The National Consumer League states that 80% of Americans are stressed and 63% say their stress levels are rising. Over 50 million people in the US alone suffer from sleep and relaxation disorders. PEOPLE NEED TO CHILL OUT! We have become imbalanced. How can we bring more balance into our lives? I have two simple suggestions.
1. Spend time in Nature
Dr. Felf in his book, "The Role of Horticulture in Human Well-Being and Social Development", states that exposure to nature settings produces significant recovery from stress in physical measurements such as blood pressure and muscle tension. I can vouch for that!
One of my very favorite things to do is to go hiking with my two over-grown labador retrivers, Eli & Bogart, at a nearby park . It is a great place to get in touch with nature. There are many different hiking trails for several miles that cover about 400 acres of beautiful dense forest. In the Spring there are tons of dogwood & if the sun hits them just right, it looks like a forest of twinkling white lights. In the summer it is dense with lush green foliage. In the fall, you are surrounded by brilliant reds, oranges & yellows. But honestly, although I love all of the seasons there, I think my favorite is winter. All of the leaves are off the trees & you can see for miles. It is wide open. This is when I take Eli & Bogart off their leashes and say “Run, boys…Run” and they run like the wind. It feels like total freedom!
No matter how stressed I am, within five minutes of being in nature, I have not a care in the world. It quiets all the mind chatter and frees the Soul.
Spending time in nature isn’t always possible. But viewing nature scenes on your television or computer is and it has also proven to have great calming effects.
2. Listen to Soothing Music
My second suggestion is to simply listen to soothing music. Dr. Joel Robertson in his book, "Natural Prozac", states that listening to soothing music is a powerful tool to instantly change the chemistry in your brain with no negative side effects. He says, “If chosen correctly, it can be medicine for the mind and the soul.”
20 years ago scientists experimented with plants and the music of Bach. They found that his music caused the plants to grow faster and healthier, while the hard rock music had a negative effect on the plants. It stands to reason then that music also affects the human organism in ways that we may not realize.
The next time you feel your stress levels climbing, tune into soothing music and just see how quickly your mood changes! Add some deep breathing to that and I guarantee you will feel a whole lot better. I like to keep relaxing music playing in my office all day as I work. It helps keep me balanced.
We are bombarded with information and most of it negative at that. We must take measures to keep out lives balanced. Being in nature and listening to soothing music are two readily available and simple measures to create that balance.
1. Spend time in Nature
Dr. Felf in his book, "The Role of Horticulture in Human Well-Being and Social Development", states that exposure to nature settings produces significant recovery from stress in physical measurements such as blood pressure and muscle tension. I can vouch for that!
One of my very favorite things to do is to go hiking with my two over-grown labador retrivers, Eli & Bogart, at a nearby park . It is a great place to get in touch with nature. There are many different hiking trails for several miles that cover about 400 acres of beautiful dense forest. In the Spring there are tons of dogwood & if the sun hits them just right, it looks like a forest of twinkling white lights. In the summer it is dense with lush green foliage. In the fall, you are surrounded by brilliant reds, oranges & yellows. But honestly, although I love all of the seasons there, I think my favorite is winter. All of the leaves are off the trees & you can see for miles. It is wide open. This is when I take Eli & Bogart off their leashes and say “Run, boys…Run” and they run like the wind. It feels like total freedom!
No matter how stressed I am, within five minutes of being in nature, I have not a care in the world. It quiets all the mind chatter and frees the Soul.
Spending time in nature isn’t always possible. But viewing nature scenes on your television or computer is and it has also proven to have great calming effects.
2. Listen to Soothing Music
My second suggestion is to simply listen to soothing music. Dr. Joel Robertson in his book, "Natural Prozac", states that listening to soothing music is a powerful tool to instantly change the chemistry in your brain with no negative side effects. He says, “If chosen correctly, it can be medicine for the mind and the soul.”
20 years ago scientists experimented with plants and the music of Bach. They found that his music caused the plants to grow faster and healthier, while the hard rock music had a negative effect on the plants. It stands to reason then that music also affects the human organism in ways that we may not realize.
The next time you feel your stress levels climbing, tune into soothing music and just see how quickly your mood changes! Add some deep breathing to that and I guarantee you will feel a whole lot better. I like to keep relaxing music playing in my office all day as I work. It helps keep me balanced.
We are bombarded with information and most of it negative at that. We must take measures to keep out lives balanced. Being in nature and listening to soothing music are two readily available and simple measures to create that balance.
