Bring on the New Year!

On this last day of 2008 I took at look back at where I was as the year began. As far as I can tell I was declaring a love of ginger tea, experimenting with neti pots, and coming out against resolutions.
Not much has changed.

I still think ginger tea is the best possible cold remedy out there, and I have even managed to get Pete hooked. I still have my neti pot and while I am not a complete convert, I do use it from time to time. In fact, I used it just the other day. Pete, on the other hand, still refuses to try it. I guess what he wants to put up his nose is his own prerogative. huh. I definitely did not know how to spell prerogative.

But the one thing I am taking a different stance on is resolutions. Why not make them? Sure, it may be less than optimal to only think about self improvement once year, but once is better than nothing right? And who says I won't try to self improve at other times in 2009? I bet I will.

In light of the stressful times that we are in right now, and the possibility that things might get worse before they get better, my resolution is a simple one. I will remember, and say to myself out loud from time to time, "There are so many things to be happy about!" Because there are. Even when life is looking really crappy, or confusing, or sad, there is something to be happy about. For me its family and friends who I love a lot.

But your resolutions don't have to be so serious. They should just be toward the end of making you happier. And so I will leave you with the best resolution I have heard so far this year. My friend Nicole resolved to learn the Beyonce Single Ladies dance. seriously. amazing.

I couldn't find an embeddable version of the real video so I'll leave you with this instead. Arguably better anyway....

Breaks vs. Break-ups

As might be expected, a break from writing correlates strongly with a break from wellness in my life. Or at least a break from running. But I've got an excuse. In fact, I've got excuses. I won't get into them right now because they all boil down to one thing. I was busy. really really ridiculously busy.
Everyone gets busy. Everyone has times in their lives where the people they care about, or the job they do, or some combination of important things takes precedence over the quest for good health. I have three things to say about this.

1. Don't beat yourself up about it! This is medium wellness. Not uber wellness. Normal people need to take breaks from time to time.

2. In wellness, there is a difference between a break and a break-up. For example, often I will think I am just not going to run during a particularly busy week - just taking a break. But that leads to me not running for 3 months. That's a break up. With running its easy to tell the difference. If, by the time I get back to it I can't run a mile without my lungs feeling like they're going to explode, its been too long.

3. Finally, it's important to find wellness tips that fit into your already busy life without much adjustment. That way, when you totally fall off the running wagon, or find yourself partying 5 nights a week rather than sleep, or whatever, you wont give up on those little tips that have become a part of every day life - like brushing your teeth. or wearing pants. you know, things you just do.

So now that I am back, I am going to focus January 09 on those little things. Those things you can just do whether or not you are sticking to your bigger wellness projects.

Running Update and Early Rising

Summer's over and there is a lot to catch up on. First of all, my running. I kept going into July and I made it around the reservoir! I was so proud of myself that I gave myself a few days off. I know, you're expecting that I quit after that. But I didn't! At least not right away. I went back to doing my mile loop pretty regularly then I developed a severe issue. I will call it "weather justification." Rain = no run today. That one's pretty valid, I think. However heat and/or humidity also = no run today. So that pretty much ruled out running in late july and early august.

I took a solid 3 week break. I also took up trapezing (this is something I will get to later) which I counted as exercise (unfortunately I only do it once every two weeks or so).

Things have been completely hectic with work, and applying to school and planning a wedding so recently I determined that the only acceptable time to run is in the morning. It's totally logical. I, however, tend to want nothing to do with logic at 6am. Logic goes out the window. My brain and body are 100% in love with sleep. So I haven't been particularly consistent.

But the first day back was the hardest. Who knew all that progress would disappear after just 3 weeks?! But it did. Remember when I posted about my lungs feeling like they were going to explode in my very first run? I was back to that again. Totally infuriating.

So what I am working on now, is getting out of bed earlier. Not necessarily to go running, but that's great when that happens. The way I see it, if I can first just train my body to get used to waking up a little earlier, then I can phase the running in. But if I am waking up with the express purpose of running then the sleep version of me has too much motivation not to get up. We'll see how this goes...

Running

I have never been big on exercise. I get that its good for me, but going to the gym, working out for the sake of working out, I've never been able to do it. And the thing I hate most? running. Oh man, I am so not into it. And I've tried! I've tried treadmills, parks, running with people, alone, with music, podcasts, you name it. None of it makes me hate it less. And the runners high? A myth created by sneakers manufacturers. Despite all of this, about a month ago I decided to give it a try.

Here's what has happened so far:

Day 1: Buy new running shoes on a whim while accompanying Pete to get himself a new pair (Pete is one of those people who like running. He needs new shoes because he wore his out. This is not a problem I have ever experienced). Decide, upon trying on my pretty new shoes to run around the reservoir in Central Park. Only 1.6 miles. No problem. Stop running at about .9 miles. My legs feel okay, but holy cow my lungs are another story! Walk the rest of the way. Lessons learned: Baba O'Reilly (O'Riley? no idea) is not a good running song.

Day 2: Remember how I said my legs didn't feel so bad. On day 2 they feel bad. Apparently stretching the inner thighs is something important. No run today.

Day 3: New playlist, more effective stretching, reservoir here I come. Get to about the same place and experience a rather painful cramp. Pete lets me know that eating before running is another thing to avoid. I am learning so much!

Day 5: New plan. Not making it around the reservoir is not good for my self confidence. I pick a new, shorter, path. Its pretty much exactly a mile. I set out to run it, and I make it! no stops or anything!

Day 10: My new path makes me happy. I can make it a tad longer each time by starting closer to the apartment instead of in the park. I have also discovered that the songs I like to run to are the same as the songs I like for one minute dance parties. With a little bit more AC/DC mixed in.

Day 14: New lesson: 6:30pm is not the best time to run. I think that's when the marathon training groups run. Or something. Whoever they are they are mobbing the water fountains.

Day 21: Going out in the summer makes it really easy to come with excuses not to go running.

Day 23: The park is really pretty. I stretch in grass when I finish and this makes my legs itchy. maybe I should embrace nature a little less.

Day 26: "Since U Been Gone" inspires me to attempt to lengthen my run and finish it running up a hill. Hills are hard.

Day 30: Ready to try the reservoir again. Got my rocking music (although sadly not my iphone headphones which appear to be lost somewhere in the US Mail. boo.) and my positive attitude and I'm ready to go. Get about 1.25mi (I tracked my distance using runningmap.com. great site.) and I stop. Damn. Stupid reservoir straightaway. It messes with my head! I cant believe how little I had left. I walk for a little and then once I'm in the shade again I finish the loop running.


And now we're all caught up. One of these days I am going to do it. So far what I've learned is that I still don't much like running but I do love being in the park and I also like a good challenge. I'll keep you posted. Also, I would love some good running song recommendations. I am getting tired of all of my music!

The stress-relieving powers of brick walls and computer screens

Although it may be an intuitive result, the results of a University of Washington study actually refute a commonly held belief that showing people pictures of the outdoors, on a computer or TV screen in a hospital room, for example, has the same restorative powers as a window with a view of real live nature. It doesn't.
It is no secret that nature is good for people. One study mentioned in the article showed that people who have a view of trees from their window after surgery needed fewer painkillers than those patients with a view of a brick wall. There are a number of possible mechanisms but whatever the cause, the result makes sense. Staring at a brick wall might make you want painkillers even if you haven't been cut open recently.

The UW study took this research to the next logical plain. What about a real view of outside versus a picture of outside? The researchers discovered heart rate dropped back to normal faster in subjects with a real view. Subjects looking at a digital image of the view were comparable to subjects with no view at all.

The results suggest that no matter what plasma screen tv makers say, when it comes to nature, you can't beat the real thing.

And, no, I don't know if the image was in HD or not. Just go outside and get some fresh air already!

Be optimistic today

There is some new research out from the Harvard Men's Health Watch suggesting that optimists live longer and are healthier in general than pessimists.

Here are some of the results as reported on the Harvard website:

• "Optimistic coronary bypass patients were only half as likely as pessimists to require re-hospitalization.
• Highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension.
• People with positive emotions had lower blood pressures.
• In one study, the most pessimistic men were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic."

The researchers don't know what is behind these findings - whether it is a genetic predisposition towards both health and optimism, or whether pessimists experience more stress and thus the negative effects of stress hormones affect them more as well. Or perhaps optimists simply lead healthier lives. Whatever the reason, doesn't it seem like it might be worth it to try looking on the bright side.

Sure, some people might argue that a tendency towards optimism or pessimism is something so deeply ingrained in people that there is nothing to be done about it. But I think that's bull. So the next time you find yourself being negative about something going on in your life, stop. Take a minute and figure out how to view it positively. Because what good is being negative going to do for you? According to this research, not much.

Awareness

Holy cow! I did not know that April was (is) Stress Awareness Month! Luckily its still going on so I haven't completely missed it. And actually, I have been aware of stress all month but not aware of the monthly celebration. So since I clearly need to pack a whole lot of awareness into the last 3 days of the month. Starting now!!

Today's stress relieving tip is exercise to do when its raining outside. It is totally rainy and nasty here and although it may be tempting to curl up on the couch and watch 14 hours of television when you get home from work, that is not a good stress reliever! Exercise on the other hand, is an excellent way to reduce stress. But when it's gross out there are still things you can do without leaving the comfort of your own home (If you have your own gym, which I don't, unless you count the portable bike pedals Pete bought, this is even easier and you don't need me to tell you, just go home and get some exercise!). Here is a quick example.

This is one that looks easy but totally works your stomach. And since its especially important to have a strong core its an especially good one. Its called boat pose. And you want to look just like the guy in the picture above. Legs in the air, arms out straight, and back straight, too. And then hold it. Until you don't think you can hold it any more. And then hold it some more.

Next, do 20 push-ups. Make sure your back is straight (you can do them on your knees if you want to) and that you are going all the way down. Chest to the floor!

Now take a break.

Now do boat pose again.

Now more push-ups.

And now you've done some exercise! Its good for you. I hope you feel sore tomorrow. Happy end of stress awareness month!

Dancing on Tuesday

This week's one minute dance party song is especially good if you happen to being dealing with relationship stress. But even if you're not, it's also really good for general release of anger and for jumping around.

Stress and Cholesterol: The Link No One Talks About

I remember when I first learned that stress could lead to higher levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. I read about it in Robert Sapolsky's book (which I have recommended before and continue to think very highly of), Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers. I then promptly forgot all about it. Many of the negative health consequences of stress are highly publicized. That stress can lead to increased blood pressure, head and back aches, stomach trouble, and, most recently in the news, heart attacks, is understood and accepted by most people you meet. But if you were to stop folks on the street and ask them, "Can stress lead to high cholesterol?" I bet a whole bunch of them would say no. If you left the question even more open "What can you do to improve your cholesterol?" I bet the top 3 answers would be eat healthy, exercise, and, of course, take medication. Maybe a few people would suggest reducing stress but I imagine they would be the exception to the rule.

And yet, it would be a totally valid and correct answer. Much research has shown that high stress is linked to high cholesterol. One study showed that people who get less stressed out in stressful situations tend to have less of an increase in LDL as they get older as compared to people who exhibit higher levels of stress. And another study showed that coping effectively with stress actually helps to raise levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL), which, according to the American Heart Association, can actually help protect your heart if it is above a certain level.

Both of these studies were published a while ago now, and for whatever reason the link between stress and cholesterol seems not to have gotten as much attention as other stress health links. But given the amount of money spent on cholesterol lowering meds ($19.5 billion - yup billion - in 2006 according to this article) I am inclined to think that high cholesterol is a widespread issue, and the link between stress and cholesterol deserves some attention.

Hula while you work?

Oh my goodness. I have just discovered the most amazing thing. I am pretty sure this is not a joke. And although I try not to post about things I haven't tried myself, I think its clear that this is worth making the exception. It may make you look ridiculous, but if it works, wonderful!



You can order a Hawaii Chair here.

Meditation Emails

A couple of weeks ago my friend Kristen and I decided that we both needed to start meditating. But given that we are both busy and easily distracted people we needed something to keep motivated. So we determined that we would email each other each day our meditation experiences. Just a sentence or two; it would be like a journal of how meditation is going while also acting as a helpful motivating factor. Here's how it went.

Day 1: I meditated for 15 minutes in the morning. It felt good. Until I had a violent fit of coughing at the end. That part wasn't so fun. I am not advanced enough to know how to cough and meditate at the same time.

Kristen attempts meditation lying down. Falls asleep.

Day 2: My mind wandered a lot but I found that I was able to let go of all the thoughts that came through my mind. Even stressful ones. I have chosen to focus on my breathing as I meditate. this is working ok for me. Except at the end of the 15 minutes I am definitely antsy.

Kristen is antsy, too. She is thinking maybe a mantra will work better for her than just focusing on breathing. I say go for it. Whatever works.

On day 2, after Kristen suggests doing Balinese smiling meditation, we discover we have both just read Eat Pray Love which is why we are both so inspired to meditate. We are also both totally embarrassed to have liked the book in the first place.

Day 3: the weekend. I completely forget to meditate. Because you know what is even nicer than meditating in the morning? sleeping in.

Kristen I believe gives it one more go but that is the last I heard of it. There is no Day 4.
But I haven't given up! Although we failed at implementing it the first time around, I don't think its a bad idea. I am starting again tomorrow. A new day 1. A new email journal. I'll keep you posted on our progress...

Healthy Toes

The other day a product called HealthyToes randomly came into my life. I will do my best to describe it. It is a rubbery flexible piece of plastic with 5 holes, one for each of your toes. You stick your toes in between the toe separators and it stretches your feet. So you basically just wear one on each foot until the stretch stops feeling good. Then you take them off. I have to say, I find them kind of amazing. It is a completely new stretch for the feet! And I think for the most part feet get neglected in the world of stretching. Well not any more.

They come in 2 sizes and from looking at them I imagine they would feet practically all feet. And for the busy, stressed out individual, you can wear them on your feet while sitting at your desk working. perfect for the multi-tasker in you!

Unfortunately, as I mentioned, they just sort of fell into my life. I have no idea where to buy them, and the website, www.healthytoes.com, is not much help. So if anyone can find them in a store, let me know! I want to give them to people as presents! My sister once told me that if you're having a bad day, you should check to see if your shoes fit. In other words, if your feet aren't happy, you aren't either. This little tool will help take your feet in the right direction.

9 to 5

I'm back from a little blogging sabbatical and also back is the One Minute Dance Party!!

Take a little break. Seriously! Get up from your desk. I have just the song for it. Enjoy!

Gubernatorial Stress

Even though its Tuesday, and that's usually a day to discuss work stress, I think today it is worth it to stray from the plan and discuss stress as it pertains to New York's very own Client #9. It's clear that stress is everywhere in this story. Imagine how stressful it must be to get caught patronizing a high end prostitution ring, especially when you're governor of NY. Now he must be feeling the stress of deciding whether or not to resign, wondering if and how legal action will be taken against him, and of course there is the stress on his wife and kids. This must be incredibly rough for them. I spose it's even possible that stress is what lead to him to do what he did. All $4300 dollars worth of it.

So what can we learn here (aside from the obvious)?
If things get really bad, as they do from time to time (but it is more likely to if you are dumb enough to do what he did. I mean come on. seriously? wtf?), go back to basics. Remember to breathe. And take it from there. Things tend to get easier with time.

Decisions

At dinner recently my parents called to my attention an article in the New York Times from last week. In it, an experiment is described, the results of which prove that it is better to make a decision than to keep one's options open.

You can read it in detail here, but if you don't feel so inclined, I will try to sum up. Basically, the study asked people to pick between 3 doors on a computer screen. Behind each door was a different amount of money which the subject would get by clicking the number (they really did get paid). The amount changes after each click but it is possible to determine which door has the highest yield by clicking on all 3. The optimal strategy is to figure out what door wins you the most money and then stick with it. But that is not what people do. They go back to the other doors. They leave their options open even though they are the poorer for it.

The moral of the story is, make up your mind! You'll be better off. But for me, and a whole bunch of other people it sounds like, this is easier said than done. Because what if I make the wrong choice? I would much rather put off deciding until the last possible moment just in case some new information comes to light.

When I think about it though, I realize that not deciding is a stressful strategy. By leaving one's options open, the need to make a decision is always on the table. Therefore, if you're me, you continue thinking about it, worrying about which way to go until the very last second. Even if you know the chances are good that nothing will change if you make up your mind a little earlier, you can't stand to pick one because seeing that other door close will be too hard. Ugh. I totally hate making decisions.

The relaxing strategy is the non-intuitive one. Just pick something. And perhaps the freedom from the stress of deciding is the equivalent of the real money behind door #3.

The headphones that save my morning

Happy Tuesday. In a true test of Less Stress in the Office Day, today I had the most appalling commute ever. Had to get off an express train and onto a local for a sick passenger, local train went to stops and then stopped with a broken door. Stop in a tunnel due to "train traffic" for 5 or so minutes, then have to wait for 3 more express trains to go by before getting on one. Nothing like spending an hour of your morning rubbing up against a whole bunch of angry new yorkers. It's a special experience.

Aside from the relief I felt at finally getting off at my stop I think the key to dealing with the whole situation was my headphones. I had my music going the whole time. This had the helpful effect of allowing me to feel like I was somewhere else (i.e. not smushed between the really really tall guy and the guy whose dog was flipping out). So I got to work feeling totally cheery (probably to an annoying extent).

Even though music on the commute isn't technically an office stress reducer, it can help you arrive to the office in a pleasant mood. And starting the day out right- just like breakfast, or doing your breathing in traffic, or getting enough sleep- is a powerful stress reducer.

Leap Year

Its February 29th, a date that only comes along every 4 years. In honor of Leap Year (which isn't a holiday but kind of feels like it should be. I'm surprised hallmark hasn't gotten on that) today's post is all about the top 4 things (only 4 because its every 4 years that it happens. and because short lists are more readable) you can do with your extra day this year, to make your life a little less stressful.

1. Go some place beautiful for the day. Like to the park.
2. Take a nap. Take a couple! Naps are awesome.
3. Read a good book. While the stress relieving properties of this have not been specifically proven, to my knowledge, I am pretty sure it's effective. However, it is important not to substitute "good book" with "bad book." Boring books are ok (see number 2).
4. Stay hydrated. Remember to breathe. And take the stairs.

Happy Leap Day!

Something you absolutely do not want to do

Sorry, I missed Tuesday yesterday. I hope you had a Less Stress in the Office Day all the same. Today's tip is particularly helpful with office stress, but it doesn't stop there. So I think it is perfectly appropriate for a Wednesday. Here it is: do something you don't want to do. More specifically do something you have to do that you don't want to do. Put another way, don't procrastinate.

For example, I got in to work this morning to discover on my voicemail a message from a very angry man. He wasn't so much angry at me as angry in general (he made a point of saying that before getting on with his rant), but it was clear I was going to be the person who got to hear about it (and I did hear quite a bit about it in his 5 minute long message). Anyway, I am sure there are people out there who relish a good angry confrontation from time to time, but I am really not one of them. Confrontation is pretty much the thing I am worst at. But I had to call him back.

The way I see it, I had two options. One: call him back right away and get it over with. Or two: Put it off (and let the thought of the various ways our conversation could go linger in the back of mind all day while I actively tried not the think about it).

I tried option 2 for about 10 minutes but then decided to just call him. And, big surprise, I was very happy I did. As it turned out the whole thing went quite well and was nothing to be apprehensive about to begin with. But even if it had gone terribly, I would still have gotten it over with. And that's where the stress relief is at. It is so tempting to not do things we don't want to do. For obvious reasons. But the next time you have to do some dreadfully boring or dreadfully unfun or dreadfully dreadful thing at work, or at home, or anywhere for that matter, try just doing it. It's very old school Nike. And if you are like me it will relieve you of whatever stress the dreaded task was causing.

Walk more

I've posted about walking before. But it's such a good one I think it bears repeating. This time I am talking about walking not from the exercise perspective (although it is a lovely and convenient way to get exercise), but from the general overall feelings of energy and goodness perspective.

This weekend was rough for me. I got into town on a redeye on Saturday morning (I don't know why I do redeyes. In fact, this post should really just be about how one should avoid redeyes. They are awful. Consider it posted.) I slept for a few hours, got up, bustled about town to get ready for an event Saturday evening, and proceeded to go out until 3am-ish. Like you do. Needless to say I did not feel awesome when I woke up on Sunday. I spent most of the morning lying around without the energy to do anything productive. Even the food channel and golf weren't cheering me up. But it was a beautiful sunny day and eventually Pete convinced me to go for a walk around the reservoir. I was reluctant because I was so tired, but I went along with it. It made all the difference. When we got back I felt happier and more energetic and significantly less like a waste of space. It's so simple, but getting outside and getting fresh air does the trick every time.

I'm not sure why it works so well but try going for a walk next time you are feeling lethargic, tired, mopey, moody, or all of the above. Even though the couch might feel awesome (and in the case of my couch, it really is awesome. Seriously.), it's not a long term solution. The hardest part is getting your shoes on. From there on out its easy as pie.

A note on working too hard

Note: I have not confirmed that this is actually from the NYTimes. But even if its not true, the lesson is a good one. Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for passing it along, Dad!

Cultivating Love

It seems appropriate to talk about love on Valentine's Day so that's what I'm doing. I don't mean the kind of love they talk about on Hallmark cards, or rather, not that kind of love exclusively.

Let me explain.

Yesterday an older man came into my workplace with a question I knew the answer to. He didn't have an appointment and I was in the middle of something else, so I heaved a sigh filled with some mixture of self-pity and self-righteousness and went and had a seat with him. His question was a relatively easy one and he was a nice man. We were done with our meeting quickly. I said nice to meet you and shook his hand and headed back to my office. But he wasn't done talking yet. He wanted to talk about Stress. I could feel my eyes start to glaze over as I nodded politely. I talk about stress a lot. I needed to get back to work. But then he said something that got me. He said, "when you really get rid of all your stress it is an amazing feeling. People who are truly free of stress are amazingly happy and full of love."

Holy crap. He was right. Here I was getting annoyed at a perfectly nice man who was only taking up about 5 minutes of my time. Is my time really that precious? Am I really too important or too rushed or too stressed to listen? I'm so not. So I unglazed my eyes and smiled and listened. It felt awesome. Love feels so much nicer than impatience.

I wish I could claim that I am entirely free of stress - that I have let it all go and I am full of only pure love. But I am clearly not. Even on V-Day. But I'm working on it. Its amazing what a difference it made just to remember that for a second. I went back into my office, put my feet up on my desk, and did my breathing for 10 minutes.

So in celebration of Valentine's Day, today's stress relief tip is to remember how nice love feels. Not necessarily love for a significant other, but love for everything. Love for the person who is sitting appallingly close to you on the subway. And love for the mittens that are keeping your hands warm when its super cold out. Love for the cold!

Happy St. Valentine's Day and thank you to the stranger who walked into my office and reminded me to cultivate love.

While I'm on the subject...

Another food related stress tip. Eat breakfast!

Here's a little breakfast related story. When I was younger, when stress was just something I had heard about on TV, I used to not be much of a fan of breakfast. I had to get up early for school and didn't have much of an appetite. But that didn't matter to my Dad. He would not let me leave the house in the morning until I had eaten something. Something with protein. So at the very least I always started the day with a nutrigrain bar and a glass of milk in my stomach (the milk was the protein. The nutrigrain was just filler). Let me tell you, I thought this was the worst thing ever. Being forced to eat breakfast. It was a travesty. But then something strange happened. I went to college and I kept eating breakfast (except for freshman year when I took advantage of the whole sleeping till noon every day thing). And now if I skip it it has a noticeable effect. For one thing, I am hungry by 10:30. But eating breakfast also helps me be more productive and generally smarter in those morning hours. Go figure.

So have a banana and a coffee. Or an omelet. Or a smoothie. Or leftover lasagna (my personal favorite). Or have a glass of milk and a nutrigrain bar if you don't have time for anything else. It will improve your day.

Hello!

Today in the the "What's News" section of the wall street journal they state that "An autopsy study of younger adults who died from unnatural causes found many had clogged arteries, suggesting that heart disease may be on the rise." Scary, huh?

But today is Tuesday! What on earth does this have to do with Less Stress in the Office Day?! I will tell you. Stress and food go together a lot of the time (of course there are the people who react to stress by not eating at all, but we'll save that for another day. That's not healthy either, though, just fyi). When you're stressed out not only is it hard to make time to make healthy food, but it is also easy to justify unhealthy food. For example, "I am having a crappy day so I should probably get myself a cheeseburger and fried for lunch. I deserve it." You do deserve it! Don't get me wrong, I love the french fry. But if that little justification becomes an every day thing you end up with the clogged arteries mentioned above.

So when your office is convincing you that you have been working really hard and ought to reward yourself with Wendy's just remember your arteries. They need a break from working hard from time to time too. So reward yourself with something a smidge healthier. Like a sandwich that doesn't have anything fried on it!

Note: I found that picture of fries on a website that suggests it as a desktop background. I don't know. To me that just doesn't seem right.

Have a Zen(ner than usual) Superbowl

Since its Superbowl weekend and all it seems only fitting that the New England Journal of Medicine would come out with a study detailing the dangers of stress in sports fans. Yup, that's right. Getting too pumped about your team could have dangerous consequences.

Technically, the study was looking at a different kind of football fans (the soccer kind), but I think its safe to say that people in homes around the US on Sunday will be getting just as riled up as World Cup fans do. And that, it turns out, can be dangerous for your heart. The study showed that viewing a stressful soccer match significantly increased the risk of a "cardiovascular event" - i.e. heart attack.

So if you're lucky, you really couldn't care less about the Pats or the Giants. But all you northeasterners be careful! Remember to breathe every once in a while as you're screaming at the TV.

Stress at work

Since Tuesday is "less stress in the office day" around here, there is some pertinent research worth bringing up.

Recently a new report has been all over the news, a study done in the UK looking at workplace stress in over 10,000 white collar workers between the ages of 35 and 55. Data were collected over 15 years and one of the measures of health that the researchers tracked was the incidence of heart disease. Results overwhelmingly showed that those workers who experienced high levels of stress at work were more likely to develop heart problems than those who were not under stress. People under the age of 50 and stressed at work were especially at risk. High levels of stress were related to lower heart rate variability and vagal tone as well.

This study dramatically highlights the connection between stress, heart health and mortality.

The obvious next step is to address and reduce work stress. Unfortunately, often this is easier said than done. While relaxation outside of work is one important tool for avoiding stress, it is also important to deal with the root causes of stress within the office. Some main reasons for chronic workplace stress.

I recently came across this article discussing the stress inherent in being a cancer registrar. While I don’t know a thing about what it is like to work in that profession, the causes for work place stress that she lists are present in many office environments. Here is her list:

Unclear Job Duties

Poor Work Environment

Lack of Credit

Poor Salary

Change in Requirements

Lack of Support System

The one thing she doesn’t touch on is one that I think is most important, and that is lack of communication. If you don't have the lines of communication open with your coworkers and supervisors it will add to your stress and impede you from handling the various issues listed above. In contrast, if you can openly communicate about troubles you are facing at work – whether it is insufficient salary or an uncomfortable work environment – you will be able to take steps to solve these problems. Without communication problems fester, nothing gets resolved, and as it turns out, the stress that results leads to nasty health consequences down the road.

Doing the dishes

Is it bad that dishes stress me out? They totally do. I live in an nyc apartment with a tiny sink and a tiny dishwasher and Pete and I produce dishes at a remarkable rate (this is due to a healthy love of food which is a wonderful thing).

But dishes infuriate me. This is mostly because we don't much care for washing them, but I also don't care for there being piles of them in the sink. So you see my dilemma. And other than switching to disposable plates and utensils (which just seems downright wasteful), there is no good solution. But clearly I need to do something to curb my frustration upon arriving home from work to discover that the dishes I left in the sink when I left in the morning are still there!! ugh.

So recently I adopted a new strategy. It is called, do the dishes immediately. After reasoning with myself and coming to the conclusion that the dishes would certainly have to get done eventually and at no time will it become a fun or exciting activity, I decided that I might as well get it over with. And that Pete might as well, too.

So that's what we are trying to do now. I am not very good at it yet (old habits die hard), but I'm improving. And I am finding that it is a lovely stress reducer - not the dish washing itself, but the feeling I get when I walk into the apartment and the sink is empty. It's a happy feeling. I recommend it.

Yes, it's little. And yes, this post might make me sound sort of anal retentive. But I don't mind. And if its not dishes its something. The moral of this story is little things can make a difference. And now for a song that sort of makes the same point but in a completely different and non stress or wellness related context.

Would you kids turn it down!!

The classic parental request in response to painfully loud music is actually being taken to a new level in Cairo where Independent Online reports that the noise pollution from the non-stop activity in the city actually has affects similar to those seen in chronic stress. Probably because being exposed to very loud noise over an extended period of time is a stressor in and of itself.

The noise level in Cairo is reported to sometimes reach 90db before 8am. Noise pollution is defined as 85db or higher for at least 8 hours straight. For a frame of reference (from the American Speech Language Hearing Association)

30 dB = whisper, quiet library

50 dB = moderate rainfall

60 dB = conversation, dishwasher

70 dB = busy traffic, vacuum cleaner

80 dB = alarm clock, busy street

90 dB = lawnmower, truck traffic, subway

100 dB = snowmobile, chain saw

110 dB = rock music

130 dB = jackhammer

140 dB = firearms, air raid siren, jet engine

150 dB = rock music peak

Therefore, what they’re saying, I think, is that being in Cairo is as loud as being on a subway platform when the train is coming in… all day. Wow. I can understand why that would be stressful. Of course, if you can go inside and shut the window, that would certainly help shut out some noise. But for people who work all day outside in the city the noise can be quite dangerous. In fact, research has shown that people who are consistently exposed to noise levels of 85db or higher have higher blood pressure than those who are not.

So it turns out noise pollution isn’t just the term your mother used to use to describe your taste in music. It’s a serious problem. It’s also especially hard to regulate. However, while we anxiously await the invention of the silent jackhammer, my recommendation for those affected is ear plugs. They’re simple. They’re cheap. And they come in many lovely colors. The one’s they have at NASCAR races are particularly good because they are attached to one another on a string so there’s no risk of anything getting lodged in there. And getting things stuck in your ears is never fun at all.

Another option...

for dealing with stress at work:

Mental Health Days

I remember the first time the concept of a "mental health day" was introduced to me. It was back in high school and it was the cool thing to do. "I am not coming in tomorrow. I'm taking a mental health day." Subtitle: "I'm not sick but my parents are letting me stay home anyway (Awesome, Dude!!)." Not to say that there weren't some serious mental health issues being dealt with by a number of kids at my school, there were, but, for the most part, that was secondary to the sheer pleasure of playing hooky. Little did we know how smart we actually were. We were 17 year old wellness gurus.

As I sit here in my pjs enjoying a day off and the luxury of doing pretty much nothing I am reminded of those mental health days and how important they actually are. But its tough to actually take them, right? I mean, even if you are blessed with a relaxed work environment and a boss who actually cares whether or not you are too stressed to function, its really hard to just let it all go. I don't know why this is. Maybe its a fear of accepting that everything will work just fine without you (and by you, I mean the general you. not you, the reader, in particular) there, or maybe you don't really think you need it - you're not stressed enough yet - or maybe you think it will be perceived as weakness. I don't know. Maybe its not anything pathological or subconscious. Maybe you just have shit to get done.

The point is, ignore those excuses. Mental health days are good for you. It's good for you to have a day of unplanned hours, a day away from work that isn't a weekend day (because those get used up and overplanned and there just aren't enough of them), a day for catching up on sleep, law and order reruns, emails, toenail clipping, whatever you want! That's the whole point.

So anyway, take a tip from my 17 year old self and my 17 year old friends and do it one of these days. We were smart cookies. And in case you need a reminder, too much stress is bad for you.

Seeing the Doctor

When was the last time you had a check-up? over a year ago? over two? It doesn't take long to do it. Just pick up the phone and schedule a check-up. Then its on your calendar and you have to go.

Reasons why this is a good idea:
1. Because your doctor can make sure everything is looking good and healthy. And if there is some underlying problem you aren't yet aware of, your doctor can help you deal with it. It's better to know.
2. Because waiting until you know something is not right is a bad idea. And don't try to tell me it isn't because that's just not true.
3. Because the week before the appointment you will do a little healthy living cramming (just like the week before the dentist appointment), and hey, a week of healthy living is better than nothing.
4. Because doing things to improve your health (like seeing your gp) will improve your stress level by proxy. And because unseen impact of stress on your body and mind is something that's worth checking up on from time to time.

Once you go, don't be afraid to ask questions. And don't be afraid to tell the truth. You can't expect the best treatment from your doctor if you aren't willing to give them all the information about your current lifestyle and habits.

Note: If you have gotten a check-up recently, good job!

Email Organization

I am having Tuesday early this week because I wont be in the office tomorrow. So today is the day for an office stress reducing tip. Don't let your email control you.

One way to do this is to set up folders so that emails with certain subjects, or from certain people go directly into folders where you can comfortably ignore them until you are ready to see what they say.

Another possibility is to use your autoresponder. Most people use this when they go on vacation to explain why their response is delayed, but who says vacation is the only time to use the autoresponse? Just today I sent an email and got an autoresponder telling me "I won't be able to get to your email right away. I will respond as soon as I get the chance." Or something like that The point is, she didn't say she was out of the office, just let me know not to expect a 1 hr turnaround time. And that's fine. My expectations were managed and, hopefully, freedom from email gave my colleague a little freedom from stress as well. Not to mention some free time to actually get work done.

Of course, you cant ignore email forever (well, I guess you could but its probably not a good way to keep your job). So fit it into your day by setting aside a couple times when you will sit down and focus only on answering emails.

Fast Food

I got a little bit mocked for the topic of yesterday's post. Apparently "living in the moment" seems a little flaky to some people. While I stand behind my recommendation to attempt to live in the now, I also kind of cringe when I hear myself using the phrase "the now." So today I'm back to something a little more concrete.

This website, shortorder.tv, is focused entirely on fast healthy meals for one. It's pretty awesome. The hostess of the show, Aparna, cooks every meal she recommends on video in 3 minutes or less. Sometimes I am pretty sure she's going to make it, but she always does. 3 minutes is less time than it takes to order delivery food sometimes. And everything she cooks is healthy. And often vegetarian, in case you wondered. Needless to say, I can't say the same for "U Like" Chinese food around the corner from my apartment (although I do give them props for a very creative name and delicious fried dumplings).

In addition to fast, easy, and good for you recipes, the website also has articles on healthy eating in you're interested.

Note: this one was also inspired by my big sister who was the person who sent me this site. Two posts in one week, Anna! Strong work.

Another note: there is no way I could cook these meals in 3 minutes because I am a very slow chopper. But even if it takes 6 minutes, that's still really fast. And healthy!

The Buddha Board

For Christmas my niece and nephew got a gift called Aquadoodle. It's as awesome as it sounds. It comes with a marker that fills up with water, and a blank canvas. When you draw on the canvas with the water marker, whatever you are drawing appears. When the water dries the picture fades and goes away leaving you with a blank canvas again. For kids its fun because drawing is fun and its cool that you get to do it over and over. Its new every time. For parents its lovely because kids can draw on anything with that water marker and never stain a thing. Its even good for the eco-conscious! No wasted paper, just one self-cleaning mat. Very low carbon footprint.

What was most entertaining about the Aquadoodle to me, however, was that I got one, too. From my sister. But when you give an Aquadoodle to an grown-up you have to dress it up in grown-up clothing. The Aquadoodle for adults is better known as the "Buddha Board" but the idea is the same. You paint on a board with water and your image remains for a few minutes and then disappears as the water dries. Its all about living in the moment. And while three year olds do it effortlessly, grown-ups sometimes need help. That's the Buddha Board's job.

So that is what today is about. Appreciating now. If you see something really beautiful, instead of saying, "Oh my gosh! I have got to come back here and see this again!" enjoy seeing it now. Don't worry about getting your camera to ensure you can look at it in the future. Look at it now. And let that be enough.

Obviously, it's easier said than done. I am not suggesting that its possible to declare "I am living in the moment from here on out. Thank you." and have it be true. That said, a lot of stress can come from worrying about the future and dwelling on the past, so letting go of it from time to time and reminding yourself to focus on now, is a good idea. If I figure out some good ways to do it I will for sure write about them. But for now, painting with water seems like a good way to start.

Stress in the News

Yesterday in the news was a particularly sad example of the harmful effects of stress. Apparently people who exhibited acute PTSD-like symptoms soon after the 9/11 attacks were more likely to also experience heart problems later on. As Reuters reported:

"Even after the researchers allowed for the study participants' mental and cardiovascular health before the attacks, people who reported acute stress responses were 53 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure or other heart-related ailment in the following three years."

The link between stress and heart problems is not a new one. It has been well documented but is sometimes taken for granted. This study highlights how real the connection is and how seriously stress should be taken.

A Radical Idea

Its Tuesday and today's Less Stress in the Office tip is turn off your computer! I know. It's crazy. But as a wise man once said, it just might be crazy enough to work. Giving your eyes a break from staring at that screen will be good for them. And the rest of you might appreciate it as well.

I don't mean turn off your computer for a whole day. That would just be silly. But turn it off for 30 minutes. Or the time it takes you to do some non-computer related task.

Sure there are some jobs which don't allow for this sort of thing. And if that's your excuse I accept it. Go outside for 10 minutes instead (if you live in nyc or the northeast in general that is an especially good idea today. Its gorgeous out!). But plenty of jobs do. You have things to do which don't involve your computer. Maybe you have to edit a document. or clean your desk. Or make a bunch of phone calls. I don't much care what it is. Just try taking a break from the computer screen.

And no cheating! This means you can't say "Oh! good idea! but I will just leave my computer on and not look at it while I do this other thing." The power of the pc is too great. You will hear that little email ding and you wont be able to resist. So just turn it off. It will still be there when you come back in 30 minutes. But in the mean time I think you will have added to your productivity and your peace of mind.

Happy New Year! and an experiment...

I know, I'm about a week late but I have been on vacation and avoiding computers like nobody's business. By the way, vacation, definitely a stress reducer. I highly recommend. And if you happen to be someone's boss, encourage them to use their vacation days. Boss them. Everyone needs to go on vacation sometimes. And sometimes people need to be told.

So anyway, stress relief in 2008. A new year always has this great hope surrounding it. Somehow it feels like a clean slate. The tendency is to make all sorts of promises to ourselves about how we will improve ourselves and our lives this year. And thats great. But a lot of pressure too, don't you think?
So no new years resolutions here. I am going to stick to one small thing at a time. Somehow it seems more manageable. And today that small thing is the nose bidet. Seriously.

When I last wrote I was sick and my friend Kristen recommended this unusual trick, nasal irrigation. Or, in a nutshell, holding your breath and squirting tepid salt water up one nostril so it comes out the other. Sounds lovely, right? But what could be more lovely than not having a congested head of sinus headaches?

Anyway, I didnt get a chance to do it because I didn't have anything around the house that was the right shape and size for squirting water up my nose. but now my cold is mostly gone and I have that leftover stuffiness. You know, the stuff that lingers long after your other symptoms have gone. I think I nose bidet is exactly what I need. I will do it tonight and report back.

You can buy a neti pot at the local drug store or if you have a little tea pot handy, that should do the trick. It lets you clear your head, quite literally. If you're curious, there are plenty of youtube videos demonstrating proper techniques.

Wish me luck!