Reflections From A Chair

Good Housekeeping has an online article 6 Surprising Stress Fixes.

Here are their recommendations:

• “Strategy 1: Smooch spontaneously…’Kissing relieves stress by creating a sense of connectedness, which releases endorphins, the chemicals that counteract stress and depression.’”
• “Strategy 2: Take the cuddle cure…holding hands and hugging can measurably reduce stress.”
• “Strategy 3: Lash out less…Concentrate on the issue at hand and forget about getting even; drop the sarcasm and name-calling.”
• “Strategy 4: Put the kettle on…people who drank black tea four times a day for six weeks had lower levels of cortisol after a stressful task than those who drank a caffeinated fruit beverage. Research also shows that a substance in green tea leaves, L-Theanine, may shift brain wave activity from the beta waves that accompany anxiety to the alpha waves associated with relaxation.”
• “Strategy 5: Loosen your electronic leash…take turns with your spouse being ‘on call’ for minor emergencies, and make sure the sitter and the school have his number as well as yours. You may have to retrain the kids, too.”
• “Strategy 6: Reflect on what you value. When your frazzle level is so high you feel yourself spiraling out of control, a quick way to re-center is to remind yourself of what’s most important in your life.”

You can read the whole article here.

The authors write that these are based on research findings, but they do not provide references to the studies.