March 01, 2009
I'm Candi, with Inner Health Studio.
Welcome to edition 5 of Inner Health Studio Relaxation Tips.
Do you know what your early warning signs of stress are? Read on to find out how to recognize stress early and review some of the ways you can deal with the problem before it starts.
In this issue...
1. Inner Health Studio Updates and News
2. Tip of the Month: Manage Stress Before it Becomes A Problem
3. New Relaxation Scripts
4. Contact information and Archives
1. Inner Health Studio Updates and News
This month's new members only relaxation script is called "Music for Relaxation." This audio script guides you to use creative expression (visual, kinesthetic, or auditory) to respond to various styles of music to find out how the different styles impact your mood and energy level.To access this audio and other relaxation downloads, go to: http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/membersonly and use this password: relaxation
2. Tip of the Month: Manage Stress Before it Becomes A Problem
What is burnout?This is the point where stress becomes a problem. Physical and emotional reserves are exhausted, and it feels like there are no resources left to cope. Symptoms such as exhaustion, fatigue, sleep problems, and illness start to occur.
How to prevent overload:
- Deal with stress symptoms early, and handle the causes of stress soon after they occur. Develop healthy coping skills.
- Since stress is a physical response, it needs a physical release. Exercise is essential to allow your body to get rid of the stress hormones and tension that accompany the stress response. Even a little bit of exercise is sufficient to reduce the physical symptoms of stress. Walk around the block, go up a flight of stairs, etc.
- Learn more about relaxation techniques and find the ones that are effective for you. Train yourself to relax, and you will soon become skilled in controlling some of your body’s physical responses that are usually automatic.
- Use relaxation to calm yourself in the moment of stress and prevent the stress response from escalating.
- Use relaxation on a regular basis to counteract the harmful effects of stress. Do relaxation exercises whether or not you feel stressed at the time. This will improve your health and increase your resistance to stress.
- Take care of yourself physically and emotionally every day; you will have better resistance to stress and be healthier.
- It is very difficult to cope once burnout has occurred. By dealing with stress regularly (and early) it is possible to prevent burnout. It is similar to an overworked muscle – it is easier to recover if the exercise is stopped before an injury occurs. A tired muscle will probably feel better within a few days, but an injured muscle may take months to rehabilitate. Your physical and emotional states are the same way. Cope with stress before you reach stress overload.
How to recognize stress early:
- Know the common signs of stress (for example: headaches, muscle tension, stomach aches, etc)
- Become attuned to your body. How? Paying attention over a period of time – try a few days or a week, even – to the states of your mood, energy, physical and emotional state.
- Increase your awareness of the causes of stress for you. Know when there are things that need to be dealt with.
- Take note of your symptoms of stress. As you become more in tune with your body and more aware of your own stress symptoms, you can learn to identify the symptoms right away when they start to occur.
What if I have reached burnout? How can I deal with this?
Listen to the Ask Inner Health Studio podcast to find out how to deal with stress overload (part 3 of the Learn to Relax series). You can subscribe and/or listen to archived episodes here: www.innerhealthstudio.com/learn
3. New Relaxation Scripts
The following relaxation scripts have recently been added to InnerHealthStudio.com:Healing Relaxation http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/healing-relaxation.html This healing relaxation begins with passive progressive muscle relaxation, and then guides you to imagine your body healing itself.
Anchoring Relaxation http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/anchoring.html "Anchoring" is an effective way to train your body to quickly relax by making an association in your brain between a state of relaxation and touching a specific spot on your hand or wrist.
Floating on a Cloud http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/floating-on-a-cloud.html This relaxation script is a calming visualization that will guide you to imagine floating on a cloud.
Cue Words Relaxation http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/cue-words.html This cue words relaxation script will guide you to relax your body, and then further calm the mind by repeating cues to relax.
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Visit the "members only" area of innerhealthstudio.com. As a subscriber to this newsletter, you are a member! Go to: http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/membersonly and use this password: relaxation