Manipal Nurse helps relieve Physical Stress

Everyone has experienced frustration at some point in their lives, yet some of us become aggravated easier than others. Try not to let your frustration get the best of you. There are “those days” when situations become pretty dismal. Such as, what is more frustrating than:

1. Having your alarm clock sleep in (while you wake up late).
2. Leaving for school on time and getting drenched by rain on the way, because you forgot your umberella.
3. Not being able to attend the class once you get there.
4. Going to the bookstore to get your assigned book only to find they are out of it, or it costs a hundred bucks more than you have.
5. Remembering how long the line was to get in.
6. Having your ID picture look like it belongs on the ten most wanted list.
7. Tripping and dropping your books in front of a lot of people.
8. Going to a vending machine with hunger pains and finding it is more hungry than you. The machine eats your quarter and leaves you emptyhanded.
9. Finding yourself a victim of the rising crime rate. Your vehicle has been vandalized while you were in class.

Our bodies usually let us know when we’ve had too much stress. They develop headaches, lower or upper back pain, tense and aching muscles in many parts of the body, especially the neck. People use various methods to relieve their tension. Some take their problems out on others by yelling or screaming, using the first person available as a scapegoat.

Others try to get away from it all by taking vacations, watching TV, laughing, crying, overeating, sleeping, drinking, walking, jogging, and sad to say, acts of violence are sometimes used as a tension release. Learning to deal with everyday stress is important. Some of your frustrations can be worked off with calisthenics. Eating a balanced diet is also important.

Walking, stretching and deep breathing help to stimulate your circulation. Here are a few stretching exercises to help relieve tension.

Standing upright with your legs apart closing your hands behind your head, stretch by moving head and elbows back and inhale. Bend your body down forward. Exhale. Repeat 6-8 times.

Standing with your legs apart, clasp your hands over your head and stretch up slowly. Bend your body to the left, while bending the right knee, and to the right while bending the left knee. Repeat 4-6 times.

Sitting cross-legged with arms relaxed, circle your head slowly three times to the right, three times to the left. Exhale when head is down, inhale when head is up. I have found these exercises beneficial.

Using the ball of your thumb or middle finger, apply medium pressure to points along eyebrow at each temple. Use light pressure above the eyesocket (points are between eyeball and supraorbital bone) and below eyes. Then work on top of head starting at the hairline and moving back to the crown. Use heavy pressure and don’t overlook the pressure point at the base of the skull. This should increase your blood circulation and take your headache away.