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HEALTH:
10 Holiday Stress Busters - Apply Them
Daily To Keep Body And Voice In Shape
December 10, 2012

By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. Voice Specialist
Author, Broadcaster's Survival Guide


Did you know that this time of year may actually be hazardous to your voice? 

Chronic stress wears us all down during an ordinary month, but with the pressures of the holiday season upon us, stress can get out of control. If it does, your health AND your voice can suffer.

If stress gets the best of you, you might have trouble sleeping.  Lack of sleep makes you more susceptible to illness.

Plus during the holiday season, you most likely will spend time shopping in stores or malls where those nasty bugs that make us sick are in abundance!

Mix that with the possibility of snow and frigid temperatures, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for getting sick. The coughing and sore throat that follows all this can wreak havoc on your voice. 

10 QUICK STRESS BUSTERS


Why not try these stress busters to help balance the demands of this busy season so that you might avoid getting sick?

1. Stretch slowly several times during your day today.

2. Exercise for at least 20 minutes today. A brisk walk will do it. Even 20 minutes of light exercise ups your energy for as long as 12 hours and boasts your immune system.

3. Eat three meals today or graze on five small meals with an emphasis on protein.

4. Drink more water and less caffeine.

5. Avoid the urge to grab something sweet when you’re stressed. Go for protein instead (e.g., nuts, low-fat cheese, peanut butter).

6. Get up and take a break when you’re at your desk for more than an hour.

7. Close
your eyes and take three slow abdominal breaths once or twice today.

8. Daydream
for a few minutes about your last pleasant vacation.

9. Take a deep inhalation
before you answer the phone.

10. Concentrate
on breathing in and breathing out before you go to sleep tonight.

----------------------------------------------
ABOUT ANN
Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D., is a voice specialist with more than 40 years experience and has helped hundreds of people make the most of their voices, working with broadcasters, voice over artists and podcasters around the world. An author of eight books and over 50 articles on voice, her Broadcaster's Survival Guide e-book offers more tips on dealing with holiday stress, plus advice on how to improve your voice over performance by making simple lifestyle changes.

Web: http://OnlineVoiceCoaching.com
Click for: Broadcaster's Survival Guide


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