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IT'S CHEAP, IT'S PORTABLE, AND IT CAN REDUCE
YOUR STRESS IN SECONDS
BY SUSAN LATEMPA
ENOUGH
ALREADY WITH THE HOT BATHS, the aromatherapy candles, and the
spritzing of essential oils. You can't douse the firm's conference
room with Eau de Sweetness 'n' Light before a tension-inducing meeting
or soak in bath salts at a PTA conference. But there is something
we're all born with that can help relieve the stress no matter the
place or time: our ability to laugh.
"Humor
is one of the most elegant coping mechanisms that we have,"
says Loretta LaRoche, author of Life Is Not a Stress Rehearsal (Broadway
Books) and adjunct faculty member of the Harvard Mind/Body Institute
in Boston. "Once we learn to lighten up and not take the small
things so seriously, an enormous weight is lifted off our shoulders."
There
are also chemical benefits to joviality. The moment we feel overwhelmed,
says Bill Crawford, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of All
Stressed Up and Nowhere to Go! (Humanics), our bodies release
a stress hormone called cortisol. An effective antidote to cortisol
is endorphins--which are released not only when we exercise, but
when we laugh or even smile. These "happy hormones," says
Crawford, help to negate stress and to restore our sense of well-being.
So
stop yourself before you catch what Crawford calls the "ain't
it awful syndrome--dwelling on whatever is pushing your buttons.
Instead, flip on your "anything for a laugh" switch. Have
ready a file of your favorite comics, E-mails, or articles that
you can grab anytime, and add it to these great guffaw-inducing
tricks sure to help you block an oncoming stress- fest--fast.
24
HOURS OF STRESS AHEAD
When you wake up feeling that anxiety could rule your day, nip it
in the bud with some good old-fashioned melodrama. Try whispering
pitiably to your kids that your energy is sapped, then actually
crawl all the way from the kitchen to the front door. Or turn the
tables: Plead and barter with your kids not to make you go to work,
just like they do when they don't want to go to school. They'll
laugh--and isn't that enough to get you giggling?
MORNING
MAYHEM
Rousing, rushing, and readying the troops trying your patience?
An outrageous change in routine can make all the difference. A child
who's hard to get up, for example, might jump out of bed if you
send your big, slobbery dog to pounce on her pillow. Or try singing
instructions to the kids. "Music is an incredible mood changer,"
says LaRoche.
RIDE
RAGE
If your long or traffic-filled commute starts to addle you, try
zipping off elsewhere--if only in your mind. Put aside the paperwork
on the train, or switch off the car radio in favor of a comedy CD.
Whoever your favorite comedian is, from Roseanne to Cosby, they're
likely to have been in the same situation and know just how to point
out the absurdity of what you're going through, with empathy and
humor," says Crawford.
MELTDOWN
MEETINGS
When weekly staff meetings or parent-teacher conferences stir up
extra tension, there's nothing like a concealed gag--something to
which only you are privy--to put things in perspective. Slip into
some silly underwear before you leave the house, whether it's your
husband's briefs or those prank panties from your bridal shower.
(Not the edible ones!) And stuffing a rubber chicken or whoopie
cushion into your briefcase is surprisingly effective. You can even
try standing on one leg when delivering bad news to the boss--with
subtlety, of course, unless it's over the phone.
APPREHENSION
IN THE AIR
If your workplace is suffering through one of those seemingly endless
"transitions," don't hang around the watercooler sucking
up rumors and worries. Instead, says Crawford, don't be afraid to
trivialize the situation. Duck out once a week for an extended lunch
and go to a funny movie, or have a night on the town with colleagues
at a comedy club. Frankly, even the worst jokes are less depressing
than the same old complaints.
COWORKER
CLAUSTROPHOBIA
You see the same faces every day, so you're bound to reach the point
where their quirks drive you to distraction. Try shaking things
up, and redefining your relationships along the way, by organizing
a lunchtime bowling-alley field trip; play a quick game while snacking
on fries. Or try a jaunt to the zoo, where you can take pictures
of the gang imitating monkeys in front of their cages. (Then hang
the photos in the office.) Also fun are nearby tourist attractions
where you can buy silly souvenirs to put on your desk, door, or
cubicle wall--a reminder to lighten up when you begin to feel closed
in.
WASCALLY
WABBITS
Worried about a visit from your mother-in-law? Fed up with your
daughter's Brownie troop leader? Had it with your boss? Try assigning
theme songs or cartoon characters to the oft-offenders, says LaRoche.
Imagine Fred Flintstone's intrusive mother-in-law the next time
yours comes to town, apply the troop leader's moniker to "The
Name Game" (Kate Kate bo bate ...) during your next encounter
with her. As for your boss, we suggest the fumbling Mr. Magoo. You're
guaranteed to laugh instead of cringe.
PRESSURE
TO PLEASE
Next time you're distracted due to a pending job interview or important
presentation, ask your kids if you can play with them; they're humor
experts, says Crawford. Concerned about your appearance for a presentation?
Play Ugly Parlor and give each other "make-unders" with
green face goo and Smurf hair all gelled into place. Feeling unappreciated
by your superiors? Set up a Veterinary Hospital for Pathetic Kitty
Cats and take turns nurturing each other back to health. Scared
you'll mess up the interview? Role-play--with your 5-year-old taking
the part of the executive.
POSTDISASTER
DINNERS
Not one thing went as planned all day--but the last thing you want
to do is vent your frustrations at the dinner table. Try getting
that unfortunate day off your chest in hyperbolic form. You'll have
the whole table in hysterics when you describe the boring office
meeting (during which, you say, a colleague who knows how to doze
with her eyes open talked in her sleep when she was called upon
for comment), or your difficulties at the department store (where
all the normal bathing suits had been stolen from the racks and
replaced with actual Barbie bathing suits--they were that small).
And don't worry if they beg for more funny stories. There's always
tomorrow.
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