The Benefits Of Power Napping

Many of our highest achievers benefits from taking a brief time-out from the stresses day and taking a power nap. Our parents and babysitters may have been onto something when they encouraged us to nap — even in adulthood, brief, regular napping seems to be good for you in a variety of different ways, according to recent studies.

While our fast-paced society may discourage breaks and taking time to slow down, research shows the opposite to be true: Any time you can rest and recharge your battery is beneficial for both your body and mind. Having a 30-minute snooze can help relieve stress and bolster the immune systems by restoring hormones and proteins to normal levels.

Some research shows that napping can help reduce the stress. Taken nap during the day, each lasting about 30 minutes, and the ability to repair some of the damage caused by a poor night’s sleep of just two hours. Biological indicators of the adults, who napped, such as stress hormones, were measured and then compared to a control group.

Researchers found that one of the three stress hormones measured, called noradrenaline, was increased the day after the men were sleep-deprived, but not if they were allowed to take naps.

Naps can be typed in three different ways:

• Planned napping (also called preparatory napping) involves taking a nap before you actually get sleepy. You may use this technique when you know that you will be up later than your normal bed time or as a mechanism to ward off getting tired earlier.

• Emergency napping occurs when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you were originally engaged in. This type of nap can be used to combat drowsy driving or fatigue while using heavy and dangerous machinery.

• Habitual napping is practiced when a person takes a nap at the same time each day. Young children may fall asleep at about the same time each afternoon or an adult might take a short nap after lunch each day.www.valerymolone.com

Stress relievers you may not have thought of

September 12, 2016

The popular stress-management strategies, such as meditation, breathing exercises, journaling and other well-known tips. Their benefits are proven, and they're popular strategies for a reason. However, they're not the only ways to relieve stress.

These are some of stress management techniques that I enjoy just as much and are helpful for the people who use them.

Playing with Pets

For those who love animals, there's a special peaceful energy that comes from taking five or ten minutes to caress a cat or love up a dog. Other types of pets can be great "stress-management tools" as well: Fish, rabbits, and even rats can provide their own soothing benefits.  The best pets provide unconditional love and entertainment and stay in our hearts as they help us remember to stay in the moment.

Gardening

• Gardening is physical work. Activities such as digging, planting, raking, pruning, weeding, and harvesting provide a physical outlet for the tension we store in our bodies. There’s nothing like a little manual labor to relieve stress.
• Gardening exposes you to sunlight and fresh air, both proven mood boosters. It allows you to soak up the vitamin D as well as the light that triggers a happy response in the brain.
• Anyone who has spent hours weeding the garden understands the meditative quality of the task. Gardening is often repetitive and focused. It offers a quiet space for contemplation. You may feel clearer after time spent in the garden, even if you haven’t been thinking about anything of importance. It allows a space for your brain to take a break.
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Owning a pet can reduce stress

When thinking of ways to reduce stress in life, usually techniques like meditation, yoga and journaling come to mind. These are great techniques, to be sure. But getting a new best friend can also have many stress relieving and health benefits. While human friends provide great social support and come with some fabulous benefits, but benefits of furry friends: cats and dogs can help reduce some stress from your life!

Pets Can Improve Your Mood

For those who love animals, it’s virtually impossible to stay in a bad mood when a pair of loving puppy eyes meets yours, or when a super-soft cat rubs up against your hand. Research supports the mood-enhancing benefits of pets. A recent study found that men with AIDS were less likely to suffer from depression if they owned a pet.

Pets Control Blood Pressure Better Than Drugs

Yes, it’s true. While ACE-inhibiting drugs can generally reduce blood pressure, they aren’t as effective on controlling spikes in blood pressure due to stress and tension. However, in a study on pets and blood pressure, groups of hypertensive New York stockbrokers who got dogs or cats were found to have lower blood pressure and heart rates than those who didn’t get pets.

Pets Encourage You To Get Out And Exercise

Whether we walk our dogs because they need it, or are more likely to enjoy a walk when we have companionship, dog owners do spend more time walking than non-pet owners.

Pets Can Help With Social Support

When we’re out walking, having a dog with us can make us more approachable and give people a reason to stop and talk, thereby increasing the number of people we meet, giving us an opportunity to increase our network of friends.

Pets Can Reduce Stress—Sometimes More Than People

While we all know the power of talking about your problems with a good friend who’s also a good listener, research shows that spending time with a pet may be even better! One study showed that, when conducting a task that’s stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present!