iHaveNet.com
Health - 5 Instant Ways to Stress Less and Smile More | Health
Your Single Source to Current Events, News Analysis & Reviews.
  • HOME
  • WORLD
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Balkans
    • Caucasas
    • Central Asia
    • Eastern Europe
    • Europe
    • Indian Subcontinent
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • North Africa
    • Scandinavia
    • Southeast Asia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Benelux
    • Brazil
    • Canada
    • China
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Hungary
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Ireland
    • Israel
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • Mexico
    • New Zealand
    • Pakistan
    • Philippines
    • Poland
    • Russia
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • Taiwan
    • Turkey
    • United States
  • USA
    • ECONOMICS
    • EDUCATION
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • FOREIGN POLICY
    • POLITICS
    • OPINION
    • TRADE
    • Atlanta
    • Baltimore
    • Bay Area
    • Boston
    • Chicago
    • Cleveland
    • DC Area
    • Dallas
    • Denver
    • Detroit
    • Houston
    • Los Angeles
    • Miami
    • New York
    • Philadelphia
    • Phoenix
    • Pittsburgh
    • Portland
    • San Diego
    • Seattle
    • Silicon Valley
    • Saint Louis
    • Tampa
    • Twin Cities
  • BUSINESS
    • FEATURES
    • eBUSINESS
    • HUMAN RESOURCES
    • MANAGEMENT
    • MARKETING
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • STOCK MARKETS
    • Agriculture
    • Airline
    • Auto
    • Beverage
    • Biotech
    • Book
    • Broadcast
    • Cable
    • Chemical
    • Clothing
    • Construction
    • Defense
    • Durable
    • Engineering
    • Electronics
    • Firearms
    • Food
    • Gaming
    • Healthcare
    • Hospitality
    • Leisure
    • Logistics
    • Metals
    • Mining
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Newspaper
    • Nondurable
    • Oil & Gas
    • Packaging
    • Pharmaceutic
    • Plastics
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Shipping
    • Sports
    • Steelmaking
    • Textiles
    • Tobacco
    • Transportation
    • Travel
    • Utilities
  • WEALTH
    • CAREERS
    • INVESTING
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • REAL ESTATE
    • MARKETS
    • BUSINESS
  • STOCKS
    • ECONOMY
    • EMERGING MARKETS
    • STOCKS
    • FED WATCH
    • TECH STOCKS
    • BIOTECHS
    • COMMODITIES
    • MUTUAL FUNDS / ETFs
    • MERGERS / ACQUISITIONS
    • IPOs
    • 3M (MMM)
    • AT&T (T)
    • AIG (AIG)
    • Alcoa (AA)
    • Altria (MO)
    • American Express (AXP)
    • Apple (AAPL)
    • Bank of America (BAC)
    • Boeing (BA)
    • Caterpillar (CAT)
    • Chevron (CVX)
    • Cisco (CSCO)
    • Citigroup (C)
    • Coca Cola (KO)
    • Dell (DELL)
    • DuPont (DD)
    • Eastman Kodak (EK)
    • ExxonMobil (XOM)
    • FedEx (FDX)
    • General Electric (GE)
    • General Motors (GM)
    • Google (GOOG)
    • Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)
    • Home Depot (HD)
    • Honeywell (HON)
    • IBM (IBM)
    • Intel (INTC)
    • Int'l Paper (IP)
    • JP Morgan Chase (JPM)
    • J & J (JNJ)
    • McDonalds (MCD)
    • Merck (MRK)
    • Microsoft (MSFT)
    • P & G (PG)
    • United Tech (UTX)
    • Wal-Mart (WMT)
    • Walt Disney (DIS)
  • TECH
    • ADVANCED
    • FEATURES
    • INTERNET
    • INTERNET FEATURES
    • CYBERCULTURE
    • eCOMMERCE
    • mp3
    • SECURITY
    • GAMES
    • HANDHELD
    • SOFTWARE
    • PERSONAL
    • WIRELESS
  • HEALTH
    • AGING
    • ALTERNATIVE
    • AILMENTS
    • DRUGS
    • FITNESS
    • GENETICS
    • CHILDREN'S
    • MEN'S
    • WOMEN'S
  • LIFESTYLE
    • AUTOS
    • HOBBIES
    • EDUCATION
    • FAMILY
    • FASHION
    • FOOD
    • HOME DECOR
    • RELATIONSHIPS
    • PARENTING
    • PETS
    • TRAVEL
    • WOMEN
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • BOOKS
    • TELEVISION
    • MUSIC
    • THE ARTS
    • MOVIES
    • CULTURE
  • SPORTS
    • BASEBALL
    • BASKETBALL
    • COLLEGES
    • FOOTBALL
    • GOLF
    • HOCKEY
    • OLYMPICS
    • SOCCER
    • TENNIS
  • Subscribe to RSS Feeds EMAIL ALERT Subscriptions from iHaveNet.com RSS
    • RSS | Politics
    • RSS | Recipes
    • RSS | NFL Football
    • RSS | Movie Reviews

5 Instant Ways to Stress Less and Smile More
Catherine Ryan

HOME > HEALTH

 

You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can learn to deal with it in a healthy way. And since stress is associated with all sorts of negative health effects like high blood pressure and a weakened immune system, taking a few minutes a day to fight stress keeps you not only happy and smiling, but healthy too.  

“Daily hassles and annoyances can get to anyone, but small changes make a big difference,” explains Judy Saltzberg, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania’s Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program. Here’s how to keep smiling:

1. Take it outside.

“The first intervention I advise is physical activity,” says Saltzberg. Even if you don’t have time for a full workout, you can still boost your happiness. A study from the University of Essex found that just five minutes of walking, biking or even gardening outdoors can lift your mood and improve self-esteem.

Health bonus: Aside from melting away stress, you’ll melt calories too!

2. Find time for tea.

Sipping a few cups of tea may make you more resilient to stress, according to research from the University College of London. Study participants who drank four cups of black tea a day had less of the stress hormone cortisol in their body after completing a challenging task than did those who didn’t drink tea.

Health bonus: Tea’s antioxidants may ward off some cancers, improve heart health and decrease risk of stroke.

3. Pop a piece of gum.

Under pressure? Chewing gum could help, say experts at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. Researchers found that people who chewed while multitasking reported feeling less anxious and less stressed than their gum-free peers. They also felt more alert and performed twice as well on stressful tasks.

Health bonus: Chewing sugarless gum after meals will not only reduce stress, but it can also help fight bacteria that cause cavities.

4. Indulge in dark chocolate.

Dessert probably puts a smile on your face already, but now there’s proof of chocolate’s joy-boosting benefits. German researchers found that people who ate 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate a day for two weeks had significantly lower levels of anxiety- and stress-related hormones in their system.

Health bonus: Dark chocolate may also contribute to lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack by 39 percent, suggests a study in the European Heart Journal.

5. Stop and smell the flowers.

Sniff your way to serenity and fight off sickness by keeping a bouquet of roses on your desk, wearing citrus-scented lotion or getting a whiff of cinnamon. Stress can wreak havoc on your immune system, but Japanese scientists found that when people inhaled a scent compound common in flowers, herbs and spices, their systems kept functioning normally in spite of the stress.

Health bonus: Smelling lavender before bed can help you sleep better, according to a study in Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery.

6. Flip your perspective.

Focusing on the positive in a stressful situation can help keep you smiling, says Saltzberg. Instead of stewing on a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam, for example, think of it as an opportunity to call an old friend. “Tuning into your thinking and challenging doomsday thoughts can put a situation in perspective,” says Saltzberg. And that defuses the tension.

Health bonus: A glass-half-full approach has been linked to faster recovery from injury and illness, according to research in the Journal of Personality.

After a few weeks of practicing these techniques, you’ll not only feel happier, but you can rest easy knowing you’re healthier too -- which is one less thing for you to stress about!

 

Available at Amazon.com:

No More Digestive Problems

 

  • Health Threat of Nitrates: Nitrites in Cured Meats
  • Stop Dry Mouth Now
  • Best Ways to Keep Your Teeth
  • 5 Instant Ways to Stress Less and Smile More
  • Be Suntan Savvy
  • 4 Ways to Sneak in Sunblock
  • Can Aspirin Do That, Too?
  • A Natural Approach to Sweet Slumber
  • Boost Your Brainpower
  • Seeds of Life: Chia, Flax, Hemp and Pumpkin
  • Microgreens Become Macro Trend to Follow
  • Eat Your Way to a Healthy Smile
  • Why and How to Get More Vitamin D
  • Better Alternatives to Silver Fillings
  • 5 Beach Safety Tips
  • Is It Better to Stop Smoking Abruptly or Gradually?
  • Brain Scan Alone Cannot Predict Likelihood of Dementia
  • Is Sunscreen Dangerous? 4 Sun Protection Dos And Don'ts
  • Low Platelet Count Not Necessarily Reason to Postpone Surgery
  • Could Swimming in Cool Water Cause a Heart Attack?
  • Bringing Psoriasis Under Control
  • Best Summer Foods for Sensitive Stomachs
  • Fight the Common Mold Allergy
  • Omega-3 Foods Don't Always Add Up
  • First Aid for Summer
  • Get the Best Tan Without the Burn
  • Is Agave Nectar Better for You than Ordinary Sugar?
  • Loving Legumes for all the Right Reasons: Health, Flavor and Value
  • Radishes, Spring's Favorite Vegetable
  • The Microscopic World of Food Nanotechnology
  • Ultraviolet Light Offers Benefits for Some Skin Conditions
  • Secondhand Smoke A Serious Public and Personal Health Problem
  • What to do About Excessive Belching and Feeling Full?
  • Chest Pain: A Heart Attack or Something Else?
  • Screening Plays Key Role in Detecting Polyps Before They Become Cancerous
  • Streamline Your Daily Life
  • Learn How to Read Supplement Labels
  • What Parents Can Do to Keep Kids From Snacking Their Way to Obesity
  • Though No Cure for POTS, Symptoms Can Often Be Effectively Managed
  • Chicken Tortilla Wraps
  • Compression-Only CPR Can Replace Conventional CPR in Many Circumstances
  • Diabetes: Could You Have Diabetes and Not Know It
  • Fighting Inflammation with Food
  • Have a Healthy Vacation
  • Cortisone Injections Unlikely to Have Negative Affect on Bones
  • Bad Health Habits Rob Years From Life Span
  • Beating Back Pandemics is a Cooperative Crusade
  • The Importance of Decreasing Dietary Sodium
  • Indoor Tanning Definitively Linked to Deadliest Skin Cancer
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Takes Your Breath Away
  • 7 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease
  • Hypotension or Stiff Arteries May Cause Low Diastolic Blood Pressure
  • Is It OK to Travel to a High Altitude With High Blood Pressure?
  • Existing Drugs to Treat Herpes Are Very Effective
  • Dry Mouth Can Be a Serious Problem
  • 6 Simple Ways to Improve Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
  • All About Gout: Old Disease Becoming More Common
  • Frequent Monitoring Critical to Effectively Manage Scleroderma
  • Sick Day TLC
  • When to Call the Doctor
  • Chocolate Reduces Inflammation Associated with Heart Disease
  • Healthy Eating Tips for a Busy Lifestyle
  • Olive Oil and Health
  • Push for Healthier Diets Means Big Changes for the Food Industry
  • How to Identify Suicide Risk Before It's Too Late
  • Tips for Natural Allergy Relief
  • Inflammation May Play Role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Bouncing Back After Being Sick
  • Longevity Revolution Will Restructure Life Around the World
  • Maximum Fitness: CrossFit Training
  • Tests to Optimize Treatment of Breast Cancer
  • Insulin: Hormone That Regulates Blood Sugar Now May Save Your Brain
  • Enjoy the Health Benefits of Tea
  • Can Your Toothbrush Make You Sick?
  • Sunscreen Facts You Need to Know
  • Fight Inflammation With the Right Diet
  • When does Knee Replacement Surgery Make Sense
  • Asthma and Allergies Can Run in Families
  • Is Hefty the New Healthy?
  • Nicotine Patch May Offer Some Benefit to Ulcerative Colitis
  • Best Way to Take Heartburn Medication
  • Salivary Gland Stones Rare But Not Unheard of in Children
  • Fight Dry Skin and Win
  • Aerobics Without Heartburn
  • How Much Vitamin D is Enough
  • Are Carbonated Drinks Bad for Bones?
  • Common Myths and Misconceptions About Diabetes
  • Vitamin E Supplements Not Recommended for Those With Diabetes
  • Tick-Borne Disease Risk Peaks in Spring and Summer
  • Are Carbonated Drinks Bad for Bones?
  • Meibomitis Creates Receptive Environment for Bacteria
  • Top 4 Seasonal Allergy Mistakes
  • Stress Less: Ten Strategies That Work
  • Paralyzed Limbs Revived by Hacking Into Nerves
  • The Threat of Childhood Obesity
  • Nature's Gym: Exercising Outdoors
  • Eat Smart for Healthy Hair
  • Paying the High Price of Food Waste
  • Can Acid Reflux Damage my Esophagus
  • Secrets to Breathing Better With Allergies
  • Take the Work Out of Workout
  • Bounce Back From Spring Break
  • Cultivate a Nutrient-Rich Approach to Eating for Life
  • What's the Right Amount of Vitamin C
  • Treadmill Test Can Reveal Hidden Problems in Heart
  • Suffering From Allergies? Tailor Treatment to Your Symptoms
  • Researchers Break Through to Unconscious Patients
  • Key Factors Related to Heart Attack Risk
  • Type 2 Diabetes Increases Risk for Cardiovascular Problems
  • Middle-Age Spread and How to Avoid It
  • Fiber and Weight Loss: Learn the Secrets
  • Treadmill Test Can Reveal Hidden Problems in Heart
  • Could Hot Flashes Only Occur at Night?
  • Hypochondria: The Impossible Illness
  • Get the Lead Out: The Less Exposure to This Toxic Metal the Better
  • Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sugar
  • Omega-3 Rich Diet
  • Omega-3 Enriched Eggs an 'Eggs-traordinary' Choice for Heart Health
  • Quinoa: Nutritious Mother Grain of the Incas
  • 14 Things You Might Not Know About Aspirin
  • Cultivate a Healthy Brain Lifestyle As You Age
  • Regular Exercise Helps Protect Aging Brains
  • Surgeries Can be Combined But May Not be Necessary
  • Get the Lead Out: The Less Exposure to This Toxic Metal the Better
  • Hypochondria: The Impossible Illness
  • Guide to Cold and Allergy Symptoms
  • Is Heartburn Surgery the Answer?
  • Best Cooking Methods for Heartburn Sufferers
  • 14 Things You Might Not Know About Aspirin

 

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

 

Brought to you by Head & Shoulders

This independent editorial program is bought to you by Head & Shoulders

Search Powered By Google

Google Search   

advertisement

Advertisement

Healthcare Jobs

Healthcare Jobs

Medical Jobs

Advertisement

Advertisement

  • HOME
  • WORLD
  • USA
  • BUSINESS
  • WEALTH
  • STOCKS
  • TECH
  • HEALTH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • SPORTS

 

Health - 5 Instant Ways to Stress Less and Smile More

  • Services:
  • RSS Feeds
  • Shopping
  • Email Alerts
  • Site Map
  • Privacy