Waves Stress Magazine
Is now Waves Podcast & Newsletter
Waves Podcast & Newsletter replaces Waves Magazine
Published weekly
Highlighted articles, stories, and ideas shared on stress management.
Stress management techniques are simply tools to assist in the management of life’s normal stress. Stress is part of life but we need to be aware of it and control the stress in our lives and not let stress control us. There is not a one solution fits all. Each of us experiences stress at different times in our lives for various reasons. One fact remains clear, there are stress management techniques that work. We at WJR are committed to providing a myriad of information from experts on the subject, proven tools, methods, and techniques that have worked and proven themselves with thousands of people around the globe. If you don’t find a solution and you still are seeking and wish for personal support, head to the bottom of any of our pages and link to a professional to assist you. NEVER BE AFRAID, EMBARRASSED, OR RESERVED FOR ANY REASON TO ASK FOR HELP.
Featured Article
Relationships & Stress
WAVES-JUST RELAX STRESS MAGAZINE is updates our feature article every month. Articles within the magazine are added to on a consistent basis for our readers and viewers. Don’t forget to check out our YouTube Channel for video updates.
Stress-Anxiety. Could you use these two words to describe your life right now? Well, welcome to the club, you are not alone. We all experience stress. It is brought on by a host of reasons during our lives. One exceeding challenging stress time is when the causal reason is a relationship. Often it is the little things that keep piling up within our emotional vault. Like a busy week at work, a sick child, or even a partner or parent at home. Couple that situation with a crazy workday, a boss that is driving you crazy, or the car just decided to stop running. These little everyday problems can add up and have big consequences over time in our relationships. Stress in other areas of our lives affects our relationships. Work conflict can become a major reason for stress in a relationship. It can also be a child, a parent living far away, well the list goes on. The point here is not to blame the relationship. It is where we all tend to go first.
Stress enters each of our lives in different ways and how we individually deal with it can have a direct result on our relationship. Such stress can transfer to a kick-the-cat type of reaction and take out our frustration not on the cat but on our partner. If your partner isn’t feeling stressed, in some situations it can lead to more frustration, even hate. When your stress is from your boss hounding you, but your partner just got a pat on the back from their boss, personal feelings don’t translate well.
continued…
When people are anxious, they become more attached and distracted, less affectionate. They also have less time for leisure activities, which leads to a separation between partners. Stress also brings out the worst in people, which can drive people away, because who wants to be around someone when they’re at their worst? As time goes by, the relationship becomes more advanced (less independent and involved in each other’s life) and the couple drifts even more, with more conflicts, problems, and separation from the relationship.
The consistent pressures of stress make people weak. This means that when you are under stress, bad habits develop, and find yourself not able to stop them but in many situations, people are not even aware they have developed a negative habit. It also reflects on being impatient and unable to give your partner the benefit of the doubt when they make a mistake. Anxiety also makes people angry with enemies, which makes them more likely to fight. During a conflict, anxiety can make people not listen or show interest and compassion. In short, stress turns non-problems into problems and hinders your ability to solve the problem effectively. Stress over a period can also affect our physical and mental health and adds even more strain on relationships.
continued…
Couples who communicate well may find that their communication breaks down. They have shared that they feel like there are real communication issues in their relationship and they aren’t the couple they once were. Equally, couples who are more romantic may feel less emotional when they are under stress, and as a result, they admit that they have bedroom issues.
Therapists have many approaches that can assist, depending on what point along the timeline of frustration and the relationship is. One simple tool no matter the time this has been going on is to separate yourself from the relationship for a period. This is not suggesting a relationship separation, but you take a “time out” from the relationship if only for a brief time. Escape from work, the relationship, the kids, parents, school, whatever the outside, and focus on you. Use one of WJR mood transition films, watch and listen to the waves, transcend yourself into another space or meditate. We know a guy that went and played handball for thirty minutes every day. Create an escape from the normal routine and then focus on your stress. Ask yourself where, and at what point, the stress crept into your life and began taking over. Identify the spark that caused the fire within you and identify the tools, methods, or techniques to change your habits and you control the stress, not let it control you. Remember our saying here at WJR, change your habits, change your life.
5 Ways to Do a Check and Balance on Your Stress
1: Identify the Cause of Your Stress
2: Increase Your Positive Emotions.
3: Find Actives to Calm You
4: Take Care of Yourself (Eat, Sleep, Hygiene)
5: Reappraise Your Stressor (Don’t permit stress to take control)
Mindfulness Study & Sports
Quick meditation during halftime kept athletes sharp and energized
Information shared from small study…
In a small study of competitive male soccer players, researchers found that short-term mindfulness exercises (learning to stay calm in real time) can help players stay sharp. and feel less tired during the game.
This is a simple example of ways we can all apply to reduce stress in our daily routine. Let’s review the study and learn more.
This study consisted of one soccer group in Europe. During the study half completed concentration-based interventions, 45 minutes into the game. Team members went through breathing training, physical examination, and brief mindfulness training. The results of the performance were measured as salivary cortisol levels, blood lactate levels, and mental fatigue measured at baseline before the match, into it at the 45-minute mark, and at the end.
Players who received mental exercises showed better reaction time and accuracy in the second half of the game, as well as fatigue and cortisol levels. Scientists found that adopting a specific half-time recovery strategy helped athletes meet their cognitive needs and restore physical energy. This resulted in maintaining or even improving performance when it routinely decreases in the second half.
The results of the physical tests
supported the positive experience
the individual players conveyed.
This study is extremely limited for scientific data. However, the results coupled with other research support using mindfulness techniques assist in reducing stress, and better measurable physical outcomes. Mindfulness practices can be used throughout the day in all situations to assist in managing personal stress. Follow WAVES-JUST RELAX mindfulness techniques webpage for tools to use in your daily routine.
Expand you - with a challenge
Nutrition & Depression
According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. More than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression. It causes significant impairment in functioning and can lead to suicide.
Studies have concluded that a diet rich in greens, fatty fish, beans and a little chocolate can lead to reducing depression and anxiety.
If you’re struggling with depression, incorporating specific foods into your diet may help improve your symptoms. In a recent study of 1,000 people with depression, participants who ate a diet rich in some specific foods experienced a significant decrease in symptoms. Consuming these foods may help improve your mood and provide other health benefits.
A healthy diet is an essential part of treating depression. People who are depressed are more likely to become unhealthy eaters. They may eat too much sugar, fat and salt and not get enough essential vitamins and minerals. Eating a healthy diet helps you feel happier and healthier. You should also avoid eating things that make you depressed, such as processed food or junk food.
Untreated depression can make it hard to follow healthy eating habits. Including in your treatment plan may help you feel more confident about making healthy choices. Plus, following a healthy diet will help you lose weight and feel more energetic and self-assured. It can also improve your mood by reducing inflammation and increasing vitamin levels in your body. Many people find that switching to a healthier diet has a profound effect on their mental well-being.
A healthy diet is an effective way to treat depression. There is evidence that the type of food you eat affects your mood and behavior. In particular, the omega-3 fatty acid DHA improves mood by supporting brain function and reducing inflammation in your body. Therefore, it’s important to include plenty of omega-3 fatty foods in your diet. Examples include salmon, sardines and walleye fish. Higher plant-based foods also have plenty of omega-3s; examples include flax seeds and soybeans. You can also supplement with a quality fish oil if you don’t eat any omega-3 rich foods naturally. It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about which supplement best suits you before taking any supplements for health reasons.
Check out our special nutrition Section- link here
There are many ways to eat well and stay happy without dieting. One option is the Mediterranean lifestyle. This involves eating plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and little to no meat or dairy products. You can also add olive oil as a source of healthy fats, as well as daily exercise to improve your overall wellness. Daily servings of these foods and minimal meat consumption are key components of this eating plan. These staples provide the foundation on which an active, happy lifestyle rests.
Following a healthy diet can help you beat depression by treating underlying health issues such as poor nutrition or lack of exercise. Treating underlying health issues makes it easier to make positive choices; it doesn’t matter what you eat if you’re not getting enough sleep or fueling your body with protein and greens first. A healthy diet can help you beat depression without any negative side effects from poor choices!
Information, diets, free cookbooks & more…
10 health benefits of meditation and mindfulness
Take a moment and review the ten health benefits of meditation and mindfulness exercises exemplified as results of numerous studies.
- Improved focus and concentration
- Reduced anxiety and stress
- Reduced blood pressure and heart rate
- Reduced risk of chronic diseases
- Reduced risk of injury
- Reduced risk of memory problems
- Reduced risk of depression
- Reduced risk of addiction
- Reduced risk of chronic pain
- Reduced risk of chronic fatigue
Alert: Be on the lookout for our character mascot “Tom” he is on social media sites around the globe.
The college student & Stress
If you’re a college student, chances are you will experience some school-related stress during this time in your life. Stress isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it’s necessary and healthy, but only at manageable levels. Stress pushes us to stay on track with our studying and classwork and keeps us motivated.
But when stress, worry, and anxiety start to overwhelm us, it makes it harder to focus and get things done. In fact, national studies of college students have repeatedly found that emotional health challenges like stress, anxiety, sleep, and depression are the leading impediments to academic success. And while we might jump from assignment to assignment to try and get things done quickly, this approach often means we aren’t really finishing anything or finding the focus we need to be effective. In other words, we’re just spinning our wheels and creating more stress.
It’s understandable to feel stressed in college. Maybe you are on a scholarship, and you need to maintain certain grades to remain eligible. Maybe you’re the first in your family to go to college and it’s stressful to live up to the weight of those expectations. Maybe you know that college is a financial burden on your family, and you worry that your education isn’t worth it or that it’s a burden. This list can go on and on and add your special reason to it. Fact: this is normal, above all, nothing new. Here is a fact to know. You are not alone! But you say, okay but how the hell does that help me right now? We get it but let’s take another minute to review the long-term behaviors that are exhibited.
Studies have shown that individuals with strong emotions related to school, makes them less able to function normally. It reduces their overall academic achievement It has shown to also cause negative health effects. They include depression, insomnia, substance abuse and anxiety. The effect is a long-term inability to deal with day-to-day activity, not eating, sleeping, or taking care of hygiene. So, number one question to ask yourself, are you tunnel focused on the academics?
Okay so we know the cause and the negative effects. Heck we even created a list of what could be the trigger sparking the over focus of academics. The question is how we know we are headed in that direction. The direction of going in circles with an over focus on the academic during the college life phase of an individual’s life? What are the signs? If we know the measuring signs, we have a better idea of how to change the behaviors that are letting stress take control. Remember the goal is for us to be in control not the stress. Here is a crazy case study but a sign a professor noticed and directly questioned the student.
Remember the goal is for us to be in control –
not the stress
“I noticed you have worn the same college sweatshirt for two weeks. I know it’s the same shirt because the stains are compounding on it. There is a spot of mustard and now on top of it looks like blueberries, perhaps chocolate. You are a good student and prepared for every class. But I encourage you to take a night off from studying, go to the laundromat, get a pizza and watch a favorite comedy movie. Break the study routine and get to know yourself again. Your grades will thank you in the end.”
Another case study:
Another student had a different experience or reached the point where the circle of unnormal routines had taken over. The freshman found he couldn’t keep up with the five courses he had signed up for. He had borrowed some of the tuition money to attend school. Six weeks into the semester he felt, he was never going to make college work for him. He had accepted the fact he was going to fail two of the courses. He couldn’t keep up with the studies and lab work. He decided on taking a parttime job at a restaurant to pay off the loan and accepted the fact college wasn’t for him. He hung out with people after work, began partying routinely, concluding in his mind that college wasn’t worth the hassle. He’d find another career path is what he had accepted in his mind. If he would have asked, someone might have suggested he drop the two courses, focus on the other three, get good grades in them and refocus a routine. Another question he might have asked himself was, what career path do I want for myself, the next forty years of my life? Focusing on that personal question may have had him refocus a routine for himself.
Perhaps if he had used a mindfulness technique, done a simple meditation routine, or taken the time to step out of his new routine he would have gained a new insight. Stress took over and won. If he had managed his stress with a simple technique, it could have taken him in a new direction. Reflect on the first paragraph of this article. Stress isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it’s necessary and healthy, but only at manageable levels. Stress pushes us to stay on track . We all need to understand the signs of stress, use a mood transition technique and find ourselves again.
The way we know that stress is taking control is when life has a new normal and you didn’t create the routine. Ask a friend, parent, or coach if you sense a new normal routine is directing you in a new direction or sense you are going in circles.
The simple question to ask someone is; do you notice anything different about me? If they say, well you really might want to try on a new shirt, you’ll know it’s time to change the routine. Equally important if you see a friend changing up a routine that seems like they are going in circles, share your observation. Remember what we say here at WAVES-JUST RELAX, change your habits, change your life. Focus on the positive habits that allow you to control stress and not let stress control you.
Free mindfulness training, books, articles & more…
Use Sports to Manage Stress
Sports are a great way to reduce stress. Most people who exercise say that time involved in their sport permits them to refocus and clear their heads. The result is it calms them down. Sport improves the function and regeneration of those parts of your brain that prevent your feeling of stress and thus the production of stress hormones.
Two important substances are released during movement: BDNF and endorphins. Both support the hippocampus. The Hippocampus is in your brain and inhibits the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) The other way around, unfortunately: Continuous exposure to cortisol makes the hippocampus less effective. How do you achieve this?
The answer is simple: being active and the normal motion of your head moving with a sport activity.
It is also advised that individuals analyze your stressors. Be clear about where your stress is initiated from. Is it about work, personal life, or the dozen other situations that can create the varying stress factors in our lives? It is important then to improve your management of stress. In many situations in our life’s, we just can’t walk away from a situation that is the causal reason for the stress. If we could that is the easy solution. However, most of the time we can’t walk away from the causal reason for the stress. A proven solution is mood transition. Sport offers this. If you can place 30 to 45 minutes at least 3 times a week tied to sport it can be beneficial. Look at your life schedule and even consider starting with a fifteen-minute walk for a mood transition. It’s also good to learn new habits to manage stress, including sports. Also consider watching the WAVES-JUST RELAX mood transition films for two to four minutes to reduce stress if your day does not permit a routine exercise program.
Sport can assist in reducing depression…
Intense endurance sports have been shown to reduce depression. These are endurance sports, also known as cardio training or aerobic training. The effect is so good that in mild and moderate depression it often works together with antidepressants. To achieve these results, it is necessary to train with the right intensity for 30 to 45 minutes at least three times a week. Consider a trainer at a local gym
“Join a local gym,
hook up with a trainer
and put a plan in action…”
Make a game plan for yourself…
During exercise, all kinds of substances (for example, endorphins) are released, which make you happy, reduce stress and make you feel better and more enthusiastic. A general rule of 30 minutes of moderately vigorous exercise per day takes care of this. This can be achieved by a 30-minute walk.
The value of exercise and sport to change mood and refocus is supported by numerous studies. Ask yourself if you are honestly doing 30 minutes of exercise a day. If not plan and turn it from a plan to an action. Remember what we say here at WAVES-JUST RELAX, Change your habits, change your life.
Science supports the practice of yoga reduces stress
Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia are among the most common causes of individuals seeking treatment and complementary therapies such as yoga. If you have never experienced doing a yoga routine, we highly encourage it. Yoga promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and focuses on the present. Individuals report a sense of changing the balance from the sympathetic system to the flight or fight response to the parasympathetic system and the relaxation response. Scientific studies have supported that the practice of yoga slows breathing and heart rate, lowers blood pressure, lowers cortisol levels, and improves blood flow to the intestines and vital organs. We encourage you to read the last sentence again and ponder it.
Make the practice of yoga part of your daily routine.
One of the main goals of yoga is to achieve peace of mind and create a sense of well-being, a sense of relaxation The practice of yoga creates the right energy that is necessary for the functioning of the immune system. Yoga leads to inhibition of the back or the sympathetic region of the hypothalamus. This inhibition increases the body’s sympathetic response to stressful stimuli and restores stress-related autonomic reflexes. Yogic practice suppresses the areas that cause fear, anger, and rage, and stimulates the pleasure center in the middle of the brain and other areas that lead to a state of happiness and joy. This restriction leads to a reduction in stress, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output in students who practice yoga and meditation.
Regular yoga practice relieve feelings of depression and can lead to a significant increase in serotonin levels. Serotonin is associated with a decrease in monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters and cortisol. Scientific research supports the physical results the practice of yoga provides. The beneficial effects of engaging in yoga for reducing and even eliminating depression, anxiety, and stress have been supported for many years. It is, for this reason, that we at WAVES-JUST RELAX, encourage, and support our viewers and readers to experience yoga. Use our Yoga section to learn the basics. We also wish to expand our interaction with yoga studios and teachers to assist more people to get involved in their local communities worldwide.
At WJR WE BELIEVE YOGA CAN BE A PRIMARY TOOL TO MANAGE STRESS.
Health Insurance & Mental Health
Health insurance plans are confusing. Although federal law requires insurance companies to provide equal coverage for mental and physical health conditions, deep differences remain between the two. In fact, 42% of people struggle to cover high mental health costs. Even with mental health required to be covered, any treatment beyond meditation can be difficult to obtain.
Mental health care is expensive, to the point of being inaccessible has long been a problem but has taken on a new urgency because of the pandemic. The latest numbers reflect that just under 75% of people between ages 18 and 35 who took an anxiety or depression screening scored with moderate to severe symptoms.
Millennials are more likely to attend therapy than their predecessors. Yet overall, 20% of people diagnosed with major depression don’t seek treatment, and it’s not hard to imagine why.
continued…
. Even with insurance, the fee for most treatments is over $50.
Even if your health insurance plan says mental health is covered, that doesn’t mean all services are covered. The amount of “coverage” provided by insurance plans varies, so be sure to check your policy’s coverage details. A therapy session can range from a few dollars to over $200 depending on the of therapy and the co-pays defined by your plan.
Thus far we have enlightened you to the fact that in the USA your insurance health plan must cover mental health, but the definition of treatment varies by company and so does the co-pays or better stated what you will need to pay.
We’d like to offer an approach that can work and that has a listed price. Using a virtual approach (you meet with a therapist online) with a price ranging from $52 to $99 a week depending on the plan you select. Here is an idea we’d like to suggest. Call your insurance company’s claim department and ask them to cover the cost of the virtual therapy.
continued…
You may find the company has such a program approved within your plan. Another may respond that they need time to check it out. This usually takes a day or two. If they come back to you and say no, tell them you would like to file a formal appeal. Usually, appeals go to the senior supervisor and find their way to state insurance departments. Appeals usually need to be in writing and need to be responded to quickly. This is an action we have found that many times have favorable results.
More important: if you feel you need help immediately just call the national assistance at 988. check our information box at the bottom of this page,
Here are two of the national online therapy companies. Check your local area there may be a local company serving your area..
Talk Space – https://try.talkspace.com/
Cerebral Health https://cerebral.com/
Please Note: WAVES-JUST RELAX is not affiliated with either of these companies and we do not receive any referral fee. We provide these links as a service to our USA readers. Please use the Psychology Today listing for therapists available around the world.
IN THE USA- DIAL 988 for the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The tools WAVES-JUST RELAX provides on our Blog and YouTube Channel are to assist most of us with the daily ups and downs of life. While stress in our daily lives is normal, most of us now and then need a space to get “centered” or balanced in our live to move forward. These are the tools WAVES-JUST RELAX provides. Stress can be a building block in our growth and help anyone mature at any age.
HOWEVER, there is a point when these simple tools cannot help. There are situations where consistent repetitive stress requires a helping hand, professional listening ear or actual direct assistance. A point where deep depression, or feelings of suicide require GETTING HELP NOW. The folks at PSYCHOLOGY TODAY provide a FREE LIST OF INTERNATIONAL THERAPISTS. Click the link to the left and connect now if you have reached the point where our support tools just are not working for you.
