Exercise

Exercise; 4 Ways to Reduce Anxiety

January 23, 2019 by Susan

Exercise, like meditation, is a time for you to be singular with your thoughts. Even in a noisy gym you can put on your headphones, climb on a machine and away you go into your own world. Amazingly, in any form, exercise is a stress reducer. Although there are many other types of exercise than I list here, these are the most easily obtainable by most people, young or old, rich or poor, and that’s who I like to include in my research and writings.

Overcome Anxiety with Exercise!

What I like to remember about exercise is something I was taught when I took my first yoga class in the early 1970s, and that is, never overextend yourself. If you feel pain, you’re overdoing it. Gradually building strength in any area of your body requires nothing more than repeated movements over time. I have to admit that I err on the side of not enough exercise and that has a lot to do with my fear of pain. If something even hints of pain, my brain goes into immediate overtime finding ways to talk me out of it! So I think the most excellent guidelines when exercising is to take it easy, keep it simple, and don’t overdo it.

Yoga

I prefer basic yoga as I am reinventing my life and I need to take it slow and easy until my strength increases with each new yoga session. One thing I can tell you about yoga is that if you’re feeling pain, you are overexerting yourself and you will not get the maximum benefit from your time spent with yoga. So easy does it. There is no benefit to overexerting yourself. Your strength will increase if you practice yoga on a regular basis.

Walking

Take a walk during breaks while at work. It is an easy and effective stress reducer. I’ve even taken an extra break here and there when it was required to keep my temper intact. It works! Wear comfortable shoes to work and a quick walking break is easy. Or, keep a pair of walking shoes and socks under your desk. Either way, you’ll be glad you walked it off instead of the alternative.

Take precaution to not overdo it. I once injured the tendons in my right foot because I was walking with a tall man (I’m short) and in trying to keep up with him, I seriously blew out my foot. Remember to take the time to smell the flowers.

Swimming

Swimming is a natural aerobic exercise which just about anybody can do. Even if someone is immobile or otherwise handicapped, they may be able to swim. It is also a fantastic source of stress reduction even if you just sit in the water. When you get up and move around the benefits multiple. If you’re not up to a swim, try water walking for a while until your strength increases. Water walking is a fantastic stress reducer while it tightens muscles without noticeable strain on your body. What could be better?

Hiking

Hiking is one of my favorite activities. I am fortunate enough to live in the Great Northwest where there are lots of hiking trails, water falls, hills, and mountains.

While I enjoy hiking with friends and children, I greatly enjoy hiking alone. There’s nothing in the world I love better than to walk through nature to listen and look. It calms, nurtures and soothes my nerves. It burns calories and stress!

The Wellness Balance • Your Guide to Fitness and Self-Care

December 21, 2018 by Susan Daniels

When you include fitness in your daily routine, it helps control weight, reduces heart disease and improves your overall mood and sense of well-being. For those in recovery from substance abuse and addiction, exercise can help rebalance their body’s chemistry. Moreover, it helps re-build self-esteem and confidence.

Ways to Achieve Wellness Balance

These days, people are much more sedentary and don’t get enough exercise. In fact, an estimated 45 percent of American adults are not sufficiently active to achieve health benefits with about 80 percent failing to meet the government’s national physical activity recommendations for both aerobic activity and muscle strengthening.

However, for some people, fitness becomes an obsession. For those addicted to exercise, it becomes an all-consuming habit that interferes with work, social obligations, and even discourages them from achieving other goals. Overtraining also has physical risks including an increased resting heart rate and stress fractures. People with addictive tendencies are particularly susceptible to overdoing it when it comes to their fitness routines. That’s why it is so important to balance exercise with the right amount of self-care.

Build a Meditation Room

When it comes to self-care, the benefits of meditation are not to be overlooked. According to Psychology Today, meditation has been scientifically shown to boost your health, happiness, and productivity. It makes you a healthier person and a better worker.

Meditation isn’t just reserved for yoga teachers and spiritual gurus. Anyone can learn to meditate from anywhere in the world. One of the easiest ways to start meditating is to set up a meditation room right in the comfort of your own home. Even if you don’t have a spare room available, a meditation space in a quiet, relaxing part of your home can give you a few minutes of daily zen. If possible, choose a meditation space that has views of nature where you won’t be distracted by other people, neighbors, or cars driving past your home.

Swap Gym Time for Fun Time

Exercise doesn’t have to be all about hitting the gym and pumping iron. You can get all the benefits of physical activity while having fun with friends. Call your pals and meet up at your local park for a pickup game of soccer or sand volleyball.

You don’t even have to make it competitive. Instead, play for fun and enjoy the rush of dopamine you get when you spend time with those you love. Exercising with friends is a great way to remind yourself that fitness should be fun and not something to take too seriously.

Walk Fido

Are you walking your dog enough? There is a good chance you’re not. Dogs need to be walked at least twice a day for 15 minutes a walk. Dogs have a primal need to explore their territory and move with the pack leader (that’s you!). So, even if you have a large backyard that your dog runs around all he wants, he still needs to be walked. Plus, spending time with your pets helps reduce stress and anxiety.

If you don’t have a dog, you may still reap the benefits volunteer to walk dogs at a local pet shelter. Or, if you could use a little extra cash in your pocket, you might start up for a dog-walking service. People all over need assistance taking care of their four-legged friends while they’re at work. You can make up to $30 every half hour simply getting in some gentle exercise with a pooch!

Get Your Annual Physical

Self-care isn’t always about face masks and affirmations. Sometimes self-care means doing the mundane things you might not enjoy so much such as your annual physical. Remember that our health insurance plan is required to pay for a yearly check-up with your primary physician.

During your exam, talk to your doctor about your fitness regimen and any anxieties you may have about overdoing it. If you have aches and pains, be sure to point them out. Ask your doctor to recommend a brace or wrap that can provide support and help prevent a stress fracture.

Keep Up the Good Work!

Everybody needs regular exercise. It helps control weight, prevents disease and supports good mental health, especially for those struggling with issues such as addiction. However, people with addictive tendencies can get too obsessed with their fitness routine and overdo it. That’s why it’s so important to practice self-care along with exercising.

A great way to reinforce that fitness is fun is to swap out an intense workout for sports with friends. Or, walk your dog for some gentle activity that reduces anxiety and gives your pup his essential exercise. Finally, be sure to take advantage of your annual physical. Your doctor can provide essential advice and check for injuries such as stress fractures, which result from overtraining.

Written by Guest Author Brad Krause • SelfCaring.info

Alternatives to Watching TV • 3 Self-Care Activities

December 7, 2018 by Susan

Self-care is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. When you have opportunities for self-reflection, and self-love, it’s easier to keep life in balance and your head on straight. Moreover, we believe that everyone deserves time to focus on themselves.

However, despite understanding how important self-care is for our well-being, many of us spend our limited free time fiddling around on phones or computers instead of taking an intentional approach to relaxation and refueling.

Turn Off the TV • Self-care Activities You Need to Know

Image Source

Why Not Spend Down-time on Self-care?

Spending our downtime on passive activities is counterproductive. While lounging in front of the TV is a form of rest, it doesn’t occupy our full attention. That means our minds can still wander to the stresses of the day. Quartz suggests that it’s leisure, not rest, that truly relaxes us. Compared to rest, which is passive, leisure is active and requires our full attention.

The result, Quartz explains, is that “we take a break from busyness, and all thoughts of work and demands are abandoned … [it] recharges us, and reduces our overall level of exhaustion.”

The next time you’re in need of some quality relaxation, don’t plop yourself in front of a screen. Instead, engage in one of these wellness-boosting self-care activities.

Relax Your Muscles

Stress isn’t only a mental symptom. When you’re stressed, anxious, or depressed, tension builds in your muscles. If you don’t make an effort to release the tension through relaxation, the pain and the stress only increase. The stressed-out among us aren’t the only ones who benefit from muscle relaxation. People who are active or work with their bodies must also pay their muscles attention to avoid injury and chronic pain.

Image Source

We can’t all afford regular professional massages, but there are things you can do at home to relax your muscles. Try progressive muscle relaxation, a technique where you flex and relax each muscle in your body to release tension. Or, treat yourself to massages at home; trade massages with a partner or pamper yourself with a DIY foot massage. The importance of caring for your feet can’t be overstated; without healthy feet, it’s harder to live an active, independent life. The Theraflow Large Dual Foot Massager Roller is a great, affordable massager if you want to upgrade from hands-on foot massage but can’t afford a high-end massager.

Go for a Long Walk

Taking a stroll is more than a way to get in your daily steps. Walking can also be a form of meditation. The key is to not “mentally check out,” as Mindful puts it, but rather to focus your thoughts on the physical sensations you experience while walking and on the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural environment.

Image via Unsplash

By keeping your thoughts focused, meditative walking prevents your mind from drifting to your to-do list, negative ruminations, or any other source of stress. You may find it difficult to practice meditative walking for more than a few minutes at first, but with time it will feel like second nature.

Take a Class

Personal growth is a powerful thing. When we’re learning and doing new things, we gain confidence in our abilities and our worth. And when you’re challenged with a new skill, there’s no room in your mind for negative thinking. Taking a class is an excellent way to learn a new skill.

Image Source

While it’s possible to self-teach many skills, a structured environment helps us stay motivated. A class doesn’t have to mean an academic or technical class; you can take a fitness class, attend a DIY workshop, or take lessons in just about anything else you’re interested in.

It’s tempting to spend evenings vegging out in front of a screen. It’s free, convenient, and doesn’t require you to step outside your comfort zone. But the truth is, passive rest isn’t good at relaxing you. When you need quality relaxation and self-care, turn to leisure, not your TV.

Written by Guest Author Brad Krause • SelfCaring.info

Exercise

Exercise; 4 Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Overcome Anxiety with Exercise!