1. Take a 24 hour media break from all sources of news. (yes, even Westside Today)
2. Enlighten the mood by listening to a comedy channel or engaging in an activity that puts a smile on one’s face.
3. Browse in one’s favorite bookstore, clothing store, or electronic store.
4. Do your own de-stressing acupressure facial. “Press the points on the middle of your eyebrows, the bridge of your nose, the points under the eyes and the sides of the nostrils, and hold each point for 15 seconds,” explains Dr. Kaye.
5. Find a good spot for people watching outside and enjoy the scene.
6. Increase vitamin B intake and consider herbal remedies for inducing a sense of peace and calm.
7. Try a simple yoga stretch. “Face a wall and place your hands shoulder high,” says Dr. Kaye, who also has an extensive background in yoga therapy and documented the effects of yoga on substance abuse, depression and weight. “Step back. Straighten your arms. Flatten your back and form a 90-degree angle with your back and legs.”
8. Take a deep breath to relax. Sit on a chair with the eyes and mouth closed. Slowly take a deep breath, bringing the breath up to the collar bone. Release slowly, taking more time to exhale (than time it took to inhale).
9. Daydream – think of the good times.
10. Remove unwanted toxicity by taking a saltwater bath. “Add two cups of salt to a full tub of water,” she says. “Submerse your hair. Saltwater neutralizes pollution and other environmental intrusions. Put on white clothes after your bath. White deflects, black attracts – a law of physics.”
For more information on Dr. Kaye and her work: www.DrGloriaKaye.com.
For more information on Dr. Kaye’s new westside medical home, American Medical Aesthetics, www.amacorp.com