Stop Stress in 60 Seconds

Severe stress can do more damage than just turning your hair gray and making you shorter. People with chronic stress have a 59 percent increase in their odds of stroke over the next decade, according to new research from the University of Minnesota.

For every single-point increase in test scores measuring stress levels, study participants’ risk of stroke jumped 19 percent. Study authors think chronic activation of the fight-or-flight response may trigger your body’s inflammatory response to go into overdrive, impeding blood flow to the brain.



Check out these Jedi Mind Tricks for stress-busting strategies.

If you have…

60 seconds: Set a timer, close your eyes, and spend a minute breathing deeply and noticing where your mind is wandering to, says Michael Irwin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA.

It’s a quickie version of meditation, which can reduce blood pressure and even improve sleep.

15 minutes: Stretch in your chair—lean forward, back, and to each side, and stretch your arms above your head.

Maintain each pose for six slow breaths, and finish by sitting and breathing with your eyes closed.

People who spent fifteen minutes doing a stretching sequence while seated reported their stress levels as 13 percent lower than a control, Australian research reports.

1 hour: Lace up your sneakers and hit the road—or the bike, or the squash courts.

Just 30 minutes of aerobic exercise can reduce your anxiety levels in the moment, and a quick sweat session may even protect you from the negative impact of future stressors, according to recent University of Maryland research.
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Article source: http://www.menshealth.com/health/3-stress-busting-strategies