Health, Fashion, Parenting and Women Related Issues

Here’s one walk that can help you unwind and unload some of the stress that may be weighing you — and your looks — down:

1.Step outside and leave your stresses — and your iPod — behind.

2.Take in the details of your surroundings — the buzz of traffic, the chirp of a bird, the curvature of plants and trees, the precise color of the sky, the shape of moving clouds.

3.You will find yourself becoming hyperaware and in the moment. At this point, think about what you are thankful for in your life. It can be general or specific: your health, your family, your experiences at work, your life partner, your children, your last birthday party, and so on.

4.Let your mind and memory run free.
Becoming very present like this gets you thinking in a whole new light and connecting in ways you never imagined. You also get inspired by thinking more broadly rather than focusing on your own inner world and trivial frustrations. It’s a great way to beat down stress while at the same time appreciating where you are right now. Also, one of Dr. Amy Wechsler’s seven habits for healthy skin (number four, to be exact) entails focusing on the good things. When you’re done with your walk, take 5 minutes to write down some of your revelations in a journal.

We all have weeks when our confidence and self-esteem plummet, and everyday irritants that we’d normally blow off (cat hair on your best black pants, dead batteries in the remote) get to us more than they should. Use these tactics the next time you feel one of these moods coming on:

Take a step back. Sometimes, problems swell into things that get out of control or look worse than they really are. And sometimes you just don’t give yourself enough credit: You may actually be dealing with your daily stresses just fine — but in your head, things feel frantic. Take a step back. Try to see yourself through someone else’s eyes (anyone’s eyes — your lover’s, your gardener’s, Big Bird’s). You might see that you’re actually doing better than you think.

Schedule a worry period. Okay, do you relish worrying? Fine, worry away. But there’s a catch: Devote two periods a day to it. Give your worries your full attention for 15 to 20 minutes. Wallow in all their soul-sucking glory. Then stop. When they rise up again, tell yourself that you’ll address them during your next worry period. Now you’re in control over when worries can worry you.

Laugh it off. No joke, there’s something magical about laughter, even if it’s forced. Laugh off some of the day’s tensest moments. This is called self-generated laughter (versus cracking up at a comedian), and doing it regularly can make you more positive and optimistic. The reason’s pretty basic: The more you laugh, the better you feel.

Let go of the past. Happy memories can be blissful, but obsessing over bad ones doesn’t do any good. Learn from past mistakes and move on — don’t keep reliving them. Focusing on the present is the best thing you can do for yourself when you’re down.

To experiment with these exercises, sit in a chair with your back comfortably upright, feet on the floor, shoulders down, chest open, and hands resting in your lap. Let your abdomen expand with each inhale and contract with every exhalation. You may want to close your eyes and really focus on your breaths.

Exercise #1 — Let it all out.
Take a deep breath through your nose, and let it out easily through your mouth. At the end of the exhalation, silently repeat “la-lala-la-laaah,” which effortlessly extends the exhalation, releasing more air from your lungs. Feel your abdomen inflate with the next inhale. Do 5 times.

Exercise #2 — Take a pause.
Inhale and exhale through your nose, mentally counting “in-two-three, out-two-three,” and then “pause-two-three.” During the pause, don’t breathe in or out; just rest comfortably. Do 5 times. Over time, increase the count to four (“in-two-three-four, out-two-three-four”), then to five, until you reach a number that’s comfortable to you.

Exercise #3 — Hold it.
This technique can help you dial down a stressful reaction to upsetting news and can help you fall asleep, too. It takes a little practice, but people who use the technique swear by it. It’s the four-seven-eight breath, a favorite of health guru Andrew Weil, MD.

* Place the tip of your tongue just behind your upper front teeth; let it rest there gently for the entire exercise.
* Exhale completely through your mouth, letting the air make a whooshing sound as it passes out.
* Close your mouth, and inhale through your nose as you mentally count to four. Let the breath fill and expand your abdomen as you inhale, and then hold your breath for a count of seven.

Exhale through your mouth with a whoosh to a count of eight. That’s one complete four-seven-eight breath. Do four times. To keep stress in check, do at least one of these breathing exercises twice a day.

RealAge skin expert Dr. Wechsler is a big believer in simple, basic products. But as she says, “Who doesn’t love a little luxurious skin treat now and then?” Of course, nobody needs a $250 moisturizer. But if money is no object, and you love the way it looks and feels, go for it and indulge. Below are a few products under $250 that Dr. Amy treats herself to:

Lipsticks. For Amy, great lipsticks are hard to resist. They’re the one makeup item she’ll really splurge on, because she adores the way they feel. Her favorites are Shiseido and Cle de Peau (which is actually part of Shiseido). She raves, “The colors and the textures are amazing.”

Antioxidant treatments, particularly the ones based on green tea or caffeine. A line she personally likes is Topix Replenix. Its antioxidant Cream CF and Serum CF are caffeine enhanced and have 90% polyphenols from green tea. They cost about $60 each. The cream is slightly more moisturizing, so it’s good for dry types; oilier skin would be fine with the serum.

L’Occitane’s olive-oil skin products. Like safflower oil, olive oil is a great moisturizing skin treatment, but the straight stuff leaves you smelling like a salad. These don’t.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Fluide Extreme SPF 50+ with Mexoryl SX and Mexoryl XL. Amy loves this ultraprotective but gentle sunscreen but says that it’s definitely expensive in the U.S. — if you can find it at all. She suggests ordering this product online from Canada; it can be $60 a tube here, but if you shop hard, $20 outside the country.