Are you feeling tired? Are you counting down the days until you take summer vacation? Are you focused on the clock at work, willing the minutes to go by as quickly as possible?
I just set my out-of-office message for the summer, and it reads "Gone Fishing." That message communicates what I intend to do for myself over the summer (so that my family, friends and clients get a better "me" in the long run).
Although I will literally be doing some fishing over the summer, I really mean for this message to express the state of mind I plan to create. It is a metaphor for how I want to feel and be over summer. The "Gone Fishing" state of mind, for me, begins with a visual image. (Use whatever image you like, if the one I am suggesting does not work for you).
When you imagine that you have "Gone Fishing," what are you doing? And, what AREN'T you doing?
- Calm
- Smiling
- Breathing slowly
- Aware of your surroundings (hearing birds chirping, seeing the calm water around you, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face)
- Experiencing distress
- Frowning
- Hyperventilating
- Focused on the nattering voice in your head
When you are "Gone Fishing," you are doing things that are out of the normal routine. You let go of what you would be doing on a regular day (being constantly connected to your phone or other technology, ruminating about work, worrying about your child) and you escape to an oasis of relaxation (whatever that might be for you).
So, to create "Gone Fishing" for you, follow these simple steps:
1) Disconnect from technology. Install an out of office message, and trust that you'll be a better "you" when you reconnect again.
2) Let go of all things restrictive. Let your hair go wild; substitute constrictive clothing for soft, comfortable items, pull out those wickedly comfortable sandals.)
3) Breathe. Watch Dr. Mehmet Oz demonstrate the proper way to do it here (you might be surprised by what he suggests).
4) Focus "out." Move your attention to the sights, sounds and sensations around you.
5) Just "be." Decide to "go with the flow"; whatever happens, just be with it.
If negative thoughts enter your mind, practice the strategy outlined in this post titled, "How to Rewire Your Brain for Success," by Geoffrey James: Shrink the negative image that accompanies the negative thought and emotion. Make the image teeny, tiny and very grainy. Repeat shrinking it, making it smaller and smaller each time.
Then, draw in a positive image and elongate, enhance and enlarge it. Make it more colorful and vibrant. Repeat this several times, making the positive image larger and more colorful. And, add some sound to it to anchor it more fully in your brain.
So where and when will you "Go Fishing" this summer?
Relaxing Protects Your Heart
Flickr:epSos.de
You've probably heard that stress can seriously up your risk of
high blood pressure, heart attacks and other heart problems. While researchers aren't sure exactly why, the research is unanimously in favor of
relaxation for your heart's sake. "There are studies to show that stress is comparable to other risk factors that we traditionally think of as major, like hypertension, poor diet and lack of exercise," Kathi Heffner, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the Rochester Center for Mind-Body Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, told Health.com.Intense, sudden periods of stress or shock, like a breakup or even winning the lottery, can trigger such a rush of adrenaline that the heart can't function properly, resulting in heart failure or heart attack-like symptoms. In the case of a breakup or death of a loved one, this has become known as
broken heart syndrome.
Flickr photo by epSos.deRelaxing Lowers Your Risk Of Catching A Cold
Flickr:anna gutermuth
Relaxing Boosts Your Memory
Flickr:Sarah DuMay
Relaxing Lowers Your Stroke Risk
Flickr:Florin Gorgan
A 2007 University of Cambridge study found that people who coped the best with stressful life events had a
24 percent lower risk of stroke. It may be partly due to the fact that people who handle stress well often are healthy in other ways, like exercising regularly and not smoking.A 2011 study examined the specific effects of
work-related stress, and found that among middle- and upper-class men, psychological stress caused about 10 percent of strokes.
Flickr photo by Florin GorganRelaxing Keeps You Safe From Depression
Flickr:Danny Nicholson
Studies have shown that chronic
stress can kill brain cells, and even prevent the creation of new ones, in the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in a healthy response to stress, according to Time.com. In 2011, a study in mice illustrated these findings and began to explain one possible way antidepressants work. The mice exposed to a stressful situation didn't want to eat, gave up during a swimming task much faster and exhibited "pleasurelessness" -- similar to human depression symptoms like loss of appetite, sadness and hopelessness.In humans, the prolonged presence of stress hormone
cortisol can reduce levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are linked to depression. Stress is also likely to exacerbate mood problems in people with a history of depression or bipolar disorder, and
could trigger relapse.
Flickr photo by Danny NicholsonRelaxing Helps You Make Better Decisions
Flickr:Daehyun Park
It's no surprise that when you're under stress, you might not always be thinking so clearly. But a 2012 study found that stress seems to actually change
how we weigh risks and rewards, and can cloud our judgment when we are faced with important decisions.Counterintuitively,
stressed-out people actually tend to focus on the positive, and may ignore the cons of the decision they're about to make, one of the study's authors, Mara Mather Ph.D., a professor of gerontology and psychology at the University of Southern California, said in a statement. That may also help explain why alcoholics crave a drink more when they're under pressure. "The compulsion to get that reward comes stronger and they're less able to resist it," Mather said.
Flickr photo by Daehyun ParkRelaxing Keeps You Slim
Flickr:fwooper
Relaxing Eases Acne
Alamy
It's a vicious cycle: You're stressed about that presentation at work, so you break out, and then you're stressed about the breakout! Researchers aren't exactly sure why, but
stress seems to up the amount of oil produced by the skin, clogging pores and causing acne, according to WebMD.Flare-ups of other skin problems,
like psoriasis, have also been linked to stress, and can be equally stressful themselves. But relaxing really helps: A 1998 study found that psoriasis plaques cleared up more quickly
in people who regularly meditated.
Relaxing Will Keep You In The Mood
Flickr:pedrosimoes7
One of the big reasons that women lose that lovin' feeling is stress, but men aren't immune either. In fact, Kinsey Institute researchers found that
stress zaps the libido of around 30 percent of men (although another 21 percent said it actually
increased their sex drive.). "Men are more likely to see sex as a stress reliever, whereas for many busy women, their husband's desire is just another demand on their time and energy," Alice Domar, Ph.D., director of the Mind/Body Center for Women's Health at Boston IVF told
Ladies Home Journal.
Flickr photo by pedrosimoes7Relaxing Could Slow Breast Cancer
Alamy
