newjerseynewsroom.com

BY VICKY DeROSA

COMMENTARY

Stress is serious! Stress can promote illness and disease and of course can sometimes be fatal.

I can speak to you from a personal perspective, as I know this to be true firsthand. Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).

It was extremely difficult to diagnose me as it affects mostly young males between the ages of 17 and 25. Well, quite frankly, I am neither in my 20’s nor a male. I was quite stressed, however.

Severe stress can be the reason for the onset of many diseases and in my case sent me into a world of blindness. Thank God that within a couple of years I recovered most of my sight and with extreme sincerity I can share with you that I am grateful for my disease since it was the genesis of our health and wellness company.

Many of us are simply trying to avoid stress but certainly most of us are striving for a healthy, calm and serene lifestyle. Therefore, whether they are fun and frivolous or truly fundamental ways to avoid stress, I would like to share with you my recommendations for a more balanced life. I thought it might be interesting to do a “Top 10 List” but alas it seems I have so much more to say. As it turns out, it is a Top 20 List.

20. Make your bed and get dressed. Whether you work from your home or outside your home, the very moment you wake up, make your bed before walking away from it. Research has shown that depressed or extremely stressed individuals do not make their beds. Get dressed…need I say more? Work at it a little bit, you’ll feel better if you look your best.

19. Puffy eyes: Do not live with them! If you look in the mirror and appear tired it will simply make you feel worse. Grab a couple of spoons, run the backs of them under cold water and place them on your closed eyelids. I guarantee the puffiness will go away.

18. Change your lifestyle, walk everywhere, park as far away as you can from everywhere you go. You may not have time to exercise, therefore change your lifestyle just a little bit and this will force you to exercise a bit more.

17. Exercise. Yes all the clichés are true. Exercise really does work to alleviate stress.

16. Keep your mind active. What does this mean? Read, learn to play a musical instrument, learn a new language.

15. Studies have shown that a sense of community does help to alleviate stress. Therefore make it a point, once or twice a week to gather with friends or family. Go to the movies or simply get together and play games.

14. Deep breathing, yes all the clichés about deep breathing are also true. In fact deep breaths help so much, it has simply become a habit of mine to stop periodically, and often throughout the day, to take three long deep breaths.

13. Sleep, sleep, sleep…this is so important I had to say it three times. Did you know that people who live longer sleep better? That is to say, they sleep early and rise early.

12. Eat breakfast if you don’t want to be cranky and stressed. Yes, studies have shown that avoiding breakfast causes stress and moodiness. Just don’t do it my friends!

11. Strive to live in a poison free world, read ingredients and try to avoid as many chemicals as possible.

10. Replace bad fat with good fat, many scientists and researchers have demonstrated that one commonality among centenarians around the world is that they all consume raw nuts on a daily basis.