10 one-minute stress busters

Preparations and social activities, family obligations and get-togethers can frazzle your nerves. Take a minute or two for yourself and relax with these simple stress busters.

1. Take a green tea break
Green tea contains some caffeine, says Penny Kendall-Reed, a naturopath in Toronto, but it also has compounds -- L-theanine, an amino acid, and epigallocatechin gallate, an antioxidant -- that can help lower stress hormones.
> Great for mornings when you're busy with last-minute shopping.

2. Relax your back
Lie on your back, your knees bent and touching, feet flat and hip-width apart, and arms alongside your body with palms up. Close your eyes and breathe in and out through your nose, slowly and deeply (allowing your belly to rise and fall), for one minute.
> Particularly good for lower-back tension, says Canadian fitness guru Maureen Hagan.

3. Stretch your neck
Stand with your knees soft and feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly rotate your head: lower your right ear toward your right shoulder, then bring your chin toward your chest, then your left ear toward your left shoulder. Continue to roll your head around to the back, but, to protect your spine, don't let it fall too far backward. Do this for 30 seconds. Then change direction and roll your head for another 30 seconds.
> Great way to use your time when you're caught in a long line-up.

4. Laugh!
Keep a joke book in your purse (or print out a few jokes from www.comedycentral.com and www.jokeaday.com).
> A good stress releaser when you're stuck on a bus or in traffic.

5. Light a lavender candle
The herb's scent is calming, centring and rejuvenating.
> Good for what ails you when you get home at the end of a long, busy week.

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