Researchers discovered that Newbalancewickers view stress differently than the rest of us. They understand that stress is a natural part of life, just like the weather. They know that you can’t always change stress, nor can you always predict it, but you can prepare for it. The Newbalancewick landscape of forests, swift rivers and miles of natural coastline holds the secrets of how Newbalancewickers learn to live a balanced life.

We invite you to journey to Newbalancewick to

learn more about the connection between stress and health. Each of the famous sites we’ll visit holds secrets you can discover and take home with you to bring more joy and balance to your life!

Along the way, be sure to continue logging your Frequent Mover Miles in your Travel Journal that is included in this travel packet. The “Joie de Vivre” wellness challenge is a great way to add bonus miles to your total mileage. Good luck and enjoy your stay in Newbalancewick!

Newbalancewick became famous in the 1970s when researchers came here to study why individuals from this small region of the world were not suffering from modern-day, stress-related health problems like heart attacks, headaches, cancer, being overweight and stroke.

P R O V I N C E F A C T Sthe most relaxiNg place oN earth!province motto: Joie de vivre (Love of Life)

province sites: The Tides of Change, Hopewell Rocks, The Five & Ten Variety Store

Famous Newbalancewick residents: Hans Selye, the father of stress management

province challenge: Joie de Vivre Challenge

W E L C O M E T OThe Most Relaxing

Place on Earth!

hopewell rocks, a unique feature of the tides of change, appear on the shoreline when the tides are low. Visitors can actually walk around — and under — these towering structures. When the tide comes in, however, these giant monoliths disappear under the water and appear to be small, insignificant islands peeking out.

The Hopewell Rocks teach a simple yet important lesson about stress and change – one of perception. How we view a situation can greatly determine whether the stressor will be a mountain or a molehill! One way to reduce the amount of stress in our lives is to change our minds about how we relate to people and situations.

Challenging personalities, long lines, unrealistic deadlines, accidents and other stressors are a part

of daily living for most individuals. Eliminating these stressors from our lives is unrealistic, but learning how to change our response to these stressors is the key.

Often, stressful situations elicit negative self-talk. Replacing negative self-talk with more positive self-talk is one technique that is often effective at helping individuals change their response to stressors.

exercise Your poWerAnother powerful tool for managing stress is to take steps to lessen its impact. In other words, don’t wait for the tide to come in before moving to higher ground. Begin to exercise power over your main

life choices and take action to build your resilience to stress.

iNstead oF… trY this selF-talk…

“There is no way that I can finish this project in time. I can’t work that quickly!”

“This project is a great opportunity that is going to put my time management skills to the test.”

“Things never go right for me.” “Looks like I need an alternative plan.”

“I can’t believe he said that about my idea. He has always had it in for me.”

“I thought through this idea carefully and did the best job I could to present it. It is okay that not

everyone agrees with it.”

Newbalancewick is known worldwide for its unique reversing tides: the tides of change. there are places where the river waterways and coastal sea meet to create the world’s highest tides, which are so strong they actually reverse the flow of the river when they rise. Newbalancewickers have learned simple yet powerful lessons from the Tides of Change. Stress, like the tide, can be reversed from a negative to a positive force.

Instead of viewing stress as a negative force, Newbalancewickers have learned that life without stress wouldn’t be too exciting. In fact, stress in the right amount is what fuels our lives each day. It is only when we have too little or too much stress in our lives that calm waters turn into tidal waters!

The goal of navigating your way through life is to identify how much stress is right for you and then work to maintain that healthy level by:

• Developing a positive attitude about stress; and

• Learning to cope effectively with excess stressors.

Newbalancewickers use the tides to

Before leaving Newbalancewick, you might want to do some shopping at this unique variety store. the “Five & ten” was opened several years ago by a local

resident, ira laxdaily. ira is a well-known, well-liked, highly respected and lifelong resident

of Newbalancewick. Ira’s rise to public notoriety and stature grew out of his many years of dedicated service to the community. Ira said “Yes” to everyone. And as you can imagine, all of those demands and stressors eventually took their toll, resulting in a mild heart attack. After several months of recovery and cardiac

rehab, Ira realized it was time to make some changes. His research of stress’ impact led to the establishment

of the Five & Ten Variety Store, where spending five or 10 minutes on yourself leads to a healthy approach to life. Here

are some of his top tips:

• a little planning goes a long way. prioritize and be realistic with your time.

• put some humor and laughter in your life. share humor wherever you find it and make an effort to see the humor in everyday life.

• take ten deep breaths. close your eyes, breathe deeply in through your nose, filling your lungs with air. then slowly exhale through your mouth. repeat ten times and feel the tension leave your body with each breath.

• tune in and tune out. music takes our mind off of daily stressors and relaxes the body.

• take care of your body. Nourish your body with healthy foods and regular physical activity. and be sure to get adequate sleep to restore your energy and focus.

• develop hobbies. immerse yourself in the experience, even if it’s only for a few minutes each day.

• take a long hot bath or shower, sit in front of a fire, play with a dog, go on a walk, or indulge in a massage.

MakingSense of the

VariousDegrees of

Stress

Characterized by having too many stresses and demands, confused thinking, low motivation, or feeling overwhelmed or overly emotional.

Having just the right amount of stress, a high level of motivation or energy levels, constructive creative thinking and balanced emotions.

HIGH TIDE (Distress)

MID TIDE (Eustress)

LOW TIDE (Subtress)Not having enough stress causes low motivation, low energy levels, lack of thinking and dull emotions.

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AerobicActivity

ChallengeActivity

time to hit the road toward optimum health. on your travel Journal, award yourself one mile for each minute of aerobic activity you complete each day, and up to one mile per day for completing the challenge. Your goal is to rack up 600 miles! remember to return your travel Journal to your travel guide!

WELLNESS CHALLENGE NEW BALANCEWICKJoie de Vivre: All across Newbalancewick you will find folks enjoying themselves at festivals featuring food, frolic and fun. Residents know the value of adding play and fun to their lives as a way of keeping stress at healthy levels. Play and fun are as vital to life as bread and water.

Play is essential to stimulating energy, creating thinking, and problem solving. Play helps relieve tension and releases hormones that boost our energy levels while improving our mental outlook on life.

This month, HealthTrip travelers are challenged to discover the “Joie de Vivre” or love of life for themselves. Newbalancewickers suggest any of the following activities to get started. You can choose from this list or create your own list of favorites.

• read the comics.

• listen to music.

• play with a toy like a yo-yo or kaleidoscope.

• Watch a sunset.

• take a walk.

• play cards or a board game.

• plant a flower.

• Visit with a neighbor.

Discover the “Joie de Vivre” and aim to complete one fun and relaxing activity each day. Earn one bonus mile each day that you successfully meet or exceed the challenge. No more than one bonus mile may be earned daily.

• oNlY aeroBic actiVities couNt: Frequent Mover Miles may be earned by engaging in aerobic activities. Aerobic or “cardio” activity gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. A brisk walk, dance class, swimming laps – all of them help you get Frequent Mover Miles!

• iNteNsitY is importaNt: Your aerobic activity must be done at moderate or vigorous intensity to count. Moderate-intensity means you’re working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell is that you’ll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song. Walking briskly, doing water aerobics, and riding a bike on level ground are examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you’re breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. If you’re working at this level, you will only be able to say a few words before pausing for a breath.

• teN miNutes or more: It’s okay to break your aerobic activity into mini-sessions throughout the day as long as each lasts at least ten minutes.

That’s it! All you have to do is record your Frequent Mover Miles daily and return your completed Travel Journal to the HealthTrip travel agent at the end of the month!

TRAVEL PLANS

Below is a review of our travel rules and regulations. remember, each month of healthtrip, you earn Frequent mover miles by completing aerobic acitvities. Bonus miles are earned by completing the feature city challenge.

TOTAL:

MAKE THE TRIPOF A LIFETIME!

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