one less stress

The festive season is typically a typically a time for fun and laughter, but with presents to buy, family to see and work to do before the holidays, it can also be a time where your stress levels hit an all-time high. Over the past weeks we've been talking about stress — what causes it, things you can do to manage it etc. — but new research conducting by UCLA has shown there's a new simple way of reducing stress levels and it's even in keeping with the Christmas spirit!

The study featured 20 young couples, all in happy relationships. The guys were given small electric shocks while their girlfriends had to sit and watch, only being allowed to comfort them and offer support sometimes. Findings suggest that "support-giving may have stress-reducing effects for the person who provides the support," according to Assistant Professor Naomi Eisenberger, who lead the study. For those who like their science:

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Thanks to a certain Victoria's Secret Fashion Show yesterday and the fact that Summer is just a few short weeks away, we've fully immersed ourselves in Flat Stomach Mode. But exercise and a healthy diet aren't the only things you can do. Relaxing is key.

It might sound strange but stress is a common factor in bloating, which is definitely something you want to avoid when you're in a bikini. When you're stressed, adrenalin production levels increase in typical "fight or flight" mode but this typically slows the digestive system down, causing bloating.

Cortisol — dubbed the "stress hormone" — also doesn't help matters as it increases the body's longing for sugar and fats, which is why you feel like polishing off two family-sized Dairy Milk bars after a bad day at work. The good news is, levels of cortisol can easily be decreased by exercise and other relaxing activities. So if you want to have the perfect beach body — breathe, take a break and beat the bloat with a walk and a relaxing bath each day. How do you de-stress?

High levels of the stress hormones cortisol, referred to as the "anti-sleep" hormone, and adrenalin in our bodies are two of the major contributing factors when it comes to sleep deprivation. The day-to-day pressures of work, family, friends and life cause our bodies to release higher levels of cortisol, which is bad news when it comes to bed time. The worst part about it? Once we're concerned that we aren't getting enough sleep, we choose that as something else to add to our "stress list," resulting in even less sleep. Here's a few ways to beat stress before bedtime and get your well-deserved beauty sleep.

• Exercise! Exercise causes your body to release endorphins, the natural "happy" hormone, however choose your activity carefully, as exercising before bedtime increases your body temperature, making it harder for you to fall asleep. If you can't squeeze the gym in at any other time, attempt a gentle yoga routine before bed to regulate your breathing and lower your body temperature.

Read more for tips on beating stress before bed!

It's the Melbourne Cup tomorrow and, like any big event, we all want to look our best. So how can we ensure that our skin stays stress-free and remains on its best behaviour? By giving it some TLC tonight. Here's our guide for looking after your skin for the next 48 hours.

Monday, 6pm: Treat your skin to an early makeup removal. If you're just having a TV night in preparation for tomorrow there's no need to sit in your makeup all evening. Remove it with a rich, creamy cleanser such as Clinique Comforting Cream Cleanser ($38) or Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser ($13.99), and then follow with a scrub, mask and nourishing moisturiser. You won't believe how good your skin feels afterwards.

Monday, 8pm: Make sure you skip the vino this evening. It's always best to avoid alcohol the night before a big event as it tends to make the face puffy the next day. Instead have a nice bath, finishing off with a fast-absorbing body oil like Neutrogena's Sesame Formula ($12.99) or Antipodes Heavenly Body Oil ($49.99) to leave your limbs silky smooth.

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A new study by the UK's prestigious Oxford University has found a link between being stressed when you're trying to conceive and giving birth to a baby girl. 338 women who were attempting to conceive were enrolled in the research and asked to keep a diary about their day-to-day life. They were also asked to fill out stress surveys and had their cortisol levels — the hormone released by your body in response to stress — tested over a six month period. Of the 61 percent who became pregnant during the research, 72 had girls, but of the 50 percent of women with the highest cortisol levels, "the research showed they were up to 75 per cent less likely to have a boy." While some experts, such as Dr Allan Pacey, say that there is "no sure-fire way to influence the sex of a baby," it certainly brings new meaning to remaining calm throughout your pregnancy — especially if you'd like a baby boy! What do you think about the findings?

Image credit: Flickr user ARING

Whether you're the one sitting the exams or you're the nervous mum worrying about the results, the HSC can be stressful time for everyone. But to make sure that your household stays as stress-free as possible during exam period, we've compiled a quick guide for students and those at home supporting them.

Students

• Be realistic with your study plan — if you set unrealistic goals, you'll only stress yourself out further
• Make sure you take a break — head outside, go for a walk, just step away from the books for five!

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We've been talking about stress for the past few weeks — what stresses you out; how to combat it; what celebrities do to de-stress; and how it can affect your skin — and we thought it would be a good time to talk about the differences between stress and anxiety.

It's pretty much a given that every person will experience stress at some point in their life, but according to the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 14.4 percent of Australians suffer from some form of short-term anxiety disorder with women experiencing higher rates of anxiety than men. Age-wise, it is twice as dominant in women aged 25-34 than men. So how does it show itself? Well stress and anxiety can have similar symptoms:

• Feeling especially tired or like everything is an effort
• Unable to get to sleep or very restless sleep
• Feeling especially worried about something
• A change in your skin and increase in breakouts
• Feeling irritable and sometimes irrational
• Having an unexpected pain, especially in the jaw from clenching your teeth

The difference between the two is that stress is often the result of feeling nervous or under pressure about something. Anxiety on the other hand is the continuation of those feelings, with or without a stressful event in your life, and as it's an on-going feeling, it can be much more crippling. I've already shared my top tips for combating stress and for those suffering from anxiety, Beyond Blue has some great advice on coping with anxiety.

I’d love to tell you that being stressed doesn’t affected your skin — as if being a great big knotted ball of stress is enough to contend with, right? — but the reality is, it does. In more ways than one. Below are three ways that stress can show itself on your skin, but more importantly, ways that you can combat them.

Dryness: Stress compromises the skin’s lipid barrier, which basically means that it doesn’t hold onto valuable moisture as well as it should. Because of this, be sure to use a super hydrating moisturiser like Clinique’s Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturiser ($75).

Dullness: You know how you feel lethargic when you’re stressed, as though everything’s an effort? Well that’s essentially how your skin feels, too. The whole cell renewal process takes longer, which means dead skin cells sit on the surface for longer, resulting in a dull appearance. Ensure your skin is looking extra radiant by making sure that you exfoliate every 2-3 days with a scrub such as Neutrogena’s new Deep Clean® Shine Control Daily Scrub ($12.99). And add a touch of liquid illuminator into your foundation for an extra boost. Try St Tropez Skin Illuminator ($29.95).

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