Nine no-fail stressbusters

Don’t skip meals

Though it’s tempting to skip a meal if you know you’ll be noshing on great party snacks later in the evening, you’ll actually be setting yourself up to binge. “Not eating is the wrong approach because it makes you extra hungry,” says Pam Lynch, a Halifax-based dietitian. “You’re more likely to go overboard later.” Instead, she recommends having a snack or a small meal (ideally something with carbohydrates and protein) before you head to the party so you aren’t ravenous by the time you get there. That way you’ll have more control over what you choose to eat.

How healthy is your diet?

It’s no secret that being overweight is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, (CDA) 80 to 90 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese and more than 20 Canadians are diagnosed with the disease every hour of every day.

But did you know that you can reduce your own risk? The CDA says more than 50 percent of type 2 diabetes diagnoses could be prevented or delayed with healthier eating and increased physical activity. 

Take our quiz to assess your diet (keep track of your points); and discover how you can avoid or delay diabetes by eating healthier.

Find the funny

A good belly laugh can uplift and relax you just as exercise does. Researchers at Osaka University in Japan recently found that watching a funny movie was more effective at decreasing mental stress than viewing landscape scenes, for instance. So pop a comedy into the DVD player after work, sign up to receive a joke-of-the-day email,  or try laughter yoga. Make your own humour first-aid kit, suggests Beverly Beuermann-King, a stress and wellness specialist in Little Britain, Ont. Put cartoons, funny photos and email jokes in a file or on your computer, and pull them up when you need a boost.

Chat with supportive friends and avoid the “frenemies”

Turning to a caring friend when you need a sympathetic ear may ease the amount of stress you’re feeling. On the other hand, discussing an unpleasant experience with an unsupportive friend can prevent you from really relaxing-and may take its toll on your blood pressure and heart health, say psychologists at Brigham Young University. How can you spot a “frenemy”? If you feel obligated to be friends or have mixed feelings about a friend, that’s a red flag, says researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad.

There’s good reason to find ways to cope with chronic stress

Left unchecked, stress can make you more tired, irritable and prone to illnesses such as depression, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. You already know the conventional ways to relieve stress but here are some new ones.

Make over your arguing style

Being the strong silent type, instead of speaking up, can be harmful to your health, according to a study in Psychosomatic Medicine. In contrast, if a husband or wife has a hostile arguing style, it increases the woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease more than smoking or cholesterol levels would, say University of Utah researchers. A warm arguing style by either spouse, on the other hand, lowers the wife’s risk of heart disease, says psychologist and lead researcher Tim Smith. “Try to say several positive things for every negative comment you make.”

Clear your space and your mind

Disorganized spaces make us feel tense, so spend two minutes re-ordering your desk before you dash off for lunch or leave at the end of the day, suggests Marcia Ramsland, author of Simplify Your Space: Create Order and Reduce Stress. Worried that you’ll forget what you’re working on if you file it all away? “Before you leave, jot down the first three things you need to do when you return to your desk,” she says.

Play DJ on your morning commute

Listening to the music of your choice while commuting may lower stress levels, says York University psychology professor David Wiesenthal, who studies driver stress. Finding ways to relax while commuting is important since fighting traffic boosts tension, anger and blood pressure levels, all of which can lead to aggressive driving. (According to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation in Ottawa, aggressive driving is a contributing factor in up to 18 percent of fatal and personal-injury crashes.) Ditch the relaxation CDs, though: turns out the sounds of babbling brooks and chirping birds actually worsens anxiety in people with higher levels of stress to begin with, according to another Wiesenthal study.

Give your BlackBerry the night off

How you deal with the mountain of messages in your inbox can make all the difference in your stress levels.
New research from the universities of Paisley and Glasgow in Scotland concludes that constantly checking email boosts stress. Plus, women feel more pressure than men to reply promptly. Designate a few times during the day to read and reply to your messages, advises Beuermann-King. After work, banish your BlackBerry to your briefcase so you won’t be tempted to pick it up every time it vibrates or beeps.

Sign up for a dance class

One class of hip-hop dancing or aerobics can alter your mood for the better, according to researchers at Korea’s Kyungpook National University. Compared to skating or a combination of weight training, jogging and flexibility exercises, 40-minute sessions of aerobics or hip-hop dancing were more effective at improving mood and reducing psychological distress and fatigue. Learn how to bust a move by logging on to the free how-to site Expert Village and searching for “hip-hop dance steps for beginners.”

Steal a yoga move

As little as 10 minutes in Shava-asana, the relaxation pose that is typically used at the end of yoga practice, slashes stress-induced blood pressure levels by 31 percent, according to a recent study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. To do this pose, lie on your back with your arms at your sides and your palms up. Close your eyes and breathe deeply, consciously relaxing any tight or tense body parts as you move deeper into a relaxed state. Maintain the pose for five to 15 minutes.

Try a mini-meditation

Calm down with this soothing five-minute exercise, says Toronto-based mind-body therapist Louise Gabrielle. Step 1: Bring a gentle awareness to your breathing and gradually make it slower and fuller. Step 2: Breathe in through your nose and imagine you’re breathing in energy or sustenance. Step 3: When you breathe out (through your nose), imagine that the act of exhaling helps your body to relax and let go. Try this routine daily; just five days of integrative body-mind meditation was more effective than relaxing body exercises for improving stress control and lowering anger and anxiety, according to University of Oregon and Dalian University of Technology researchers.

Try a mini-meditation

Calm down with this soothing five-minute exercise, says Toronto-based mind-body therapist Louise Gabrielle. Step 1: Bring a gentle awareness to your breathing and gradually make it slower and fuller. Step 2: Breathe in through your nose and imagine you’re breathing in energy or sustenance. Step 3: When you breathe out (through your nose), imagine that the act of exhaling helps your body to relax and let go. Try this routine daily; just five days of integrative body-mind meditation was more effective than relaxing body exercises for improving stress control and lowering anger and anxiety, according to University of Oregon and Dalian University of Technology researchers.