5 Ways to Stop Suffering from Financial Stress

In addition to life’s regular anxieties, many of us are also experiencing financial anxiety for the first time right now. Whether it’s because of election season, the weather, or future uncertainty, many of us are worried about money.  Luckily, there are some very simple ways to combat financial worries. Tackling this often means a change of mindset—and financial anxiety is no different. Here are five ways to cure your financial stressors. The Thief of Joy  Always remember that comparison is the thief of joy. It’s really easy to look at Instagram and think that someone else has more money than you—and by extension, a better, cooler life—because they’re on a nice beach vacation while you’re tied to the computer or because they bought an expensive pair of shoes during lockdown while you were budgeting. But remember that you can’t tell someone else’s financial situation by social media, nor should you care. Focus on yourself and stop comparing. Once you put down the phone, you’ll feel almost instantly better. Take the Wheel Anxiety often comes from feeling out of control or lost. The best way to manage those feelings is to be proactive and take action. First, pinpoint what it is that you’re worried about. Is it planning for retirement? Trying to navigate life insurance? Then do your research. Take a class online or attend a virtual lesson on the subject. Once you’re armed with knowledge, you’ll feel more in control and better equipped to address your specific anxiety.  Reality Check Sometimes we suffer more in our imaginations than we do in reality. Take a second to think about the worst-case scenario. What will happen if your paycheck is short this month? Will your family and friends be able to help? Will you be okay? Can you always find another job? The answer to all of those is yes. Don’t let your mind spiral to the point where there’s a disconnect between your fears and what might realistically happen. Also remember to deal with issues if and when they come. There’s no use in whipping yourself up over “what if” questions. Save the real worrying for when a problem actually arises.  Small Bites Don’t try to tackle all of your financial anxieties at once. If you’re anxious about a number of things, pick one to address first. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you’re anxious about, say, how much you’ve been spending on groceries, whether you’ll be laid off, and if your company is doing alright financially. Choose the stressor that’s easiest to manage first. Once you’ve gotten one anxiety under control, you’ll feel better to move on to the others. If you try to address them all at once, you’ll only end up feeling more overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin. And remember, not everything has to be dealt with right away. It’s okay to take time. Ask for Help This doesn’t have to mean spending more money on a therapist. Rather, use the tools already available to you, whether that’s technology or other people. Perhaps you ask your partner to hold you accountable by taking inventory of how much you spend each week, or you use a budgeting app to help you stay organized. It’s okay to seek out assistance. Sometimes anxieties worsen when we feel like we’re dealing with them alone. Even just talking to a friend about your anxieties can put your mind at ease.  Everyone deals with financial anxiety at some point. Remember that your anxieties aren’t unique and that there are resources out there to help cure them. Sometimes this is your own mind! Other times, it’s useful to use an app. Find whatever it is that works for you; it might even be a mix of things. Remember that a little of these feelings are good. It keeps us from overspending and impulse buying. You just don’t want your financial fears to get the best of you.

Why Making Yourself a Priority Is the Secret to a More Joyful Holiday Season

By Kelly Cunningham, a licensed psychotherapist and health coach (Duke Integrative Medicine and Nutritious Life Certified) Each December, do you catch yourself saying, I’m going to be more organized and less stressed next year?  Well, this year is that year, my friends. Because this year you have these tips to help you tackle the five most common stressors of the season before they creep up on you, so you can thrive during the holidays, not just survive them.   Take control of your schedule.  “I just can’t seem to get it all done” echoes from house to house this time of year. But ‘tis the season for being in charge of your own schedule. Take a look at all your invitations from now until January 1 and empower yourself to say no to the ones that are the least important or bring you the least joy. Overcommitting your time will exhaust you.  Eat balanced meals. Some of the best parts of the holidays are centered around food. Depending on where you are in your health journey, this can bring on added stress. The trick is to be intentional and balanced about your food choices. Combine your meals with healthy carbs, fats, and proteins, and if you suspect a gathering will be light on fruits and vegetables, offer to bring them yourself. Also, important? Be careful about “saving” your calories for the party, as this can backfire and lead to overeating. Planning in advance goes a long way! RELATED: 3 Ways to Stop Emotional Eating This Holiday Season Keep conversations conflict-free. This time of year is filled with family we don’t usually see, friends of friends we don’t know well, and co-workers we wouldn’t normally socialize with. Accept that some of this will be awkward or uncomfortable, but don’t expect the worst, either. This influences your mood and behavior before the event even happens—you want to walk into every room with an open mind.   But if you do get into a bind, remind yourself that the holidays are not the time to unpack issues from your childhood or to get into heated debates that will make you feel angry. If conversations are heading in a negative direction, gently reroute the conversation or excuse yourself to catch your breath. Schedule some time for yourself. Remember your calendar with all that non-negotiable time? Add some solo time to your schedule, too. Feeling your best requires giving yourself some attention, and that means workouts for more energy and meditation to reduce stress.  Try scheduling your self-care practices and workouts in the morning, when life is less likely to interfere with them. “Doing something for yourself right from the start of your day and then having it carry through for the rest––whether you’re at work or on vacation––it makes you feel better about yourself right from the start,” as trainer Christi Marraccini told us in Morning vs. Evening Workouts: Which Is Best for You? Prioritize your mental health. The holidays aren’t always a Hallmark movie, are they? For many, they’re a reminder of lost loved ones, family feuds, and tight budgets. But you’re not alone. If you’re feeling down rather than jolly, reach out to those you love, even if you feel like isolating yourself. Surround yourself with those who will make you smile and skip the events that might bring you down. This is also an important time to keep up with therapy or support group care. Ultimately, the key to enjoying the holidays is to be aware of—and honor—your needs. Too often we get caught up with our to-do lists and hectic schedules that we fail to take care of our mental and physical health. That stops this year—consider it a very, very late New Year’s resolution. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The Performance-Boosting Power of Positive Self-Talk

Positive self-talk isn’t just an athlete’s secret weapon. Decades of research shows that positive self-talk boosts performance, builds mental toughness, and regulates emotions whenever you take on a challenging task. Can we use our thoughts in a high-stakes moment to better our performance? For this, we can turn to the sports psychology field for some coaching. What does science say about positive self-talk? I’m not an athlete, but I’ve always admired athletes for their total focus and ability to perform under pressure. When Stephen Curry makes his game-deciding free throws, I imagine time slows down for him and everything extraneous is filtered out. But I also wonder—is there anything else going through his head in that moment? Does he say something to himself to make the magic happen? Maybe he does! It turns out that positive self-talk is an athlete’s secret weapon. A 2020 study of three 800-meter runners found that using self-talk consistently made them run faster and feel mentally tougher. They didn’t necessarily think their speed was any different, but their performances spoke for themselves. How to Make Positive Self-Talk Work for You Positive self-talk is exactly what it sounds like—you literally talk to yourself in a motivating, encouraging, and confidence-boosting way. You might even add some coaching instructions. (Think Mohammed Ali and “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!”) Now, whether you’re an athlete or not, you can try this method for yourself next time you’re about to make a tie-breaking serve or give a career-changing presentation. Here’s how to put positive self-talk to work for you. 1. Start early. Positive effects are especially strong when you’re a novice. Gigi Fernandez is a retired and celebrated tennis player with seventeen Grand Slam doubles titles and two Olympic gold medals. Earlier in her career, she and her coach came up with computerized self-talk exercises to help her redirect her negative self-talk. This helped her to stay focused and relaxed on the court. But you don’t need to be a Tennis Hall of Famer to use this performance booster. In fact, a big review of a few dozen self-talk sports studies found that this method was more consistently effective for novice and youth athletes than for competition-level athletes. It’s not that positive self-talk harmed elite athletes, it just didn’t show benefit as often. 2. When the task is simple, keep the self-talk simple: just tell yourself you can do it. Don’t worry, your motivational self-talk doesn’t have to be as eloquent as the speech Coach Herb Brooks (played by Kurt Russell) gives to the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team in the 2004 film Miracle. Just keep it simple. Especially if what you’re about to do is a straightforward action with lots of muscle memory behind it, like running a 100-meter dash or throwing a dart. You just have to hype yourself up a bit. In fact, one of the original self-talk experiments simply told people to tell themselves either, “you can do it” or, “you can’t do it” before throwing darts. You can guess which type of self-talk put the darts closer to the bullseye! Why does this work? These simple, motivational self-talk phrases slightly increase your heart rate, but otherwise reduce sudden changes in your heart rate. This is basically keying up your body for performance while keeping you steady—exactly what you need for a boost. 3. When the task is complex or new, talk yourself through what to do. Sometimes, it’s helpful to get more specific than, “you can do it.” If you’re doing a complex task or something you’ve never done before, talk yourself through the steps as if you’re your own instructional video. In one study, novice golfers who gave themselves instructional self-talk ended up with superior putting technique compared to when they tried to hype themselves up with motivation. This could be due to their self-talk cueing up a brain activity pattern associated with top-down control, which you need when learning something new or doing something complicated. 4. Don’t just wait for your inner voice to start talking—do it actively. NFL players have been caught using self-talk on the field. One thing you’ll notice about the way they do it is how deliberate they are. They don’t just react when something goes well or gets messed up. Instead, they’re giving themselves pep talks while warming up, on the bench, or when they’re about to start a down. There’s a good reason for this. In stressful situations, like when something makes them anxious or angry, athletes’ spontaneous self-talk tends to be negative. On the other hand, if they’re not waiting for their own automatic reactions, but rather, proactively using self-talk, the message tends to be more positive and motivating. So don’t wait for your inner voice to come up with encouragement. Feed it to yourself before your big moment on stage, on the field, or in the conference room. 5. Talk to yourself in the third person for better emotion regulation. This one is my favorite. Although I’m not an athlete, I’m definitely someone who talks out loud to herself in the third person. This can sound silly, but psychological science supports this practice! A brain imaging study showed that when you think about a bad memory or see something aversive, talking to yourself in the third person activates your self-control brain areas less than if you talk in the first person. This means that you need to use less self-control to regulate emotions when you say, “Hey Jade, it’s OK. You’ve got this,” compared to, “I’ve got this.” This effect might happen because third person self-talk creates a slight illusion that you’re talking to someone else, which provides enough psychological distance to make emotion regulation easier. And when it comes to emotion regulation in high-stakes situations, any help we can get is a good thing. A version of this article was originally published on Quick and Dirty Tips. Learn More About the Fascinating Link Between Nutrition and Brain Health Improving your cognitive and

How to Reset Your Health Routine This Fall

You’ve heard September called the “new January,” right?

How to Calm Your Mind at Night

Tell us if this sounds familiar. You’re exhausted and can’t wait to get into your cozy bed, yet the moment you try to settle in, your mind starts to go over all the things you didn’t get to that day. Or, you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the following day. The next thing you know, it’s been two hours and you’re still awake.  Our busy brains can be one of the biggest sleep saboteurs. These unprecedented times are adding heightened anxieties that can exacerbate the issue. To make matters worse, researchers at the University of California Berkeley have found that a sleepless night can trigger anxiety up to 30% versus a full night’s sleep which can calm emotions. This leaves us with a tricky conundrum. We need sleep to keep our anxiety at bay, yet our anxiety is keeping us up. So, what do we do?  We talked to leading sleep experts to get their top tricks to calm our minds at night.  HOW TO CALM YOUR MIND AT NIGHT Create a Nightly Bedtime Ritual  You all know we love a bedtime routine, so it bears repeating. Just like you would do for a child, you want to go back to basics and set up your own nighttime rituals.  “Do the same things before bed so your brain knows it has to start preparing for sleep,” says Colin House, Intellibed’s sleep expert.   Some things to add to your routine could include: Turn off all your screens at least 30 minutes before bed and dim the lights Read  Meditate Journal to get out all the looming to-dos populating your brain  All of the experts we spoke to said we should go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time each day. “Our bodies need routine in order to sync our circadian rhythms. Create and maintain a bedtime routine,” says Lauri Leadley, CCSH, RPSGT, co-founder of Valley Sleep Center. She also recommends you start your day off with an alarm that is gentle and soothing, not a sound that creates tension.  Check out how NL founder Keri Glassman sets herself up for sleep success here!  Try Progressive Relaxation Dr. Thanuja Hamilton recommends progressive relaxation for those middle-of-the-night wake-ups. The process involves actively relaxing each body part from head to toe by tensing it up and then relaxing while breathing out. “You end up taking your body to an even more relaxed state than it was at rest,” explains Dr. Hamilton, who is medical director at Jefferson University Hospital Sleep Lab. “The hope is that you can distract yourself while relaxing. The goal is that you fall back asleep before getting to your toes.” Avoid the Temptation to Reach for Your Phone Limiting exposure to blue light will help your body fall asleep naturally. “Before bed, download your favorite meditation (we recommend MindTravel meditations) and add them to your Amazon playlist,” says Murray Hidary, the mastermind behind MindTravel. “This way, all you have to do is say, ‘Alexa, play MindTravel Sleep’ and you’ll be able to relax without picking up your gadget.” Focus on Your Breath Meditation is a great way to help calm your mind. But, if you have a partner, you may not want to play a guided meditation and wake them up. Hidary recommends a simple box breath technique that you can do in silence. You breathe in for four counts, hold it for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold for four counts, etc. “Meditation is simply bringing your focus to the present moment,” he says. “Any time your brain wants to put its attention on the sleep you’re not getting, the things you forgot to do today, or worse … work, put your focus back on your breath.” If you really need that guidance, headphones can help. “You can also utilize imagery by imagining yourself somewhere you love, like a beach,” says Leadley. “Sync your breath with the sound of the ocean waves. See, hear, and smell all the things around you in this beautiful, calming place. This will help detour your thoughts and worries so that you can relax and drift off to sleep.” If after 15 minutes you’re still awake, Leadley suggests that you get out of bed and read under a dim light until you feel sleepy, and then return to bed.  Don’t Beat Yourself Up About Not Sleeping Obsessing about the fact that you aren’t sleeping can further your inability to fall back asleep.  Studies have shown that it’s not the total of uninterrupted sleep that makes a difference, but rather the aggregate total,” says Hidary. “So, if you find yourself in a pattern of waking up in the middle of the night and needing to nap in the middle of the day, give yourself the rest that your body—and your brain—needs.” Have Sex Yup, you read that right. More than one of our experts recommended having sex before  going to bed. The hormones that are released when you climax boost oxytocin (the hormone that makes you feel closer to your partner) and lowers your cortisol (stress-related hormone) levels.  So, you’ll be feeling happy and relaxed, which are two great helpers in igniting sound sleep. (photo credit: Shutterstock)

Should You Be Worried About Your Worrying?

We have good reason to feel a little more worried than ever before. It’s been over eight months since COVID-19 hit, and while researchers are working non-stop to find a vaccine, there isn’t a solution yet. Plus, with the weather turning cold and flu season rapidly approaching, people are worrying about spikes in the virus, schools closing, and more downsizing at work.  A COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago found that Americans are the unhappiest they’ve been in 50 years. Sigh. Only 14 percent claimed to feel very happy, and 50 percent said they feel extremely isolated.   “Worry is an evolutionary adaptation to help us know when there is danger to avoid and problems to solve,” explains Gail Saltz, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell School of Medicine, and host of the “Personology” podcast from iHeartRadio. “But, for many people, worry takes on a life of its own, our sympathetic system (flight or fight) goes into overdrive, and we are constantly pinged by danger signals.” Temporary anxiety can sometimes be a healthy response (like always putting on sunscreen, looking both ways before crossing the road, or making sure to do your self-breast exam each month), but persistent worrying can lead to harmful mental health and anxiety disorders. If you feel worry is bubbling up, Saltz says the key is to identify the danger/issue, problem solve around that danger, and then remind yourself that this is just a moment of anxiety and let it float away. “The ability to tell yourself that any continued anxiety is just that…pure anxiety, can be extremely helpful in the moment,” she says. However, some people can’t just let the worry float away.  Instead, Saltz says that many clients continuously ask, “but what if…” much of the day, every day. Constant worrying can keep people up at night, make them feel jittery, and can even bring on nausea, sweating or shortness of breath. “If you feel physically nervous, can’t concentrate, have interrupted sleep, and basically find that your anxiety is disrupting your ability to function, then this most certainly sounds like an anxiety disorder,” Saltz continues.  While this may bring on more anxious feelings, the good news is anxiety disorders are highly treatable with therapy (plus or minus medication, depending on your doctor’s recommendation).  If you are feeling worried (about anything arising in your life), here are four things you can do to ease that tension.  4 Ways to Cope With Worrying Stay Connected Relationships are important for our mental wellbeing. Feelings of isolation can result in higher stress and research has shown that loneliness may have negative long-term effects on our health. Plan a (socially distant) meetup or a phone date with a friend. Or, stay connected by supporting others—help a neighbor, volunteer in your community or look in on an elderly relative that may also need some companionship at this time.  Break a Sweat Our physical health is directly linked to how we feel. While experiencing sadness, worry, or stress, working out may be the last thing on our mind, but it has been proven to help ease depression and anxiety.  Not only does it help you redirect your attention in that moment—you’re also boosting your endorphins and doing something great for your body. Take a walk, ride a bike, dance in your living room—even 10-minutes will make a big difference.  Make a Worry List Journaling has been found to help people improve mental health and grasp emotions. Studies have shown that writing down your worries can help you track and identify triggers, combat negative self-talk and refocus your thoughts.  Bonus! It helps to improve your memory…and who doesn’t want that? Tomorrow morning, write a list of all the things worrying you (big and small) to get them out. Free write as often as you need as a form of release. Seek Professional Help If you feel that your worrying may be a little more than usual or you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, it may be time for you to reach out to a professional. There is no shame in asking for help. There are many free resources online and hotlines to call like NAMI, Mental Health America, and SAMHSA.  

Is the News Making You Feel Unmotivated?

Ask Keri: The news cycle has me feeling really low and unmotivated. What are some ways to stay focused on my health and wellness?   Keri Says:  Most of us have been spending more time at home lately than we’re used to, and as a result, we’re watching and reading the news more frequently – a news cycle which is flooded with stories about the pandemic. Yes, many of these stories are uplifting, and there’s no shortage of inspirational talk on social media about utilizing this time to try new things. “Read a new book,” they say. “Start a side hustle,” or “Pick up a new hobby or two.” Sure, that all sounds wonderful, but, if all you feel like doing is throwing on your sweats and binging on Netflix, I get it and I don’t blame you. With constant reminders that our world is anything but “normal” right now, we’re all in the middle of an emotional roller coaster, and most of us could use a little extra motivation during these strange times. With the entire world in a state of uncertainty, you may  not always feel like focusing on health and wellness all the time. Or, at all. And it’s absolutely okay to feel that way. Just don’t STAY there. RELATED: Why Cultivating Self-Worth Leads to Healthier Choices (and How to Do It) Prioritizing your wellbeing is more important right now than ever, and may be the very thing that can help you out of your funk. So, while it’s okay to give yourself a break now and then, it’s important not to lose sight of your health and wellness goals for too long.  When the world throws challenges at us, it’s easy to lose focus on what matters most. I challenge you not to give up, and hang in there. Here are some of the  tricks I use to  stay motivated and make healthy habits last.  1. Write Down Your Goals. It’s time to put some pen to paper and get clear on your health and wellness goals. Writing down realistic goals, along with why you want to achieve them in the first place is the first step in making any healthy habits last. You know you want to eat healthier, but what’s the deeper reason? Maybe you want to have more energy, set a positive example for your kids, or feel happier. Whatever your reasons are, writing them down ensures you won’t forget why you started in the first place. When you feel unmotivated (because we all do, sometimes) coming back to your “why” will help you stick to your goals no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way. But, just writing down general goals isn’t enough. They have to be specific and realistic goals that you can actually measure. Exercising more is a great general goal to aim for, but how will you know when you’ve achieved it? What does “exercising more” mean to you? . Instead of just aiming to exercise more, you should set a more specific goal, such as walking for 30 minutes, four days a week. Once you achieve this goal and build confidence, you can increase your goal to walking for 45 minutes, four days a week, for example, and so on. 2. Make an Upbeat Playlist. There’s nothing like hearing your favorite song to instantly change your mood. If you’re feeling down or discouraged by the current events, play some music to lift your spirits and shift your mindset. Research shows that music can boost mood and even make exercise more enjoyable.  So, find some pump-up jams for your workouts, calming melodies for when you need to unplug, and happy tunes to inspire some dancing in the kitchen to make meal prepping a little more fun. A little music makes everything better, so don’t neglect to add some to your day. 3. Find a Buddy or Group. Yes, we might be social distancing right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find support or a community of like-minded people to keep you accountable and inspired. If you’re living with your partner, roommate, or family, you can get them involved by trying new recipes together, going on walks, or unplugging together by playing some games.  On your own? You can also find virtual communities for everything from fitness to meditation, thanks to countless online classes and apps. You’ll be less likely to bail if a friend is expecting to see you for that live online yoga class. Plus, seeing others achieve their goals will keep you inspired and determined to reach yours.  4. Put it On the Calendar. Feeling a little out-of-sorts these days? You’re not alone. The coronavirus has undoubtedly changed our routines and daily schedules, which means scheduling health and wellness into your day may be more important than ever. When you make something part of your schedule and write it on the calendar, you’re less likely to forget about it, and you have one less excuse for not doing it. You can also try setting reminders on your phone for wellness breaks throughout the day, such as standing up and moving, drinking water, meal prepping, getting outside, or relaxing with a book. While these may feel like small things, they can make all the difference in your day, so don’t forget to make time for them. 5. Get Organized and Declutter. A little Marie Kondo-ing might just be the refresher you need to feel less stressed and shift your focus to health and wellness. Our living spaces can have a powerful  impact on our mood, so decluttering and rearranging your space to promote peace and wellness will set you up for success.  Consider finding a spot such as your bedroom, a corner in your living room, or even the bathtub, that can be your place for some Zen and restoration. Stock up on nutritious foods and  hide the sugary treats. Consider getting a jogging stroller to take your kids with you on a run, and/or

The 6 Wellness Apps a Tech Expert Recommends

From guided meditation to seafood shopping.

I Tried It: Could Learning to Meditate Change How You Handle Stress?

  Take it from a Harvard-trained doc, there is a case for the power of meditation. “The case for the use of the relaxation response by healthy but harassed individuals is straightforward,” says Herbert Benson, MD. “It can act as a built-in method of counteracting the stresses of everyday living, which bring forth the fight-or-flight response.” Dr. Benson published The Relaxation Response based on his research at Harvard in 1975, and the book was way ahead of its time. It made a detailed case for the many science-backed benefits of meditation long before Oprah hosted 30-day challenges with Deepak and trendy studios charged $30 per person for sitting in stillness. A few months ago, my doctor “prescribed” it to me after she searched desperately for an explanation as to how my blood pressure could possibly be high, given my knowledge of nutrition, 5-day-a-week exercise regimen, and overall good health. I’d been sort of “learning to meditate” for at least five years, dropping into classes, attending events, testing out new apps … but nothing ever stuck and I was never able to commit, even though I knew I should. RELATED: How to Create a Mindful Morning Routine A book written by a researcher in the 70s intrigued me, even if I already knew a lot of the science, and as soon as I dug into it, that quote struck me as genius. “Healthy but harassed,” I circled. What phrase could better explain the state of so many busy working people in the modern world? We prioritize waking up at 5 a.m. for spin class and adding 50 superfoods to every smoothie but the nonstop stress of long work hours and other responsibilities is something “normal” to take in stride. Until we have high blood pressure at age 31. I decided it was time to finally prioritize learning to meditate. Why Learning to Meditate Matters Since researchers like Dr. Benson started studying meditation decades ago, they’ve observed that the technique can reduce oxygen consumption, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. Essentially, it slows down all of the things that speed up when you’re stressed. This is important because scientists believe the pace and stressors of modern life cause the body to initiate the “fight-or-flight” response way too often, and that response leads to chronic stress, which sparks inflammation.  Learning to meditate can help counteract that. RELATED: 3 Important Inflammation Triggers that Aren’t Foods Over the years, studies on whether meditation is effective at reducing stress have demonstrated mixed results, but many point towards real benefit. One meta-analysis found the evidence on Transcendental Meditation’s ability to reduce stress is particularly strong. (It’s the most studied form because its protocol is so established and has had a strong organization promoting it for a long time.) There are also many, many brain-health benefits, but we’re sticking to stress, here. I Tried It: Learning to Meditate The trouble is that as effective as meditation can be, it’s friggin’ hard, especially if you’re a high-strung, type-A person like me (which means you need it more, obviously) and sitting still just isn’t in your DNA. I decided to try meditating for 10 minutes a day for 30 days straight. First, I downloaded some apps with free guided meditations. I completed five over the course of about three weeks, each time noting how great I felt after…and then I fell off. RELATED: A 2-Minute Calming Meditation that Really Works Finally, I downloaded Headspace. So many people had been telling me how amazing it was, but I had initially resisted. Cartoons? A monthly fee? Once I started using it, everything shifted. I did a 10-minute meditation nearly every day for 30 days and it wasn’t even that difficult to keep it going. For me, Headspace works for two reasons. One, I like the structured programs. There are 10-day packs that teach you the basics and then 10- and 30-day programs on different themes (like acceptance, relationships, etc.). Having it laid out that way made me feel like I was committed to something I wanted to complete. Two, the technique taught by founder Andy Puddicombe is simple and tailored to modern life. His spiritual insights are smart and straight-forward and he speaks in terms that make me feel like he understands what’s in my head, not in tired, meaningless inspirational quotes (which is often how I feel about meditation teachers…). This isn’t an ad for Headspace, though. I know other people who swear by Insight Timer, Buddhify, and OMG I Can Meditate. I know people who love going to group classes, people who just set a timer and sit in silence by themselves, and people who like the bigger commitment styles, like Vedic or Transcendental Meditation. Just like a workout, it’s about finding the one that works for you. In the Relaxation Response, Dr. Benson identifies four elements he says should be present in order to “initiate the response,” AKA for meditation to work. They are: a quiet environment, an object to dwell upon (like your breath or a mantra), a passive attitude, and a comfortable position. Of the four, the “passive attitude” is the most important. When learning to meditate, you have to let go of the need to control what’s happening. You have to be able to observe distracting thoughts but not get weighed down by them, to accept your progress instead of trying succeed. For me, when I finally felt like I could do this, that’s when I started to feel meditation’s effects in my daily life. In my ability to deal with browser crashes and frustrating meetings and relationship challenges from just a slightly less frenzied place. A Headspace video illustrates the same phenomenon with a metaphor. You’re sitting on the side of the road and traffic is flying by. Instead of chasing every car, you watch them pass and then forget them. “The volume of the traffic isn’t important, how you relate to it is,” Puddicombe says. I haven’t had my blood pressure re-tested, yet …

If You’re Doing This to Fight Stress, You’re Making it Worse

There’s nothing wrong with a fancy cocktail or a glass of antioxidant-rich red wine to relax and unwind after a really long day at work. But regularly drinking alcohol for stress-relief may not be the best idea. (The amount and situation makes all the difference.) RELATED: A 2-Minute Calming Meditation to Manage Any Stressful Situation In this video from the A Little Bit Better series—which focuses on small yet meaningful habit changes—Keri explains why. A few hints for you: Alcohol, first of all, is a depressant. So if you’re feeling depressed or are faced with a real problem, it will very likely make it worse. Don’t freak out, though. There are of course many research-tested ways to deal with stress that are really effective. (Some are even as delicious, like eating dark chocolate.) RELATED: 9 Stress-Fighting Foods to Eat Daily Watch the video below to set yourself up for more calm, cool, and collected moments, without relying on alcohol for stress-relief. Why Drinking Alcohol for Stress-Relief Isn’t the Best Strategy

These Smart Strategies Will Help You Manage Stress

By Elisa Haggarty for Parsley Health Chronic stress is associated with every chronic disease. It lays the foundation for hormone imbalance and inflammation. According to the American Psychological Association, 75% of adults reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress in the past month. Nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year. These days there are entire wellness centers and weeklong health retreats designed to help us lower our stress levels and feel more balanced. I’m all for a relaxing getaway, but perhaps we won’t need to escape as much from our busy lives if we adopt these 5 effective ways to manage stress. RELATED: Schedule a free conversation with a Parsley Health expert to learn about our comprehensive approach to a stress reduction. 1. Stop trying to get rid of stress! Once I accepted that there will always be some form of external “stress” in my life, I relaxed into the journey and let go of how things “should be.” Over the years I’ve rewired my brain to view challenges as opportunities, which has created a ripple effect in my life that has had immeasurable benefit in my personal and professional life. 2. Understand when stress is being sneaky. In my work as a Functional Nutritionist, I teach people that stress isn’t just emotional. People often say, “but I don’t feel stressed.” Yet the crazy thing is that your body is always communicating with you. Weight loss resistance, psoriasis flare-ups, and headaches are warning signs that your body is under stress. Blood sugar spikes, nutrient deficiencies, and unmanaged autoimmunity will initiate a stress response in the body. So be on the lookout. RELATED: Work with one of our doctors at Parsley Health to help you identify warning signs of chronic stress. 3. Do a digital detox. I’ll admit, cute kitten videos and stories of triumph on the Internet are a refreshing and uplifting. But unfortunately, our digital addiction is causing unintended stress. Embrace weaving a digital detox into your weekly routine by going for walks and plan a picnic date with friends. Nature has an incredible ability to get us grounded and activate our parasympathetic nervous system. When our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, we replenish energy stores, digest our food better, and lower inflammation. 4. Ask for help. I finally realized I didn’t have to conquer everything by myself. Saving face and “pushing through” was exhausting and only added more stress to my life. There is nothing heroic about trying to do it all alone. In fact, two of the greatest ingredients for a long healthy life are community and humility. Most importantly, when I stepped up and asked for help during times of stress, I empowered others to help me, and in turn, helped them feel valued and fulfilled. 5. Dance. Moving your body to the rhythm of music has incredible effects for mood, brain function, and even digestion! Music and movement call upon every region of the brain to move in rhythm with the beat, maintain balance and remember steps. Dance also allows us to get out of fight or flight and activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which is where digestion thrives. When we allow ourselves to move freely we release much of the tension and worry that drags us down throughout the week. When the music stops, we are refreshed and more balanced in dealing with whatever life throws our way. Stress is our friend; it presents an opportunity for growth and a shift in habit formation. Lucky for us we get the chance to work with it each and every day. This piece was originally published on Parsley Health. Parsley Health is a groundbreaking medical practice of highly trained doctors and health coaches in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Parsley Health takes a smarter, whole approach to helping you live a healthy life. You deserve a better doctor. Sign up here to speak to a health expert to figure out how Parsley Health can help you achieve your goals today.