b'are outside, if you are able, nd a comfortable To help, attempt to keep a sleep-wakeplace to sit in the grass and notice your schedule not just during the week, but alsosenses. What do you hear? What do you on the weekends. Also, try having a worry logsee? What do you physically feel? What do next to your bed, this can be helpful if youyou smell? What do you taste? You will notice are stuck on some worries or ruminatingthat while doing this experiment, you are thoughts as you are winding down. Insteadlikely focused only on the present moment of keeping the thoughts in your head, haveand not thinking about the past or the a journal next to your bed, write them down,future (whether 10 minutes or 10 years in the and address them in the morning.future). Ahhh, I feel more stress-free just 5. Practice deep breathing and mindfulnessvisualizing this experiment.techniques: Practice deep diaphragmatic3. Investinmeaningfulrelationships: breathing or utilize mindfulness techniquesMeaningful relationships serve as a buer as described earlier. Heres how you can doto stress. Invest the time to develop a deeper deep breathing. Sit or lie in a comfortablerelationship with someone that is important position. Next put one hand on your chestto you by giving them your attention and and the other on your diaphragm, which istime. When you do this, you are also the area below your ribs. Now, take a slow,receiving an increase of endorphins (the steady breath in and allow your breath to pushfeel good hormones), which help reduce out the hand that is on your diaphragm.anxietyandhavemanyotherpositive Notice if your breath is stopping in yourhealth benefits. Try asking a friend for chest, which does not oxygenate your bodycoee, lunch, or a walk. You could also go and can increase anxiety, or if it is deepto a colleagues oce, instead of interacting and relaxing. Do this for as many times asthrough electronics. We live in a world where you can, aiming for ve minutes.connection is instant, at our ngertips, andbecause of this, the ability to build strongrelationships may suer. Having only a fewdeeper and more meaningful relationshipscan be more benecial than many distant,shallower connections, like through socialmedia or in a large community or workgroup.4. Getbettersleep: SleepissuesinpeoplewithMScanleadtobothphysicalandemotional challenges. Specic to anxiety,sleep disturbance can lead to worseninganxiety, fear, irritability, and stress. Inaddition, people with MS are up to threetimesmorelikelytoexperiencesleepdisturbances than the general population,yet are generally undiagnosed and untreated.27 msfocusmagazine.org'