Here is an initial list of the ways you can help yourself manage your stress:
❏ Exercise (yoga walking, low impact aerobics, dance, weight training, swimming, bicycling, there are numerous ways)
❏ Eating organic whole foods
❏ Take nutritional supplements to aid with stress
❏ Mediation
❏ Biofeedback
❏ Neurofeedback
❏ Massage
❏ Psychotherapy
❏ Aroma therapy
❏ Laughter and doing something fun
❏ Take a trip down memory lane
We will now offer a more detailed list that is sorted into several categories (and partially repeats some of the strategies just listed).
Stress Reduction Strategies: Direct Approaches
Along with mindfulness, this is one of the focused, active ways to set the stage for a good night of sleep—this is a way in which we can all do a better job of “managing” our sleep. Like mindfulness, stress reduction pathways can be planned and enacted just before sleep time. Actually, mindfulness is itself one of the stress-reduction strategies.
(1) Prayer (the oldest of the strategies)
(2) Breathing/Progressive relaxation (often has evolved into mindfulness in 21st Century)
(3) Appreciative reflection: finding the benefit of stress, leveraging the positive aspects for addressing the stress (count your blessing all day long—not just at bedtime)
(4) Exercise (see previous essay)—an antidote to freeze (modern alternative to flight and fight)
(5) Brain-alteration: neurofeedback
