Article: Targeted exercise goes a long way toward freeing your body of stress hormones and increasing your endorphin levels - responsible for feelings of happiness. Carve out time during your busy day to exercise to both keep your body healthy and as a natural outlet for your stress. You should notice the difference. Try to raise your heartbeat to 120-180 beats per minute for about 30 minutes per day. If you don't have time to do all thirty minutes in one sitting, don't worry; you can break up the exercise time however you need to fit your schedule. Swimming, hiking, and biking have been shown to reduce stress as well. A benefit of swimming and biking is that, opposed to jogging, they create far less joint strain, which makes them perfect for people with joint problems or those wanting to prevent them. Give your body the sleep it wants, and your stress levels will take a nosedive. Sleep is a mechanism by which your body recuperates and restores its energy reserves. If you're not getting enough sleep, your body will use stress to keep you active and alert in the absence of stored energy. Most adults need at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Young children and older adults need more, about 9-10 hours of sleep per night. Get into regular sleeping habits. If you can, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each night and morning. Routinizing your sleep cycle will teach your body when it's supposed to go to be tired, aiding in better sleep and less sleep deprivation. 49% of Americans who don't get enough sleep blame stress as the culprit. If you believe that you're stuck in a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation/stress creation, see your doctor for more targeted advice. Your body needs to be healthy, strong, happy and properly fueled to help you tackle and even eliminate stress. Like it or not, stress is a bodily reaction to anything that disturbs its natural state, meaning that your body can have a profound effect on producing and relieving stress. Start decreasing caffeine and alcohol intake. In some cases, alcohol intake increases stress response in humans while being linked to substance dependency, a stressful condition itself.Caffeine is also responsible for raising stress levels, especially at work, so try to stick to water as a general rule. Eat a healthy breakfast and healthy snacks during the day. It is better to eat several smaller meals throughout the day than to consume three large meals. For a healthy stress-free diet, consume more complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads and pasta, foods high in vitamin A such as oranges, foods high in magnesium like spinach, soybeans or salmon, and black and green tea, which contain antioxidants. Relaxing your body, by whatever natural means, is a great way to reduce stress. Don't expect your stress to immediately dissipate; it can take time. In most cases, try not to fixate on the stress itself while you're relaxing. Think of something placid and tranquil, or think of nothing in particular. Let your body tell your mind that everything is okay. Listen to calm and soft music. Music really gets you relaxed and happy. Try listening to music with no vocals and pick music with instruments like the flute, piano, or violin. Classical, jazz, or folk tunes generally work well, but if that's not your cup of tea, choose music that puts you in a good place. Take a bath. Add Epsom salts or other fragrant bath salts for a luxurious touch. Indulge in your private time and relax the body. Get a massage. Either having a professional massage or con a loved one into giving you a stress-relieving massage. Use lotions or oils and dim ambient light for the most relaxing atmosphere. Start a diary or journal. You don't have to write in it every day. Writing down what's bothering you, what you've been busy with, and how you feel may help you to expel your negative emotions. Although you could technically consider yoga your daily exercise, practicing the deep stretches and slow body movements will help you to clear your mind. Meditating - clearing your mind - while practicing gentle yoga will give double the relaxation effect to ease your stress. Use guided imagery to imagine a place that makes you feel at peace. Imagine somewhere that you feel happy; focus on the details to fully remove your mind from the present. Do yoga alone or in a group setting to help you learn new poses. As you advance in your yoga, you will be able to form complex stretches that force you to focus and take your mind off your stress. Practice deep relaxation by doing progressive muscle relaxation. This is when you work through your body by tensing your muscles, holding the tension for ten seconds, and then releasing it. This will soften and relieve all the muscles in your body. Often when you're stressed, you can look at your schedule and see that you are lacking time for doing your favorite activities. Whether that be drawing, writing, reading, playing sports, or cooking, set aside time on a daily basis to do those things you enjoy. If you have a very busy schedule, set aside at least just ten minutes per day to do what you enjoy. Although ideally you should spend thirty minutes to an hour, allowing just a small break from your hectic schedule will be enough to lower your stress levels.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Exercise regularly. Get enough sleep. Eat properly. Learn to relax. Practice yoga and meditation. Do things you love.
Article: If you usually smoke traditional cigarettes, you may be used to taking quick, short drags and smoking several cigarettes at a time or chain smoking. When smoking an e-cigarette, it is important that you learn how to take long and slow draws until the vapor fills your mouth. You should also avoid chain smoking an e-cigarette. Only take about three to seven draws at a time and take a break. This will allow a few minutes for the e-cigarette to cool and to give your throat a rest. Smoking too much of the e-cigarette at a time or smoking the e-cigarette for too long can lead to throat irritation and soreness as well as taste bud burnout, also known as "vaper's tongue". Give your throat and mouth a rest between e-cigarette sessions so you do not develop any irritation or numbness after smoking. To warm up the e-cigarette, you can start by doing a primer puff. This is a quick inhale into the mouth of the e-cigarette to heat up the coil. You should not pull any vapor out of the e-cigarette, just get the e-cigarette primed for your first draw. When you inhale, take a slow and steady draw until the vapor fills your mouth. Do not draw the vapor into your lungs, or swallow the vapor until the vapor has first filled your mouth. Once you have held the vapor in your mouth for three to five seconds, you can then inhale it into your lungs. Then, exhale it slowly out of your nose or mouth. Unlike traditional cigarettes, you can absorb the nicotine from the e-cigarette into your body through the mucus membranes in your mouth, as well as your lungs and nose. When smoking traditional cigarettes, you usually wait about eight seconds for the "hit" of nicotine. With e-cigarettes, nicotine absorption occurs more slowly through your mucus membranes and can take up to 30 seconds to "hit" you. Though you may need to get used to waiting a bit longer for your nicotine fix, it is easy to get used to after using the e-cigarette a few times. Some smokers crave a distinct hit of nicotine to the back of their throat and may feel that e-cigarettes do not provide a strong enough throat hit. Often the longer you drag on the e-cigarette, and the more vapor produced in your mouth, the stronger the throat hit will be. The flavoring in the e-liquid can also affect the amount of vapor produced. You may want to switch to a more tobacco-based flavor if you are seeking a stronger throat hit with your e-cigarette. As well, you may want to try an e-liquid with higher nicotine level for a more distinct throat hit. Keep in mind a higher nicotine level can lead to prolonged smoking and health issues like cancer and respiratory disease.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Be aware of the difference between smoking a cigarette and smoking an e-cigarette. Do a "primer puff". Draw slowly and steadily on the e-cigarette. Hold the vapor for three to five seconds. Wait at least 30 seconds to feel the effects of the nicotine.