Stress relievers

I just facilitated a PSLE training session and the kids said they had no stress!! haha, good life! well, for those of you who may be on the other end of the stress spectrum, here are some interesting tips:

Be a better breather. "When you make a conscious effort to breathe deeper, it naturally brings your body back to a more relaxed state," explains Frederic Luskin, Ph.D., author of Stress Free for Good(HarperOne). Place your hand on your stomach and watch it rise as you inhale for a count of 3 or 4; hold your breath for the same count, and then exhale for as long as comfortable and watch your belly fall.

Look forward to something. Each morning, think about one little, enjoyable thing you plan to do that day (the crossword puzzle) and one bigger pleasure on the horizon (your trip to the mountains), suggests Allen Elkin, Ph.D., director of the Stress Management and Counseling Center in New York City. This ritual trains your brain to focus away from what can go wrong that day. 

Make a small change to your routine. "Unpredictable events can cause the most stress," Luskin explains. "If you cultivate even a little bit of surprise in your life, it helps keep your cognitive responses flexible and helps you handle whatever life throws your way." Take a new cardio class or pick a cuisine you've never tried. (Hallå, Scandinavian!)

Convert Monday into Funday. The flip side to TGIF is OMGIM: It's Monday! In fact, more heart attacks occur on Mondays than on any other day. Schedule a weekly lunch with a friend or take a class you love on Mondays so you'll look forward to the start of the week, Dr. Wheeler advises. 

Come home 15 minutes late. After work, walk home or listen to music at a pretty scenic spot before you burst through your front door. "Don't look at it as a waste of time," Dr. Wheeler says. "It's an important way of decompressing and transitioning back to home life."

Another movie review

This Jap movie, Departures, is quite a nice, quirky movie about a man who prepares dead bodies for encoffining. Pretty interesting look into Jap culture, superstitions and lifestyle. It's ending it's run soon so better catch it fast!

Back to NY

Looks like I'll be going back to NY from next week. Hmm...not where I had foreseen myself 1/2 year ago, but with the way things are going, looks like it's the best plan for now. The break has given me some good/bad experiences, so guess I'm ready to go back now.  Ha, so whoever wants to look for me can find me back at college :)

Getting to know the Supreme Court

Not sure whether anyone will see this in time, but if you are free on 15/16 march, and are interested in knowing more about the supreme court, here's something that should be interesting:

http://www.livingcourthouse.gov.sg/

Slumdog Millionaire

After all the hype over this show, guess most of us know what it is about. It's pretty good... gritty and real, based on a rather interesting premise. It's one of the few shows that I've watched lately that wasn't draggy at parts. I especially like the fact that most of the child stars are real slum kids...but were given a chance to act and attend the Oscars.

Am hoping to watch the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Valkyrie and Milk soon. Looks like this year's Oscars had pretty good shows. Anybody has reviews of these movies?