Brought to you by Good Health magazine
When was the last time you felt truly stress-free? If you're struggling to remember, it's time for action. From your work to-do list to dealing with family dramas, maintaining a happy relationship and keeping up with domestic chores, it's no surprise that even the most serene woman is left feeling frazzled.
What compounds this is that the things known to combat stress (yoga, a chat with your best friend) are exactly the things we don't have time for. So we challenged a range of experts in the health, fitness and wellbeing industry to devise a solution for every "strexcuse".
Tense and taut
In an ideal world you'd … make that 90-minute Iyengar class.
The strexcuse: "Chores and admin had to come first."
Quick-fix solution: Got 10 minutes and a towel? That's all you need to do a mini-yoga work-out. For an instant yoga de-stress Kate Porotto, director of the Fremantle Yoga Centre in WA, suggests this simple posture, known as the "reclining bound angle pose". Try the following:
1. Lie on your back with a rolled-up towel placed lengthways along your spine, knees bent up.
2. Bring the soles of your feet together and bend your knees out wide. Stretch your arms out over your head, crossing them and holding onto your elbows. Focus on your breath, taking comfortable deep, long inhalations and exhalations. Hold for three to five minutes.
Old before your time
In an ideal world you'd … have a monthly facial, have eight hours of sleep a night and drink plenty of water.
The strexcuse: "I struggle to remember to take my make-up off, and a monthly facial is a luxury I can't afford!"
Quick-fix solution: "Up your intake of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and green tea," says Michael Elstein, anti-ageing physician and author of You Have the Power (Merit, $29.95). "Both have a beneficial effect on collagen." For maximum antioxidants, opt for a green tea supplement over a brew.
Try Blooms Green Tea 5000 capsules ($35) or Fusion Health Green Tea tablets ($24.95).
Sleep deprived
In an ideal world you'd … have a long lie-in.
The strexcuse: "Nice idea, but with my to-do list, there's no time to waste the day. Pass the coffee!'
Quick fix solution: "If you're sleep deprived during the week, weekend catch-ups can be crucial," says Professor Gaby Badre, a UK consultant in sleep medicine and clinical neurosciences. "Even if you take it in turns with your partner so you each get one lie-in per week, it'll make a difference."
However, Professor Badre cautions that "unless you are an 'evening' person [that is you don't usually fall asleep till after midnight and could easily sleep in until 10am], do not try to sleep too many hours in the morning as you will disturb your biological rhythm. Lie in, or nap for an hour or two [maximum] instead."
Dumped on
In an ideal world you'd … vent over a long lunch with your best friend.
The strexcuse: "I'm too busy for lunch. We'll meet up when things are calmer."
Quick fix solution: So you'll meet up when life is calmer? What happens to your stress in the meantime? Sydney-based life coach Linda Anderson says you can't afford to defer.
"When you're on an aeroplane during the safety briefing, what does the flight attendant tell you? 'In case of oxygen being required, put on your own mask before assisting others'," Anderson says.
"There's a good reason for this — you can't support everyone else if you don't have enough 'oxygen' for yourself," she says.
"Start by doing something small every day — even 15 minutes curled up with a book will help. Also, learn new ways to say 'no' — even if that's telling people 'not now'. You can't be available for everybody at all times, so it's okay to make people wait."
Brought to you by Good Health magazine
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