TOP HOME REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN

Most you might have experienced dull and constant pain in the lower back or sudden pain below the shoulder. This is considered as the back pain. This is a very common problem and most of people will suffer from the back pain at least once in their life time. It can affect people of any age but are common in adults above forty years of age. Back pain can disrupt the quality of your life as they prevent you from work, exercise or in some cases even moving around.  It is not possible to ignore the pain and it needs immediate treatment. It is necessary to understand the underlying problem and one should create lifestyle changes to ease the problem.

Top Home Remedies For Back Pain 

Get Moving 
Do not lie down for long periods. This will make the back pain worse and movements difficult. Try to rest with your back arched using a pillow under your knees. Do not lie on your stomach as this may result in neck pain.

Cold And Hot Compress
If you have injured your back, getting hot and cold compression can ease off the pain.  Try to do the hot and cold compression within 24 hours of injuring the back. Do not apply ice directly to the affected area. Apply a cold pack for about 20 minutes and alternate it with hot compress to relax the muscles.

Soak In Hot Bath 
If you are suffering from back pain for more than 24 hours, you can opt for soaking your back in a hot bath.  Ice will not provide the relief more than 24 hours after the injury occurred.  It is necessary to soak the back in the hot bath for at least 20 minutes to get relief.  Do not sit in the hot bath for too long this can increase your body temperature.

Practice Relaxation Techniques
Tension in the muscles is a cause of pain. Tension can occur due to physical stress as well as mental stress. Try to practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing or minor yoga exercises can relieve the pain. Do not go for strenuous yoga exercises.

Use Cushions To Support Your Back
When you have to sit for a long time, use cushion to support your back. Most of the chairs do not provide the right support to your lower back. Sitting at an angle of 1100 will provide the right support to your back. Take breaks in between if you have to sit for long hours.

Swimming
This is one of the best home remedies for back pain. Swimming do not cause strain to the back muscles. Water will be supporting your body, so that the movements are easier when you are in the water.

Shed The Extra Pounds
If you are overweight, the extra weight causes stress on the body. This leads to back pain. Balancing the weight in the belly region put pressure on the back muscles. Bring your BMI under control by opting for a good diet plan. You will see that when your weight reduces, the pain will also disappear.

Sleep In The Right Position
Sleeping in the right position is as important as keeping the right position while working on the computer or watching TV. Sleeping in the right position can avoid the back pain.  The best position to sleep is on your side with the knees bent. Placing a pillow between the legs will prevent sliding of the top leg in the forward direction. The twist of the top leg may cause strain to the back.

Carry Or Lift Things In The Right Position
When you carry things, keep your elbows close to the body. You can carry the object on your head without causing strain to the back. Bend your knees while picking up objects from the floor. Never carry heavy backpacks and wear the straps of the backpack on both shoulders for even distribution of weight.

Use The Right Mattress
Discard your old mattresses and get the new one which provides support to the spine and back. The mattress should be firm and should prevent the spine to curve.

Abdominal Strengthening Exercises
If you want to have a flexible and strong back, you should incorporate some abdominal strengthening exercises to your workout regime at least twice a week.  Strong abdominal muscles will reduce the strain on the back muscles.

Increase Your Calcium And Vitamin D Intake
Osteoporosis is a major cause for developing back pain when you are old.  Consume plenty of calcium and vitamin D to make your bones in the spine strong. Food items like leafy vegetable, milk, yoghurt etc provide calcium. Exposure to sunlight promotes the vitamin D synthesis in our body.

Avoid High Heeled Sandals And Shoes
If you want to prevent the chances of developing back pain, avoid using high heeled sandals and shoes. High heeled shoes cause strain in the back muscles. Use sandals or shoes with less than one- inch heel to protect your back.

Avoid Smoking 
Studies have shown that smokers have more chances of experiencing back pain than the non-smokers, especially in the later stages of life.  The nicotine in cigarette  reduces the blood flow to the discs present between the vertebrae . This causes the discs to dry and rupture.  Smoking also reduces the blood supply to the muscles and they do not get enough nourishment. This will cause unhealthy muscles and tendons which are more prone to damages even by small strains.

Stretches 
When you have to stand, sit or lie in the same position for long periods, your back is strained. Try to relieve the strain by getting up and moving around.  Do some stretches to help proper blood flow to the bones and muscles of the back and to remove the strains to the muscles.

Herbal Remedies
You can also use Epsom salt or apply eucalyptus oil, licorice or peppermint to the affected area to relieve or cure back pain.

Do your work demands sitting in front of the computer for hours? Are you experiencing intermittent pain in your lower back? Are you looking for easy home remedies for back pain? Then you can try some of the above remedies to prevent or to reduce the back pain.

NATURAL WAYS TO GET RID OF UNWANTED HAIR

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Hair on our body is a normal condition but excessive hair is seen as an obstacle toward looking flawless and beautiful. Body hair is known to have vital functions. It helps to protect the skin from the dust particles. It acts as a protective layer over the fine and delicate skin cells and to preserve the body heat. However, it is seen as unsightly when the hair is in excess. Thus, nowadays men and women are obsessed about removing body hair in order to flaunt their skin and complexion. It is seen that excess body hair makes one appear dark. As fairness is seen as a mark of beauty and good grooming, everyone wishes to get rid of excess body and facial hair.

Causes Of Excess Body Hair

It is common to have body hair. Some people have more hair growth on their body than others. However, there are certain hormonal conditions that bring on excess hair growth:
•    Hirsutism is a condition that is caused by a hormonal disorder; it leads to excessive hair growth.
•    Excessive hair growth or abnormal hair growth on the face or other areas of the body is mainly caused by hormonal changes.
•    An increase in the level of androgen in women can increase facial hair growth
•    Polycystic ovary syndrome can lead to excessive hair growth
•    Tumor in the adrenal gland
•    Insulin resistance
•    Cushing’s disease
These are some of the many causes that lead to excessive body and facial hair growth.

Symptoms Of Excess Hair Growth

If one is suffering from excessive hair growth they will see the following symptoms:
•    Abnormal hair growth on the face
•    The hair growth occurs within a short period of time
•    The body hair also increases
•    Such hair growth may be accompanied with increased muscle mass, changes in voce and acne flares

How To Get Rid Of Unwanted Hair Naturally

Nowadays there are many cosmetic methods and devices that help one to control their body hair and facial hair growth. Most men and women nowadays frequent clinics in order to get waxing treatments done as well as other procedures like electrolysis, laser hair removal and other more permanent solutions. However, such procedures prove costly and time consuming. They need one to make several visits to the dermatologist or the clinic and spend a lot of money in getting the desired effect. Instead, one can pursue many simple and effective home remedies to get the body hair removed and keep the growth under control.

1.    Using A Home Made Scrub

It is known that a mixture of:
•    Turmeric powder
•    Gram flour
•    Water
Such a paste needs to be applied on the body and face and allowed to dry. It should then be rubbed off gently. It helps to remove excess facial and fine body hair.

2.    Use Of Pumice Stone

This stone is known to help scrub off fine hair when used regularly:
•    While taking bath it should be used to scrub the hands and legs
•    Unwanted body hair will be rid off in this way

3.    Home Made Wax Treatment

One can pursue a home made version of waxing which will be effective but painful:
•    Make a mixture of honey, lemon and sugar
•    Apply the heated mixture on the areas where the hair has to be removed
•    The hair should not be too long or dense
Once the mixture is applied, a strip of cellophane or fabric can be used to pull off the hair from the roots. The fabric or cellophone should be pulled in the opposite direction of hair growth.

4.    Using Wax For Male Chest Hair

When one wishes to remove male chest hair they can use home waxing treatment:
•    Hot, molten wax should be used
•    Once it is applied cloth should be used or cellophane to pull off the hair

5.    Plucking Or Tweezing
When one has few hair on the chin as some women do, it is best to:
•    Pluck off the hair with a pair of tweezers
•    Use of home made wax consisting of sugar, lemon juice and water will also help to eliminate the hair

6.    Removing Hair From The Chin Area

Some women have more hair on the chin area and they wish to remove the same:
•    The home made wax solution can be used

•    A mixture of honey and lemon juice can be applied and then rinsed off after ten or fifteen minutes
Such a home remedy should be done twice a week.

7.    Shaving

While shaving is an easy way to get rid of excess body hair, it has certain limitations. It will make the hair grow back fast and the hair will be dense, unlike the waxing process:
•    A simple razor can be used to shave off unwanted hair from hands, legs and even underarms while taking bath
•    One should lather up well with soap
•    It is best to use warm water before doing the shaving as it helps to open up the pores
•    Once the shaving is done, cold water will help to close the pores

8.    Removing Hair From Eyebrows

•    Tweezing or plucking will help to remove excess hair from the eyebrows
•    Using a small scissor could also do the rick

9.    Different Home Made Scrubs

There are different ingredients that can act as effective scrubs to help reduce body hair:
•    Yoghurt
•    Milk cream
•    Gram or chick pea flour
Pastes made out of such ingredients will help to reduce body hair when used regularly or twice or thrice a week.

10.    Depilatory Creams

If you would rather not use the painful waxing treatment you can opt for a depilatory cream:
•    One needs to apply the cream over the area where hair has to be taken off
•    Leave it on for ten or fifteen minutes
•    Wash it off
That is a painless and effective way to remove hair at home.

11.    Increase Soy Products

•    Have soy bean and similar products more in your diet
•    As they help to increase the estrogen levels the androgen levels are kept in control

12.    Have A Balanced Diet

If you have a low body weight and body fat you might see an increase in body hair to keep body temperature optimal:
•    Follow a balanced diet
•    Include healthy fats, milk and veggies in your diet

Are you worried about the cosmetic procedures of hair removal? You could opt for these simple and effective home remedies to keep hair growth under control.

TOP HOME REMEDIES FOR EYE BAGS

Are you suffering from droopy eyes or puffy eyes? This is a symptom which tells you that your eyes are tired. Puffiness of the eyes is caused by many reasons including lack of sleep and crying for a long time. The skin around our eyes is thin and sensitive and contains many blood vessels. Stress, lack of sleep etc affects the skin and cause excess fluids to get trapped in the skin around the eye causing an eye bag. Aging is one of the major causes of bags under the eyes. Fat deposition under the eyes also results in bags under the eye. There are some effective home remedies to treat the bags under the eye or the Puffy eyes. These home remedies are cheaper and safer than the alternative methods of treating under eye bags. Here are some of the home remedies to get rid of puffy eyes.

1.    Chilled Tea Bags

If you get up in the morning with puffy eyes and if you do not want people to see the under eye bags then chilled tea bags are the best option. Put the tea bags in hot water for a minute and then refrigerate it for some time. Lie back and place the tea bags over the eyes. Leave it on the eyes for 20-30 minutes. Wash your eyes after 30 minutes in cold water. You will have refreshed eyes. You can use either green tea bags or black tea bags for this purpose. The caffeine present in the tea constricts the blood vessels around the eyes and reduces the swelling and redness.

2.    Cucumbers

This is one of the most effective natural remedy for puffiness under the eye. The coolness of the cucumbers will soothe the eye and the anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the inflammation of the skin.  Take two slices of refrigerated cucumber and place it over the eyes. Relax with the cucumbers on the eyes for 25 minutes. This will soothe and refresh your eyes and reduce the puffiness.

3.    Potato

The potato has anti–inflammatory properties and this will help in reducing the swelling under the eye due to water retention. Refrigerate the potato for some time and slice it into thin circles. Close the eyes and place the sliced potatoes over the eyes. It should cover the puffed areas of the eye. Leave the potatoes over the eyes for at least 20 minutes. You will find a great change in puffiness once you remove the potato slices.

4.    Milk

If you are regularly having puffy eyes in the morning then milk is one of the best remedy to combat it.  Milk will help to cool and soothe the tired eyes and also reduces water retention by the tissues under the eyes.  Take two cotton pads and dip them in chilled milk. Now place the cotton pads over the eyes and rest for 20-30 minutes. Wash off with cold water to see normal looking eyes. Repeat this remedy for a few days, if you are constantly having this problem.

5.    Almond Oil

Almond oil reduces puffiness and dark circles around the eye.  The vitamins present in the oil nourish the skin and the oil moisturizes the skin. Take two to three drops of almond oil and apply it under your eye and massage the area lightly using your ring finger before going to bed. Do not apply pressure while massaging. Massaging improves the blood circulation around the eyes and reduces water retention around the eyes.

6.     Vitamin E Oil

Vitamin E is necessary for the skin health and applying vitamin E will help to keep the skin under the eye healthy. This also helps to reduce the swelling around the eyes.  Mix few drops of vitamin E oil in chilled water taken in a bowl.  Mix it thoroughly. Now dip the cotton pads in this and place it on the eyes. Leave the cotton pads over the eyes for about 20 minutes to reduce swelling under the eyes.

7.    Egg White

Egg White has the ability to absorb water and reduce inflammations in the body.  This is a natural remedy for inflammations in the body. This can be used to get rid of the excess water retained under the eye. Beat the egg white till it is stiff. Apply this around the eyes using a smooth make up brush or soft cloth.  Leave the egg white over the puffed area for 20 minutes. Rinse the face with cold water after 20 minutes. You will see that the area under the eye has become less puffy and tighter.

8.    Chilled Spoons

This is another easily available remedy for puffy eyes.  Take a glass of chilled water and four stainless steel spoons. Put the spoons in the chilled water for some time. Take out two spoons and place the spoons over the eyes. The chillness will help to constrict the blood vessels and reduce the puffiness.  Switch the spoons after some time and take the other two chilled spoons and repeat the procedure till there is a reduction in puffiness.

9.    Cold Splash

This is the most simple way to reduce the under eye bags.  In most of the cases puffiness of the eye will be caused by the fluid retention under the eyes.  This is due to poor circulation of fluids.  You can bring back your eyes to the normal condition by splashing cold water on the puffed areas around the eye as well as to the rest of the face.  The cold splash will help to correct the fluid circulation and to remove the retained liquid under the eye.

Apart from using these natural remedies, you can do certain things to prevent the under eye bags or puffy eyes.

•   Drink plenty of water to remove the toxins from your body.
•   Reduce the intake of sodium. Excess sodium in the body causes water retention in different areas of the body.
•   Do not stay up till late night.
•   Do not keep the head bend down for a long time
•   Do exercises to improve blood circulation

5 WAYS TO GET RID OF VARICOSE VEINS

Many women are seen coming over to the doctor with complaints about varicose veins. These are veins that are tortuous and dilated veins that run right under the skin of the legs and they are thus apparent. Even though they are benign mostly, one may wish to get rid of them due to cosmetic reasons. Many women have them instead of men and they are in a dilemma how to deal with them.

Causes of Varicose Veins

Varicose veins usually run in the family history. Thus, if you have people in the family having them, you are more likely to get them.
•    There are valves that act as doorways and run through the veins in order to push the blood flow back to the heart up from the feet. When such a doorway becomes too flappy, fluid tends to accumulate in the veins. That makes them pop out more than usual.
•    Such a nature of the veins is often genetic in nature and there is not much that one can do to prevent them from occurring.

Symptoms of Varicose Veins

The symptoms of varicose veins are characteristic in those who suffer them. The symptoms and signs are not as scary as they look.
•    Sometimes people may develop tenderness around the area surrounding the enlarged veins
•    There might occur mild swelling of the legs
•    One could suffer from skin tightening or itching sensation in the legs
•    One could even find the legs going heavy
•    The size of the veins is not proportional to the amount of discomfort that they can cause
•    The main complaint that emerges is that, it makes one’s legs appear ugly
•    Hormonal imbalance can bring on enlarged varicose veins especially if one has genetic predisposition towards it

Here are the 5 ways to get rid of Varicose Veins

There are many natural ways to treat varicose veins:

Elevating the legs

One could have spent a long day on their feet after which they might find mild swelling:
•    That is remedied by elevating the legs
•    One can put up the legs on some pillows when they come home
•    The blood flow works with gravity and comes back to the heart

Ice

One could use ice in the following manner:
•    It can be used to constrict the blood vessels
•    If there is swelling or discomfort one could apply an ice pack over the swollen veins

Anti Inflammatory Medication

Medicine such as Ibuprofen can help by:
•    Reducing inflammation or swelling in the legs.
•    One should refer to a doctor before taking them

Compression Stocking

Such stockings can be found in medical stores:
•    These stockings help to tighten the skin
•    They provide external support to the veins and allow the blood flow to move up more easily towards the heart

Exercise

One should do regular cardiovascular exercises:
•    That will prevent the blood flow from accumulating in the varicose veins
•    The blood flow and circulation will improve

Suffering from varicose veins? Do not wish to take up medicines for the same? These effective home remedies will help to keep such a condition in control.

TOP HOME REMEDIES FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Natural home remedies: Irritable bowel syndrome

The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (also called “spastic colon”) can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. But there are natural ways to get relief

Since there’s no sure cure for IBS, people develop their own ways of living with the enemy. The key: Don’t become discouraged.Dietary changes and stress-relief tactics should provide a significant dose of relief. For more insurance, combine them with one of the alternative therapies noted below. Once you have a system for controlling your symptoms, IBS will surely put less of a cramp in your style.

Manage your stress

• Since stress is one of the factors known to trigger an IBS flare-up, learn to short-circuit it with meditation, yoga, or a simple breathing exercise like this one. Sit comfortably, or lie down. Turn your attention to the air going in and out of your body. When upsetting or anxiety-producing thoughts intrude, focus completely on your breathing. Practice this daily. Then, whenever you feel yourself becoming tense and anxious, use it to calm yourself.

• Keep a diary of your IBS symptoms, noting what types of problems you have and how severe they are. In this journal, also jot down any stressful events you face in your day. Occasionally look back at your diary. If you see more IBS symptoms just before airplane flights or meetings with your boss, for instance, there may be a connection. Once you’ve detected situations that seem to trigger IBS symptoms, look for ways—like using the breathing technique above—to cope with them better.

Go easy on your intestines

• Minimize fried foods, meats, oils, margarine, dairy foods, and other fatty foods. They cause your colon to contract violently, which can lead to diarrhea and abdominal pain.

• Stay away from spicy foods. The capsaicin in hot peppers, for example, makes your large intestine go into spasms, which can cause diarrhea.

• Cut down on caffeine. It can worsen IBS by irritating your intestines.

• Avoid foods known to cause flatulence, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli.

• Don’t chew gum or candy that contains artificial sweeteners. Among the common sweeteners in these products are sorbitol and mannitol, which can have a laxative effect. They’re very difficult to digest. When bacteria in your colon eventually break down these “nonabsorbed sugars,” you get gas and diarrhea.

• Stop smoking. Nicotine contributes to IBS flare-ups. Also, when you smoke, you swallow air, and people with IBS are very sensitive to having air in their gut.

Fit in more fibre

• Soluble fibre soaks up liquid in your intestines, helping to prevent diarrhea. Good sources are beans, oatmeal, and some fruits, such as apples, strawberries and grapefruit.

• If you can’t seem to get enough soluble fibre in your diet, take a daily supplement of psyllium, the main ingredient in dietary fibre supplements. Unlike chemical laxatives,psyllium is safe to take long-term. Follow the label for dosage directions.

• If constipation is your main complaint, fill up on insoluble fibre, found in whole wheat, bran, other whole grains, salad greens, and other foods. Insoluble fiber bulks up stool, which speeds its passage through the intestines.

• If you haven’t had much fiber in your diet, increase the amount you eat gradually. Adding too much fibre all at once can actually give you gas and bloating. Start with 8 g of fibre daily—about what you’d find in two pears—and increase by 3 or 4 g each day until you’re up to 30 g daily.

• Drink at least six to eight glasses of water each day to keep fiber moving smoothly through your system.

Graze, don’t gorge

• Eat smaller meals more frequently rather than a couple of large meals each day.Taking in too much food at once can overstimulate your digestive system.

• If you usually bolt down your meals, go more slowly and pay more attention to chewing your food. Fast eaters often swallow too much air, which turns into bothersome intestinal gas.

Eat yogurt

• Having diarrhea can drain away good bacteria that help prevent harmful bacteria from growing out of control. When you’re having IBS-related diarrhea, eat plenty of yogurt containing active bacteria, such as acidophilus. Or take supplements of acidophilus. The usual daily dosage is one pill containing 1 to 2 billion live organisms. Take it on an empty stomach.

Drink tea

• Every day, drink a cup or two of peppermint tea, which relaxes your intestines, reduces spasms, and relieves gas pain. Make sure to buy the kind that contains real peppermint, rather than black tea with peppermint flavoring. Alternatively, you can take enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules. The coating ensures that the oil reaches the intestine instead of breaking down in the stomach. Take one or two capsules three times a day, between meals.

• Drink ginger tea. Ginger soothes all manner of digestive problems, including IBS. For the freshest tea, grate a half-teaspoon of ginger into a cup, then pour in hot water, let it steep for 10 minutes, strain out the ginger, and drink the tea. Ginger tea bags are also available. Drink four to six cups a day.

Get some exercise

• Whenever possible, get at least 30 minutes of noncompetitive exercise such as walking. Exercise helps relieve stress, releases natural painkilling endorphins, and keeps your body—including your digestive system—working smoothly.

6 STEPS TO A HAPPY HEART

6 Steps To A Happy Heart

Achieving a heathy heart doesn't just include the medical and physical side. Your emotional health plays a key role too. Here are 6 things you can start doing today to raise your spirits.

It is interesting how many people shun emotional health advice. They believe that heart health requires more serious steps: medicine, supplements, rigorous diets, formal exercise regimens. But this isn’t the whole picture. Research has confirmed the healing power of a positive attitude and a good laugh. A sense of spirituality can help as well. This is not alternative medicine or the wishful thinking of eternal-youth seeking baby boomers. Happiness does matter. The following six steps are essential to the 30-Minutes-a-Day Plan.

1. Your Soul

Belief, whether in a higher being, the power of nature, or even yourself, is both grounding and healthy. A big part of this is optimism. People who use words such as “joy” and “hope” to describe their attitudes toward life outlive their more pessimistic counterparts by a decade. No matter what your situation, the power to do away with anger and embrace the good things in life lies in your hands.

2. Enjoy Life

Some time between leaving our parents’ homes and signing up to a 25-year mortgage agreement of our own, we stop having as much fun as we used to. We all have serious adult responsibilities, but we also have a responsibility to our hearts to let go and have some childlike fun. Studies show that people whose lives are filled with laughter are much less likely to have heart disease.

3. Practice Relaxing Rituals

As life gets more rushed, stress rises and heart disease follows. You can’t change the world, but you can change your response to it. Daily rituals such as meditation, yoga, quiet time, bedtime relaxation and even just walking a dog can quell stress and reduce your risk of heart disease.

4. Drink a Glass of Wine Each Day

Those who enjoy a glass of wine with dinner may lower their heart disease risk, according to some health experts. Limit your alcohol to a weekly maximum of 14 drinks for men and nine for women. Interestingly, wine, especially red wine, seems to have a more beneficial effect than other alcoholic drinks.

5. Create a Safe Haven

They say that home is where the heart is, so make yours a refuge for your heart. Create a soothing ambiancewith fresh flowers and plants, music, a relaxing bedroom and some quiet space where you can go when you need to think. Spending most of your time relaxed instead of stressed can halve your heart disease risk.

6. Share Yourself

Hearts are happiest and healthiest when they’re in the company of others. Don’t be so busy that you can’t make time for your loved ones — whether they are your family or your friends or both.

NATURAL HOME REMEDIES : STRESS

NATURAL HOME REMEDIES : STRESS

Your body is designed to handle brief periods of stress from time to time. But too much isn’t good for body or soul. Take control of your stress naturally with these tips

Even when you can’t change a difficult situation, you have some control over the way you deal with stress. So if you’re pulling out your hair, biting your nails to the quick, or worrying yourself into a tizzy, try these techniques to loosen stress’s grip and restore a sense of sanity.

Dose with de-stressors

• Ever since ancient Greeks began enjoying chamomile tea, it has been praised for its healing properties. Today, when an estimated one million cups are drunk each day throughout the world, herbalists and naturopathic doctors praise chamo­mile as a wonderful remedy for stress. Drink one cup three times a day.

• You can also add chamomile, along with other calming herbs such as lavender and valerian, to bathwater for a nerve-soothing soak. Wrap the dried herbs in a piece of cheesecloth and hold it under the faucet while you fill the tub.

• Get more vitamin C. In one study, under-pressure people who took 1,000 milligrams of C had milder increases in blood pressure and brought their stress hormone levels back to normal more quickly than people who didn’t take it.

Beat stress with your mind

• Closely studied by Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard University, the relaxation response has been clinically proven to short-circuit stress. Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place. Close your eyes. Now choose a word or phrase to focus on (“It’s okay,” for example). As you concentrate on breathing in and out, repeat the phrase each time you exhale. If you get distracted by other thoughts, gently put them out of your mind and return to your word or phrase. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. Practice at least once a day.

• Research has found that music can reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and even levels of stress hormones in the blood. Take a break and listen to music you find soothing, whether it’s classical, jazz, or something else.

• Do a time-travel exercise. When you’re feeling knotted up with some immediate concern, remember something that had you feeling equally tense a year ago. How important does it seem today? Now try to project a year into the future, and look back on your present dilemma. Chances are, that “leap forward” in time will give you a better perspective on what you’re going through now. 

Take a progressive approach

• When you feel especially tense, try a technique called progressive relaxation. Sit or lie down in a quiet, comfortable place. Close your eyes. Now curl your toes as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Then relax them. After your toes, tense and relax your feet, legs, belly, fingers, arms, neck, and face. In other words, progressively “work” the tension all the way from the tips of your toes to the top of your head, and then “let it go.”

Take steps to prevent stress

• Get out for a walk or do some other form of exercise for at least 20 minutes, three times a week. Exercise boosts feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins, which lift your mood and make you feel less anxious.

• Limit your consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and sugar; and if you smoke, quit. All of these substances can fire up your body’s fight-or-flight response, contributing to physical symptoms of stress like a racing heart, trembling, clammy hands, anxiety, and irritability.

• Take up a calming hobby. Knitting, working on puzzles, reading, or some other favorite pastime can help you take a breather from the stresses of life.