Caregiving and stress go hand in hand.  Stress can have so much negative impact in the body and brain, it’s important for us to learn how to manage the stress in our lives so we can relax. 

Hang onto that idea for a minute before we get started…we are focusing here on managing stress, not eliminating it.  Thriughout our lives, bad things will happen. Things we don’t understand will happen.  Things we don’t agree with will happen.  Many of those things will happen out of our control—but—we do have the power to control our reactions to those things.  

When something upsetting happens, what are you gonna do about it?  Figuring out a plan that includes positive, healthy stress relief techniques allows you to manage you stress in a powerful way. 

Every Tuesday, I’ll share a new 10 Minute Take Care Tip with you to help you to be able to care for youself while taking care of others. This week’s is from my book, Take Care Tips, and it’s a good one to have handy this week when tax time tension my be building up.  Take a little break and recharge with self massage. 

Rubbing your muscles increases blood flow and helps to releive muscle tension.  It’s a great way to boost your energy, too.  Although a professional massage is most therapeutic, you can enjoy some of the same relaxing benefits with these simple techniques you can do at home: 

• For sore shoulders, stretch one arm across the front of you body, reach the opposite hand up and firmly rub the muscle aove your shoulder blade.  Switch sides and repeat.  Finish with giving yourself a big hug (I know it sounds cheesy, but it helps)! Cross your arms in front and grab the opposite shoulders.  Squeeze and releases a few times and feel the tension melt away.
• Stress can make it hard for us to digest our food.  To help with diegestion after a meal, place your palm on your belly and slowly rub in a clockwise mostion.  That’s the direction that food travels through your intestine.  Help it along with this simple circular rub.
• For the feet, put some golf balls in a box that will fit at least one of your feet in it.  Treat your feet by slipping off your shoes and placing your foot in the box, apply a little pressure, and rub them over the golf balls.  This is a good tip to share with the one you’re caring for as well.  It’s rooted in reflexology.  This motion touches pressure points on your feet that open up positive energy flow throughout your body and brain. 

These tips go over well in a corporate setting.  I know several executives who keep a plastic shoe box with golf balls under their desks!

I love hearing your comments.  Please leave them, as well as any stress relief tips you’d like to share below.

j.