Stress Less for Success: 5 Simple Ways to Reboot and Relax Your System

Don’t you sometimes wish you could be like a computer and press Ctrl, Alt, Delete to reboot your system?   If your head is on edge, the muscles in your body are overwrought with nerves or your heart feels heavy, here’s how you can recharge your batteries.

-          Write your Worries Away: Here’s some good news for people who suffer from performance anxiety: A new study out of the University of Chicago found that students who expressed their fears in writing before exams scored better than classmates who did not. Journaling helps take the load off because it allows you to reassess stresses and realize just how unrealistic they really can be.

-          Munch on Something Crunchy: When you feel like you want to bite someone’s head off, chances are your brain is feeling anxious, angry or frustrated. Cravings that stem from intellectual sources cause people to go for and overload on chips, crackers and candies, and its not like typical hunger cravings that lead you to comfort foods like ice cream and cakes. If you want to keep the edge off throughout the day, snack on something crunchy that’s also good for you, like carrots or a small bag of pretzels. It will keep you from losing your cool in front of co-workers or blowing up at your boss!

-      Take a Disco Nap: Do as they do in Spain and take a midday siesta. The payoff can be renewed energy for the rest of the day and, perhaps, a healthier heart according to a Harvard study which found that a regular afternoon nap could reduce the risk of cardiac death by 37 percent. If your work schedule does not permit a midday snooze, do it on the weekends just before you head out for the night.

-          Toy with Your Shower Tap: Ever hear of a Scottish Shower? James Bond did it and so should you! It’s a good way to revitalize your body after a hard workout, taxing day or if you are sick.  Simply  alternate the temperatures between hot and cold when you take a shower. Make the water as hot as you can handle for about three minutes and then turn the dial to cold water and stand under it for one to two minutes. If you repeat this several times not only will it restore energy levels, but  according to research at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine it may stimulate the brain to help mitigate depression.

-       Go Gadget Free: Are you sleeping with your cell phone or laptop? Being plugged into technology all of the time can make you feel  more in tune, but a tech cleanse may be just what you need to reclaim your life. Author Susan Maushart tells about the life-changing detox she undertook in her book. "The Winter of Our Disconnect," coming out later this month. We suggest you start by making your bedroom a gadget free zone so you can get the rest you need for a good night's sleep.