Eighty years ago, while experimenting on the endocrine system of rats, Dr. Hans Selye made a serendipitous discovery. The very act of injecting his control group with an otherwise harmless saline solution greatly compromised their immune systems. Today, it might seem obvious that inserting a two inch syringe into a living creature’s belly might have some adverse effect, but this was a revelation in 1932. Dr. Selye was the first to document the connection between mental anguish and physical health, and he named this phenomenon “stress.”
If you’re feeling like a stressed-out lab rat in your cubicle these days, the following tips can help you stay calm and healthy.
Progressive muscle relaxation: Condition your body to make relaxation a reflex. A quick internet search will reveal a wide range of techniques that involve tensing one muscle group at a time for 5-10 seconds, then letting go.
Switch to herbal tea: Your body creates its own natural de-stressor— a neurotransmitter called GABA. Caffeine works by inhibiting its production. Think of coffee as the ANTI-anti-anxiety drug.
Music is the opiate of the anxious: Studies have found that 30 minutes of music has the same calming effect as 10 mg of Valium. Of course, we’re talking Mozart here, not Metallica.
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