Go to a Happy Place

by WiredBerries Editors — August 26, 2008

So you know that stress can have profound effects, and not good ones, on your mind and body, and you know that exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep can help you deal. But have you ever considered meditation? If you think you're required to sit still for hours on end, chanting "Om," think again. Meditation can be as simple as mindfully breathing for a few minutes - for stress management, meditation can simply mean taking yourself to a calmer mental place. And the benefits are many:

• Lowers oxygen consumption
• Decreases respiratory rate
• Increases blood flow and slows the heart rate
• Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients
• Leads to a deeper level of relaxation
• Brings blood pressure to normal
• Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate
• Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches
• Builds self-confidence
• Increases serotonin production, which influences mood and behavior (low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity, insomnia, and headaches)
• Helps with chronic diseases such as allergies and arthritis
• Reduces PMS symptoms
• Helps in post-operative healing
• Enhances the immune system
• Increases activity of 'natural-killer cells,' which kill bacteria and cancer cells
• Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress

Feeling stressed at the office? Take a break with a slideshow set to relaxing music. Just choose your mood, tune in, and chill out.