When asked what techniques will help stressed out individuals to decompress, most mental health professionals will recommend massage, positive visualization, and breathing retraining. These activities are useful, but in my practice I have found that high-powered professionals derive greater immediate benefit from strategies that are more active in nature. If you think about it, these professionals are accustomed to being in constant mental and physical motion. As a result, they may feel uneasy pausing to “imagine gentle waves rolling ashore” as one might with positive imagery. Likewise, they may feel incapable of successfully slowing respiration rate as one would with breathing retraining. I have found through my years of working with CEO’s, and the like, that the best methods to de-stress do not initially involve attempts to quiet the mind, but rather the redirection their of energy toward an activity that results in significant physical catharsis. I first recommend intense physical exercise – exercise that dramatically raises heart and respiration rates and which produces profuse sweating. This exercise needs to become a regular part of the daily routine just as one might take a daily vitamin. The type of exercise is irrelevant so long as the above criteria are met. I also prescribe LAUGHTER. Not only does exercise need to be intense to produce a de-stressing effect, so does laughter. A few smirks in response to something amusing won’t cut it. The laughter needs to emanate from deep within the gut – big old belly laughs that are loud enough to be heard from another room. Why laughter? First, exposure to humor provides a good albeit temporary distraction from the unpleasantries of the day. Second, hearty laughter causes physiological changes quite similar to those produced through exercise. Although it won’t trim your waistline like exercise, laughter gives the heart, lungs, certain muscles, and even your brain a work out. It improves oxygen intake and circulation, helps regulate the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, and stimulates the release of the pleasure-producing, pain- relieving neurohormones endorphin and dopamine. In fact, my patients often ask me what I do to wind down after listening to everyone’s problems all day. I tell them, “I watch Comedy Central!” In addition to these behavioral techniques, I also recommend cognitive- restructuring. This involves uncovering and correcting faulty thought patterns that contribute to distress. Catastrophic thinking, unrealistic expectations of oneself and others, and dichotomous thinking are especially common in this population and need to be addressed to improve well-being.

Gina M. Geremia, PhD 110 Main St, Suite 302 East Greenwich, RI 02818 Office: (401) 884-4441