Sara Lazar PhD from Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, has been studying the impact of regular meditation on the brain, using the latest neuroimaging techniques. For a number of years, her team has been tracking the cognitive, emotional and neurological changes associated with practising yoga and meditation.

The results of their latest study have now been published, concluding that:

Even just 8 weeks of daily meditation can have a positive impact on your brain structure.

The study’s participants took part in mindfulness practices, for about half an hour per day. The study showed that the benefits the participants reported weren’t just “in their heads” but were truly in their brain.

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day.

This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.”
Dr Sara Lazar

Previous studies by Lazar’s team, and others, had found structural differences between the brains of experienced mediation practitioners and individuals with no history of meditation, observing thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotional integration. However, they hadn’t proven a link between this and meditation practice.

This latest study also used a control group – who didn’t meditate – as well as the study group.

It used neuroimaging techniques to measure areas where meditation-associated differences had been seen in earlier studies, finding increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus. This is  known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection. No such differences were found with the control group.

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.”
Britta Hölzel, PhD, co-author of the research paper.

What does this mean for you and me?

Is it time to meditate?

A daily meditation practice does more than just help you relax.

It has a positive impact on your brain – the “hardware” that runs everything we do, think, say and feel.

And then you add the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood into the mix…

Just imagine…

Imagine being able to:

• Improve your memory, no matter how much sleep you’re getting!
• Focus and concentrate more clearly, even when being the super-mum of multi-tasking
• Reduce your stress levels
• Feel happier
• Feel more compassionate and less judgemental towards others (and yourself!) – including the kids, when they’re in ‘one of those moods’
• Be more self-aware, so you can  catch yourself, before you do or say something you would rather not

The results of this research study show that meditation can help you do all this – and more.

And the great news is that the changes were observed after as little as 2 months of practice, so you don’t have to lock yourself in a cave for 20 years, before you see tangible progress!

Want to learn how to meditate?

If you’d like to learn more about how to meditate, or deepend your current practice, then joining a meditation class is a great place to start. While CDs and books can help, a good teacher can tailor sessions for your needs and should be able to give you feedback to help with posture, motivation, technique and advice to help you progress more quickly.

Meditating in a group often produces deeper results than sitting at home on your own.

Have you learned meditation?

Did you find it produced an impact on your concentration and stress levels?

We’d love to hear from you, via the comments box below!

It didn’t take long to see that the guy couldn’t sit still.

From his finger twitching and body fidgeting, you could see that his mind was racing.

The bags under his eyes told tales of stress-filled, sleepless nights.

If anyone ever needed to tap into the de-stressing benefits of relaxation, this guy was a prime candidate.

But my meditation master turned him away.

“Why on earth would you do that?” we asked him, a stunned class of trainee meditation teachers.

His smile shone gently as he explained.

Learning to meditate is a 3 stage process

Meditation is about so much more than just sitting still, closing your eyes and expecting to stumble across inner peace.

It is a three-stage process which, like learning to drive a car or play a musical instrument, takes dedication and practice.

Stage 1: Relaxation

Until you can relax your body and your mind, meditation is nearly impossible. Youl’ll be sitting there, desperately uncomfortable after the first few minutes, totally pre-occupied by your shopping list or last night’s television.

You simply won’t be able to sit still!

Being deeply relaxed is about completely relaxing your body, whilst keeping your mind alert. If you nod off, you’re asleep, not relaxed! Relaxation is also about acceptance – accepting your environment, accepting your body (with all its aches and pains) and accepting your mind (even if it’s chattering away!). Only when you are deeply relaxed will you be able to start to meditate.

Stage 2: Concentration

Until your mind can keep its attention concentrated on one thing for a period of time, you’ll find it extremely difficult not to be constantly distracted by other thoughts. Meditating isn’t about “emptying your mind” and “thinking of nothing”.

It’s about allow any thoughts to drift past, without stealing your attention. In concentration, we bring our attention inside, to allow us to move towards reconnecting with who we really are, rather than the external, ego-based world we usually inhabit.

Concentration exercises, such as candle gazing and physical awareness exercises, can help the majority of us who have very poor concentration skills!

Stage 3: Focus

Once you are deeply relaxed and able to concentrate, you will be able to focus on the practices you have chosen, leading you into meditation.

This is where your awareness can really expand and you start to experience the happiness and sense of inner peace that regular meditators achieve.

So my meditation master had turned this man away, because he didn’t want his prospective student to waste time and effort, trying to meditate, when he was still completely unable to relax. After a full twelve months of practicing deep relaxation, which can itself be life-changing, the student returned to become an excellent meditator.

If you have tried meditation and haven’t got the results you were hoping for, then the foundation stages might be missing. It’s well worth finding an experienced meditation teacher to guide you through the process.

Sometimes on our path, we try to run before we can walk. It can take a wake-up call, such as seemingly being denied our dream, to help us realise we need to lay firm foundations first. Only then can we soar.

What have your experiences with meditation been so far?

What would your top tips be to help someone who is learning how to meditate?

We’d love to hear from you via the comments box!

It didn’t matter that I had done the local NHS antenatal classes (where it was all about birth and they kind of forgot to mention ‘what came afterwards’!).

And even despite the local NCT course (where – thank goodness – they taught me how to change a nappy, complete with Marmite & mustard on the doll’s bottom!), I felt totally unprepared for those first few weeks and months.

Once the ‘excitement’ of the ‘arrival process’ had died down, I reaslised how little time I had ever spent with babies. In fact, I don’t think I had ever held a baby younger than several months old, despite having reached my thirties.

No amount of reading books can really prepare you for those first few months – because every new mum’s journey is going to be unique.

We had our fair share of challenges, with difficulties establishing feeding and adjusting to the change of sleep patterns and the total change of life priorities, as well as our fair share of smiles.

The night feeds gave me time to catch up on some reading and I found myself finally leaving the ‘parenting books’ to one side, whilst diving into the Dalai Lama’s autobiography, Freedom in Exile.

Night after night, as I read about his life journey, I realised that there were 4 little words that could help me ‘stay sane’ and even enjoy some of the changes and challenges we were facing.

I realised that, when you’re in unfamiliar territory and out of your comfort zone, it’s all too easy to get stuck in the ‘story’ or even the ‘drama’ of what is going on.

Yet nothing in life is permanent.

My mantra became:

“This too will pass.”

4 little words. So much meaning.

Every time I found myself getting stressed or worried, I took a deep relaxation grounding breath and told myself, “This too will pass.” And it did. Every time.

It didn’t mean I pretended there was nothing that needed action – or that I didn’t need to ask for help – but it helped me keep my head above the ocean of drama it was trying to create. And I found it much easier to enjoy the ride.

In fact, I’m still using it most days, 7 years on! Nowadays, it helps me remember to enjoy the moment. It goes so quickly

“This too will pass” ~ how could that one help you today?

I’d love to hear your views via the comments box, below!

We have been working hard to tranform our popular Happy Mamas course (for mums-to-be) into a format that will work for you, even if you live nowhere near Hampshire in the UK!

And the great news is that it will be going live early in 2012.

So if you’d like to make sure you’re one of the first to find out more, sign up for the monthly Happy Mamas newsletter.

As you can no doubt imagine, this is a handy skill to develop during pregnancy – and beyond.

I have written in much more detail about What Is Mindfulness on the Happy Mamas’ sister website – Beyond Alchemy.

Raisin Mindfulness Experiment

Experimenting with a simple raisin (or other small piece of dried fruit) can help us get back into the present moment.

Most of us eat raisins by grabbing a handful, throwing them in our mouth and giving them a quick munch before swallowing. This next raisin is going to be a quite different experience!

1. Grab a raisin – just one – or a similar dried fruit, if raisins aren’t your thing.
2. Sit comfortably.
3. It’s time to wrap your senses round your raisin. Look at it. Really see it. What do you notice? Can you see its texture? What about the bumps and lumps? Is it shiny?
4. Have a sniff. What does it smell like? Let your fingertips really feel the shape and texture. Allow yourself to become fully absorbed in the experience.
5. If your mind wanders during this experience, just allow it to be gently guided back to your raisin.
6. After a few minutes, pop the raisin in your mouth – but it’s not time to chew yet! Spend a little while focussing on what it feels like in your mouth, with your tongue and your teeth.
7. Then, when you’re ready, take a bite. Have a good chew. Notice the full experience of the raisin’s flavour – how it builds in your mouth. How incredibly sweet it is.
8. When you have swallowed the raisin, you’ll notice you can still taste it for a while.

How did this experience compare to your usual raisin-munching experience?

Chances are it was much more vivid.

Did you notice things you wouldn’t normally notice?

Did you enjoy it more?

What have you learned about how being mindful – aware, in the present moment – can impact your experience of eating a raisin?

How could you take these learnings and apply them elsewhere in your life?

We’d love to hear about your experiences, via the comments box below or the Happy Mamas page on Facebook.

Yet what we’re eating (or drinking) could be making us feel worse.

Discover the 5 most common food traps that could be wrecking your mood.

Are you eating yourself miserable?

It’s all too easy to end up on auto-pilot, when it comes to food. Recent research showed that most of us, for example, select our daily fruit and veg intake from a range of just 10 items – all year round.

We can become creatures of habit, reaching for the familiar and comforting, especially when we’re feeling tired or stressed.

But nutritionists have found that the things we eat ‘unconsciously’ are often those that make our situation worse. Rarely do we realise that the 5 most common food traps can actually make us feel more miserable than we did before – and can sink a good mood faster than rock in a puddle.
Here are 5 common foods that have been shown to have a serious impact on our mood.

Trap 1: Sugar

Are you falling into the sugar trap?

Reaching for something sweet when we’re feeling low is so instinctive, you’d almost think it’s hard-wired. Carbohydrates and refined sugars will give us a short-term boost, but the blood sugar low we get afterwards can lead to mood swings for adults and even tantrums in kids.

In pregnancy and when you’re a new mum, it’s essential to keep your energy levels as stable as possible – your body’s kinda busy So any food that causes an energy rush and then slump is going to make you more likely to feel tired and grumpy.

What you could do instead?
University researchers have shown that cravings for sweet foods, particularly the late night munchies, are actually cravings for water – we’re not very good at reading the signs.

Want to try the 'raisin mindfulness' experiment?

To balance your blood sugar, a protein-based snack may be more helpful. You could try that first. Or perhaps a little unsweetened dried fruit. Chop it up small and eat it one piece at a time. That way a single fig or date could satisfy the sugar-munchies, saving you from that entire bar of chocolate!

{Want to try it with raisins? Here’s how to get a free copy of our ‘raisin mindfulness’ technique, which not only helps you manage sugar cravings, but helps you de-stress and be more ‘present’ to life!}

Trap 2: Caffeine

Need a cuppa?

It’s in coffee, tea, cola drinks and plenty more besides. It’s even in green tea, which most of us wouldn’t expect.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can take us into “fight or flight” mode, making us edgy and irritable. So if you’re already stressed or angry, it’s the last thing you need.

Plus, having triggered that ‘fight or flight’ stress response, it’s then down to our liver to process the adrenalin and other hormones that will have been flooding our system. And it’s already working hard enough in pregnancy.

After your baby is born, there’s plenty of research that shows that high levels of caffeine can impact the baby through breast milk, affecting its sleep patterns in the same way it would an adult.

What you could do instead?
To rehydrate your system and give yourself an instant energy boost, a glass of water could make a difference.

In fact, in his excellent book “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water“, F. Batmanghelidj, M.D explains pretty convincingly how we miss the body’s natural signs of thirst – and the impact this can have on our health. Well worth a read!

If you’re feeling tense and irritable, you might prefer a herbal tea.

And, of course, there’s breathing – take 3 deep breaths, breathing in through your nose. Fill your lungs from your stomach upwards and then breathe out through your mouth with a sigh. It works!

If you’re finding yourself using caffeine-based drinks to stay awake and ‘have enough energy’, then it’s possible you’re in need of a deeper level recharge. Looking at your stress triggers and considering some regular deep relaxation could help you kick the need for the caffeine boost.

Trap 3: Wheat & dairy

Wheat and dairy products are fine, in moderation, if that suits your body.

But if you have a food intolerance, you might find that the side effects of bloating and heaviness drag your mood down, too. So if you naturally reach for wheat-based or dairy-based comfort foods, it might be worth noticing how you feel afterwards.

In fact, a startlingly high proportion of people are now showing some kind of response to refined (white) flour and dairy products.

What you could do instead?
Check you’re not suffering from low blood sugar (see trap 1 advice).

And if you think it might be a boredom thing, how about spending 5 minutes waking up your body with some stretches, a quick dance or a short walk instead?

White flour and dairy are both high sources of sugar, so it could be that a few raisins could do the trick instead and might work better for your system.

Trap 4: Sweeteners & Additives

We think we’re doing the right thing by going for the low-cal, low-fat options, but they have to do something to replace the taste and texture you’d have had from the sugars and fats.

Unfortunately this is often in the form of sweeteners and chemical additives.

They’re even in so-called ‘healthy’ stuff like some probiotic drinks and even in ‘full fat’ soft drinks & squashses.

Yes, the various food agencies have approved their use, but there is growing research evidence that they can impact your mood – as well as your health.

One of the leading artificial sweeteners is now official linked with mood swings and even depression, for regular users. And we’ve known for years that the infamous “e-numbers” can cause behavioural problems in children.

What you could do instead?
Check labels in the supermarket. As a rule of thumb, if there’s an ingredient on the list that you wouldn’t cook with at home, think twice before putting it into your basket. Consider buying the non-diet versions, but eating less of them…

Trap 5: Alcohol

How many times do we get to the end of a tough day and think, “I could really do with a glass of wine / a beer?”

(Yes, I know we’re not supposed to consume much alcohol in pregnancy, but plenty of us still have the occasional tipple – let’s be honest here!).

But alcohol itself is a toxin to the body. And it’s also a depressant that suppresses brain activity and dehydrates your body. So if you want to feel happier, a stiff drink is probably not the best place to start.

What you could do instead?

Take a step back and ask yourself why it is you want the drink?

Could you enjoy, say, sparkling water and apple juice in a wine glass, instead?

Is it something to do with the whole ‘depriving yourself’ of something you enjoy?

If you find yourself craving a drink, it might be worth taking an honest look in the mirror, to see whether there are underlying issues you might need to address. There’s probably a deeper need, crying out for attention. And that’s ok. If you become aware of it, you can do something about it.

How do you know if you’re stuck in the food traps?

Keep a “food ‘n’ mood” diary for 2 weeks. Simply keep a note of EVERYTHING you’re eating and drinking (no cheating!) and every few hours, make a note of your mood next to it. After even a week you should be able to spot clear trends.

That’ll help you figure out what to eat differently, if you want to feel happier.

Given it a try? How about sharing your experiences via the comments box or our Facebook page?
How did you get on?
What are your personal food traps?
Were there any surprises?
We’d love to hear from you!

“You wouldn’t believe what happened to me today…!”
“Oh that’s nothing! You should hear what happened to me!”
“No way! You guys have got it easy, compared to me!”

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the grumpiest of them all?

But how often do we compete to be awarded the trophy for happiest person?

Why is that?

Isn’t it interesting that we will fight to win ‘awards’ for feeling grumpy, but feel we have to apologise for feeling happy?!

Pregnancy is a time when your emotions can swing from one extreme to the other in a matter of seconds – much to the confusion of those around you.

This means it’s even more important than usual to be aware of our ‘grumpy’, ‘angry’ or ‘depressed’ emotional triggers, so we can choose how to respond.

But just in case you’re up for competing for the “Grumpiest Of Them All” Award today, here are 10 sure-fire grumpiness strategies you could start using right now.

1. Stub your toe as you get out of bed

It’s a scientifically proven fact that stubbing your toe first thing in the morning, then whining about it all day, is a great way to have a terrible time.

2. Leave the house 10 minutes late

Leaving home late for work and getting stuck in traffic is another excellent strategy for giving you something to complain about all day.

3. Have an eagle eye for other people’s mistakes

This one is even better if the “other people” work for you. Spending your day watching out for what they do wrong is a sure-fire strategy for being the grumpiest of them all. It doesn’t matter if they get it right almost all day, you’ll be there to catch even the tiniest slip-up.

4. Become the champion of office gossip

There’s no better way to indulge in the drama than to spread office gossip. Go on, you know you want to.

5. Never admit you’re wrong

Why on earth would you want to admit you’re wrong? Let alone say sorry? It was clearly their fault. And someone has to take the blame. Forgiveness? Live and let live? Not on my patch, thank you!

6. Drink loads of caffeine

Whether it’s tea, coffee or soft drinks, your body doesn’t care where its caffeine comes from. So drink plenty, to make sure you’re pumping with adrenalin and looking for excuses to be grumpy.

7. Expect the worst

You know that positive mental attitude is over-rated. That belongs to the Pollyannas of this world, doesn’t it? By expecting the worst, you’ll get what you expect. Negative thinking is where it’s at. Hurrah! Another 10 rungs up the grumpy ladder. But be careful not to celebrate.

8. Frown

You’re competing for the grumpy award – and doesn’t everyone know it!
We know that the mind and body are linked. So by holding your body the way a grumpy person would and frowning all day, you can guarantee the outcome you’re after.
So get out there and frown as much as you can, being extra careful to avoid anyone who is smiling – they might catch you unawares and make you smile back at them. And that would set you back at least 3 levels.

9. Ignore the sunshine

You wouldn’t let a little thing like sunny weather spoil your day, would you? No way! You know exactly how to focus on the storm clouds, even during brilliant sunshine.

10. Go and sit in the corner on your own

Actually, if you’re winning the grumpiest of them all competition, this will probably be your only option. But that’s cool, because it’s all in aid of a good cause.

Being grumpy is a great way of getting attention and sympathy – even if we don’t want to admit that’s what we’re doing.
It’s one of the best tricks our mind has for keeping us stuck and making sure other people know about it!

Psychologists even have a special name for this: secondary gain. It basically means that…

… the pain of changing is greater than the pain of staying the same.

And a person won’t change until the balance tips in the opposite direction.

So hopefully these 10 grumpiness strategies have provided you with ample inspiration.

If you get a chance to try any of them out, how about sharing via the comments box or via our Facebook Page?

Or perhaps you have some happiness strategies you would like to share?!

De-Stress Grounding Breath

Here’s a super-easy quick fix for whenever you’re feeling stressed or worried, for whatever reason. You can do it any time, any place – even when you’re surrounded by people. And once you know how to do it, it’ll become second nature, helping you gently let go of whatever is bothering you in a matter of seconds.

Sounds good? Here’s how to do it!

Grounding Breath

If you are feeling tense, stressed or worried, this exercise takes less than 60 seconds to release those feelings:

1. Sit or stand still and close your eyes.
2. Focus on your feet contacting with the floor and imagine yourself growing strong roots, deep into the earth, like a tree. You might imagine seeing or feeling these roots growing, anchoring and grounding you.
3. Focus for a moment on the feeling. Ask yourself, “Where in my body do I feel this?”
4. With your next in-breath, breathe in to this area of your body, imagining the breath is absorbing the tension or stress.
5. With the next out-breath, breathe the feeling out through your body, down your legs and through your feet into the earth. Breathe it out gently, allowing it to flow away, rather than forcing it.
6. Continue with this breath for a minute or so, until the feeling has completely gone.

Repeat whenever necessary.

There you go – easy – and quick.

Please do let me know how you get on with this one, via the comments box or our Facebook Fan Page!

With love,

Clare x

It’s as though the worries of daily life just keep going round and round in our mind.

Pregnancy stress – or any other form of stress – doesn’t have to be something that keeps you awake at night.

Rather than fighting your thoughts, which just feeds them and keeps them at the centre of your attention, there are many simple techniques that cost nothing, but make a huge difference!

Here’s one of my favourites.

How To Create A Gratitude Spiral

I call it the “Gratitude Spiral”.

The last thing we’re thinking about at bedtime – and the last emotion we’re feeling – can have a major impact on the quality of our sleep.

It’s as though those final pre-sleep thoughts give our mind the unconscious message about what we want to focus on for the next few hours. It then tends to send us dreams that match the emotions we were feeling as we fell asleep – and we’re also likely to wake up with those feelings, too.

So it makes sense that consciously creating a happy mood as we fall asleep can make a big difference.

And it’s easier than you might think.

It’s not about pretending that everything is ok, even if you’re convinced it’s not. It’s not about “rejecting” any worries or negative thoughts you’re having. It is about allowing happier thoughts to creep in and have centre stage for a while.

And one of the simplest ways to achieve that is to think about things you’re grateful for.

It’s amazing how quickly a couple of things you feel thankful for can grow – triggering other things you feel grateful for and creating an ever-growing spiral.

It’s an incredibly effective way of shifting your mood.

And just imagine the kinds of dreams you’ll get, if that’s how you fall asleep?!

To help programme your unconscious mind to send you great dreams and help you wake up in a good mood is really easy.

Helping deal with pregnancy insomnia

1. Before you fall asleep, think about something in your life that you feel really grateful for.. This might be people, experiences, opportunities, weather – the choice is yours!
2. Once you have identified something specific, allow yourself to gently rest in the feeling – the emotion – of feeling grateful.
3. Really dive back into the experience that you’re remembering – seeing what you would see, hearing what you would hear, feeling the physical sensations you would feel.
4. Allow the intensity of your gratitude to ramp up, perhaps imagining you are turning a dial to increase it.
5. Then think of something else you feel grateful for and repeat the process. You’ll notice that the more things you think of, the more things you can think of to think of!
6. Keep finding more and more things you feel grateful for until you feel the shift in your mood or – most likely – fall asleep. zzzzzzzz…..

Once you’re used to doing this, to help cement the new habit and remind yourself to do it each night, pick something you do shortly before going to sleep to act as a trigger. For example, if you read a book before falling asleep, you might like to choose the act of closing the book and putting it down, to remind you. Or perhaps it’s turning off your bedroom light. Or perhaps putting your head on the pillow.

You only need to do this for a few days and already you’re creating a life-long positive habit.

Sweet dreams!

Want to take this to the next level?

To really create a positive shift in your thinking, how about changing your life with a gratitude journal?

Once you have tried this out, how about sharing your experiences via the comments box or via our Facebook Fan Page? We’d love to hear from you!

Stressed out or zenned out? Where do you want to be?

These days feeling stressed seems to be a way of life. Yet regular stress is playing havoc with our health, careers and even our closest relationships.

If you don’t want to end up just another super-stressed statistic, then the good news is that you can do something about it.

Discover the top 10 secrets to feeling less stressed – in under 10 minutes.

The good news is that there are 10 things you can do right now to feel less stressed.

1. Write it down
   One of the challenges with feeling stressed is that our problems keep going round and round in our minds. It’s almost like there’s a stressed-out cheerleader, keeping us on the super-stress merrygoround. It’s important to write down your answers, because this helps stop the mental chatter and slows you down, reducing your stress levels.
   Ask yourself, “What specifically is the problem?”
   This helps you get out of the drama and be clear about the issue.
   Then ask yourself, “What do I want instead?”. This helps you see that there might just possibly be a light at the end of the tunnel.
   Finally, answer the question, “Which single, baby step could I take, right now, to move towards what I want instead?”
   By breaking it down into tiny chunks, you’ll see the overwhelm start to disappear.
2. Go for a walk in nature
   Going for a walk outside gives you a change of scenery and some fresh air. It gets you breathing more deeply and helps relax your mind. It only need be 5 minutes, but if you can manage longer, that’s great. If possible, go somewhere with trees or grass. If not, even walking down the street will help.
3. Avoid caffeine
   Caffeine (found in coffee, tea, chocolate and many soft drinks) will rev you up. If you’re already stressed, that’s the last thing you want.
   It stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the adrenalin-filled fight or flight response. Drink some water instead and you’ll feel better.
4. Blow a raspberry
   No, I’m not kidding here. Pucker up those lips and blow a big fat raspberry!
   Blowing a raspberry relaxes your facial muscles, especially those of the cheeks and jaw, where we store a surprising amount of tension. If you’re stressed out, this one will help you smile and relax, which might be all you need to see the solution to your problem.
5. Nurture yourself
   In this world of 24-7 everything, it can be hard to take time out to nurture ourselves.
   Yet even 5 minutes can make a massive difference. Perhaps you’d like to take a relaxing warm bath? (Not too hot or that sympathetic nervous system gets going again…) Or maybe your thing is going for a massage? Or even just time to yourself to read a book?
   These are all good stress-busters.
6. Deep breathing
   Breathing deeply and slowly is an instant way to relax and destress.
   Sit up straight and breath into the area just below your ribcage – your diaphragm. Allow your chest to expand while you breathe in (yeah, forget holding in your tummy muscles for a few minutes!). Then allow it to gently sink as you breathe out.
   If you can do this through your nose, it’s even more effective.
7. Get creative
   Classic distraction therapy, but it works well for those who like to get active and stay busy. Go and make something. Whether it’s painting a picture, knitting and sewing, making cards or even woodwork, letting out your inner creativity helps you focus on something positive, which will reduce your stress levels.
8. Laugh your head off
   There’s good reason why they say “laughter is the best medicine“.
   Watching a funny film or TV show – or listening to one on the radio – is a great way of releasing endorphins, which are nature’s way of making us happy.
   You don’t even have to commit to watching the whole show – just 10 minutes of laughter is enough to transform your day.
9. Learn relaxation techniques
   There are so many ways to learn how to relax. And the more you practise, the easier it gets. You can learn at home, with books, deep relaxation CDs or DVDs, or join a class. Maybe you’d like to try yoga or meditation? Or perhaps Pilates? Or even martial arts? Any hobby that trains you to focus and quieten your mind will make a massive difference to your stess levels.
10. Ask For Help
    If feeling stressed out is a regular event for you, you’d be wise to ask for help.
    That might be help with the tasks that have overwhelmed you, or even asking for professional help, if things have got more serious.
    Asking for help is something we often find difficult, but those who care about you are probably longing for you to let them offer their support.
    There are no prizes for being a stress-hero. In fact, the winners are those who ask for help early on.

Applying any of these stress-busting techniques will help you relax and feel happier fast.

What are your favourite stress-busting techniques? We’d love to hear from you via the comments box!