Engage All Your Senses and Leave Stress Behind

By Editorial Staff

Taste: There's nothing like a soothing cup of tea and your favorite dessert to take some of the edge off a hectic, stressful day, particularly when combined with a little time to enjoy your own time, far away (as far as you can get) from the stress-inducers that seem to surround you.

Touch: When you're overworked, overstressed, overwhelmed and just plain over it, find the time to escape and experience the power of touch. Schedule a chiropractic adjustment or a massage, or retreat into the soothing, stress-releasing luxury of a bubble bath and see how your attitude changes in a matter of moments.

See: The so-called "daily grind" is a major source of stress, and it only gets worse when the work hours get long and the days get short. In fact, during the winter months, many people never see the light of day, arriving at work before sunrise and leaving after sunset. Take a midday walk around the block and open your eyes to what the world has to offer. And at night, turn off the glare and light a few calming candles instead.

Smell: The next time you're on the brink of losing it, let your nose take you to a better place. Sounds funny, but it's oh so true. Just try to stay stressed after smelling your favorite food wafting up at you from your plate. And don't discount the power of a scented candle or two; replace the unpleasantry of another dreary day with the aroma of peace and tranquility.

Hear: When was the last time you truly appreciated the lyrics, melody and arrangement of a song? Music has an incredible ability to soothe the soul, but many of us don't take the time to listen - we just use it as background noise while working out or flip from song to song, station to station in the car. Tune out the stress and tune into the relaxing power of music.