Relaxation Tips Newsletter

I'm Candi, with Inner Health Studio. Welcome to Edition 34 of Inner Health Studio Relaxation Tips.

Did you receive this email as a forward? Click here if you would like to subscribe.

In This Issue...

Inner Health Studio Updates and News
New Relaxation Scripts
Tip of the Month: Back to School Stress

Inner Health Studio Updates and News

Relaxation classes will be starting in the fall. Classes will be offered in Red Deer, Alberta. Find out more

New Relaxation Scripts

Relaxation to Deal with Insomnia This Relaxation to Deal with Insomnia exercise, in two parts, is about dealing with sleeplessness caused by a very specific problem--worry. Overcome worry and get to sleep with this exercise.

Tip of the month: Back to School Stress

This article is featured in the September/October issue of Red Deer's Child Magazine

New routines, more responsibilities, end of summer...back to school time can be stressful. Reducing and managing this stress is key, not only for kids, but for adults, too. Here are some quick ways to adjust to the new routines and responsibilities fall brings.

Establish a routine Routines can ease stress by increasing predictability and decreasing the planning needed to get things done. Going back to school involves changes in routines, such as going to bed earlier at night and getting up early in the morning, eating breakfast and lunch at scheduled times, and planning meals ahead that can be taken to school. Not to mention homework during after school hours!

Having a routine does not mean scheduling every moment of every day, but it does mean setting up some tasks to allow them to go more smoothly. For example:
- packing lunches the evening before saves time in the morning
- regular exercise reduces stress and improves health
- morning routines save time and decrease the need for reminders - and help you and the kids leave the house on time
- bedtime routines prepare the body for sleep and can reduce conflicts about going to bed
- set aside some time each weekday evening for schoolwork to avoid piling up of homework and to practice effective study habits

Set priorities Running from task to task is stressful, and overcommitment causes more running and more stress. What is most important to you? Is your time being spent on what matters most? Each of us only has 24 hours in a day. It is impossible to „make more time.‰ The only way to find time for the things that matter is to eliminate some of the things that do not matter. And that leads to the next point...

Simplify Evaluate the importance of various activities and tasks and eliminate what you can. If you are a parent, does your child really need to be involved with three different sports? Is your child experiencing information overload from music lessons, dance lessons, swimming lessons...AND school? If you are a student, are you experiencing overload yourself?

Selecting one extracurricular activity at a time prevents overload, involves learning how to set priorities, and saves time and money.

Accept being human Remember that you do not have to do everything. Expecting yourself to do a perfect job, keep a perfect clean house, have a perfect yard, make perfect meals, drive everyone else everywhere they need to go, help the kids with homework, have time for family, and still manage to eat well, exercise, and have some time for yourself is not realistic (and not possible!).

It is okay to get help from others and to not do everything yourself. Accepting imperfection and focusing your energy where it counts most will help you be healthier and happier.

Remember to Relax Relaxation techniques can help you (and your child) adapt to change and deal with stress. Practicing deep breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or other relaxation exercises results in improved health, better concentration, and reduced stress. A daily habit of relaxing provides protection against the harmful effects of stress...so build up your resistance to stress by taking a few minutes to relax every day.

Keep it fun The end of summer does not have to mean the end of fun. After school and weekends can be time for having fun and spending time together. Maybe the weekend camping trips will have to wait until next summer - but what about one night of "camping" in the living room or roasting marshmallows over a fire in the back yard?

Get this school year off to a good start!