Saturday, December 11, 2010

How Can Meditation Help With Holiday Stress?

by:  Laura Bonetzky-Joseph
© 2008-2009

With the hussle and bussle of everyday life compounded with the every day news of a doom and gloom economy, how does meditation help with these stresses on top of the seasonal holiday stresses? 
 
Meditation is a practice used to relax the body, calm the mind and center yourself. It is the process of clearing the mind from all its chaos. In short, meditation is the ability to relax the mind and give it freedom to be.

In order to be a successful meditator, you have to be gentle with yourself and do a little meditating each day, until it comes as naturally as breathing. Practice makes perfect.
 
 
When you become one with your body, relax the mind,  and release any tensions, a sense of strength and clarity will emerge. 
 
Think of a room completely cluttered.  So much so that you are unable to see the floor.  Picture that as your mind completely cluttered.  Just as cleaning that room takes patience, focus, & organization so does your mind.  Now in order to get started on your room, you will need to know what to throw away or if we are talking meditation, what to release from your mind and body.   
 
As we get started on our room, we remove what we don't want and create a room that we do want.  Meditation can help do the same with your mind and body.  With proper breathing, posture, and technique, you will be able to relax your mind to gain clarity as to what you want and what you want to release. 
 
If you have ever had a cluttered room, how did it feel once you were able to turn it into what you want?  That same feeling of peace, relaxation and accomplishement can be done as well with meditation. 
 
Meditation:  It's not what you think!
 
Meditation is medicine for the mind.
 
© 2009-2010 All Rights Reserved. May not be printed, reproduced or published without author's permission.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Conquer Toxic Holiday Stress

By: Laura Bonetzky-Joseph, R.M.T., C.M.A., Managing Director of MedSpa New England, LLC
© 2010 All Rights Reserved.  A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only.

When we think of the holidays we smile with nostalgic visions of celebrations, roasting chestnuts, caroling, crackling fires, happy Cleaver-like families, and everything we asked for under the 'ol Christmas tree. As much as the holidays bring love, holiday cheer, & family gatherings so do the winter blues, stress, anxiety, and especially the financial pressure to buy gifts, travel or entertain.  For many, the holidays are the hardest time of the year - emotionally, psychologically, financially, spiritually & physically.  With the economy and consumer confidence at its lowest point since the great depression, families are struggling more than ever with finding a healthy balance between work, home & personal needs. Welcome to one of the most stressful periods of the year and this year is bound to be one of the most stressful.  According to a 2006 survey by the American Psychological Association, 44%  of women and 31% of men report increased stress over the holidays. 

Stress is different for everyone and what may be stressful for one person may not be stressful for another and stress appears in many different ways.  Stress is a growing epidemic taking a serious toll on our physical health, mental health, and spiritual health with the majority of Americans are living with moderate to high levels of stress according to the APA.  Stress that is not managed can have dire consequences without help and change. 

According to a University of California at San Diego study from 1973-2001, deaths from heart disease peak in December and January with it spiking on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.1  Stress is linked to the top six leading causes of death and is another large contributing factor to "Merry Christmas Coronary" and the "Happy New Year Heart Attack". "Although there can be many causes for a heart attack, stress during the holidays has become more frequently associated with a higher number of heart attack patients," says Kelly Larkin, MD, emergency department medical director, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital.2

Also the increase of depression and anxiety during the holidays as well. However, despite popular belief, the increase in suicides during the holidays is a myth according to Mayo Clinic.

There is no avoiding stress, but there ways to better manage your stress levels.   Oooooooook?  So how do we conquer this holiday stress? 
 
First, in order to change the effects of your stress, you have to learn to recognize and identify when you're feeling stressed and become more aware of  the signs, symptoms, and triggers. Your body tells you everything you need to know by sending you signs and signals.  Are you listening to them?

Some of the early signs of stress can include:  
  • Unhealthy eating habits   
  • Irritability
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle tension especially in your shoulders and neck
  • Headaches


 
Here are some statistics from the American Psychological Association's (APA) 2010 Survey*


  • Overweight Children report to be more likely to have trouble falling asleep (15%),  have headaches (15%), eating too much or too little (32%),  or feel angry and getting into fights (9%) than non-overweight children, which are often symptoms of stress.
  • Money (76%), work (70%) and the economy (65%) remain the most cited sources of stress for Americans during this time of  "Non" Depression.
  • Parents report similar sources of stress citing money (80% ), work (72%), and the economy (72%) as stressors, and 73% also report that family responsibilities.
  • "While the majority of parents don’t think their children are strongly affected by their stress, children report otherwise. Nearly three-quarters (69 percent) of parents say that their stress has only a slight or no impact on their children, yet 91 percent of children report they know their parent is stressed because they observe a multitude of behaviors, such as yelling, arguing and complaining." *
  • The most common reason for not managing stress well enough is "too busy or not having enough time".
  • "Two-fifths of adults reported overeating or eating unhealthy foods because of stress in the past month".
  • One-third skipped a meal due to stress in the past month.
  • More than four in ten report laying awake at night in the past month.
  • "The most common physical symptoms of stress reported were irritability (45%), fatigue (41%) and lack of energy or motivation (38%)."



The next step is to choose a way to deal with your stress. For instance, no matter how dire your situation, find something positive in your life to focus on and find gratitude in that.  You can not change how someone treats you or what situations have been given to you, BUT you can choose how you react to them.  Another way, is avoidance. However, avoiding the event or thing that gives you stress is not always possible especially if that is family. So the better way is changing your thoughts and how you react to people, things or situations.

As you go through the holiday season pay attention to you - not the ego self, but the inner you!

Here are some tips for dealing with holiday stress:


  1. You can't change what you can not control.  So why worry? How is that going to make your situation better? 
  2. Identify your triggers.  Knowing what triggers your stress, gives you time to prepare and prevent toxic holiday stress from ruining your holidays.
  3. Stay positive and try to see the good in every situation.
  4. Eat a well balanced diet for your needs
  5. Get plenty of sleep
  6. Avoid toxins such as cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine.  
  7. Avoid the foods that could be making you sick.
  8. You can say NO. Do not over commit yourself and over schedule
  9. Seek alternative therapies such as reiki, meditation, acupuncture or massage therapy.
  10. Avoid conflict and try to resolve existing conflict the best you can.
  11. See every adversity as a chance to grow, excel and be better than before.
  12. Find a healthy outlet to reduce stress such as yoga, exercise, tai chi, painting, or hiking.
  13. Find balance - Your mind, body, and spirit equally need relaxation and attention.
  14. If you have health issues such as heart disease, don't delay seeking medical attention. The delay in seeking medical attention is cited as one of the reasons for an increase in heart related deaths.


Here are a few upcoming events that can help keep you balanced, increase clarity, reduce stress, and bring more love, peace, and understanding to your life.  Meditation for instance has been clinically proven to reduce stress and is the oldest method for stress reduction around.

Check out our
Facebook fan page for details or visit our Website.

Aura Clearing Meditation
Monday, December 6, 2010 - 7pm
Facebook Details

Full Moon & Winter Solstice Meditation
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010  - 7pm
Facebook Details

Stress, Energy & The Food Sensitivity Connection
Join Laura Bonetzky-Joseph in this interactive morning about stress and what you eat.
Thursday, December 30 · 10:00am - 11:30am
Facebook Details

Stress, Energy & Your Health Workshop
Create more balance in your physical life, mindful life and spiritual life
Sunday, January 23rd  11am-4pm
Facebook Details


1.  Doctors Warn Against Holiday Heart Attack Spike; December 3, 2009;  Vanderbilt Medical Center 
2.  Take to Heart; Emergency Departments Prepare to See Higher Number of Heart Attacks on Christmas, New Year's Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (December 21, 2009)  
Stress In America - 2010 Key Findings ;  2010 © American Psychological Association 


Other References And More Information On Holiday Stress:  
How can Meditation Help with Stress? Laura Bonetzky-Joseph;  MedSpa New England; 2009
The "Merry Christmas Coronary" and "Happy New Year Heart Attack" Phenomenon; Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD; © 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.  
Stressful jobs may raise women's heart attack risk, study finds; By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter; Nov 15, 2010
10 Tools for Dealing with Holiday Depression and Stress; Psychology Today; Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D.; November 30, 2009 
Reduce stress, depression this holiday season; By Chris J. Minnick / For the Sun-News; Las Cruces Sun-News; 11/24/2010; 
Stress, depression and the holidays: 10 tips for coping; Mayo Clinic Staff; Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; Oct. 20, 2009

© 2010 Laura Bonetzky-Joseph. All Rights Reserved. This information is for general educational uses only. It may not apply to you and your specific medical needs. This information should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation with or the advice of your physician or health care professional. Communicate promptly with your physician or other health care professional with any health-related questions or concerns. This article does not share the opinions of MedSpa New England.  Be sure to follow specific instructions given to you by your physician or health care professional.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Upcoming December Events to Help with Holiday Stress

As much as the holidays bring families together and holiday cheer, so do the winter blues, familicides, suicides, depression, anxiety, and other increases in crime.  Here are a few upcoming events that can help keep you balanced, increase clarity, reduce stress, and bring more love, peace, and understanding to your life.  Meditation for instance has been clinically proven to reduce stress and is the oldest method for stress reduction around.

Check out our facebook fan page for details

Aura Clearing Meditation 
December 6, 2010 - 7pm
Facebook Details

Full Moon & Winter Solstice Meditation
December 21st, 2010  - 7pm
Facebook Details

Stress, Energy, & The Food Sensitivity Connection
Thursday, December 30 · 10:00am - 11:30am

Friday, September 3, 2010

Stress, Energy, & Your Health Workshop - Massachusetts

Is Stress Wreaking Havoc In Your Life? A Look At Stress ~ And Methods To Reduce The Toxic Stress In Your Life. Learn to Create Balance in Your Physical Life, Mindful Life, And Spiritual Life. There is a direct connection between stress and different diseases. Medical research shows that two-thirds of all visits to family physicians are due to stress related symptoms.

Stress is linked to the 6 leading causes of death making stre...ss the #1 killer.

Learn about stress, the consequences of unmanaged stress, how diet and food toxicities play a role with stress, importance of a healthy sex life, benefits of holistic therapies, understanding how our patterns of thought affect us physically, and explore various methods to reduce stress in your life. We will also address how stress can impede your job search or prevent growth in your current career and ways to change it.

Workbook, exercises, and demonstrations will be done. Discuss how karma, past lives, and the collective selves impact our stress. What we can not acknowledge we can not heal. Sample treatment methods to reduce stress during the workshop.
 

*** Please go to our website for dates & locations ***

Call to register or register online
781-422-2294
Check out our calender for latest events & workshops




Saturday, May 16, 2009

Stress & The Holidays

by: Laura Bonetzky-Joseph


With the hustle and bustle of everyday life compounded with the every day news of a doom and gloom economy, how does meditation help with these stresses on top of the seasonal holiday stresses?

Meditation is a practice used to relax the body, calm the mind and center yourself. It is the process of clearing the mind from all its chaos. In short, meditation is the ability to relax the mind and give it freedom to be.

In order to be a successful mediator, you have to be gentle with yourself and do a little meditating each day, until it comes as naturally as breathing. Practice makes perfect.

When you become one with your body, relax the mind, and release any tensions, a sense of strength and clarity will emerge.

Think of a room completely cluttered. So much so that you are unable to see the floor. Picture that as your mind completely cluttered. Just as cleaning that room takes patience, focus, & organization so does your mind. Now in order to get started on your room, you will need to know what to throw away or if we are talking meditation, what to release from your mind and body.

As we get started on our room, we remove what we don't want and create a room that we do want. Meditation can help do the same with your mind and body. With proper breathing, posture, and technique, you will be able to relax your mind to gain clarity as to what you want and what you want to release.

If you have ever had a cluttered room, how did it feel once you were able to turn it into what you want? That same feeling of peace, relaxation and accomplishment can be done as well with meditation.

Meditation: It's not what you think!

Meditation is medicine for the mind.

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. May not be printed, reproduced or published without author's permission.