Lower Your Stress Tips for Women

Don't Cheat Sleep

2010-01-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Make sure you get the sleep you need each and every day. We might think we will accomplish more if we sacrifice a few hours of sleep, but that is not likely to happen.

If we don't have enough sleep, we will be sluggish. This will lower our effectiveness as well as our efficiecny. It could mean having to redo the things we thought we had accomplished.

There are really few things that can't wait until the next day. Get the needed sleep and reapproach things the next day with a refreshed mind and a revigorated body.

Get Rid of What You Don't Need

2010-01-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

Needless clutter tends to add to our stress. It makes it difficult to find the things we need. It causes us to dwell on the need to "clean things up". Why stress over clutter? The simple approach to this is to get rid of one to a few things every day. That way we are not distracting ourselves by making a project of it, but at the same time we are getting rid of what we don't need and not allowing those things to take up our valuable time.

Do One Thing At A Time

2009-12-21T02:16:00.000-08:00

In the computer world Windows is called a multitasking software. Multitasking is great for computers, but not so great for human beings. Trying to do too many things at once is a great stress builder. Since I have dedicated this blog series to cutting back stress in our lives, I must start with the concept of Doing One Thing At A Time.

Do one thing at a time. Do it well. Then move on to the next. This is a simple formula that truly does work.

Trying to do too many things at once leads to mistakes and none of these things really gets done well because none are really given our full attention. By doing one thing at a time, we do it right, eliminate having to redo it again because we messed up, and creates a smoothly working atmosphere.

Ultimately, it will reduce daily stress, which will in turn lead to better health.

Relieving Stress May Improve our Health

2009-12-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

I have heard for so long that stress can create so many health problems. I recently read an article that suggests stress and cancer can even be linked. I think it is pretty obvious that stress can cause other problems such as high blood pressure, strokes, head aches and other things. Of course, I am not a doctor so I can't speak from a professional point of view on the topic of stress.

I can, however, speak from my own experience.

Stress leads to problems. Chest pains and headaches are only a couple of the health issues I have experienced that I connect to stress in my life. Recently I have even developed high blood pressure. Interesting since my blood pressure has always been low, yet recently the stress in my life seems to be escalating.

I made a conscious decision to try to lessen the stress in my life, but that is certainly more easily said then done. How does one lessen their stress? I recently talked to my doctor, spoke with friends, and am even reading a book to do research on this topic. I believe it is important, not just for me, but for all of us to strive to lower the amount of stress we encounter in our lives.

So I have decided to do a series of short articles on this blog sharing with you what I am doing to lower stress in my life. I am hoping we can all benefit from my quest to lower stress in my life.

Sources

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Breast Cancer: Steps to Aid in Early Detection

2009-06-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

I learned some interesting facts about breast cancer that I feel every woman should know. The sources I used for this article included the American Cancer Society, The National Cancer Institute, and the Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade.
Early breast cancer isn’t usually detected by pain. In fact, when breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. That is why regular exams are important. If you have anything that makes you suspect breast cancer, contact your doctor immediately. Don't wait around to see what happens. Let the professional decide. Some symptoms that may indicate breast cancer include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nipple discharge or tenderness

Lumps in breast and/or underarm area

Visual changes which include: size of breast including swelling; inverted nipple; and pitting. Pitting means the skin looks like the skin of an orange. Scaling of the breast skin could also be a symptom.

Early detection of breast cancer is important. There is a 97% five-year survival rate when breast cancer is detected early since this can help prevent it from spreading. Below are some guidelines to early detection. I hope they help save someone's life.

Get a Mammogram

A mammogram is a specialized x-ray of the breast to help detect cancers which cannot be detected by feel. Some women are confused as to how often they should get a mammogram. Here is what the professionals say about mammograms.

At age 40 begin getting annual mammograms by a licensed technician. A mammogram will take about twenty minutes. When getting a mammogram avoid wearing deodorant, powders, or cream under your arms. Sometimes they can interfere with the results. Make sure to contact the center if they do not inform you of the results within thirty days. It is very important that results are compared from one year to the next. Hence, be sure you know where your mammogram film is being held.

Clinical Breast Exam

This is an exam by a health care professional. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years and women 40 or older should have an exam each year.

Self-Examination

Starting at age 20 women should begin doing a self-exam. Ask your doctor if you are not exactly sure how to do this or if you are not sure you are doing it correctly. Here are a few guides to follow: Lie down and place one arm behind your head. Using your three middle finger pads press firmly across your breast in overlapping dime-size circular motions. Use three different levels of pressure: light, medium, and firm. This allows you to feel the tissue close to your skin, to feel a little deeper, and to feel the tissue closest to your chest and ribs.

Move across your breast in an up and down pattern, starting from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone, repeating the pressure.
Stand in front of a mirror with your hands pressing down on your hips and look at your breasts for any changes in size, shape, contour, or dimpling. Also, do this with your arms slightly raised. Make sure you check under your breasts as well.
I hope that this information proves helpful to you. I am not a health care provider and by no means a professional on breast cancer. I am simply sharing with every woman possible the importance of detecting breast cancer early and some simple guidelines that might save a life.

My sources for the above information are:

American Cancer Society The National Cancer Institute Breast Health Resource Guide by the Avon Foundation's Breast Cancer Crusade

Donna Loudon
Tupperware Director

Visit an Avon website

Tired Feet

2009-06-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Walking Barefoot

The natural way

Have you ever been really tired at the end of a long day and then feeling better when removing your shoes?

Shoes trap energy around the feet and that could be one of the reasons for feeling tired.

So take your shoes off whenever you can and give your feet as much air as possible.

Walking barefoot helps tone the muscles of your feet, keeping them young and strong. An early morning barefoot walk on cool, dewy grass is refreshing and invigorating for the entire system, not just your feet. It is also believed to have a very good effect on improving eyesight.

Do walk barefoot as much as possible to help the bone structure of your feet function according to its natural shape.

More Beauty Tips

Health Tip: May 29

2009-05-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

One mango provides over a day's dose of vitamin C, two-thirds the recommended amount of vitamin A, nearly half the recommended amount of Vitamin E, and a quarter of your fiber, potassium, iron, and nitronic acid for the day.

Health Tip: May 22

2009-05-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise.