Stress and anxiety are often the most common experiences in modern life and unfortunately can be very toxic to our minds and bodies. Chronic stress is at epidemic levels across all age groups from young adults to seniors and is the main cause behind so many chronic health conditions. Work, personal relationships, children, finances, pets, almost anything can cause daily stress. When daily stress becomes chronic stress, risk of chronic disease escalates.  Luckily, there are many ways to quickly reduce stress so you can stay in balance physically and emotionally day to day.  The key is to figure out what works best for you and turn them into daily habits. The following is a list of my 12 best stress management tips that you can easily implement into your daily lifestyle.

1. Take Deep Breaths

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress. Belly breathing is a technique where you fill your belly up with air and then let it out slowly. Take a few minutes to inhale slowly and deeply through your nose and then exhale slowly through your mouth. As you blow the air out, keep your lips slightly open and blow slowly. Deep breathing sends messages to our brains to calm down and relax.

2. Meditate

If you ask an expert on how to better manage stress, the simplest answer is to meditate. Numerous studies have shown that those who meditate a greater sense of wellbeing thus lower stress levels. Meditation releases chemical in the brain that lower stress. There are many forms of meditation available; you just have to find the form that works best for you and just do it.

3. Cuddle

Cuddling, hugging, kissing, and intimate relations all relieve stress. Physical contact releases oxytocin and lowers cortisol levels, which lower blood pressure and heart rate, two symptoms of stress. Humans aren’t the only creatures who cuddle chimpanzees cuddle friends who are stressed as well. And what pet doesn’t like to be stroked by its owner.

4. Use Calming Essential Oils

Burning a scented candle or using essential oils can often help you relax when sitting at home or at work. There are specific scents that are soothing and calming such as bergamot, frankincense, geranium, lavender, neroli, orange, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, and ylang-ylang. Carry a kerchief with drops of your favorite calming scent to smell anytime you need some calm. Or soak in a bath with calming bath salts. Combine essential oils, bath salts and mediation for unplugging and getting deep relaxation. Whatever way you choose, make it a pleasure and it’s easier to make it a habit.

5. Laugh

Think about how difficult it is to feel stressed when you are laughing! One of the top ways to manage stress is to laugh regularly. Laughter relieves muscle tension and your stress response. Try watching funny movies or TV shows, or hanging out with funny friends,or reading and collecting funny comics. Turn your mind to a “comedy station” when you are in a stressful situation and look for the humor in it. As Shakespeare said, “Life is a stage and we are all players”. Look for the humor of the scene on stage and your stress will dissipate.

6. Exercise

One of the best ways to manage stress is through exercise, such as walking, jogging, tai chi, yoga, dancing, anything that gets you moving. Adding physical stress on the body through exercise helps to relieve mental stress. Regular exercise lowers the stress hormones, improves sleep quality, and can greatly build your confidence.  Choose an exercise activity you enjoy and find a partner or group to help you get out and do it regularly. Whether listening to music, being out in nature, socializing with friends, find a way to make exercise a pleasure and it’s easy to make it a habit.

7. Reduce Caffeine Intake

Limit caffeine intake to one cup or two cups at the maximum to avoid being over-exposed to stimulants that can increase anxiety. Everyone has a different caffeine tolerance, but if you notice extra anxiety or jitters then it is time to cut back on the caffeine. While coffee is healthy in moderation, it is not good in excess and is not for everyone.

8. Spend Quality Time with Loved-Ones

Social time with your family and friends is essential to getting through stressful situations. Don’t let stress isolate you because that can make it even worse. Keep in close touch with your friend network. We all receive a sense of self-worth from belonging to a group. It’s part of being Human and is core to our health and survival.

9. Avoid Procrastination

Focus on the top of your priorities and avoid procrastination. When you have a difficult task, it can be easy to avoid it, but then you can end up rushing to meet a deadline. Choose to tackle difficult things first and then reward yourself with pleasurable fun things along the way. Use a daily planner or a to-do list app to help you prioritize your time and focus on what’s important each day. Review your progress each week as ongoing overall life improvement. Also, identify when your mind is the sharpest and your energy is the highest during the course of the day to tackle your top priorities; this will make you more efficient in “getting the job done.”

10. Get Your Vitamins and Minerals

Eat well to get enough vitamins and minerals from food with dense nutrients. Then add supplements for extra support. Several supplements can help relieve stress. The most common include ashwagandha, green tea, kava, lemon balm, Omega-3 fatty acids, and valerian. Some supplements interact with medication, so it is best to consult with a doctor if you currently have a medical condition.

11. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

It’s known that people who get enough sleep have a better chance of achieving emotional well-being. The happiest people get an average of eight hours of sleep night. Be sure to not get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is necessary to not only manage stress but also to prevent risk of long-term chronic disease. So, make it a daily priority to get 7 hours of sleep.

12. Find Purpose in Daily Pleasure

Make a daily habit to choose something that gives you pleasure each day- whether getting out in Nature, listening to music, reading a book, watching a movie, working on a creative project, playing a favorite sport, cooking a special meal, connecting with friends and family. Think of choosing daily pleasure like choosing daily medicine to help control your stress and your health.

I hope you try a few of these stress management tips. Let me know your best ways to manage stress.

Enjoy and live Well with Zest.

Bev

xo

Written by Bev Hope

The post 12 Best Ways to Manage Daily Stress appeared first on Well with Zest.

Irish Influence in My Life–

Throughout my life I’ve met many people with a mix of Irish heritage in our American ethnic melting pot. When I was a child in Catholic School, many kids in my classes had an O’ name like O’Malley. When I was a young a professional working in Philadelphia, New York and Chicago, my Irish American colleagues would introduce me to their favorite Irish pubs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. All Americans are Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Later in my career, I worked with Irish colleagues on global project teams and made numerous business trips to Ireland.

Gift of the Irish

Looking back, the funny coincidence is that virtually all of my “Irish” friends and colleagues made me laugh more than most people. Laughter was just in them, turned on high. They didn’t force being funny by telling a joke, they couldn’t help it—they carried a natural sense of humor. Laughter just spilled out of them with a bubbling effervescence that made me smile and added joy to my day.

Lessons from the Irish

I have wondered if the “Irish” sense of humor comes from Nature- in their genes, or from nurture– their cultural heritage. Wherever it comes from, I am grateful for the extra dose of laughter and levity I feel whenever I’m around “Irish” folks. They’ve taught me that no matter how rough things might be, a little levity and laughter helps make you feel better so you can deal with the day to day challenges of life more easily. The Irish must have known for centuries, long before the Industrial Age and discoveries in modern science, that good laughter and good sleep are not only essential to human survival but are also necessary for thriving and living a healthy, happy life.

Laughter is Medicine

This Irish proverb “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything” reminds me that “laughter is medicine.” Laughter not only helps a single person feel better, but it’s so contagious that it can help an entire group of people feel better. And the benefit of laughter spreads and it keeps spreading. It can literally boost the immune system of an entire community.

A day full of laughter is like giving the body physical and mental exercise. You can’t help but feel happily tired and have good sleep after a daily “laughter workout” So get your daily dose of laughter, wake up well rested, smiling, and spread laughter medicine–and then do it all over again. Take a page out of the Irish Proverbs and their secret to a happy, healthy life—and live well with west!

Live Well with Zest!
Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

The post Daily Medicine: Laugh, Relax and Enjoy Life! appeared first on Well with Zest.

“One kind word can warm three winter months.” Japanese Proverb–

One of my favorite Japanese proverbs goes, “One kind word can warm three winter months.” We know kind words can have a lasting impact. But kind words can do much more—they can affect a person’s entire life without our even knowing it. The proverb should probably go, “One kind word can warm the coldest nights for an entire life”.

Kindness Matters

Kindness really matters. It is at the heart of what we need to live happier lives and to make the world a better place.  Kindness invokes positivity in one person that can spread to others like wildflowers. Philosophically, kindness is like an energy or “angel dust” that can ignite positivity and progress across the entire planet. Scientifically there are physical and mental benefits we gain from small acts of kindness.

5 Physical and Mental Benefits of Kindness

1. Ease Anxiety

Feeling anxious is something we all face from time to time. But chronic anxiety is debilitating and needs to be managed. One way to help reduce anxiety is by providing inspiration and motivation to others through intentional acts of kindness. Next time you are feeling anxious, do something nice for someone and see how your mood changes from worry to happy.

2. Illness Prevention

Inflammation is associated with a variety of chronic health problems including cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, migraines, and obesity and many more health problems. In a recent study comprised of adults between the ages of 57 and 85, volunteering equated to lower inflammation levels due to the release of oxytocin (a social bonding hormone) in the body. When we intentionally do something kind for others, such as volunteering for a charity, we are releasing chemicals that can ease inflammation in our own bodies. The power of kindness is one of the keys to living a happier and healthier life–and a more socially engaged life.

3. Longer Life

People who do not maintain a strong network of relatives and friends have a higher risk of heart disease. Kindness is key to developing and maintaining meaningful close relationships with friends, family, community and colleagues. Feeling connected to people we care about gives us purpose and is an essential ingredient to living a happy, healthy life. Being kind and staying connected helps us live longer.

4. Stress Reduction

Many of us are looking for ways to reduce stress in our fast-paced, hyperconnected, but yet more isolated lives. When we choose to do something kind, we turn off the stressful routines playing in our brains and turn on pro social routines that reduce emotional stress. Choosing kindness adds peace and calm and reduces the stress and inflammation in our bodies that makes us sick. A worthwhile goal in daily our lives is to make kindness virtually second nature in our interactions with others–in other words have kindness become a way of life for us. This will be good for our physical and mental health!

5. Kindness Spreads Wellness

When we give kindness, it spreads. It not only helps us live well with zest, it helps our circle of friends and countless other people live healthier happier lives. Spread kindness like wildflowers to improve your health and help improve lives across the whole planet.

Be Kind and Live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post Spread Kindness Like Wildflowers! appeared first on Well with Zest.

Ever since I had my first apartment, I’ve thought of house plants as friends or peaceful “roommates”. They filled an empty corner, added life to a room, accented the space with color and textures. House plants have always brought me beauty and joy and have always been an essential part of any room where I spend much time— either at home or at work.

While plants are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, they also have numerous health benefits and serve many functional purposes too. They have many surprising benefits from helping us relax, adding humidity to the air, recycling carbon dioxide and more. Here’s more:

House Plants are Nature’s Ventilators

Did you know that incorporating house plants into your home or office can help combat what is referred to as “sick building syndrome.”?  That occurs when your indoor environment releases contaminants. These bad elements enter the air from carpets, copy machines, and a wide range of other sources. If the space isn’t ventilated well, then the contaminants can add up and cause health problems. The negative impacts can be sinus irritation, skin problems, headaches, fatigue, and nausea. But fortunately, house plants are natural ventilators. Adding plants to these areas can help cleanse the interior environment, reduce toxins being released, and the significantly lessen the risk of experiencing health-related issues.

Choose the Right House Plants

Choosing the right plants is essential— the ones that bring benefits and don’t add to any stress from their maintenance. Pick plants that will thrive when they’re living indoors in your climate. Select plants that do well living in warmer temperatures and don’t require a significant amount of sunlight. Under most circumstances, tropical plants including dracaenas, evergreens, peace lilies, and philodendrons do well in indoor environments.

House Plants that Support Your Health

• Aloe Vera: soothes sunburn and minor skin wounds
• Boston Fern removes indoor airborne pollutants
• Garden Mum: purifies the air
• Lavender and Jasmine: helps induce tranquility
• Spider Plant: removes xylene and formaldehyde from the air

Wellness Benefits of House Plants

My favorite benefits from house plants, besides bringing me beauty and joy, are helping me breath better air and feel relaxed. When you add indoor plants to your home or office, you are breathing better air. This is because many plants remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air. For example, the bromeliad plant is known for eliminating over 80% of six volatile compounds during a 12-hour time frame. Another plant, the Dracaena, will remove up to 94% of acetone from the air. Plants also reduce noise while simultaneously adding comfort by increasing the humidity in the air. They help reduce our stress and improve the environment’s sense of calmness.

I’ve learned a lot about the benefits of house plants since living in my first apartment. But my instincts were right— plants are good for us.  Add plants to your indoor spaces. They will be good “roommates” and help you live live well with zest!

Live Well with Zest!

Bev xo

Written by Bev Hope

The post Benefits of Living with House Plants appeared first on Well with Zest.

Laughter is no joke! I first learned the seriousness of laughter when my late husband was dying from cancer. Friends and family brought us piles of funny movies. Whenever he was in the hospital, the nurses kept the TV in his room on the comedy channel. I remember we watched his favorite comedies “Oh God” and “Dumb and Dumber” over and over again! Laughter was good for all of us.  It helped us communicate and focus on the joy in the moment.

Looking back, our caregivers were very intentional about including humor in Paul’s cancer treatment journey. In the many years since Paul passed, I’ve learned a lot about the science-based, therapeutic benefits of humor. Humor affects the biochemistry in our bodies. It affects our mind, body and heart. Laughter is a powerful natural medicine we can give ourselves every day to live Well with Zest!

My Top 7 Reasons to Keep Laughing

I’ve gathered up what I’ve learned about laughter. Here are my top 7 reasons to keep laughing!

1. Laughter Strengthens the Immune System

Building a strong immune system is necessary whether you have a chronic illness or you’re a professional athlete in training. A hearty dose of laughter each day can do wonders for your immune system. Laughing can help prevent getting sick in the first place. This happens because laughter actually helps reduce stress hormones and inflammation in your body. Stress is a major trigger that contributes to many types of chronic illnesses. It’s great to know that you can help relieve stress and inflammation in the body with simple laughter.

2. Laughter Releases Endorphins 

Endorphins are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. They are also natural painkillers. This means that regular laughter may be able to reduce chronic pain. Releasing these types of chemicals into your body may also reduce depression. There are at least 20 different types of endorphins in your body.  The sooner you start laughing the sooner your body can release these feel-good hormones.

3. Laughter Reduces Stress

Our fast-paced culture tends to produce a lot of stress and with it anger. Whenever you’re frustrated or angry at another person, a little bit of humor can go a long way. Laughter helps diffuse a negative, tense situation. It’s hard for people to stay mad at each other when they’re laughing. Reducing anger is one of the most important mental health benefits of laughter.

4. Laughter Helps the Heart

Laughing can provide a great cardio workout. If you’re not able to do a regular workout, try laughing. Laughing increases blood flow to your heart, which can help lead to overall good health. Laughter can make your heart pump at a rate that will burn calories similar to walking at a slow pace. Laughing can also lower your blood pressure. That can help keep your heart healthy and prevent a heart attack or stroke.

5. Laughter Boosts Resilience

Humor can help us spring back from a painful situation. Humor helps us boost our psychological resilience. When we learn to laugh when we are facing a difficult situation, we strengthen our ability to master the challenges in life. When we learn to change our mental channel to the “Comedy Channel”, we learn to change our outlook and use the power of positivity to help get through the tough times in life. Laughter is like continuing education that helps us become a master at surfing through the everyday challenges of life with a smile on our face.

6. Laughter Improves Memory

Laughing can help lower cortisol levels in the brain which helps with higher recall ability and learning ability.   Scientists continue to study the link between humor and memory. So, when you are watching funny videos, you are actually working on your memory skills too.

7. Laughter Makes Life Fun

One of the most important reasons to laugh is that it’s enjoyable. It can reduce stress and make life more fun. Laughing is something that regardless of age, culture, or background is innate to all humans.  We are born with a built-in sense of humor and all we have to do is use it to live a healthy, happy life. Many people remain unaware of our innate sense of humor and of the importance of using it for health and happiness. Whether it’s with family, friends, a co-worker, or that person you just met in the grocery store line, sharing a laugh will make your life healthier and happier.

Laugh Every Day!

If an apple a day can help keep the doctor away, then laughter every day can help keep chronic disease away (or at least diminished). With so many health benefits of humor, it’s time to turn up the laughter in our lives. Get those comedy videos out. Read (and save) cartoons. Listen to humor podcasts. Go to your stand-up comedy theatre. Watch children playing in the park–and see how they spontaneously hop, skip and laugh. Look at funny pictures of animals.  Visit to the zoo and watch the funniest animals in action, just being themselves. Or hang out with your funny human friends. There are endless ways to stimulate more laughter to help relieve stress, reduce anger, boost immunity, release those wonderful endorphins that make us feel good, and strengthen our hearts and minds both physically and figuratively.

Laugh and Live Well with Zest!

Xo

Bev

Written by Bev Hope

Reviewed by Board Certified MD

The post 7 Ways Laughter Improves Your Health appeared first on Well with Zest.