Using Hand Massage to Relieve Stress

We are always face with stress in our lives, whether you like it or not. Stress at home and work, although there are some activities which we can do to lessen stress, some of it cannot be done in our workplace. But there is one solution, you can perform hand exercise routines that you can do while sitting in your office cube. Here are some hand exercise to help you relieve stress.

• Take a dab of lotion or massage oil and slowly work it through your hands. Give special attention to the folds between the fingers, the ball like muscles beneath the thumb, the wrists, and the tip of the fingers. Once you have lavished the lotion or oil on your skin, run your right thumb repeatedly at the muscles comprising the base of the fingers of your other hand. Do this for 10 to 20 counts before doing the same with your other palm.

• Link your fingers together, like you were praying (elbows bent). Push inwards, keeping you palms several inches from your chest. Elevate your elbows to shoulder level. Hold this position for 10 counts and then release.

• Push your right arm forward with palm flexed upward. Take your left palm and gently pull back your right palm toward your body. Do this gently for 5 counts. Make sure that you are doing this exercise without causing pain, and only until you feel your muscles stretched but not strained. Release for 5 counts, and do this again for 5 to 10 repetitions. Do the same on the left arm.

• Press palms together in front of your chest. Fingers should be extended and space apart. Elbows must be either at shoulder level or parallel to the floor. Push hard on both palms until you feel your forearms straining. Hold this position for 10 counts and release for 5 counts. Twenty reps should help ease the symptoms of stress on your shoulder.

• Stretched your fingers by opening them widely and slowly making a fist, one finger at a time. It does not matter if you want to start with the thumb or the little finger as long as you let the fingers stretch while making a fist. You can do this one palm at a time or both palms at the same time. In between the stretching, you can shake your hands in the air to release the tension.

• Clapping loudly relieves stress. So go and clap your hands a few times, but try to add more pressure at the point of impact, particularly on the heels of the palm.

These exercise work better if you incorporate stress relieving breathing exercise as well. And as you do these exercise routines, freeing your mind of negative thoughts.

Tips to make your husband feel loved

I have found this great article on our library clippings, and I hope wives out there can read this. Wanna score with your husband? Here are some tips on how you can make him feel loved.

1. Appreciate his work. Let him know that you understand the stress he endures at the office.

2. Don't criticize him in public. If you have to disagree with him, do it privately.

3. Do away with habits that annoy him.

4. Stop nagging him about things you want him to change in himself. If someone has to change, let it be you.

5. Be vocal with your gratitude for the things he does for you. Try to keep you "to-do" list for him at a minimum.

6. Give him special attention instead of always focusing on your children's needs.

7. Instead of waiting for him to remember your anniversary, plan a celebration and kidnap him yourself.

How to Cope up with a Trauma

We all have seen on TV the horrors of what typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng have brought. Not to mention another tragic event that happened to Haiti. People experiencing such a traumatic experience have a disturbing and powerful feelings in them. They usually settle in time without professional help, but it would help if they understand the variety of emotions that engulf them.

Following a traumatic incident, they experience denial and shock. This can last for several hours pr days, then followed by other emotions such as fear, hopelessness, anger, guilt, sadness, relief and hope among others.

So how do you cope up with this? First give yourself time. Each person copes differently, but here are common ways of doing so.

1. Find out what happened. Better to face the reality of what happened than keep on wondering about what might have happened.

2. Be involved with other survivors. It helps to spend time with others who have been through the same experience as yours.

3. Talk it over. Talking about what happened helps a lot. You can do this with your friends or family, even if all they do listen. And don't worry if you cry when you talk. It's natural and usually helpful.

4. Take some time for yourself. It's perfectly alright if at times you want to be alone or to be with people close to you.

5. Get into a routine. Sometimes you won't feel like eating, but try to have regular meals and to eat a balanced diet. Do some gentle exercise also.

6. Do some "normal" things with other people. Sometimes you'd want to be with other people but not to talk about what happened.

7. Take extra care. After a trauma, people are more likely to have accidents. So be careful when driving or going around.