I attended our bariatric support group today and we had a guest speaker talk about ways to relieve stress in under 5 minutes, including:

Relaxed Breathing. (See Exercise #2 here: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00521/three-breathing-exercises.html)

Creating.

Laughing.

Being still/meditating.

Unplugging.

Saying "No".

What are some easy ways that you relieve stress on a daily basis?

Adding: I found this website that has a list of laughing yoga ideas http://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/150-laughter-exercises/

whenever needed I turn off the lights in my little office and take a "nap" during lunch. deep breathing, classical music, no lights and feet up. I don't actually get all the way asleep, but it does wonders for hitting the reset button.

Ooooo. Great topic @@Inner Surfer Girl Can't wait to hear all of the suggestions. Hopefully they will help me avoid any more chocolate cake!! [emoji17][emoji879][emoji16]

Whisky

Just kidding....kind of. At least that's what I used to relieve stress preop.

My therapist has taught me some great little tidbits to help with both stress and sleep.

1) SLEEP I often wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I typically turn on the TV and lay there like a zombie for 2, 3, even 4 hours until it's actually time to get up. Solution....restore rhythmic breathing pattern. Lay there with eyes closed, inhale while slowly counting to 4. Then exhale while slowly counting to 6. Repeat. After just a few of these I find myself dozing off and forget to count. If I briefly regain consciousness, I keep counting and breathing. In a very short period of time I'm back sound asleep until my alarm goes off. Yeah!

2) STRESSFUL EVENTS. When I find myself getting worked up over something someone said or did, or over an event I have no control over, my therapist explained how to use the "holocaust scale". On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a minor annoyance and 10 being an unbearably horrible event like the holocaust, where exactly does my current issue fall? Take some time to put things into perspective and react accordingly.....i.e., don't give a 3 the attention and reaction of an 8.

3) STOP IT! I tend to have obsessive thoughts that cloud my mood, push me deeper into depression and leave me feeling very negative. When I find myself buried with one if these thoughts I am supposed to literally shout loudly "Stop It!" and/or physically jolt myself to put a punctuated end to that thought. Then make a conscious effort to think about positive things that make me happy.....picture being on a relaxing horseback ride, playing with my dog, skiing, lying on a beach, being with my family, whatever. But basically just STOP thinking the bad things and switch to thinking good things.

The last one has been the hardest one so far. Head games take a lot if work!

Dammit!!!

Another thread where I didn't quite get what I thought I was gonna get...

Admittedly, I'll probably now get what I deserve...

Dammit!!!

Another thread where I didn't quite get what I thought I was gonna get...

Admittedly, I'll probably now get what I deserve...

The parameter is "under 5 minutes" so maybe that applies in your case?

"@" - Good one! [emoji14]

Edited May 11, 201610 yr by KristenLe

I bought an "adult" coloring book. Not what you're thinking @@KindaFamiliar

@@Inner Surfer Girl

I was wondering what we were gonna do for the other two minutes...

@@KristenLe

Ummmmmmmmmmmm...

Nope!!!

Whisky

Just kidding....kind of. At least that's what I used to relieve stress preop.

if I am drinking whiskey on ice, my family apologizes whether they did anything wrong or not. it I am drinking it straight up they just back out of the room as quietly as possible. this has only happened on 3-4 occasions, but it's usually bad news for someone if I am drinking whiskey and not in my coffee.

Adult coloring book, great for stress relief.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

TED talks for when you need 5 minutes of peace

http://www.ted.com/playlists/263/talks_to_watch_when_you_need_f?utm_campaign=social&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=playlist&utm_term=humanities

Five Minute Breathing Meditation

http://www.mindful.org/a-five-minute-breathing-meditation/

27 Ways to Relax in Less Than Five Minutes

http://gethealthyu.com/ways-to-relax-less-than-five-minutes/

10 Ideas for Mindfulness

http://www.bupa.co.uk/Newsroom/OurViews/10-everyday-moments-for-mindfulness