Tax Day 2010 Got You Stressed? 10 Steps to Ease Your Woes

By Kelsea Brennan

We all stress.  It’s part of the human experience and sometimes even an adaptive coping mechanism for when you need your adrenaline to start pumping in order to get your out of a potentially dangerous situation. Stressing over your taxes, though, is not one of those situations in which a fight or flight response is beneficial – you can neither fight The IRS for flee from it, well, not without serious legal consequences anyway.

Rather, stressing out over your taxes, is bound to hurt you more than help you. Plus, stress can have serious health consequences (including not-so-pretty costs to your skin and hair). Even worse, though, is the fact that stress is often a self-perpetuating cycle: the more you stress, the more you’re stressed. To curb this counterproductive cycle and have you feeling better in no time (or until the check to IRS clears, anyway), follow these 10 quick steps for a stress-free tax day.

Meditate. It is the number one, scientifically supported tool to reduce stress.  Don’t say you can’t, don’t know how, or that your mind won’t shut off.  Just sit, be still and breathe.  Do it at least 5 minutes in the morning and, if you can, for additional brief moments throughout the day.

Need more direction on meditation? Read this!

Don’t Over-Think.  Thinking “I have so much to do, it will never get all done, I can’t deal” will only energize stress and worse the situation.  Acknowledge your negative thoughts, remind yourself that it’s ok to feel a bit stressed and move on.

Exercise. Have you ever worked out and felt worse after? Didn’t think so! Exercise not only boosts your self-esteem but also releases feel-good brain chemicals that immediately makes us feel better. Plus, it helps us release our rage, healthfully.  Deepak Chopra recently – and need we say brilliantly – tweeted, “exercise is the best exercise.” So, as often as possible, get moving to let the stress melt away.

A total body workout you can do at home!

Steer clear of negativity. Make sure your friends and the people you surround yourself with are positive people who make you feel better and energized rather then drained..  Negative coworkers?  Remind yourself that no one can take from you anything you are not willing to give, including your peace of mind.

Treat yourself.  Be nice to you!  If a friend was stressed you would comfort her with an offer for dinner, a movie or a mani/pedi.  Do the same for yourself, you are so worth it.

Tight on cash? Pamper yourself!

Be Present. We tend to stress either because we are either feeling upset about the past or anxious for the future.  If you are in the moment, the past becomes just a memory and the future an idea that does not yet exist.  Practice being present by really paying attention to what you are doing, rather than your thoughts.

Sleep.  The average woman needs 7 to 8 hour of restful sleep each night Make sure you are getting enough sleep.  Everything is harder and seems worse when you’re tired.

Have trouble sleeping? It could be your diet!

Identify your stressors. When you are aware of what stresses you, you can prepare.  You will quickly notice old habitual thought patterns and actions you usually take.  Once you take notice, you can create new habits that reduce stress rather then enhance it.

Get outside.  Fresh air revitalizes, clarifies and has a beautiful way of creating calm.  Try to get outside as often as possible during the week and pay attention to the natural order of nature.

Don’t let allergies keep you indoors!

Make time to relax.  This does not include the moments you lie in bed as you try to fall asleep.  Rather, read a book, do yoga or simply sit on your couch and relax.

Note: If you still need more help, Bach Rescue Remedy provides an all-natural solution to stress and anxiety with its homeopathic remedies! Available in numerous delivery systems (the hard-candy-like pastilles option is our favorite!), Rescue Remedy uses flower essences, including Rock Rose, Impatients, Clematis, Star and Cherry Plum, to calm your nerves and help you focus on the 10 steps above!

Where we want to relax…