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20 ways to unwind - stress reduction

Ebony , July, 1994 by Karima A. Haynes

IT`S 8:45 in the morning and you`re stuck in bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic behind someone who has been riding his brakes for the last five miles. You`ve got 15 minutes to get to work and the boss has already warned that if you are late again he is going to dock your pay. Finally, the traffic breaks. You speed into the parking lot, race to the time clock and punch-in at 8:59. Whew! That was close.

In our hectic, get-it-done-yesterday society, many of us feel stretched to the limit. And that pressure triggers stress. Stress is the body`s physical and chemical reaction to stimuli such as joy, sadness, fear, tension and other emotions. While stress is neither negative nor positive in and of itself, it is our reaction to stress that has an impact on our physical health and state of mind.

As African-Americans in a predominantly White society, the stresses of everyday living are compounded by the effects of racism.

To battle the negative effects of stress that we experience, here are 20 stressbusters that are sure to relieve the tension in our lives.

1. STOP, STRETCH AND RELAX. Exercise where you are. Roll your head and shoulders, stretch your arms over your head or squeeze a tennis ball. Consider starting a regular exercise program to help you keep stress at bay over the long haul.

"A large percentage of people manifest stress at the base of their neck or in their shoulders and that`s where tension headaches come from," says Dr. Therman Evans, a stress-management expert from suburban Philadelphia. "Standing up, rotating your head and moving your shoulders will be both physically and mentally relieving."

2. MEDITATE AND CONTEMPLATE. Recite a mantra, speak positive affirmations or say a prayer to help you take your mind off the stressful situation.

3. TALK IT OUT. Get anger, fear and worry off your chest by confiding in a person you trust.

4. TAKE LEISURELY A DIP IN THE BATHTUB. A hot soak can do wonders to reduce stress, increase blood circulation to the extremities and relax tense muscles.

5. PAMPER YOURSELF Get a new hairstyle, a manicure or a pedicure. A little pampering can go a long way to reduce stress.

6. SHOP AWAY THE STRESS. A new purchase will give your spirit a boost as long as you don`t overspend.

7. MASSAGE THOSE ACHING MUSCLES. Whether at the hands of a professional masseuse or those of a close friend, a good rub down can relax knotted muscles.

"During a massage, one of the things that happens is that the toxic substances are worked out through the lymph nodes," says Dr. Juanita Doss, a clinical psychologist from suburban Detroit. "When your body is under a tremendous amount of stress you accumulate a lot of hormones that weaken the body`s resistance to disease. A massage is both relaxing and therapeutic."

8. RUB YOUR TEMPLES. Massaging the nerves in your temples relaxes tension in your neck muscles.

9. APPLY A WARM COMPRESS TO YOUR EYES. The radiant warmth from the compress will relax the tired muscles around your eyes.

10. READ TO RELAX. What better way to get away from the pressures of the day than by retreating into the world of your imagination?

11. TAKE A BRISK WALK. Get up and go for a quick jaunt. Schedule a routine workout that includes power walking or stair climbing.

12. TAKE A SOOTHING SIESTA. Chronic lack of sleep can lower your productivity and decrease your ability to handle stress.

13. JUST SAY NO TO STRESSFUL PEOPLE. Stay away from people who never seem to have anything good to say about anything.

14. SEEK SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. Call that special friend or family member. Make a date to get together and keep it.

"Support is one of the key things in helping people to handle their stress," Dr. Doss points out. "As a supportive friend you don`t have to give any comments or suggestions, but quietly listen to the person who is under stress as he or she talks it out."

15. STOP PROCRASTINATING! Make a list of things to do, arrange them by priority and then do them!

16. TUNE IN SOFT MUSIC. Mellow music can soothe you after a tough day at the office.

17. LISTEN TO NATURE`S SOUNDS. A pre-recorded tape of natural sounds can help you to unwind.

18. CRY IT OUT. A good sob can provide a release from the negative emotions that may be the source of your stress.

19. ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE. Think about the good things that are going on in your life and avoid obsessing about the things that aren`t going so well.

20. VACATION IN YOUR MIND. Close your eyes and imagine that you are relaxing on a tropical beach.

"As your mind goes, so goes your body," Dr. Evans says. "You can change your physiological state simply by changing your mental state."

The Power of Hypnosis

Psychology Today , Jan, 2001 by Deirdre Barrett

Studies show that hypnosis can treat everything from chronic pain to poor study habits. Chances are, it can work for you.

Nancy Jordan sat down in my office and lit a cigarette--a deadly habit, given her severe asthma and tobacco allergies. Jonathan Hunter, M.D.--my supervisor, her psychotherapist--was also in the room. He wanted to attend Nancy`s first hypnotherapy session to put the shy college sophomore at ease. I knew he was also eager to observe hypnosis. "Hunter," as he was known, was supervising my graduate school psychotherapy program. Although Hunter was no hypnotist, I had taken a hypnosis course and had been practicing on volunteers for a semester. We agreed that he would direct me on general psychological aspects of Nancy`s treatment, my first hypnotherapy case.

I positioned my chair at a 90-degree angle to the recliner in which my young patient sat. I asked Nancy to look up at the ceiling, where four porous tiles intersected in a neat point. (I have yet to encounter a hypnotist who uses a swinging gold pocket watch. Instead, we ask clients to gaze at a steady object to block distracting visual stimuli.)

"Stare at the point on the ceiling and let your breathing become slow and deep. Let your body begin to relax, starting with the muscles of your feet and toes. Let your thighs relax; let all tension flow out of your legs." I gradually slowed my voice as I spoke to subliminally cue her breathing to slow down. "As you continue to stare at the point on the ceiling, your eyelids become heavier, as if a weight were attached, pulling them gently down. You may notice the point starting to move or change color; that will be a sign that you are beginning to go into hypnosis. Each time you blink, it gets harder to open your eyes. Soon they will close completely, and you will sink into a peaceful, sleeplike state." Nancy looked drowsy, and her eyes began to droop.

At that point I glanced over at Hunter to see what he thought of the induction. The worst reaction my insecure imagination could conjure was mild disapproval, but what I saw was infinitely more dismaying: My big, rangy supervisor sat slumped in his chair. His eyes were closed, muscles lax, breathing barely detectable.

I stalled as I wondered what to do next. I could just proceed. But I had no idea how Hunter, a nonsmoker, would respond to my commands about Nancy`s smoking. What if he woke, thinking he did smoke? I decided to bring both Nancy and Hunter out of the trance. She gradually opened her eyes as his popped open. After a moment of confusion, he quickly affected a look of exaggerated nonchalance. I made another appointment with Nancy, and she went on her way.

"You were out cold!" I announced to Hunter the instant the door closed behind her.

He looked perplexed again. "I think I dozed off. I remember you saying my eyes would close--er, I mean, her eyes would close. Maybe I was hypnotized."

Can you be hypnotized? Most people like to think that they can`t. There is often the suspicion that being hypnotized could label them as being weak-willed, naive or unintelligent. But in fact, modern research shows that hypnotizability is correlated with intelligence, concentration and focus. Hypnosis is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but rather a continuum. Most people can be hypnotized to some degree--the only question is how far.

A hypnotic trance is not therapeutic in and of itself, but specific suggestions and images fed to clients in a trance can profoundly alter their behavior. As they rehearse the new ways they want to think and feel, they lay the groundwork for powerful changes in their future actions. For example, in hypnosis, I often tell people Who are trying to quit smoking that they will go hours without even thinking of a cigarette, that if they should light up, the cigarette will taste terrible and they`ll want to put it out immediately. I`ll talk them through the imagery of being a nonsmoker--some combination of finding themselves breathing easier, having more energy for exercise, enjoying subtle tastes and smells again, having fresh breath and clean-smelling clothing, feeling good about their health, even saving money on cigarettes or whatever motivates that person to quit. The deep relaxation of a hypnotic trance is also broadly beneficial as many illnesses, both psychological or physical, are aggravated by anxiet y and muscle tension.

Research over the last 40 years shows that such hypnotic techniques are safe and effective. Furthermore, a growing number of studies show that hypnotherapy can treat headaches, ease the pain of childbirth, aid in quitting smoking, improve concentration and study habits, relieve minor phobias, and serve as anesthesia--all without drugs or side effects (see "Hypnosis Heals," page 62).

We are also learning that both biological and environmental factors predict how deeply a person goes into a trance. Identical twins reared apart often have strikingly similar responses to hypnosis. Furthermore, an "eye roll" test, developed by Herbert Spiegel, M.D., measures how far a person can roll his eyes up beneath slowly lowering lids and is correlated with hypnotizability, implying that hypnosis has neurological underpinnings. New studies by David Spiegel, M.D. (son of Herbert Spiegel) at Stanford, Helen Crawford, Ph.D., at Virginia Tech and Robert Kunsendorf, Ph.D., at the University of Massachusetts support that idea, indicating that some hypnotic suggestions influence areas in the brain involved in those perceptions. For example, suggesting anesthesia could blunt cortical activity in areas of the brain associated with pain, while asking hypnotized people to hallucinate an image could produce activity in the visual cortex. Early experiences also play a role. Children who are encouraged to engage in imaginative play and creative activities, for instance, usually grow up to respond strongly to hypnosis.

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