Meditation: The Natural Pain Reliever

Rather than popping pills to kill the pain of your aching back or for the headache from too much rushing around, we can tap into a natural pain reliever. Meditating can reduce pain by 40%. If you’re glazing over, thinking “I don’t do that stuff”, it can be as simple a starting with 5 minutes a day and focusing on your breath. I’m allergic to ALL pain meds, so every time one of my joints dislocates (almost daily), meditation IS my medication. Robert Cargill, PhD, a neurobiology professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine did a study showing that meditation decreases pain better than morphine. If you have never tried meditation, are you a little curious now, knowing it can relieve your pain? If you do meditate, have you experienced this?

Relax with Yoga

Some people begin yoga for the health benefits and some for the calming, relaxing effect. I find yoga to be almost like a meditative practice. I gain strength, flexibility and relaxation. It can be intimidating to those who have never tried it… looking at photos of people twisted like pretzels, especially for men. It’s more important to honor your body and only do what is comfortable for you. If you’re not ready to start a class, try a video in the comfort of your home. Yoga for Stress Relief & Flexibility by Ashley Turner gives clear instruction and her voice is so calming. Have you tried yoga and did it relax you?

Body Scan Meditation

If you think meditation is only sitting with a quiet mind, try this technique. Sit comfortably or lie down and breathe slowly and deeply for a couple of minutes. Start to scan your body, focusing your attention on each body part from the top of your head all the way day to your toes. Notice any sensations in each body part, whether it’s discomfort, tight muscles, warmth or relaxation. When you find an area of discomfort or tension, imagine breathing warm or relaxation into that area. What area might be tense or uncomfortable in your body scan__________?

Sleep Well Tonight

We all awaken several times during the night, but some of us aren’t even aware because we drift right back to sleep. But there are some who have difficulty getting back to sleep. Turn the clock away from your bed so you are not tempted to keep checking the time. Not only does this induce more anxiety about not being able to sleep, but it sends a signal to your brain to wake up. Better yet, keep it covered all the time to eliminate the glow of light that has been shown to alter the cycles of some light sleepers. What is your night-time sleep secret for better sleep?

Turn Your Mood Around

If you are feeling overwhelmed at work (and we all have those days), you can make a few choices: you can moan and groan to your colleague, send a complaining text to your spouse or you can turn your mood around.
On your next break, listen to some upbeat music; at lunch, take a brisk walk outside, even if it’s cold; do some stretches and breathe; play a game on your phone (but keep track of your time) or call a friend to meet you after work for fun time to recharge. What works for you?

Stop Worrying

Round and round your head they go… thoughts and worries just keep swirling, preventing you from focusing on anything. When you are having one of those days when no solution makes a clear entrance into your scattered mind… STOP. The uncomfortable feeling from the anxiety over what to do next can be short-circuited if you sit down and write out your thoughts/worries on paper: pros and cons, research needed yet, resources on hand, etc. The process of writing out your thoughts helps to clarify and organize the jumble in your head. How do you manage those days?

Are You More Prone to Stress?

Certain characteristic traits may make you more prone to perceiving stressors. Do you catastrophize situations- expecting the worst-case scenario? Do you should all over yourself- having a rigid list of shoulds and should nots and feeling miserable if you don’t follow it? These are just a couple of the traits that will make you more stressed than your laid back friend. As always, awareness is the first step. Then learning to take charge of your stress is next. How do you manage your stress?

Sleep-inducing Ear Rubbing

If you’re lying in bed attempting to drift off to dream land after a very hectic, harried day, you may want to try this technique. The ears have reflexology points, like feet that correspond to body parts. Rubbing your ears can be very calming, relaxing and help you to sleep. Using your thumb and index fingers, gently rub your ears for 1-2 minutes from top to bottom. Bonus: add some deep belly breathing. See you in the morning…

Slow Does Win… In Health

Although it may sound counterproductive, slowing down will actually help you to accomplish more. We seem to go-go-go from morning till night and still not complete everything we’d like and living at that frenetic pace eventually takes a toll on your health. Instead, try a deceleration in important areas first, like eating, cleaning, spending time with family or any others that you typically rush through quickly. You’ll feel calmer, in control and more productive. Where can you SLOW down?

Capturing Your Best Ideas

Have you ever noticed that your best ideas pop into your head when you’re not in a position to write them down? You may be in the shower, taking the dog for a walk or lying in a backyard hammock. Stress blocks the creative flow but being relaxed without the demands and distractions opens up the connection. I like to be prepared for the moments of clarity with a small notebook and pen and keep them everywhere. What do you use to capture your best ideas in quiet, relaxed moments?

Experience Serenity and Peace

Rather than always searching for happiness “out there”, experiencing inner serenity and peace often leads to the happy feeling people are searching for. Doing what you love and knowing that your biggest WHY is being fulfilled will give you serenity and peace. No amount of chaos, angry people or financial uncertainty will shake that amazing feeling. Even if you are not working in a field that is your life purpose (yet), what can you do right now to connect with your special abilities?

Where Do You Feel Tension?

What if you could catch your tension just as it begins and stop it before it’s had a chance to take hold of your body and mind? Begin the process by starting to notice where in your body you often feel tension or stress. Does your belly bother you? or maybe your neck and shoulder muscles tighten and eventually start to ache? or perhaps the dreaded headache? We all carry stress in a particular part of our body and once we become aware of the area, the moment we feel it, we can use a calming technique like deep abdominal breathing or listening to relaxing music to break the cycle. Where do you feel tension?

Are You Enjoying Right Now?

Much of our tension and worry is based on our future-focused thoughts. What if this happens? I can’t stop thinking about ___. Worries about finances, our children, job security and a myriad of other anxiety-producing issues are all because we focus on the “what-ifs” and imagine the worst possible scenarios. What if… instead of doing that, you focus all of your energy and attention on what is happening right NOW. Otherwise, you may miss out on some amazing moments. Expend your energy here, right now and worry about what ifs, IF they ever happen. Are you present-time focused?

Slow Down Your Mornings

If you start your morning rushing and frazzled, it can set the mood for the day. Awaken to an alarm that simulates the sunrise or sounds of nature. Sit on the edge of the bed and express gratitude for at least one thing. Stand up and do a gentle, slow stretch while taking a nice deep breath. The night before you set out everything you needed to get out the door smoothly… outfit, breakfast makings, work bag, lunch, keys… Life is choices. What can you choose to do differently in the morning?

The 2012 Health Shift

What is one change you can make in 2012 that will move you towards a healthier lifestyle? What one thing can you do that will make you feel better? Remember to make it something you can incorporate into your life as a daily practice, not for 2 weeks. Start simple, such as a nutritious breakfast everyday that you really enjoy… maybe a breakfast burrito with eggs, salsa, low-fat cheese in a whole wheat wrap. Or taking 5 minutes everyday to practice mindfulness meditation. What will be your investment in your health?

Mood Elevator

Your mood depends on your thoughts, so if you tend to focus on the negative, you will have a tougher time being upbeat and in an ideal mood. To help shift that thinking pattern, start writing down 3 things each night that went well for you during the day. They do not have to be monumental things, but something as simple as finding the perfect gift for Uncle Bob for Christmas or getting the kids to daycare and to work on time. If you have children, start the tradition of asking them to share 3 things that went well for them that day. Focus on the positive things in your life… the change is miraculous!

The Gift of Silence

Give your body and your mind the gift of silence. Each day, for as long as possible, turn off your cell, TV, fax, landline, washer, dryer and any other noise-making machine. In the study done at Cornell, low-level noise caused office workers to experience significantly higher levels of stress than those allowed to work in a quiet office for 3 hours. The quiet increased their problem-solving abilities too. Peace and quiet… doesn’t that sound wonderful? How long each day can take a quiet break?

Holiday Traditions

The malls are packed, the highways are busy and people are getting cranky from tension to get all the holiday “to-do’s” accomplished. To get back to the simpler, less stressful holiday times, rekindle some of your family’s traditions as a focus, rather than the hustle and bustle of “spend all you can”, hit every party and have the most up-to-date decorations. We hang a very special ornament on our tree every year that belonged to my husband when he was a little boy. He would lay under the tree and blow under the bottom of the ornament and watch with delight as it spun around inside. What tradition do you follow?

Music and Pain

Probably partly because it distracts us, listening to music can help reduce pain. There are theories that it may affect how we perceive pain by causing the body to release endorphins. Listening to slow music does slow down breathing and heart rate. A study done at the University of South Alabama, Mobile was able to show that listening to either classical or self-selected relaxing music resulted in significant reduction in anxiety and anger. What do you like to listen to?

Orange Energizer

If all the holiday shopping, card writing (does anyone still do that?), meal planning and family visit coordination has you exhausted, boost your energy with the color orange. If you just don’t like the way you look in the color, wear it as an accent. If wearing it is not happening for you, use an orange-colored pen, place an orange on your desk, use an orange mug for your tea or coffee… you get the idea. Since we know colors can affect mood, take advantage of orange’s energizing ability and become invigorated.