NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2019 - 26

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as we hunch over our desk and phone much of the day
leaving you feeling anxious and drained as reduced oxygen
circulates the heart, lungs and brain. Focused, slow deep
breathing can help restore balance in our body's energy
and nervous system.
Take a 1 minute breathe break a few times a day. Sit
with feet on the floor, chest open, shoulders back. Take
a couple deep breathes in through your nose and blow
a deep sigh out your mouth to release some immediate
tension. Then take 3-5 slow deep even breathes in and
out through the nose.
d. Stretch. Stretching releases the buildup of tension and can
be done anywhere: in your car, at your desk, grocery line,
at home. Taking a few 1 minute stretch breaks throughout
day will help eliminate the cumulative effects of stress.
e. Eat nourishing foods. Food is energy and provides
information to our bodies to support proper function of
our hormones and neurotransmitters for providing energy
and stress management.

6. Power of Mindset. Attitude is everything, right?

Well, it's not e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. You've got to have
that positive attitude and mindset followed by action.
Here's an actionable mindshift to help ease your
stress and overwhelm.
Having an attitude of gratitude and appreciation for the
the things you get the opportunity to do each day eases the
level of stress and draining energy that comes from a "must
do," "have to" mindset. Adapt that to a "get to." Shifting
to "get to" energetically feels lighter and more forward
movement, and the old "must do" list can feel like we're
constantly pushing - that push is hard and draining, and
can keep you marinating in stress hormones all day versus
having an attitude that leads with an opportunity to serve,
making a difference with appreciation in every big and little
task throughout the day which supports us with feel good
health promoting hormones.

5. Power of Self-Care. Self-care is really self-preservation.

We've all heard it - put the oxygen mask on yourself first.
Yet, too often we just don't. So I'm giving you some simple,
no excuse ways to slide in some self-care when you have little
time to make it happen.
a. Take a 10 minute walk outside to get some fresh air. Increase
your blood flow to oxygenate your brain and body. Walking
releases your feel good hormones to boost your mood and
feelings of overall well-being.

Sources
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/impact
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286362/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/

b. Take 5 minutes for quiet meditation. Meditation changes
the way the brain reacts to stress. Slows the heart rate
and creates a sense of inner peace. Download my fav
free app CALM for guided meditation and set the daily
reminder timer.

https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/effects-of-stress-on-your-body

DONNA NELSON is a Holistic Empowerment Coach &
Organizational Well-Being Consultant. She has a BS, Psychology
and extensive background in business.

c. Deep breathing. Our breath can get shallow and fast
during the day as the pace of our activities increases and
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http://www.lackmedsoc.org http://www.LUZERNEMEDSOC.ORG https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/impact https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286362/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/ https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/effects-of-stress-on-your-body

NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2019

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