Monday, March 25, 2013

3 weird stress busters that work

We're no strangers to stress-relief tips. But you can only breathe deeply for so many ohms and gaze placidly at the ocean so many times. Other than deepening your breath (which, by the way, does work), what else can you do to exorcise your anxiety? Prevention magazine, published by Rodale, suggests you try out these 3 weird tips from experts — no heavy breathing required.

Pop a probiotic

Why? Symptoms of stress are partly due to the immune system. Sources of probiotics include yogurt, creamy kefir, or a supplement with at least 1 billion CFU (colony forming units.)

Screw in new light bulbs

High-wattage light can raise stress levels, trigger your appetite and make you eat even faster than usual, according to research. Changing normal white lighting to blue-enriched lighting has been found to decrease fatigue in the evening, increase positive mood, diminish irritability, and improve sleep at night.

Sing out loud

Belting out while bathing is one of the most fun ways to ease stress. In addition to melting stress, singing boosts your immune system. Even choral singers rate their quality of life higher than those of us without a tune. But if you're more of the screaming-in-the-basement type, don't hold back: blowing your stack once in a while is associated with a 50 percent reduction in heart-attack risk.