8 steps to stress-proof your day

1. REINTERPRET A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE:
-Say you leave your head-phones in the car when you go to the gym. Interpret the return trip to the car not as an irritant but as a chance to warm up before you even climb on the treadmill.

2. GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE:
-Doing something nice for others can make you happier and calmer

3. JOT DOWN ATTAINABLE GOALS:
-For the week, aim to achieve one thing everyday. This is a great way to track what's going right.

4. BUILD SOCIAL SUPPORT:
-Brain scans show that the same circuitry fires up when we feel emotional pain as when we feel physical pain. But that circuitry is slower to react in those with greater social support in their daily lives.

5. NOTICE AT LEAST ONE GOOD THING:
-You experience each day. then make it "real" by telling someone about it or writing it down. The even can be as small as getting out of bed on time.

6. MEDITATE:
-Meditation can actually alter our brains, increasing gray matter in regions associated with emotion regulation and dampening activity in the fear-responsive amygdala.

7.GET ENOUGH SLEEP:
-Sleep deprivation is one of the greatest angst inducers-it causes stress hormones to soar and spark other imbalances.

8. EXERCISE REGULARLY:
-Exercise works as a mild or good reducer. One hundred and fifty minutes of moderate exercise a week is linked with both reduced stress levels and increased growth of new brain cells.




References:

1. Kabat-Zinn J. Full catastrophe living: using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness. New York: Delacorte; 1990;
2. Speca M, Carlson LE, Goodey E, Angen M. A randomized, wait-list controlled clinical trial: the effect of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients. Psychosom Med. 2000;62:613–622
3. Teasdale JD, Segal ZV, Williams JMG, Ridgeway VA, Soulsby JM, Lau MA. Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000;68:615–623