You might be familiar with popular stress management techniques, but did you know that there are some ordinary tasks which serve as natural stress relievers?  You may not think of them formally as stress management techniques, but the following stress relievers can help you feel more relaxed and allow you to enjoy life more, and be productive, too. 

Garden
The physical activity of digging, pulling and planting can be a great stress release, while sunshine is a great source of vitamin D and inner peace. Planting, fertilizing and tending a garden of vegetables, flowers or anything else that grows, can be a wonderfully relaxing pastime, with the reward of delicious organic food, a beautiful bouquet, or a gorgeous yard as well! 

Sing! Loudly.
Belting out a favorite tune, either with the soundtrack backup or acappella.  Loud vocalization releases tension from your body, and music can therapeutically take your mind off your troubles. Singing in the shower is a great way to start the day.  Let the noise of the water drown out any flaws in your singing and fully immerse in the experience. Sing in the car, perhaps it'll cut down road rage. Chant a positive mantra, or simply Ohmmmmmmmm for a while. You'll see just how quickly this can put you into a mediative trance.

Play
Do you have enough fun? Playful interaction with kids can change your state of mind. If you have small children, do you really play with them, or just supervise? They'll love it if you roll on the ground with them and engage in doing arts and crafts too. Older kids can be great movie dates, and teens can be good shopping companions. If you don’t have kids, borrow a friend’s. Being present with them is good for the both of you to nurture your relationship. 

Dance

No worries if you don’t find a rhythm.  Just find a good groove and start boogying.  If you can get a partner-even better.  Practice in the living room, the kitchen when you’re cooking, at the bus stop, who needs a dance club! 

Sex
You probably already know that sex is a great tension reliever, but have you officially thought of it as a stress-relieving practice? Perhaps you should. The physical benefits of sex are numerous, and most of them work very well toward relieving stress. Sadly, many people have less sex when their stress levels are high. Clean
Throw on some music and de-clutter a drawer, a room, or your whole house. Spray and wipe your windows and watch the nice pattern you create, or let your hands bathe in the sudsy warm water as you wash dishes. The activity of washing your car, or vacuuming your carpets can release stress from your body, rewarding you with a cleaner space and more soothing surroundings when you’re done!

Play an Instrument or Learn One

Letting your creative juices flow has the effect exactly opposite of stress. It raises your feel-good receptors and helps you gain clarity.  An added benefit is that you may also impress your family and friends with a new tune and help them relieve their stress in the process!

TIP OF THE DAY: go put on a fun song and DANCE!!!!

DO IT………….. DANCE

When you are in harmony, the universe around you vibrates harmoniously…live in tandem!

Moderation, moderation, moderation…. Balance, balance, balance. 

It can be done. It will be done.
 

There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life.  The universal law of attraction is always in action.  If you dwell on negative you inevitably draw more negative into your life. 

For some people, this could mean simple tweaks in their written/routine free-weight exercises, starting with chest and ending the week with arms. For others, it's about hopping on that bike and/or treadmill and running that extra five miles a day. It's my strong recommendation that you immerse yourself in a solid mix of cardio and free weight exercises as not to create boredom, or lack of will. BUT, don't make your schedule the same each week; spontaneity is key! Sure, there are those who say they've come to learn to love what they do, charming the same weight-lifting regimen weekly while avoiding anything irregular as not to "tarnish" their workout. Learning to love however, is different from naturally engaging in something that's enjoyable.

Routines can be easy, and not very strenuous; but after all, they are just routines. So it's with my dear advice that as practitioners of exercise and fitness we teach ourselves new things, while also teaching our body the same. This is inherently true with things like dance. More specifically, Zumba is an excellent example of something different, fun, and unique. The ability to genuinely enhance cardiovascular function and endurance, while practicing muscle memory routines effectively exercises the whole body. And simply put, it's fun.

The most practical and enjoyable way to stay in shape undoubtedly is by playing sports. Joining a soccer league on Sundays or perhaps playing something as simple as intramural dodge ball or kickball can successfully burn thousands of calories in just one day. The sheer competitive nature of these athletic activities drives the body further and beyond, and although strenuous at times, people crave the struggle and willingness to become better. There comes a certain rush that comes with fast paced activities, which brings me to my next point.

These could include anything from dance to karate and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Again, most of these practices are very difficult to mimic at an ordinary Gym.  You can certainly find out more from top trainers/classes at pristine establishments like <a href="http://www.mmaindustries.com ">MMA Industries</a>.

Things like mountain climbing, biking, quad-racing, fishing, golfing, etc… – These are all great ways to actively stay in shape, and they're quite enjoyable as well! A sudden increase in endorphins will surely make anybody's day brighter. Also, almost all of these activities take place outdoors, which captures much needed vitamins from the sun, further enhancing the overall experience. Keep in mind however, it is important to get your heart rate up every now and then, so switching on and off amongst these and cardiovascular exercises (i.e. – treadmills) will keep your body guessing while enhancing overall fitness.

Sports and Dance are both a leisurely and/or competitive practice, but can also be the most effective way to exercise. <a href="http://www.gymsource.com/treadmills">Treadmills</a> and <a href="http://www.gymsource.com/ellipticals">Ellipticals</a> will shed weight and enhance muscle strength/endurance, but will never capture the soul and rhythm that dance makes so enjoyable. Meanwhile, the competitive nature and drive that comes with playing sports will always be an important part of everybody's lives.  But again, it's important to diversify your fitness, and be able to incorporate pleasure and strain. Attempt to pull one's self away from everyday fitness equipment and home gyms; pick up a class of zumba and/or sign up for an intramural softball league and you'll be on your way to a healthier, more enjoyable lifestyle.

This was a guest posting by Jim Rollince, whom is a representative from the web relations department of Gym Source. He currently oversees all creative writing efforts and is an expert in home gym equipment<"http://www.gymsource.com/">.

But I didn’t actually feel as if my body had changed.  I still felt great up unless I did something of exertion. I went to my doctor and got a check-up.  I told him that I was getting short of breath when I did something that required exertion, for instance I noticed these symptoms greatly when going out dancing (also far less these days!) or running up my stairs at home or doing a quick paced yoga.  He asked how many flights I was running… I told him about 3-400, he told me there was nothing wrong with me and that I was fine…”Anyone who can run that many stairs doesn’t have a lung problem.” 

Boy! It didn’t take very long for my body to change.  Within a matter of a couple of months, my body has suffered the consequences of not getting enough cardio respiratory exercise.  I had to consider that my body did change a bit and that I needed to recondition.  I realized that I needed to do something, but I didn’t have the living space, nor the money to purchase a cardio machine.  So I started running up and down my stairs at home.  Albeit boring, when it’s cold out, something is better than nothing.  I do my own variations of kickboxing, butchered dancing, and combo cardio fitness routines.  Now, when I incorporate cardio into my workouts, I have no choice but to listen to my body when it works a little slower and gets tired a little faster and my heart doesn’t beat as fast as it used to when doing the workouts.  

I know I’ve gotten older, and by nature, the heart slows down, but I WANT TO BOOGIE on the dance floor like I used to.  The good ‘ole days had me dancing my ass off, nonstop for twelve hours, to my favorite djs. I haven’t yet worked up to my former levels, but I’m not giving up.  I know that when I jump off the wagon, I have to get back up.  The longer I stay off, the longer it takes for me to get back to where I left off. It doesn’t pay.  It pays to stay on.  A lot of times it’s tough to keep riding, but quite frankly, the consequences of jumping on and off are greater that just getting through those tough short moments and hanging on.  So my advice to you all, is to STAY ON THE WAGON, no matter what.  Hey- we all jump off, but GET BACK ON, no matter what.  Your body and mind will be so grateful, you WILL reap the benefits.  TRUST ME, I KNOW. And YOU KNOW it too.  IF YOU LISTEN TO YOUR BODY WHISPER, YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO HEAR IT SCREAM.

                No one wants to pick a food fight at a family affair.  So what do you do? Lead by example.  If you’re a guest for dinner, offer to bring a dish…or the dessert. Make it a healthy one, although, no need to ‘draw attention’ to the fact that it’s healthy unless asked.  Or offer to help in the kitchen..tell them you’re bringing a recipe and would it be okay to try it.  Ask to modify recipes  that call for butter by using a cooking oil (like olive) as a substitute or maybe compromise with a half ratio of each.  Ask to have the sauces and dressings on the side.  For salads and greens, opt for the olive oil and vinegar instead of premade store boughts or make your own, homemade vinegarette for the table.  Do not butter your bread!  Limit your bread intake altogether…all it does is take up room anyway.  Bring over a couple of Whole Wheat loaves of Italian bread and use those instead of the traditional. Write down a website, (like this one!) or two, and suggest that they subscribe to get regular updates or a refer a book about health and fitness that you’ve come across with useful information (such as perhaps a glycemic index book they can keep in the kitchen for reference) Don’t overstuff yourself in order to show off ‘good manners’ by feeling that you need to eat every single item on the table.  Remember portion control.  There’s nothing wrong with trying a little of this and a little of that and a little of all of it if you want.  Just remember the little part.  Remember, your eyes tend to be bigger than your stomach.  Don’t be afraid of missing out on something….isn’t there always too much food made for the holiday…you can pretty much count on knowing that there will be enough for seconds if you actually are left feeling hungry after the first round.  Also, TAKE YOUR TIME.  (“Do it right”) Don’t rush to eat.  If they are eating too fast, ask them what’s the rush? The family is going to be gathered around the dining table for a few hours talking aren’t they…so what’s the rush? Do it the Mediterranean style! They know how to do it. (“You can do it (too) baby”) During a day of Sabbath (or any day of rest or holiday) the Mediterraneans take a meal over four to six hours!  A family meal, is a time of relaxation, of bonding, of gratitude and enjoyment.  So you can have of all those various courses, just give your body the time to digest in between. 

                I REMEMBER THE GOOD 'OLE DAYS when I was a little girl and my parents brought us to Nonna’s on Sunday afternoon for a nice Italian fiesta.  My six uncles and aunts brought my cousins and we’d test the meatballs and sauce while it was cooking. The adults would drink an aperitif and have antipasta and us kids would play in the stairwell.  There were enough of us that we’d put on shows.  A few of us would be the actors and the rest would sit on the stairs and be the audience.  We’d all collaborate on creating a theater play and put on a performance in the foyer of the building.  Or we’d play charades or board games.  It seemed that we’d never run out of anything to do.  Then when dinner was ready, we’d all sit around the grand dining room table and eat a three or four course meal.  I drank vino con gaseosa (wine with ginger ale), or just ginger ale, the adults would drink red wine and we’d talk and laugh, and my uncles would raise their voices so high, their get their cheeks so red, the building next door would think someone was getting murdered…but they’re Italian, that was just their way of having friendly conversation.  (except that sometimes it’d be in Italian, so the neighbors really didn’t know what was going on) After the main meal was finished, we’d have fruit.  After some time, we’d crack some nuts, and then later dessert would come out while espresso coffee was being brewed.  Playing cards would be distributed… when the kids played, we’d get nickels, dimes, and quarters for gambling and that’s how I learned to play poker. Watching as Zia, (my Aunt) or Papa, would explain the game and let me make the bets.  Or, we’d sometimes play Bingo (after everyone purchased their cards…after all, there had to be a jackpot) We would use sesame seeds or pistachios as our game pieces and Nonno would yell out the numbers.  The day revolved around the meal and the meal was an all day affair.  I never, ever remember anybody saying they overstuffed themselves or didn’t feel good. We’d do that a couple of Sundays a month.  What great memories.

Enjoy the holidays everyone!