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Steps
to A Good Night's Rest
1.
Allow one hour before bedtime for a relaxing activity. Watching the news or
answering e-mails does not count! Better choices are reading or listening
to soft music. As for sex...well, some people say it just wakes them up and
they have trouble sleeping afterward. So factor this into the timing of
your bedtime routine
2.
If your mind is relaxed but your body is tense, do some low-intensity
stretches and exercises to relax your muscles, especially those in your
upper body, neck, and shoulders. Before you get into bed, use light weights
(3 to
5 pounds
for women, 5 to
10 pounds
for men) to calmly exercise these muscles. Do one set of 8 to 10
repetitions of a basic exercise for each upper body muscle. We call this
"automassage."
3.
Allow at least three hours between dinner and bedtime. The brain does not
sleep well on a full stomach. If you know that you have a busy day planned
the following day, have your big meal at lunchtime and a lighter meal as
early as possible in the evening. If you find you are still hungry before
bedtime, try one of the many protein-enriched power bars (without chocolate)
for your bedtime snack.
Eliminated
Stress
- Eliminate
as many sources of stress as you can. For example, if crowds bother you,
go to the supermarket when you know the lines won't be too long. Try
renting videotapes rather than going to crowded movie theaters. Clear up
the clutter in your life by giving away or throwing away the things that
get in your way. A garage sale is one effective way to do this.
-
If
you are always running late, sit down with a pencil and paper and see
how you are actually allotting your time. Say it takes you 40 minutes to
get to work. Are you leaving your house on time? You may be able to
solve your problem (and de-stress your life a bit) just by being
realistic. If you can't find the time for all the activities that are
important to you, maybe you are trying to do too much. Again, make a
list of what you do during the day and how much each activity takes. Then
cut back.
-
Avoid
predictably stressful situations. If a certain sport or game makes you
tense (whether it's tennis or bridge), decline the invitation to play.
After all, the point of these activities is to have a good time. If you
know you won't, there's no reason to play.
-
If
you can't remove the stress, remove yourself. Slip away once in a while
for some private time. These quiet moments may give you a fresh
perspective on your problems. Avoid stressful people. For example, if
you don't get along with your father-in-law but you don't want to make
an issue of it, invite other in-laws at the same time you invite him.
Having other people around will absorb some of the pressure you would
normally feel.
-
Competing
with others, whether in accomplishments, appearance, or possessions, is
an avoidable source of stress. You might know people who do all they can
to provoke envy in others. While it may seem easy to say you should be
satisfied with what you have, it's the truth. Stress
from this kind of jealousy is self-inflicted.
-
Laborsaving
devices, such as cellular phones or computer hookups, often encourage us
to cram too many activities into each day. Before you buy new equipment,
be sure that it will really improve your life. Be aware that taking care
of equipment and getting it repaired can be stressful.
Źródło:
www.rd.com, www.wikipedia.org
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