On a recent trip to the beach, I realized how much stress I left behind. My thoughts went to people with diabetes and how much every-day stress can impact their blood glucose levels. As we head into the holidays, stress levels tend to increase. Now may be a great time to discuss stress management and techniques to decrease that stress.
Stress reliever techniques:
* Guided imagery - Use your imagination to picture a person, place or time that makes you feel relaxed, peaceful and happy.
* Meditation - Mental exercise that involves relaxation, focus and awareness.
* Progressive muscle relaxation - Tense a group of muscles as you breathe in and you relax them as you breathe out. Work on muscle groups in a certain order
* Positive self talk - Speak to yourself in a way that makes you feel good about yourself and everything going on in your life.
* Yoga - Group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines aimed at controlling and stilling your mind.
* Mindfulness - Brings one’s attention in the present moment without evaluation.
* Gratitude journaling - Making a commitment to writing down good things each day which will make you notice good things as they happen.
Stress can impact many aspects of a person’s health. Let’s help people take control of stress before it takes control of them!