
open we are to the beauty and pleasure of life. For your emotional and bodily benefit, we’ve
consulted experts and come up with 37 easy, natural alternatives to anxiety.

1. Breathe Easily
“Breathing from your diaphragm oxygenates your blood, which helps you relax almost
instantly,” says Robert Cooper, Ph.D., the San Francisco coauthor of The Power of 5 (Rodale
Press, 1996), a book of five-second and five-minute health tips. Shallow chest breathing, by
contrast, can cause your heart to beat faster and your muscles to tense up, exacerbating feelings
of stress. To breathe deeply, begin by putting your hand on your abdomen just below the navel.
Inhale slowly through your nose and watch your hand move out as your belly expands. Hold the
breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly. Repeat several times.

2. Visualize Calm
It sounds New Age-y, but at least one study, done at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, has found
that it’s highly effective in reducing stress. Dr. Cooper recommends imagining you’re in a hot
shower and a wave of relaxation is washing your stress down the drain. Gerald Epstein, M.D.,
the New York City author of Healing Visualizations (Bantam Doubleday Dell Press, 1989),
suggests the following routine: Close your eyes, take three long, slow breaths, and spend a few

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seconds picturing a relaxing scene, such as walking in a meadow, kneeling by a brook, or lying
on the beach. Focus on the details—the sights, the sounds, the smells.

3. Make Time for a Mini Self-Massage

Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School
of Medicine, recommends simply massaging the palm of one hand by making a circular motion
with the thumb of the other. Or use a massage gadget. The SelfCare catalog offers several, such
as the S-shaped Tamm unit, that allow you to massage hard-to-reach spots on your back. For a
free catalog, call 800-345-3371 or go to www.selfcare.com.

4. Try a Tonic
A study at Duke University in Durham, NC, found homeopathy effective in quelling anxiety
disorders. Look for stress formulas such as Nerve Tonic (from Hyland) or Sedalia (from Boiron)
in your health food store, or consult a licensed homeopath. To find one near you, contact the
National Center for Homeopathy, 801 North Fairfax St., Suite 306, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-
548-7790 or go to www.healthy.net.

5. Say Cheese
Smiling is a two-way mechanism. We do it when we’re relaxed and happy, but doing it can also
make us feel relaxed and happy. “Smiling transmits nerve impulses from the facial muscles to the
limbic system, a key emotional center in the brain, tilting the neurochemical balance toward
calm,” Dr. Cooper explains. Go ahead and grin. Don’t you feel better already?

Next: More stress management tips »

© 2012 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.

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