Whether the book you choose to read is one that will have you looking into the future world of Big Brother, going back to the days or prehistoric monsters, or the kind which will make you drift off with the sounds of small silver waves lapping on a white sandy beach, reading the book is sure to be a great help in reducing your stress levels.
Along with reducing the stress in your life, reading a good book can open all sorts of doors leading to visions and aspirations of things you would never have dreamed possible before. It can also be a great aide when you have problems which you need to solve.
Reading is an excellent escape and provides a good way to relax. Curl up with a good book and all your worries and cares go out of the window, at least for a short while, as you are taken off to far away places, maybe in a different time period, bringing new ideas and thoughts to your mind. It 's almost like awarding your mind with a vacation but without incurring the huge costs, especially if you take advantage of your local library.
A great deal of knowledge to help you with problem solving can be gleaned from reading, and this in turn will help to reduce the stress in your life. Lets say, for example you have put on a bit of weight and you are stressed out about this. The more you put on, the more stressed you become, so what do you do? Yes, eat more! No! That 's not the way to do it! You could read a book about nutrition. This will not only show you how to plan your meals, making sure they are low in calories and fat, but if you adhere to what the book teaches you, you will also lose weight, and consequently the stress factor will disappear too.
Reading also gives hope and inspiration in a way which will relieve stress. Stories of rags to riches and biographies of famous people, which detail how they got to where they are today can only encourage you to overcome your struggles and take on the challenges you are faced with.
Books on self help are an effective stress reliever too. They encourage you to explore and discover how you feel about yourself and suggest learning how to play or just listening to music or performing deep breathing exercises can help you to cope with stressful situations.
There are, of course, times where reading can actually boost your levels of stress. You may be studying for a test or examination and panicking about whether or not you are going to reach the pass mark, or maybe you are reading about a tragic event involving someone or something close to your heart. This is why you should choose carefully the material you intend reading to reduce your stress levels. An interesting novel is possibly the best medicine you can take and there are no risks of side effects either. A good book, whatever the subject matter, can transport you away from your frustrations and anxieties, allowing a free rein on your imagination, and exercising your mind which in turn will leave you refreshed and ready to take on the world.
Once you become a book reader you will understand the affects reading has on reducing stress. Pick up a book of poetry, a travel guide or a cookery book. You never know, you may decide to put the words of the cookbook into practice and have a go at a new recipe in the book. Just remember to make it low in fat and calories if you do!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ten Easy Ways To Stress Proof Yourself
Stress is now the number one reason behind sickness from work and more than 70% of working adults have experienced stress at work in the past year according to the Gee Publishing Survey of 2006. Whether or not these statistics are true one thing is certain, we cannot expect our employers to provide everything we need to reduce or manage our stress. They are far too busy themselves.
So with this in mind lets look at some simple ways to reduce your stress levels.
1) One of the main ingredients in any stress management program simply must be a relaxation regime. There are many simple easy to learn techniques to relax your body, some are better than others. Progressive relaxation is probably one of the more well known ones. Taking time out even if only for fifteen minutes a day to relax and wind down is a definite.
2) At work it is so easy to start slipping into the habit of taking on too many tasks. Streamline what you do by really asking yourself why you are there. what are the three most important things you are there for in your role. You should concentrate on these top piorities and learn to shed anything else. You may have to be a bit ruthless with yourself but you will gain hugely from this one exercise.
3) Make sure every once in a while you reassess your life values to stay on top of what is important to you then you only have to revolve your life around the things that are truly important to you and again other things that took up a lot of your time and attention will just fall away.
4) Every now and again go to assertion skills training and rediscover the your personal power. Taking time to reclaim our personal power rid sus of so much stress you wont believe it. sometimes you just have to say no and it is OK to do that. If you have problems doing this your stress will rise so assertion skills are the key.
5) Delegate tasks you hate if possible or ones that cause you particular stress. hey, these days virtual assistants can take a lot of bothersome chores off your hands and they are cheaper than you think. a good one for the self-employed by the way.
6) Keep a reasonable fitness level. this is the one thing along with a relaxation regime that can really do huge amounts to stress proof you and is borne out by much research. Added benefits are better quality of sleep.
7) Establish and maintain good social contact. Research shows that people who have at least two good friends resist stress more than others who are more reclusive in nature. If you have social anxiety which prevents you from increasing social contact see a psychologist or therapist for help with this.
8) Get a pet, even if its a cat who you may not see all the time. again research points to the fact that people with pets not only live longer but are less stressed than people without pets.
9) Improve your time management skills. We all need to lessons in this area. A basic but effective form of time management is to categorize tasks into important things and urgent things. Important things are the ones you give your best time and thinking too because they will ultimately have a longer term impact than urgent things which will be short term usually and could be delegated or sometimes even automated like using auto-responders on the internet to remind people of appointments or schedules.
10) Take some time to improve your relationship. If its great already do something romantic together. Better bonding in relationships is one of the best ways to stress proof yourself. go to a workshop together and improve things even more, its a real recipe for increased happiness and a stronger immune system.
Of all the above keeping fit and learning an effective relaxation method will do wonders for your stress levels.
So with this in mind lets look at some simple ways to reduce your stress levels.
1) One of the main ingredients in any stress management program simply must be a relaxation regime. There are many simple easy to learn techniques to relax your body, some are better than others. Progressive relaxation is probably one of the more well known ones. Taking time out even if only for fifteen minutes a day to relax and wind down is a definite.
2) At work it is so easy to start slipping into the habit of taking on too many tasks. Streamline what you do by really asking yourself why you are there. what are the three most important things you are there for in your role. You should concentrate on these top piorities and learn to shed anything else. You may have to be a bit ruthless with yourself but you will gain hugely from this one exercise.
3) Make sure every once in a while you reassess your life values to stay on top of what is important to you then you only have to revolve your life around the things that are truly important to you and again other things that took up a lot of your time and attention will just fall away.
4) Every now and again go to assertion skills training and rediscover the your personal power. Taking time to reclaim our personal power rid sus of so much stress you wont believe it. sometimes you just have to say no and it is OK to do that. If you have problems doing this your stress will rise so assertion skills are the key.
5) Delegate tasks you hate if possible or ones that cause you particular stress. hey, these days virtual assistants can take a lot of bothersome chores off your hands and they are cheaper than you think. a good one for the self-employed by the way.
6) Keep a reasonable fitness level. this is the one thing along with a relaxation regime that can really do huge amounts to stress proof you and is borne out by much research. Added benefits are better quality of sleep.
7) Establish and maintain good social contact. Research shows that people who have at least two good friends resist stress more than others who are more reclusive in nature. If you have social anxiety which prevents you from increasing social contact see a psychologist or therapist for help with this.
8) Get a pet, even if its a cat who you may not see all the time. again research points to the fact that people with pets not only live longer but are less stressed than people without pets.
9) Improve your time management skills. We all need to lessons in this area. A basic but effective form of time management is to categorize tasks into important things and urgent things. Important things are the ones you give your best time and thinking too because they will ultimately have a longer term impact than urgent things which will be short term usually and could be delegated or sometimes even automated like using auto-responders on the internet to remind people of appointments or schedules.
10) Take some time to improve your relationship. If its great already do something romantic together. Better bonding in relationships is one of the best ways to stress proof yourself. go to a workshop together and improve things even more, its a real recipe for increased happiness and a stronger immune system.
Of all the above keeping fit and learning an effective relaxation method will do wonders for your stress levels.
Discover the Best 7 Counseling Methods to Eliminate Your Anxiety-From Huntley and Mount Prospect, IL
Counseling or psychotherapy is a form of treatment that can help you understand and resolve problems, modify your behavior for the better and make positive changes. There are several types of psychotherapy or counseling techniques and they use different approaches, techniques and interventions.
At times, a combination of different counseling approaches may be helpful, while, in some cases a combination of medication with counseling may be best.
Counseling techniques that work, include:
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)- This approach helps improve your mood and behavior by examining any confused or distorted patterns of thinking you may have. CBT emphasizes that thoughts cause your feelings and moods which, in turn, can influence your behavior.
For example, if you are experiencing unwanted feelings or behaviors, your therapist will work to identify the underlying thinking patterns that are causing them. He or she will then help you to replace your symptom-inducing thinking with thoughts that result in more appropriate feelings and behaviors. CBT can be very effective in treating both depression and anxiety.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can be used to treat you if you experience chronic suicidal feelings, are harming yourself or have the symptoms of borderline personality disorder. DBT emphasizes taking responsibility for your problems and will help you examine how you deal with your conflict and negative feelings. This can involve a combination of group and individual sessions.
Family Therapy focuses on helping your family to function in more positive and constructive ways. It explores your patterns of communication and provides support and necessary education.
These sessions can include any children along with parents, siblings or even grandparents that are involved. Couples therapy is a specific type of family therapy that focuses on how you and a spouse or other intimate partner communicate, interact or solve problems with each other.
Group Therapy uses the power of group dynamics and peer interactions to increase your understanding and improve your social skills. There are many different types of group counseling (e.g. psychodynamic, social skills, substance abuse, multi-family, parent support, etc.)
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is a brief treatment specifically developed and tested to treat depression. Its goals are to improve your functioning with others by decreasing any symptoms of depression that you may have. IPT has been shown to be effective in treating adolescents with depression as well.
Play Therapy involves the use of toys, blocks, dolls, puppets, drawings or games to help your child to recognize, identify, and verbalize feelings. The counselor observes how he or she uses play materials and identifies themes or patterns to better understand his or her issues. Through a combination of talk and play, your child has an opportunity to better understand and manage his or her conflicts, feelings, and behavior.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy emphasizes the understanding of your historical and past family issues that motivate and influence you. It can help identify your typical behavior patterns, defenses and your responses to inner conflicts and struggles.
Psychoanalysis is a specialized, more intensive form of psychodynamically-oriented counseling which usually involves several consultations per week. Psychodynamic methods are based on the assumption that your behavior and feelings will improve once your inner subconscious and childhood struggles are brought to light.
Psychotherapy or counseling is not a quick fix or an easy answer. It is a complex and rich process that can reduce symptoms, provide insight, improve your functioning and enhance your quality of life.
Clinical psychologists and mental health counselors are trained in providing different forms of counseling and, if necessary, are able to arrange for you to receive medication, as well.
At times, a combination of different counseling approaches may be helpful, while, in some cases a combination of medication with counseling may be best.
Counseling techniques that work, include:
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)- This approach helps improve your mood and behavior by examining any confused or distorted patterns of thinking you may have. CBT emphasizes that thoughts cause your feelings and moods which, in turn, can influence your behavior.
For example, if you are experiencing unwanted feelings or behaviors, your therapist will work to identify the underlying thinking patterns that are causing them. He or she will then help you to replace your symptom-inducing thinking with thoughts that result in more appropriate feelings and behaviors. CBT can be very effective in treating both depression and anxiety.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can be used to treat you if you experience chronic suicidal feelings, are harming yourself or have the symptoms of borderline personality disorder. DBT emphasizes taking responsibility for your problems and will help you examine how you deal with your conflict and negative feelings. This can involve a combination of group and individual sessions.
Family Therapy focuses on helping your family to function in more positive and constructive ways. It explores your patterns of communication and provides support and necessary education.
These sessions can include any children along with parents, siblings or even grandparents that are involved. Couples therapy is a specific type of family therapy that focuses on how you and a spouse or other intimate partner communicate, interact or solve problems with each other.
Group Therapy uses the power of group dynamics and peer interactions to increase your understanding and improve your social skills. There are many different types of group counseling (e.g. psychodynamic, social skills, substance abuse, multi-family, parent support, etc.)
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is a brief treatment specifically developed and tested to treat depression. Its goals are to improve your functioning with others by decreasing any symptoms of depression that you may have. IPT has been shown to be effective in treating adolescents with depression as well.
Play Therapy involves the use of toys, blocks, dolls, puppets, drawings or games to help your child to recognize, identify, and verbalize feelings. The counselor observes how he or she uses play materials and identifies themes or patterns to better understand his or her issues. Through a combination of talk and play, your child has an opportunity to better understand and manage his or her conflicts, feelings, and behavior.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy emphasizes the understanding of your historical and past family issues that motivate and influence you. It can help identify your typical behavior patterns, defenses and your responses to inner conflicts and struggles.
Psychoanalysis is a specialized, more intensive form of psychodynamically-oriented counseling which usually involves several consultations per week. Psychodynamic methods are based on the assumption that your behavior and feelings will improve once your inner subconscious and childhood struggles are brought to light.
Psychotherapy or counseling is not a quick fix or an easy answer. It is a complex and rich process that can reduce symptoms, provide insight, improve your functioning and enhance your quality of life.
Clinical psychologists and mental health counselors are trained in providing different forms of counseling and, if necessary, are able to arrange for you to receive medication, as well.
What Changed Your Cheese?
GOD, grant me the Serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and Wisdom to know the difference.
The Serenity Prayer
In software and technology implementation projects, there needs to be something called "Change Control". And why is this needed? No matter how thorough the business analysis job or how complete the project plan, there 's always something that needs to be changed or added after the fact. Users and potential users of the system or technology change their minds. Or think of something that they absolutely cannot live without. Then from the technical side, the developers, programmers and implementers discover things that are incorrect or just won't work. Programmers or testers find things called "bugs" - which is techie talk for errors or system glitches. After all, that 's what quality, quality control and testing is supposed to do - Find things that will cause less than desired results.
Testing and quality is key. And it needs to start at the beginning. Once the technology requirements are finalized, you have the basis for test scripts that can be used throughout the implementation process. There will be change. So, there needs to be an orderly process for incorporating changes and corrections / fixes.
One reason is that iy helps insure that everyone on the project is in sync. It avoids duplication of effort. And, it 's less disruptive when there are multiple environments (development / test versus live / production) or multiple release versions. It 's an essential piece of the communications plan. Change control is a recipe for success. And, back to the Serenity Prayer: the introduction of new systems, features or functionality is something that can be controlled. And the smart project manager has the courage to mandate a change control process.
What we cannot change is people and how they react to change. Change, even positive change, creates stress - another thing we can't change. What we can control is the implementation and use of programs and techniques that ease the pain and stress of change. And that 's called "Change Management".
I worked for the telecommunications superstar, Lucent Technologies, right before its big fall from financial grace. I was fortunate to be in the CIO organization which was lead by a very visionary executive, Earnestine Barnes-Linder. She encouraged us to prepare for the changes that she so wisely foresaw. Earnestine even distributed copies of the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Dr. Spencer Johnson. I attended a workshop by the author and was less than impressed. But, when I finally took the time to read the book, it was indeed outstanding. Mr. Johnson is an expert on individual and organizational change. The book gave insight into how to recognize that your cheese or goal had moved and provided suggestions on how to work through the feelings and adjust to change. However, there are other books that provide more substance and detail on stress and change management techniques.
I have years of experience with software and technology implementations. The whole point of any new system is to change or improve some process, capability or results. Since there is always change and people are stressed by change, then change management should always be a consideration in project funding, planning and management.
So what 's the cheese?
* For an individual, it might have been owning a home. The current mortgage crisis may be moving that cheese.
* For others, it might be life long employment with a company paid pension. The economy and corporate mergers, acquisitions and downsizing may have changed that cheese.
* For production managers the cheese may be efficient operations and on-time deliveries. Disruptions in the supply chain, broken processes and quality problems may be crumbling that cheese.
* The corporate executive may have thought that the latest and greatest system or technology was the cheese. However, cost overruns, unrealized functionality and out of sync processes could be slicing away at that cheese.
* For the average employee, the cheese may be to feel like they are competent and even expert at doing their job. The introduction of a new system or technology, and the need to learn new ways of doing things, could be the last straw.
In the final analysis, it doesn't matter what caused your cheese to change. Change happens. Stress happens. Deal with it. Consider implementing stress management and change management programs.
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and Wisdom to know the difference.
The Serenity Prayer
In software and technology implementation projects, there needs to be something called "Change Control". And why is this needed? No matter how thorough the business analysis job or how complete the project plan, there 's always something that needs to be changed or added after the fact. Users and potential users of the system or technology change their minds. Or think of something that they absolutely cannot live without. Then from the technical side, the developers, programmers and implementers discover things that are incorrect or just won't work. Programmers or testers find things called "bugs" - which is techie talk for errors or system glitches. After all, that 's what quality, quality control and testing is supposed to do - Find things that will cause less than desired results.
Testing and quality is key. And it needs to start at the beginning. Once the technology requirements are finalized, you have the basis for test scripts that can be used throughout the implementation process. There will be change. So, there needs to be an orderly process for incorporating changes and corrections / fixes.
One reason is that iy helps insure that everyone on the project is in sync. It avoids duplication of effort. And, it 's less disruptive when there are multiple environments (development / test versus live / production) or multiple release versions. It 's an essential piece of the communications plan. Change control is a recipe for success. And, back to the Serenity Prayer: the introduction of new systems, features or functionality is something that can be controlled. And the smart project manager has the courage to mandate a change control process.
What we cannot change is people and how they react to change. Change, even positive change, creates stress - another thing we can't change. What we can control is the implementation and use of programs and techniques that ease the pain and stress of change. And that 's called "Change Management".
I worked for the telecommunications superstar, Lucent Technologies, right before its big fall from financial grace. I was fortunate to be in the CIO organization which was lead by a very visionary executive, Earnestine Barnes-Linder. She encouraged us to prepare for the changes that she so wisely foresaw. Earnestine even distributed copies of the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Dr. Spencer Johnson. I attended a workshop by the author and was less than impressed. But, when I finally took the time to read the book, it was indeed outstanding. Mr. Johnson is an expert on individual and organizational change. The book gave insight into how to recognize that your cheese or goal had moved and provided suggestions on how to work through the feelings and adjust to change. However, there are other books that provide more substance and detail on stress and change management techniques.
I have years of experience with software and technology implementations. The whole point of any new system is to change or improve some process, capability or results. Since there is always change and people are stressed by change, then change management should always be a consideration in project funding, planning and management.
So what 's the cheese?
* For an individual, it might have been owning a home. The current mortgage crisis may be moving that cheese.
* For others, it might be life long employment with a company paid pension. The economy and corporate mergers, acquisitions and downsizing may have changed that cheese.
* For production managers the cheese may be efficient operations and on-time deliveries. Disruptions in the supply chain, broken processes and quality problems may be crumbling that cheese.
* The corporate executive may have thought that the latest and greatest system or technology was the cheese. However, cost overruns, unrealized functionality and out of sync processes could be slicing away at that cheese.
* For the average employee, the cheese may be to feel like they are competent and even expert at doing their job. The introduction of a new system or technology, and the need to learn new ways of doing things, could be the last straw.
In the final analysis, it doesn't matter what caused your cheese to change. Change happens. Stress happens. Deal with it. Consider implementing stress management and change management programs.
Top Tips For Managing Stress
The word stress derives from the Latin word stringere meaning to draw tight and anyone who has ever been stressed will understand that feeling of being stretched beyond what is normally comfortable. The Stress Management Society defines stress as what happens when the demands made on a person exceed the abilities of that person to cope.
Yet a certain amount of stress is a good thing and if we did not have stress in our lives, we might not get out of bed in the morning or take that two hour journey to see a customer. Stress is the force that keeps us moving and we would not last long without it.
Some stress is good however we need to react to and manage stress to make sure that it works in our favour. It is recommended to either reduce your stress, or learn how to manage it more effectively. A combination of the two approaches works well.
Positive stress is the stress that you feel when you are planning your wedding or when you are about to make an important presentation. You feel nervous, flustered and on edge, but you are also highly charged and pumped up. This kind of stress is not harmful, can be quite invigorating and can actually help you to perform at your optimal level.
Negative stress is often beyond your control and is very harmful, especially if it occurs over a long period of time. Think about a situation where someone has to go to work for the money, actually hates the job, is unable to find any other type of work and the boss is aggressive and a bit of a bully. This type of stress can be very damaging for your health and quality of your life.
General stress reduction ideas.
Avoid nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. They are all stimulants, so therefore they cannot calm you down. If you are stressed steer clear of them and drink plenty of water instead.
Work off stress with physical activity.
Pressure or anger releases adrenaline in the body. Exercise helps to reduce it, and produces good mood substances in the brain. So go for a brisk walk when you feel tense, breath deeply and try to exercise regularly for half an hour or so three or four times a week.
Learn about stress reduction techniques and do one every day.
There are a variety of stress reduction techniques available. Activities such as yoga, hypnosis, reading, certain video games, listening to music, painting, dance and a variety of other activities that you enjoy can all help to reduce stress.
Rest and sleep.
Sleep is essential for the body to function properly and different people require a different amount of sleep. Create the right sleeping environment and avoid taking work to bed. A technique that works for many people, is to write a list of everything that needs to be done before going to bed and some people find reading a good book works well.
Agree every now and then.
Try not to take on everybody and avoid being constantly in the battlefield. From time to time even if you disagree, avoid conflict by allowing things to flow over you or by agreeing that their opinion is right. You are not saying you agree with them, just that they are right. After all they have the right to believe in what they believe.
Learn to accept what you cannot change.
Accept that there are some things you have no control over and cannot change or influence in any way.
Listen to your body.
When you are tired, hungry or thirsty, it is important that you do something about it. If you feel yourself becoming tense, stressed or agitated, consider a brisk walk, a count to ten, a
brief change of activity or something else to help reduce your stress levels.
Learn to say no.
If you are too busy then taking on more work might well increase the pressure or stress you feel under. Learning to say no is a good idea or at least I will not be able to do this until.
Manage your time.
Take one thing at a time and do not overdo things. Use time wisely and have some form of plan and priority list that takes into account the importance and urgency of a task.
Five strategies for managing stress
One. Identify all that stresses you in your life and score them on a scale. Note the ones that are the most stressful to you.
Two. Identify the sources or causes of stress and ask yourself when they occur, how they occur, over what time, how you react, the impact of this reaction on you and other people, how they make you feel and if you can influence them in any way.
Three. Taking the ones you can influence and you have the highest score first. Think about the following. Can you stop them occurring, can you reduce how or when they occur, can you react differently, what would the impact of this different reaction be, is this better than what you get now. And how would you feel differently.
Four. Review the areas where you have no influence or control and explore ways to reduce or minimize exposure to the situation, change your thinking, emotional state or the time or duration you are exposed to them. If you cannot influence these areas can you accept them and if not then what are you going to do.
Five. Monitor the results and reward yourself for avoiding, dealing with and managing stress.
Yet a certain amount of stress is a good thing and if we did not have stress in our lives, we might not get out of bed in the morning or take that two hour journey to see a customer. Stress is the force that keeps us moving and we would not last long without it.
Some stress is good however we need to react to and manage stress to make sure that it works in our favour. It is recommended to either reduce your stress, or learn how to manage it more effectively. A combination of the two approaches works well.
Positive stress is the stress that you feel when you are planning your wedding or when you are about to make an important presentation. You feel nervous, flustered and on edge, but you are also highly charged and pumped up. This kind of stress is not harmful, can be quite invigorating and can actually help you to perform at your optimal level.
Negative stress is often beyond your control and is very harmful, especially if it occurs over a long period of time. Think about a situation where someone has to go to work for the money, actually hates the job, is unable to find any other type of work and the boss is aggressive and a bit of a bully. This type of stress can be very damaging for your health and quality of your life.
General stress reduction ideas.
Avoid nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. They are all stimulants, so therefore they cannot calm you down. If you are stressed steer clear of them and drink plenty of water instead.
Work off stress with physical activity.
Pressure or anger releases adrenaline in the body. Exercise helps to reduce it, and produces good mood substances in the brain. So go for a brisk walk when you feel tense, breath deeply and try to exercise regularly for half an hour or so three or four times a week.
Learn about stress reduction techniques and do one every day.
There are a variety of stress reduction techniques available. Activities such as yoga, hypnosis, reading, certain video games, listening to music, painting, dance and a variety of other activities that you enjoy can all help to reduce stress.
Rest and sleep.
Sleep is essential for the body to function properly and different people require a different amount of sleep. Create the right sleeping environment and avoid taking work to bed. A technique that works for many people, is to write a list of everything that needs to be done before going to bed and some people find reading a good book works well.
Agree every now and then.
Try not to take on everybody and avoid being constantly in the battlefield. From time to time even if you disagree, avoid conflict by allowing things to flow over you or by agreeing that their opinion is right. You are not saying you agree with them, just that they are right. After all they have the right to believe in what they believe.
Learn to accept what you cannot change.
Accept that there are some things you have no control over and cannot change or influence in any way.
Listen to your body.
When you are tired, hungry or thirsty, it is important that you do something about it. If you feel yourself becoming tense, stressed or agitated, consider a brisk walk, a count to ten, a
brief change of activity or something else to help reduce your stress levels.
Learn to say no.
If you are too busy then taking on more work might well increase the pressure or stress you feel under. Learning to say no is a good idea or at least I will not be able to do this until.
Manage your time.
Take one thing at a time and do not overdo things. Use time wisely and have some form of plan and priority list that takes into account the importance and urgency of a task.
Five strategies for managing stress
One. Identify all that stresses you in your life and score them on a scale. Note the ones that are the most stressful to you.
Two. Identify the sources or causes of stress and ask yourself when they occur, how they occur, over what time, how you react, the impact of this reaction on you and other people, how they make you feel and if you can influence them in any way.
Three. Taking the ones you can influence and you have the highest score first. Think about the following. Can you stop them occurring, can you reduce how or when they occur, can you react differently, what would the impact of this different reaction be, is this better than what you get now. And how would you feel differently.
Four. Review the areas where you have no influence or control and explore ways to reduce or minimize exposure to the situation, change your thinking, emotional state or the time or duration you are exposed to them. If you cannot influence these areas can you accept them and if not then what are you going to do.
Five. Monitor the results and reward yourself for avoiding, dealing with and managing stress.
Reduce Stress With Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Whether you have a high stress job such as an airline pilot and have to sit in one cramped place for long hours at a time or you are the worn out mother of a toddler on the run from morning till night, you can feel like your nerves are shot to pieces. You probably crave genuine relaxation but doubt you can achieve it.
No matter what your situation, the answer to your stress may be as simple as progressive muscle relaxation. This technique originated in the 1930s and is still popular today. This method of relaxation is simple; muscle groups are flexed then systematically relaxed. The idea behind progressive muscle relaxation is that by relaxing the muscles, your mind also becomes relaxed. Furthermore, this technique does not require any special training. In fact, anyone can do it.
Ideally, muscle relaxation should be practiced between ten to twenty minutes every day. It 's okay if you don't get it right the first time. Be prepared to develop your ability to relax gradually if necessary. By practicing regularly you will quickly become competent at progressive muscle relaxation and will be able to better deal with the stress in your life. If you are willing to be patient and persistent, the effort will be worth it.
Progressive muscle relaxation is considered to be a deep relaxation technique which means that it is not only beneficial for stress reduction but also for the alleviation of chronic pain and insomnia. Migraines and cancer symptoms have also been helped by this method. Most of the time, the feet and legs are relaxed first. From there, the muscles are flexed and relaxed all the way up the body to the face. However, this order is not set in concrete and some physicians teach their patients to do it differently.
As you develop your ability to flex and relax the muscles of your body, you can increase the tension to gain more benefit. This technique should only be attempted when you can be quiet and uninterrupted or it may be difficult to complete the whole body exercise. First, tighten your muscles for around eight seconds and then release the tension. Relax for about half a minute before moving on to the next set of muscles. It can be helpful to use this relaxation technique in conjunction with imagery. For example, you could imagine you are like an ocean wave with power unleashed when flexed muscles are released.
Progressive muscle relaxation also helps you to interpret your body 's messages. Increased sensitivity to these cues can help you to recognize signs of tension in your body. Once recognized you can work out ways to overcome it. Consequently, you will likely feel less stressed and more relaxed. In fact, you may even feel more energized. Progressive muscle relaxation has a long history of producing excellent results which means you can be confident that it is a legitimate approach to relaxation and stress reduction.
Your first session of relaxation will take about an hour if you do exercises such as making a fist, bending your arms, clenching and releasing teeth, lifting and lowering shoulders, bending arms and lifting and lowering heals. These exercises are in addition to the flexing and relaxing of muscles from toe to top. With practice your muscle relaxation exercises will become natural. Don't try to fast track these exercises; the goal is relaxation. Perhaps they'd make a great addition to a Sunday afternoon or a Saturday morning after a busy week. Whenever you can take time out to focus on relaxing, these exercises can help you release a lot of built up tension and improve your physical and emotional well being.
Progressive muscle relaxation works well for everyone. No matter what your vocation in life and irrespective of the cause of the stress in your life, relaxation exercises can improve your sense of well being and your life overall. You may have a high stress way of interacting with the world but you can still learn to do these exercises and change your approach. It can be hard if you are a Type A personality but it is still possible. If you make progressive muscle relaxation a regular part of your life you will be less stressed, happier, healthier and more energetic. In fact, the time you spend on relaxation will be the most valuable time of your week.
No matter what your situation, the answer to your stress may be as simple as progressive muscle relaxation. This technique originated in the 1930s and is still popular today. This method of relaxation is simple; muscle groups are flexed then systematically relaxed. The idea behind progressive muscle relaxation is that by relaxing the muscles, your mind also becomes relaxed. Furthermore, this technique does not require any special training. In fact, anyone can do it.
Ideally, muscle relaxation should be practiced between ten to twenty minutes every day. It 's okay if you don't get it right the first time. Be prepared to develop your ability to relax gradually if necessary. By practicing regularly you will quickly become competent at progressive muscle relaxation and will be able to better deal with the stress in your life. If you are willing to be patient and persistent, the effort will be worth it.
Progressive muscle relaxation is considered to be a deep relaxation technique which means that it is not only beneficial for stress reduction but also for the alleviation of chronic pain and insomnia. Migraines and cancer symptoms have also been helped by this method. Most of the time, the feet and legs are relaxed first. From there, the muscles are flexed and relaxed all the way up the body to the face. However, this order is not set in concrete and some physicians teach their patients to do it differently.
As you develop your ability to flex and relax the muscles of your body, you can increase the tension to gain more benefit. This technique should only be attempted when you can be quiet and uninterrupted or it may be difficult to complete the whole body exercise. First, tighten your muscles for around eight seconds and then release the tension. Relax for about half a minute before moving on to the next set of muscles. It can be helpful to use this relaxation technique in conjunction with imagery. For example, you could imagine you are like an ocean wave with power unleashed when flexed muscles are released.
Progressive muscle relaxation also helps you to interpret your body 's messages. Increased sensitivity to these cues can help you to recognize signs of tension in your body. Once recognized you can work out ways to overcome it. Consequently, you will likely feel less stressed and more relaxed. In fact, you may even feel more energized. Progressive muscle relaxation has a long history of producing excellent results which means you can be confident that it is a legitimate approach to relaxation and stress reduction.
Your first session of relaxation will take about an hour if you do exercises such as making a fist, bending your arms, clenching and releasing teeth, lifting and lowering shoulders, bending arms and lifting and lowering heals. These exercises are in addition to the flexing and relaxing of muscles from toe to top. With practice your muscle relaxation exercises will become natural. Don't try to fast track these exercises; the goal is relaxation. Perhaps they'd make a great addition to a Sunday afternoon or a Saturday morning after a busy week. Whenever you can take time out to focus on relaxing, these exercises can help you release a lot of built up tension and improve your physical and emotional well being.
Progressive muscle relaxation works well for everyone. No matter what your vocation in life and irrespective of the cause of the stress in your life, relaxation exercises can improve your sense of well being and your life overall. You may have a high stress way of interacting with the world but you can still learn to do these exercises and change your approach. It can be hard if you are a Type A personality but it is still possible. If you make progressive muscle relaxation a regular part of your life you will be less stressed, happier, healthier and more energetic. In fact, the time you spend on relaxation will be the most valuable time of your week.
Bulletin: Anger- Do It Right before Someone Gets Hurt- From McHenry and Crystal Lake, IL
Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. We all know how it feels; sometimes we experience it as a fleeting annoyance, other times as overwhelming fury.
One thing is certain: When it gets away from us and turns destructive, we are instantly at high risk for crises; crises at work, in our intimate relationships or friendships, and in the general quality of life. At this point, you can feel as though you are helplessly at the mercy of an unpredictable, strong, and over- powering feeling.
If you do not make an effort to understand and manage your anger, it can literally change the status of your very life!. Anger: What is it Exactly?
Anger can be considered a feeling state that can vary from simple annoyance to overwhelming fury and rage. It causes various physiological, neurological and respiratory changes. When angry, your heart rate accelerates and your blood pressure, levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline all spike up.
As you know, anger can be triggered by almost anything, but often makes its appearance when ones expectations are not met. A specific person or a situation, like traffic congestion, can trigger your anger. Or, it could be caused by obsessing or brooding about something; even memories of traumatic events can make anger surface.
Expressing Anger
The instinctive, impulsive way to express anger is with hostility. However, in its natural state, anger is a normal, programmed response designed to protect us from danger and threats to our boundaries or territory.
It can generate powerful, aggressive and sometimes violent feelings and behaviors, which encourage us to protect and defend ourselves when attacked. Since anger became necessary to our early physical survival, evolution programmed it in to us-survival of the fittest.
On the other hand, over time, our cortex and thinking processes encouraged civilizing behaviors. Therefore, laws, social norms etc. structured how anger must be expressed to not backfire.
The main ways we cope with our anger, include the techniques of expressing, suppressing and self-soothing. Using an assertive, rather than hostile manner to express anger is considered to be the best approach.
The core of this method is to talk with another person in a way which makes clear what your needs are and how they could get met, so that you do not degrade, diminish or hurt the other person in the process. Being assertive is not being pushy or manipulative, but rather, being respectful of yourself and others.
One way to deal with anger is to inhibit or suppress it, then convert it into a more functional and healthy response. This happens when you impulsively think a hostile thought, and then reflect on a healthier, non hurtful way to express it and then do so.
It is important that you actually express your concern so you do not inadvertently turn your anger inwards, against yourself. Anger introjected in this way raises the risk for hypertension, depression and other emotionally-fueled disorders.
Unexpressed anger can lead to dysfunctional ways of expressing it, such as passive-aggressive behavior. People who use this method attempt to get back at people by not being direct and telling them the reason.
Instead, they just shut down or ignore the other person without telling them why. Sometimes, they just appear cynical or hostile.
If you are constantly putting others down, criticizing them or making cynical comments, you have not learned to constructively express anger. Therefore, you are likely to have struggling or tension-laden relationships.
Finally, it is important to remember to soothe yourself. This means not just controlling your outward behavior, but also deliberately calming yourself in order to decrease your heart rate and let the agitated feelings subside.
One thing is certain: When it gets away from us and turns destructive, we are instantly at high risk for crises; crises at work, in our intimate relationships or friendships, and in the general quality of life. At this point, you can feel as though you are helplessly at the mercy of an unpredictable, strong, and over- powering feeling.
If you do not make an effort to understand and manage your anger, it can literally change the status of your very life!. Anger: What is it Exactly?
Anger can be considered a feeling state that can vary from simple annoyance to overwhelming fury and rage. It causes various physiological, neurological and respiratory changes. When angry, your heart rate accelerates and your blood pressure, levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline all spike up.
As you know, anger can be triggered by almost anything, but often makes its appearance when ones expectations are not met. A specific person or a situation, like traffic congestion, can trigger your anger. Or, it could be caused by obsessing or brooding about something; even memories of traumatic events can make anger surface.
Expressing Anger
The instinctive, impulsive way to express anger is with hostility. However, in its natural state, anger is a normal, programmed response designed to protect us from danger and threats to our boundaries or territory.
It can generate powerful, aggressive and sometimes violent feelings and behaviors, which encourage us to protect and defend ourselves when attacked. Since anger became necessary to our early physical survival, evolution programmed it in to us-survival of the fittest.
On the other hand, over time, our cortex and thinking processes encouraged civilizing behaviors. Therefore, laws, social norms etc. structured how anger must be expressed to not backfire.
The main ways we cope with our anger, include the techniques of expressing, suppressing and self-soothing. Using an assertive, rather than hostile manner to express anger is considered to be the best approach.
The core of this method is to talk with another person in a way which makes clear what your needs are and how they could get met, so that you do not degrade, diminish or hurt the other person in the process. Being assertive is not being pushy or manipulative, but rather, being respectful of yourself and others.
One way to deal with anger is to inhibit or suppress it, then convert it into a more functional and healthy response. This happens when you impulsively think a hostile thought, and then reflect on a healthier, non hurtful way to express it and then do so.
It is important that you actually express your concern so you do not inadvertently turn your anger inwards, against yourself. Anger introjected in this way raises the risk for hypertension, depression and other emotionally-fueled disorders.
Unexpressed anger can lead to dysfunctional ways of expressing it, such as passive-aggressive behavior. People who use this method attempt to get back at people by not being direct and telling them the reason.
Instead, they just shut down or ignore the other person without telling them why. Sometimes, they just appear cynical or hostile.
If you are constantly putting others down, criticizing them or making cynical comments, you have not learned to constructively express anger. Therefore, you are likely to have struggling or tension-laden relationships.
Finally, it is important to remember to soothe yourself. This means not just controlling your outward behavior, but also deliberately calming yourself in order to decrease your heart rate and let the agitated feelings subside.
Stressed Out! - But Why?
The world we live in today does not appear to get any easier. Things seem at best unfair, and at worst painful and unbearable. We go from day to day in the hope that the situation will improve in the not too distant future and eventually our lives will take a turn for the better.
More and more people are becoming stressed as each day the world turns into an even crazier place to live. There is no security anymore, what with many folks no longer enjoying good health, getting into debt, losing their jobs and their homes; there really is no wonder their sanity is at risk. The darkness of depression sets in following worry and anxiety about their way of life.
Time magazine featured a story declaring that we have come into the "Age of Anxiety". The constant stress and uncertainties of life in 21st century leaves many people living a existence of total fear and worry.
We are bombarded by newspapers and news stations with stories which go way beyond the point of being described as disturbing. And then, of course, there is the economy which is another great stress factor. With the price of houses rising to an outrageous level, soaring prices of commodities such as gas and electric, people find themselves in a position where they have no choice about their career and have to work in employment which they find to be both boring and without any job satisfaction. The main thing is to be bringing home a decent pay check and this completely takes over everything else.
Women, in trying to be all things to everyone, often have higher stress levels than men. They struggle with the roles of mom, wife, housekeeper, daughter, sibling and pay check earner. When in the midst of all this they forget to take time out for themselves, their stress levels, quite naturally, reach the sky.
Children and teens have peer pressure to put up with. Children who do not manage to get a scholarship to fulfill their dream of going to college, have to find part time employment to be able to provide the extra money because their parents alone cannot afford to send them to college.
Always on the go, we are constantly available either on the Internet or cell phones, I-pods, palm pilots and so on. What happened to setting some time aside to relax and enjoy life? We simply do not do it anymore!
We really should learn to say "NO" sometimes instead of doing things we don't really want to do, but feel we "MUST" do. We continue to say "YES" or "OKAY" only to then feel anxious when things do not get done and tasks start to pile up around us.
There are so many causes of stress, some of which we are not even aware are causing us to reach a state of anxiety. Factors such as regular traveling, buying property, coping with finances, problems with relationships, being the victim of bullying, worrying about examinations, having the in-laws over for a vacation - the list is endless.
Stress is a normal part of our lives but when it starts to completely take over it becomes a problem. When you feel out of control, you become worried and this will undoubtedly result in stress.
The good news is that you do not have to feel stressed anymore. You need to regain control which will put your feelings of anxiety into reverse. YOU CAN DO IT - WE ALL CAN!
More and more people are becoming stressed as each day the world turns into an even crazier place to live. There is no security anymore, what with many folks no longer enjoying good health, getting into debt, losing their jobs and their homes; there really is no wonder their sanity is at risk. The darkness of depression sets in following worry and anxiety about their way of life.
Time magazine featured a story declaring that we have come into the "Age of Anxiety". The constant stress and uncertainties of life in 21st century leaves many people living a existence of total fear and worry.
We are bombarded by newspapers and news stations with stories which go way beyond the point of being described as disturbing. And then, of course, there is the economy which is another great stress factor. With the price of houses rising to an outrageous level, soaring prices of commodities such as gas and electric, people find themselves in a position where they have no choice about their career and have to work in employment which they find to be both boring and without any job satisfaction. The main thing is to be bringing home a decent pay check and this completely takes over everything else.
Women, in trying to be all things to everyone, often have higher stress levels than men. They struggle with the roles of mom, wife, housekeeper, daughter, sibling and pay check earner. When in the midst of all this they forget to take time out for themselves, their stress levels, quite naturally, reach the sky.
Children and teens have peer pressure to put up with. Children who do not manage to get a scholarship to fulfill their dream of going to college, have to find part time employment to be able to provide the extra money because their parents alone cannot afford to send them to college.
Always on the go, we are constantly available either on the Internet or cell phones, I-pods, palm pilots and so on. What happened to setting some time aside to relax and enjoy life? We simply do not do it anymore!
We really should learn to say "NO" sometimes instead of doing things we don't really want to do, but feel we "MUST" do. We continue to say "YES" or "OKAY" only to then feel anxious when things do not get done and tasks start to pile up around us.
There are so many causes of stress, some of which we are not even aware are causing us to reach a state of anxiety. Factors such as regular traveling, buying property, coping with finances, problems with relationships, being the victim of bullying, worrying about examinations, having the in-laws over for a vacation - the list is endless.
Stress is a normal part of our lives but when it starts to completely take over it becomes a problem. When you feel out of control, you become worried and this will undoubtedly result in stress.
The good news is that you do not have to feel stressed anymore. You need to regain control which will put your feelings of anxiety into reverse. YOU CAN DO IT - WE ALL CAN!
Do Not Burn Yourself Out: Have a Stress-free Life
In a magazine publication, the magazine editor knows stress intimately. Working against ever-looming deadlines, she spends her days in and out of meetings, editing and writing copy, and managing her expanding staff of writers and editors.
It may seem inevitable that operating the command center of a monthly magazine would invite stress. However, many people do not realize that stress is something you can prevent, no matter how intense your occupation or how fast-paced your daily life is. And, every ounce of prevention can help prevent other conditions.
In general, working too hard and almost burning yourself out would directly lead to stress. It is not an ideal upshot because stress can inevitably lead to dozens of physical ailments, from heart disease to dizziness, and it undermines our mental health as well.
Stress can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, and other emotional problems. So, to prevent stress and to avoid burning yourself out that your body tends to fuse out and releases no more energy because of its condition, take some tips o how to live a healthy, stress-free life.
1. Lighten the load
Are you one of those people who have no downtime? Do you go from work to home to your volunteer position or children�s activities, leaving no time for your pleasures? Then you may be on overload.
Overload is being active without ever attending to your human needs. Health experts say that everyone needs true downtime to relax and recover.
Downtime refers to the time you do not have to answer to anyone, when you have no responsibilities. It is that time when you garden, read a mystery novel, go for a walk, or lose yourself in gourmet-food preparation.
2. Divide the hours
Doing multitasking or handling multiple responsibilities, many people run around like rats in a maze, completely forgetting their own needs.
Set the time for individual tasks, and plan for interruptions or distractions. Try to recognize your needs and care for yourself. Even the busiest person can find 15 minutes every day to be alone.
3. Find your optimum time
Learn to know your individual rhythm and plan the day accordingly.
4. Take time-outs
Stop everything, curb your activities, and take a deep breath. You will generate superior judgments when you are not doing it from a harried state.
5. Get help
If you cannot handle all the work, admit it, do not burn yourself out, and begin delegating immediately.
6. Do a stress rehearsal�with exercise!
According to the health experts, exercise plays a key role in minimizing the damage that stress does to our health. It acts as a stress rehearsal for other kinds of stress. If the body gets used to dealing with the flood of hormones that are released during exercise, then it learns to respond better to all kinds of stress in the future.
Exercise also triggers the release of endorphins, brain chemicals associated with pain relief and euphoria. Endorphin levels rise significantly both in the brain and in the body as a result of exercise. When we make exercise a constant in our lives, our elevated endorphin levels can make us calmer.
7. Breathe easy
Yoga increases self-awareness and makes us acutely sensitive to physiological and psychological stressors in our lives. If you can perceive the source of stress early on, then you can intervene with deep breathing, which is an important component of yoga. IN fact, yoga experts contend that breathing interventions is worth gold.
8. Let nature nurture you
Nature can be a tremendous aid in preventing stress. And you can find nature in some unexpected places: the plant store, a local park, or even outside your own office. Some simple suggestions: Fill your home and work space with lush, living plants; put a fish tank in your office; stroke your pets at least 15 minutes every day; and walk outdoors on your lunch hour instead of hanging around the office or lunchroom.
Best of all, learn to say no to new responsibilities when your plate is already full. One of the main reasons why people feel burnt out or stressed is that they take on too many tasks at once and underestimate how much time they will need to complete them.
The bottom line here is that if you were only more realistic in estimating how much time they need to spend on certain activities, they would probably feel less stress and less burn out.
Try to live a happy and healthy life and rev up that energy!
It may seem inevitable that operating the command center of a monthly magazine would invite stress. However, many people do not realize that stress is something you can prevent, no matter how intense your occupation or how fast-paced your daily life is. And, every ounce of prevention can help prevent other conditions.
In general, working too hard and almost burning yourself out would directly lead to stress. It is not an ideal upshot because stress can inevitably lead to dozens of physical ailments, from heart disease to dizziness, and it undermines our mental health as well.
Stress can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, and other emotional problems. So, to prevent stress and to avoid burning yourself out that your body tends to fuse out and releases no more energy because of its condition, take some tips o how to live a healthy, stress-free life.
1. Lighten the load
Are you one of those people who have no downtime? Do you go from work to home to your volunteer position or children�s activities, leaving no time for your pleasures? Then you may be on overload.
Overload is being active without ever attending to your human needs. Health experts say that everyone needs true downtime to relax and recover.
Downtime refers to the time you do not have to answer to anyone, when you have no responsibilities. It is that time when you garden, read a mystery novel, go for a walk, or lose yourself in gourmet-food preparation.
2. Divide the hours
Doing multitasking or handling multiple responsibilities, many people run around like rats in a maze, completely forgetting their own needs.
Set the time for individual tasks, and plan for interruptions or distractions. Try to recognize your needs and care for yourself. Even the busiest person can find 15 minutes every day to be alone.
3. Find your optimum time
Learn to know your individual rhythm and plan the day accordingly.
4. Take time-outs
Stop everything, curb your activities, and take a deep breath. You will generate superior judgments when you are not doing it from a harried state.
5. Get help
If you cannot handle all the work, admit it, do not burn yourself out, and begin delegating immediately.
6. Do a stress rehearsal�with exercise!
According to the health experts, exercise plays a key role in minimizing the damage that stress does to our health. It acts as a stress rehearsal for other kinds of stress. If the body gets used to dealing with the flood of hormones that are released during exercise, then it learns to respond better to all kinds of stress in the future.
Exercise also triggers the release of endorphins, brain chemicals associated with pain relief and euphoria. Endorphin levels rise significantly both in the brain and in the body as a result of exercise. When we make exercise a constant in our lives, our elevated endorphin levels can make us calmer.
7. Breathe easy
Yoga increases self-awareness and makes us acutely sensitive to physiological and psychological stressors in our lives. If you can perceive the source of stress early on, then you can intervene with deep breathing, which is an important component of yoga. IN fact, yoga experts contend that breathing interventions is worth gold.
8. Let nature nurture you
Nature can be a tremendous aid in preventing stress. And you can find nature in some unexpected places: the plant store, a local park, or even outside your own office. Some simple suggestions: Fill your home and work space with lush, living plants; put a fish tank in your office; stroke your pets at least 15 minutes every day; and walk outdoors on your lunch hour instead of hanging around the office or lunchroom.
Best of all, learn to say no to new responsibilities when your plate is already full. One of the main reasons why people feel burnt out or stressed is that they take on too many tasks at once and underestimate how much time they will need to complete them.
The bottom line here is that if you were only more realistic in estimating how much time they need to spend on certain activities, they would probably feel less stress and less burn out.
Try to live a happy and healthy life and rev up that energy!
How to End All The Stress
We cannot help it but fall into our daily routines. Working, studying, running the errands, groceries, kids, deadlines, projects, budgeting--the list can go on and on. It is a paradox that the things that make our lives essentially easier are the same things that bind us to our routines. Technology evolved and is continually improving in leaps and bounds, yet we all feel stressed. The amenities that we now enjoyed are not enjoyed by the previous generation. Yet backaches, brain aneurism, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, sleeplessness, etc. are showing us that we are more stressed than ever before. The stress of living in a post-modern world also invented post-modern approaches to stress. The thing is, even our hobbies and interests are very stressful and demanding activities. The stressful life in the post-modern also had post-modern solutions, which are either ineffective or superficial.
There are different types of stress. One of the reasons why people have a hard time ending stress is that they are not addressing the core issues within their lives. Here are a handful of stress categories. Remember that in finding a solution to a problem, you must first know the issue and the cause of the problem. Find out which of these stress categories are causing your life to be a living hell:
1. Work/Study-Related Stress.
The workplace and the school are very stressful environments. Deadlines are one major cause of Work/Study Related Stress. There are a couple of other factors that might contribute to this type of stress. One is conflict with your boss/co-workers and/or teachers, another is changes that are happening abruptly, where you could not cope up with them. Threats to job security, or a fears of having a failing mark could also contribute to stress.
2. Relationship/Family Related Stress.
Family related stress includes divorce/separation issues, extra-marital affairs, child-rearing, teenage break ups and unwanted pregnancies among others. This is a major stressor for most people and oftentimes, stress coming from this area can have a major impact in other areas.
3. Environment Related Stress.
Environment related stress is stress where the normal daily routines of a person is bombarded by disturbances and changes that the person cannot cope with. Disturbances include noise from the surroundings (i.e. jackhammer in a nearby construction site, etc.), and weather disturbances among others. Changes in the environment such as moving to a new state, having a new job or having a completely different lifestyle are stressors too.
4. Psychological Stress.
Psychological stress is an indicator that there are other stressors in the life of a person. Psychological stress can include fears of an individual which can either be real or phobias which are not grounded on reality. Sleeplessness, anxieties and worries are sometimes caused by unrealistic fears which have no basis. The subconscious of a person and/or his/her belief systems, cultural background and social milieu can all contribute to a socio-psychological stress complex.
5. Financial Stress.
Feelings of helplessness in financial terms is one big cause of stress, and because the economic well-being of an individual is connected to other areas of his/her life, a financial problem can also have spillover effects in areas such as relationship. The individuals suffering from this problem are often individuals who have a real need for basic needs or individuals who cannot distinguish their needs from their wants.
6. Health Related Stress.
As the saying goes, the health of a person is the wellspring of his life. Health related stress range from sleeplessness due to an extreme caffeine consumption to drug abuse. Ailments are also sources of stress. Some of the most common ailments that are major stressors are heart and lung related problems and brain illnesses.
These categories are not archetypes. Mostly, one stressor can lead to other forms of stress. The categories can mix and match to create more stress and pressures can creep in from one area of your life to another. Above all this, the degree of stress can be mild to extreme. A suffering from stress in one area could not possibly isolate this area from infecting and inflicting damage to other areas of his/her life.
How do we end all stress? There are literally thousands of anti-stress and stress management websites. The ancient and natural ways are still the best ways towards peace and serenity. Here are some tips on how to end all stress:
1. Have a healthy lifestyle.
Health is wealth. I cannot stress it more bluntly. The only happiness that we can ever enjoy in this world is life, and having a great life starts with being healthy. Sometimes, people are ill equipped to face the stressors in their lives because their bodies cannot handle activities involving pain, endurance and strength. Exercise. Eat right.
2. Have sex regularly.
Sex is proven to be a very effective anti-stress activity. The amount of sex needed by an individual depends from one individual to another. Endorphins are released when we have sex. These chemicals make us happy and contented. Tensions at home are also lessened when couples continually enjoy each other.
3. Communicate.
People who do not say NO are always stressed-out people.
Admit mistakes and weaknesses. A simple misunderstanding between you and your boss or your teacher can really make or break you. Oftentimes, it is the small things that are neglected.
4. Prioritize.
Have a battle plan. Organize your life. I know that this seems hard for most people. I am the worst procrastinator there is. This article was given one month before the deadline, only to be written the night before the deadline. In financial matters, always weigh between needs and wants. According to Da Vinci, Simplicity is still the ultimate sophistication. Living a simple life that is free from lots of complexities.
5. Enjoy life and stop to smell the flowers.
We get easily entangled with the daily concerns that we have. Our society is trained towards self-destruction. We work all day; we even put up additional hours on the job just to get rich quickly or make ends meet. A lot of people forget to enjoy life. Always remember that happy thoughts, and moments, make us fly. It is good if you will learn to reward yourself from time to time.
6. Acceptance of the truth.
This is one of the major reasons why thousands of Alcoholics Anonymous members are very successful with their program. They work on the prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. There are things which we cannot change, and there are things that have to be addressed even though going through them could be painful. Are your problems based on real issues? What things can be changed? What are the things that cannot be changed? Do you need to take it easy on yourself?
Stress is an over-all phenomenon that is a pitfall for many people. In the same way, well-being should not only be limited to your finances or your health. The only real way to combat stress is to be a well rounded person. Live a balanced and a healthy life!
There are different types of stress. One of the reasons why people have a hard time ending stress is that they are not addressing the core issues within their lives. Here are a handful of stress categories. Remember that in finding a solution to a problem, you must first know the issue and the cause of the problem. Find out which of these stress categories are causing your life to be a living hell:
1. Work/Study-Related Stress.
The workplace and the school are very stressful environments. Deadlines are one major cause of Work/Study Related Stress. There are a couple of other factors that might contribute to this type of stress. One is conflict with your boss/co-workers and/or teachers, another is changes that are happening abruptly, where you could not cope up with them. Threats to job security, or a fears of having a failing mark could also contribute to stress.
2. Relationship/Family Related Stress.
Family related stress includes divorce/separation issues, extra-marital affairs, child-rearing, teenage break ups and unwanted pregnancies among others. This is a major stressor for most people and oftentimes, stress coming from this area can have a major impact in other areas.
3. Environment Related Stress.
Environment related stress is stress where the normal daily routines of a person is bombarded by disturbances and changes that the person cannot cope with. Disturbances include noise from the surroundings (i.e. jackhammer in a nearby construction site, etc.), and weather disturbances among others. Changes in the environment such as moving to a new state, having a new job or having a completely different lifestyle are stressors too.
4. Psychological Stress.
Psychological stress is an indicator that there are other stressors in the life of a person. Psychological stress can include fears of an individual which can either be real or phobias which are not grounded on reality. Sleeplessness, anxieties and worries are sometimes caused by unrealistic fears which have no basis. The subconscious of a person and/or his/her belief systems, cultural background and social milieu can all contribute to a socio-psychological stress complex.
5. Financial Stress.
Feelings of helplessness in financial terms is one big cause of stress, and because the economic well-being of an individual is connected to other areas of his/her life, a financial problem can also have spillover effects in areas such as relationship. The individuals suffering from this problem are often individuals who have a real need for basic needs or individuals who cannot distinguish their needs from their wants.
6. Health Related Stress.
As the saying goes, the health of a person is the wellspring of his life. Health related stress range from sleeplessness due to an extreme caffeine consumption to drug abuse. Ailments are also sources of stress. Some of the most common ailments that are major stressors are heart and lung related problems and brain illnesses.
These categories are not archetypes. Mostly, one stressor can lead to other forms of stress. The categories can mix and match to create more stress and pressures can creep in from one area of your life to another. Above all this, the degree of stress can be mild to extreme. A suffering from stress in one area could not possibly isolate this area from infecting and inflicting damage to other areas of his/her life.
How do we end all stress? There are literally thousands of anti-stress and stress management websites. The ancient and natural ways are still the best ways towards peace and serenity. Here are some tips on how to end all stress:
1. Have a healthy lifestyle.
Health is wealth. I cannot stress it more bluntly. The only happiness that we can ever enjoy in this world is life, and having a great life starts with being healthy. Sometimes, people are ill equipped to face the stressors in their lives because their bodies cannot handle activities involving pain, endurance and strength. Exercise. Eat right.
2. Have sex regularly.
Sex is proven to be a very effective anti-stress activity. The amount of sex needed by an individual depends from one individual to another. Endorphins are released when we have sex. These chemicals make us happy and contented. Tensions at home are also lessened when couples continually enjoy each other.
3. Communicate.
People who do not say NO are always stressed-out people.
Admit mistakes and weaknesses. A simple misunderstanding between you and your boss or your teacher can really make or break you. Oftentimes, it is the small things that are neglected.
4. Prioritize.
Have a battle plan. Organize your life. I know that this seems hard for most people. I am the worst procrastinator there is. This article was given one month before the deadline, only to be written the night before the deadline. In financial matters, always weigh between needs and wants. According to Da Vinci, Simplicity is still the ultimate sophistication. Living a simple life that is free from lots of complexities.
5. Enjoy life and stop to smell the flowers.
We get easily entangled with the daily concerns that we have. Our society is trained towards self-destruction. We work all day; we even put up additional hours on the job just to get rich quickly or make ends meet. A lot of people forget to enjoy life. Always remember that happy thoughts, and moments, make us fly. It is good if you will learn to reward yourself from time to time.
6. Acceptance of the truth.
This is one of the major reasons why thousands of Alcoholics Anonymous members are very successful with their program. They work on the prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. There are things which we cannot change, and there are things that have to be addressed even though going through them could be painful. Are your problems based on real issues? What things can be changed? What are the things that cannot be changed? Do you need to take it easy on yourself?
Stress is an over-all phenomenon that is a pitfall for many people. In the same way, well-being should not only be limited to your finances or your health. The only real way to combat stress is to be a well rounded person. Live a balanced and a healthy life!
Boost Energy Levels and Reduce Stress Levels by Giving Your Life the Room 101 Treatment
Room 101 in George Orwell 's novel "nineteen eight-four" was the room which contained the "worst thing in the world" and is the name of a popular TV comedy show where celebrities get to air their pet peeves. You can take the Room 101 concept a step further to boost your energy and reduce stress.
As I watched a recent episode of the program it struck me that more of us should give our lives the Room 101 treatment. Another word for the phrase "pet peeves" is tolerations. Tolerations are things we put up with in our lives. They drain us of our energy and they increase our stress load.
They can be minor things like a squeaky door but each time you hear that door squeak you say to yourself "I must oil those hinges". And that thought will keep revolving inside your head until you oil those hinges.
Tolerations can also be relatively more serious like a toxic relationship. We can continue a relationship even when we know it is not nurturing us. That person is like an energy vampire.
We don't feel good when we are around that particular person. In fact, we may find that we are not expressing ourselves as authentically as we would in other more fulfilling relationships.
The thing is you could have a more fulfilling and nurturing relationship, if only you would create room for it.
Tolerations can be dealt with. You've just got to be ruthless in dealing with them. First of all, identify your tolerations. One of my coaches once asked me to write down 101 of my tolerations. It was challenging and I didn't quite get to 101 but I got very close. Once the floodgates open, all those things that have been niggling at your mind rush to the surface.
So my challenge to you is first to write down 101 tolerations. You may get stuck a few times but persevere because this exercise alone is well worth the effort.
You see, even if you simply put this list aside and forget all about it, if you review it after a few months you will be amazed at just how many of those items you are able to cross off. Once you've identified your tolerations in this manner your sub-conscious mind gets to work in helping you to eliminate these tolerations.
Your aim is to become a toleration-free zone.
The next step is to deal with your tolerations in a systematic and objective fashion. Another of my mentors gives his tolerations the D treatment. So once you've identified your tolerations go over each item and decide whether you are going to:
a) Drop it,
b) Delegate it, or
c) Do it NOW
a) Drop it
For example are you in the habit of saving magazine articles and emails saying I'll read that later and you never get around to reading them? Then this is an example of an item you should drop.
Let 's face it. Life is short. We'll never have the time to do all the things we want to do. Therefore, ensure that you have the time to do the things that really matter.
b) Delegate it
Are you one the type of person who thinks that if I don't do it won't get done right? Are you the type of person who tries to do everything themselves? If so, get over it. Find ways to automate some of the things you are doing manually, i.e. delegate certain tasks to machines.
Identify what you are really good at doing and what specifically needs to be done by you. Then be diligent in finding individuals and or companies that can handle the rest. You might have to train someone to do certain tasks but, once the training is done, you can comfortably hand over that task.
c) Do it NOW!
There are some tasks that, if you don't take care of immediately, will have serious and perhaps irreversible consequences. You know what those tasks are and yet you procrastinate in handling those tasks. Why? Fear is often a factor and often they are things you don't like dealing with.
I don't need you to think about what will happen if you don't handle this particular task - you are already there. What I want you to do is to do it anyway. You are going to feel much better as a result because,
1. You have overcome your fear and taken action, and
2. You have regained control over that particular situation.
You will most likely find that dealing with these tasks is not as daunting as you first imagined.
Tolerations clutter our lives and when and where there is clutter energy cannot flow freely. When energy cannot flow freely blockages occur in our system and this results in symptoms of stress, such as headaches, nervous tics, tremors, skin rashes, indigestion, chest pain, fatigue, muscular tension and pain. Does any of this sound familiar?
Then take a no-nonsense approach to tolerations and start the process of eroding them from your life. The more tolerations you are able to remove from your life and the better you become at swiftly dealing with tolerations the more your energy levels and your ability to deal with stress will improve.
As I watched a recent episode of the program it struck me that more of us should give our lives the Room 101 treatment. Another word for the phrase "pet peeves" is tolerations. Tolerations are things we put up with in our lives. They drain us of our energy and they increase our stress load.
They can be minor things like a squeaky door but each time you hear that door squeak you say to yourself "I must oil those hinges". And that thought will keep revolving inside your head until you oil those hinges.
Tolerations can also be relatively more serious like a toxic relationship. We can continue a relationship even when we know it is not nurturing us. That person is like an energy vampire.
We don't feel good when we are around that particular person. In fact, we may find that we are not expressing ourselves as authentically as we would in other more fulfilling relationships.
The thing is you could have a more fulfilling and nurturing relationship, if only you would create room for it.
Tolerations can be dealt with. You've just got to be ruthless in dealing with them. First of all, identify your tolerations. One of my coaches once asked me to write down 101 of my tolerations. It was challenging and I didn't quite get to 101 but I got very close. Once the floodgates open, all those things that have been niggling at your mind rush to the surface.
So my challenge to you is first to write down 101 tolerations. You may get stuck a few times but persevere because this exercise alone is well worth the effort.
You see, even if you simply put this list aside and forget all about it, if you review it after a few months you will be amazed at just how many of those items you are able to cross off. Once you've identified your tolerations in this manner your sub-conscious mind gets to work in helping you to eliminate these tolerations.
Your aim is to become a toleration-free zone.
The next step is to deal with your tolerations in a systematic and objective fashion. Another of my mentors gives his tolerations the D treatment. So once you've identified your tolerations go over each item and decide whether you are going to:
a) Drop it,
b) Delegate it, or
c) Do it NOW
a) Drop it
For example are you in the habit of saving magazine articles and emails saying I'll read that later and you never get around to reading them? Then this is an example of an item you should drop.
Let 's face it. Life is short. We'll never have the time to do all the things we want to do. Therefore, ensure that you have the time to do the things that really matter.
b) Delegate it
Are you one the type of person who thinks that if I don't do it won't get done right? Are you the type of person who tries to do everything themselves? If so, get over it. Find ways to automate some of the things you are doing manually, i.e. delegate certain tasks to machines.
Identify what you are really good at doing and what specifically needs to be done by you. Then be diligent in finding individuals and or companies that can handle the rest. You might have to train someone to do certain tasks but, once the training is done, you can comfortably hand over that task.
c) Do it NOW!
There are some tasks that, if you don't take care of immediately, will have serious and perhaps irreversible consequences. You know what those tasks are and yet you procrastinate in handling those tasks. Why? Fear is often a factor and often they are things you don't like dealing with.
I don't need you to think about what will happen if you don't handle this particular task - you are already there. What I want you to do is to do it anyway. You are going to feel much better as a result because,
1. You have overcome your fear and taken action, and
2. You have regained control over that particular situation.
You will most likely find that dealing with these tasks is not as daunting as you first imagined.
Tolerations clutter our lives and when and where there is clutter energy cannot flow freely. When energy cannot flow freely blockages occur in our system and this results in symptoms of stress, such as headaches, nervous tics, tremors, skin rashes, indigestion, chest pain, fatigue, muscular tension and pain. Does any of this sound familiar?
Then take a no-nonsense approach to tolerations and start the process of eroding them from your life. The more tolerations you are able to remove from your life and the better you become at swiftly dealing with tolerations the more your energy levels and your ability to deal with stress will improve.
How To Manage Your Stress With Mind Control
Sometimes we are not able to escape from our stressors (i.e. if your boss stresses you), but what we all can do is to take a few moments to sit comfortably and melt your stress through mind control.
Mind control can be as powerful as the strongest anti stress medicine that you can find anywhere and it 's a natural way of solving our problems.
Using mind control you can draw on any number of real or imaginary experiences. You can recall a time when you where at peace with blissful surroundings or you can just imagine it and the result will be the same.
Through mind control you can bring yourself into an intensely relaxing situation, because when you picture a pleasant and relaxing scene in your conscious mind, your subconscious mind makes your body react as if you where really there.
And on the other hand if you create an unpleasant and stressful situation, your stress levels will increase as if that where really happening to you.
HOW TO CONTROL YOUR MIND
Begin by sitting in a comfortable chair at a place where you will not be disturbed. Tell your family not to interrupt you while you are practicing your relaxation exercises.
Your brain waves trend to imitate the frequency of the sounds that you hear, so as the Alpha level is the level of the relaxation, you should listen to an Alpha Sound to help your body response.
Locate yourself comfortably in your favorite posture; take a deep breath, and when exhaling feel how a relaxation sensation descends trough all your body.
Relax!
Take another deep breath, and when exhaling feel as a curtain that lowers in your mind and it takes you to a deep sensation of mental peace.
Relax!
Take another deep breath and when exhaling it feel how all your being enters into a more deep, and healthier mental level.
Count from twenty-five to one and as you descend, you will feel entering at a deeper mental level.
Breathe slowly and deeply.
Imagine now that you are amid a dreamt landscape.
Pay attention to the trees and flowers that surround you...
Notice the wild flowers that you find at your step.
Feel the cracking of the floor under your weight...
Perceive how you receive in your face a warm breeze... that it caresses you with the soft perfume of the spring...
Enjoy the total relax for a minute and then concentrate on what you want.
Imagine yourself in possession of your most valuable dream...
Imagine yourself being, making or having, what you want more...
And try to live this desire with the happiness of the achievement...
Represent yourself mentally with all possible detail, how it will change your life with this achievement.
Make your representation so vivid that you can feel the change 's emotion, because there is not bigger force than the emotion.
Every time that you enter at these special mental levels, you will achieve benefic effects for your body and for your mind.
To recapture your usual conscious levels again, count slowly from one to five... giving you time for a leisurely and natural exit...
Practice this exercise each time that you feel stressed (it will work even better if you practice it regularly every day) and all your stress, worries and concerns will be zapped from your body.
Mind control allows you to substitute your actual experience with what you like and want, and during your imagery exercise your stress levels are lessen because you give your body and mind a break and recapture your control over yourself.
Remember that stress and physical relaxation can't co-exist, and that you will improve the control of your stress each time that you practice the relaxation exercise.
If you can't practice the whole exercise, close your eyes and take a number of very deep and purposeful breaths, relaxing your body further with each breath out. The stay a little while within your inner peace and that will be an excellent and urgent help too.
Mind control can be as powerful as the strongest anti stress medicine that you can find anywhere and it 's a natural way of solving our problems.
Using mind control you can draw on any number of real or imaginary experiences. You can recall a time when you where at peace with blissful surroundings or you can just imagine it and the result will be the same.
Through mind control you can bring yourself into an intensely relaxing situation, because when you picture a pleasant and relaxing scene in your conscious mind, your subconscious mind makes your body react as if you where really there.
And on the other hand if you create an unpleasant and stressful situation, your stress levels will increase as if that where really happening to you.
HOW TO CONTROL YOUR MIND
Begin by sitting in a comfortable chair at a place where you will not be disturbed. Tell your family not to interrupt you while you are practicing your relaxation exercises.
Your brain waves trend to imitate the frequency of the sounds that you hear, so as the Alpha level is the level of the relaxation, you should listen to an Alpha Sound to help your body response.
Locate yourself comfortably in your favorite posture; take a deep breath, and when exhaling feel how a relaxation sensation descends trough all your body.
Relax!
Take another deep breath, and when exhaling feel as a curtain that lowers in your mind and it takes you to a deep sensation of mental peace.
Relax!
Take another deep breath and when exhaling it feel how all your being enters into a more deep, and healthier mental level.
Count from twenty-five to one and as you descend, you will feel entering at a deeper mental level.
Breathe slowly and deeply.
Imagine now that you are amid a dreamt landscape.
Pay attention to the trees and flowers that surround you...
Notice the wild flowers that you find at your step.
Feel the cracking of the floor under your weight...
Perceive how you receive in your face a warm breeze... that it caresses you with the soft perfume of the spring...
Enjoy the total relax for a minute and then concentrate on what you want.
Imagine yourself in possession of your most valuable dream...
Imagine yourself being, making or having, what you want more...
And try to live this desire with the happiness of the achievement...
Represent yourself mentally with all possible detail, how it will change your life with this achievement.
Make your representation so vivid that you can feel the change 's emotion, because there is not bigger force than the emotion.
Every time that you enter at these special mental levels, you will achieve benefic effects for your body and for your mind.
To recapture your usual conscious levels again, count slowly from one to five... giving you time for a leisurely and natural exit...
Practice this exercise each time that you feel stressed (it will work even better if you practice it regularly every day) and all your stress, worries and concerns will be zapped from your body.
Mind control allows you to substitute your actual experience with what you like and want, and during your imagery exercise your stress levels are lessen because you give your body and mind a break and recapture your control over yourself.
Remember that stress and physical relaxation can't co-exist, and that you will improve the control of your stress each time that you practice the relaxation exercise.
If you can't practice the whole exercise, close your eyes and take a number of very deep and purposeful breaths, relaxing your body further with each breath out. The stay a little while within your inner peace and that will be an excellent and urgent help too.
Feeling Overwhelmed, Overworked, Overloaded? Here are 7 Expert Stress Management Tips
Feeling overwhelmed, overworked, overloaded and stressed are is all too commonplace nowadays. The problem is that these feelings are actually compromising our effectiveness, productivity and efficiency.
We get things done but at a cost to both the quality and quantity of work we produce and at a cost to our physical, mental and emotional health.
A proverb from the Dominican Republic says that,
"It 's not the load but the overload that kills."
Some individuals become so overwhelmed that they are forced to give up their jobs. Others choose to take this route to a calmer and healthier lifestyle.
In reality, you shouldn't have to choose between your health and your job. It 's question of getting the right perspective on life and work and finding balance.
So here are some expert stress management tips to help you restore balance in your life.
1. Set Goals
Without goals we drift aimlessly through life. When your goals are clear they act as a filter. Anything that is not relevant to your goals you can simply ignore.
This also means though, that the goals you set must be holistic, balanced and in harmony with each other. They must encompass every area of your life, so for example you don't build a business and sacrifice your health.
2. Eliminate
Cut the clutter. For instance don't let newspapers, magazines, letters, etc. accumulate. Make it a habit to get rid of things that no longer serve a useful purpose in your life.
Aim to keep at least a section of your work space or desk clear at all times. Clutter will inhibit your thinking and productivity.
3. Turn it Off!
Learn how to switch off to become more switched on. Get comfortable with turning off your email, Blackberry, mobile phone, etc. for hours at a time.
You don't need to be a constant conduit for information. Periodically closing your personal information highway will free more of your time for focused work and play as well as provide the time for the restoration of your mind and body.
4. Learn How to Say "No"
There are probably many things that you do on a day-to-day basis that perhaps you don't need to do because you are not the best person for the job. Find that person and delegate that particular task to them.
Also, don't say "yes" to other people 's requests when you know that it 's not in your best interest, simply because you can't pluck up the courage to say "no".
5. Plan
Take time to plan your day-to-day activities as well as the various projects that you are involved with. Plans are not rigidly set in stone. They need to be flexible because when you set about planning you want to predict where any problems might arise.
Then you make contingency plans for each of these problems. In this way, if something does go wrong, you will be prepared and can smoothly make the transition to an alternative plan.
6. Focus
Decide what is really urgent and important and focus on these tasks first and foremost. Set aside dedicated blocks of time to focus on just one task at a time. Multi-tasking has been proven to be inefficient.
If something relates to a bigger project then break that project down into discrete, bite-sized chunks that can be completed within short timescales. In this way, whenever you work on that project you will make considerable forward momentum.
7. Ask for help
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Too many people suffer in silence.
"Asking for help is a way of emptying our overfull life."
If you are an employee speak to your boss to explore possible ways of restructuring your workload. If you're the boss then look at introducing new systems and ways of automating aspects of your work to take the pressure off your shoulders.
We get things done but at a cost to both the quality and quantity of work we produce and at a cost to our physical, mental and emotional health.
A proverb from the Dominican Republic says that,
"It 's not the load but the overload that kills."
Some individuals become so overwhelmed that they are forced to give up their jobs. Others choose to take this route to a calmer and healthier lifestyle.
In reality, you shouldn't have to choose between your health and your job. It 's question of getting the right perspective on life and work and finding balance.
So here are some expert stress management tips to help you restore balance in your life.
1. Set Goals
Without goals we drift aimlessly through life. When your goals are clear they act as a filter. Anything that is not relevant to your goals you can simply ignore.
This also means though, that the goals you set must be holistic, balanced and in harmony with each other. They must encompass every area of your life, so for example you don't build a business and sacrifice your health.
2. Eliminate
Cut the clutter. For instance don't let newspapers, magazines, letters, etc. accumulate. Make it a habit to get rid of things that no longer serve a useful purpose in your life.
Aim to keep at least a section of your work space or desk clear at all times. Clutter will inhibit your thinking and productivity.
3. Turn it Off!
Learn how to switch off to become more switched on. Get comfortable with turning off your email, Blackberry, mobile phone, etc. for hours at a time.
You don't need to be a constant conduit for information. Periodically closing your personal information highway will free more of your time for focused work and play as well as provide the time for the restoration of your mind and body.
4. Learn How to Say "No"
There are probably many things that you do on a day-to-day basis that perhaps you don't need to do because you are not the best person for the job. Find that person and delegate that particular task to them.
Also, don't say "yes" to other people 's requests when you know that it 's not in your best interest, simply because you can't pluck up the courage to say "no".
5. Plan
Take time to plan your day-to-day activities as well as the various projects that you are involved with. Plans are not rigidly set in stone. They need to be flexible because when you set about planning you want to predict where any problems might arise.
Then you make contingency plans for each of these problems. In this way, if something does go wrong, you will be prepared and can smoothly make the transition to an alternative plan.
6. Focus
Decide what is really urgent and important and focus on these tasks first and foremost. Set aside dedicated blocks of time to focus on just one task at a time. Multi-tasking has been proven to be inefficient.
If something relates to a bigger project then break that project down into discrete, bite-sized chunks that can be completed within short timescales. In this way, whenever you work on that project you will make considerable forward momentum.
7. Ask for help
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Too many people suffer in silence.
"Asking for help is a way of emptying our overfull life."
If you are an employee speak to your boss to explore possible ways of restructuring your workload. If you're the boss then look at introducing new systems and ways of automating aspects of your work to take the pressure off your shoulders.
Make Friends With Your Nightmares
Nightmares - the kind that wake us with our heart beating wildly and our whole body tensed and ready to do battle with the baddies or run away - are often experienced as very frightening and worrisome.
Many want to forget their bad dreams as soon as possible. They don't realize these could be missed opportunities for enrichment in their lives. Analyzing dreams is a potent method not only for managing stress but for our personal development.
We may ask ourselves:
Did I see or hear something bad that is coming back to haunt me?
Is my dream warning me about someone who is out to get me?
Did I eat something spoiled for dinner?
Or could there be something more that I am not getting here?
The truth is, any or all of these and many more possibilities may be true. Dreams are imagery and storyline salads that our deeper self puts up on the screen of our awareness during the night. When we sleep, our conscious mind is resting. This allows our unconscious mind the space to chew on and digest whatever issues we have swallowed but have not yet sorted out during the day.
The ingredients in this salad may include
- Residues of experiences from the day
- Memory associations with those experiences that
are sitting in the same file drawer of brain
- Feelings similar to those experiences
- resonating like taut guitar strings to a similar
note from recent events
- Sounds our unconscious mind notes while we sleep
- Worries and fears about the future
There are countless books for interpreting dreams. These may give us some general ideas about our own nightmares, but only we ourselves can say what our particular dreams mean. This is because we have concocted this imagery salad out of the unique ingredients of our individual, personal lives.
Example
From 'Kate,' a 35 year-old, single parent MBA:
"I once woke in a sweat, having dreamed I was driving a car with a steering wheel I could no longer turn."
The first step in befriending our nightmares is to write down every detail and nuance we can recall, omitting no pixel of pictures, no nuance of feeling, or soundbyte of words, or intonations exchanged by the characters on that inner stage.
"As I started to write, more details emerged. Not only was I approaching a curve, but there was a big truck approaching in the opposite lane. I kept fighting the wheel that wouldn't turn, terrified as my car crossed the yellow line just in front of the truck. I wanted to scream but no words would come out of my mouth. I woke just before impact."
Next, we can scan our memories for what might have been a leftover from recent days' experiences that was dropped into the salad.
"I felt I was being driven by my financial needs to continue on a career path that I was unhappy to pursue. The atmosphere at the factory was terrible because I was being asked to do jobs that weren't mine, due to several recent staff resignations. I was forced to stay late, compromising my duties as a mom to two young girls. I was having a hard time finding another job I wanted, and worried I could not hold up (might crash) under the stresses."
Examining patterns from the past that might be similar, Kate realized:
"My father was forced into bankruptcy, due to a poor choice in business partners, when I was in my late teens. This severely disrupted our family and delayed my plans for going to university until I could pay my own way. I felt totally out of control when this happened."
Sorting out the meanings of the dream, one can explore alternatives that one might have overlooked in the dream and why these blind spots might exist.
"I came to see I had struggled with the steering wheel but never thought of stepping on the brakes. The dream actually helped me understand that when stressed, I often felt panicky and out of control - when actually there often were choices I could make that would be under my control."
The nightmare can then suggest new ways we might approach our life situations.
"I came to see that I could take a stand for myself and put on the brakes at work. I was lucky that the division manager was an understanding single mom herself and she supported me when I requested shifts in my duties."
Kate also found ways she could deal with the heavy feelings of hurt, anger and resentment she carried from her father 's bankruptcy.
In short, if we don't run away from our nightmares or push them back into the fog of unknowing in our unconscious mind, they can be a rich feast for understanding ourselves better and for discovering creative ways to improve our lives.
Many want to forget their bad dreams as soon as possible. They don't realize these could be missed opportunities for enrichment in their lives. Analyzing dreams is a potent method not only for managing stress but for our personal development.
We may ask ourselves:
Did I see or hear something bad that is coming back to haunt me?
Is my dream warning me about someone who is out to get me?
Did I eat something spoiled for dinner?
Or could there be something more that I am not getting here?
The truth is, any or all of these and many more possibilities may be true. Dreams are imagery and storyline salads that our deeper self puts up on the screen of our awareness during the night. When we sleep, our conscious mind is resting. This allows our unconscious mind the space to chew on and digest whatever issues we have swallowed but have not yet sorted out during the day.
The ingredients in this salad may include
- Residues of experiences from the day
- Memory associations with those experiences that
are sitting in the same file drawer of brain
- Feelings similar to those experiences
- resonating like taut guitar strings to a similar
note from recent events
- Sounds our unconscious mind notes while we sleep
- Worries and fears about the future
There are countless books for interpreting dreams. These may give us some general ideas about our own nightmares, but only we ourselves can say what our particular dreams mean. This is because we have concocted this imagery salad out of the unique ingredients of our individual, personal lives.
Example
From 'Kate,' a 35 year-old, single parent MBA:
"I once woke in a sweat, having dreamed I was driving a car with a steering wheel I could no longer turn."
The first step in befriending our nightmares is to write down every detail and nuance we can recall, omitting no pixel of pictures, no nuance of feeling, or soundbyte of words, or intonations exchanged by the characters on that inner stage.
"As I started to write, more details emerged. Not only was I approaching a curve, but there was a big truck approaching in the opposite lane. I kept fighting the wheel that wouldn't turn, terrified as my car crossed the yellow line just in front of the truck. I wanted to scream but no words would come out of my mouth. I woke just before impact."
Next, we can scan our memories for what might have been a leftover from recent days' experiences that was dropped into the salad.
"I felt I was being driven by my financial needs to continue on a career path that I was unhappy to pursue. The atmosphere at the factory was terrible because I was being asked to do jobs that weren't mine, due to several recent staff resignations. I was forced to stay late, compromising my duties as a mom to two young girls. I was having a hard time finding another job I wanted, and worried I could not hold up (might crash) under the stresses."
Examining patterns from the past that might be similar, Kate realized:
"My father was forced into bankruptcy, due to a poor choice in business partners, when I was in my late teens. This severely disrupted our family and delayed my plans for going to university until I could pay my own way. I felt totally out of control when this happened."
Sorting out the meanings of the dream, one can explore alternatives that one might have overlooked in the dream and why these blind spots might exist.
"I came to see I had struggled with the steering wheel but never thought of stepping on the brakes. The dream actually helped me understand that when stressed, I often felt panicky and out of control - when actually there often were choices I could make that would be under my control."
The nightmare can then suggest new ways we might approach our life situations.
"I came to see that I could take a stand for myself and put on the brakes at work. I was lucky that the division manager was an understanding single mom herself and she supported me when I requested shifts in my duties."
Kate also found ways she could deal with the heavy feelings of hurt, anger and resentment she carried from her father 's bankruptcy.
In short, if we don't run away from our nightmares or push them back into the fog of unknowing in our unconscious mind, they can be a rich feast for understanding ourselves better and for discovering creative ways to improve our lives.
Instant spirit boosters
Instant spirit boosters.
If you are feeling like everything is getting on top of you, or you are finding it difficult to cope or function or you are feeling down in the dumps, then try these 5 easy-to-do tips to relieve tension and stress and boost your spirits:
1. Take a relaxing bath. Add music, candles and a glass of your favourite drink: beer, tea, hot chocolate, wine or even champagne. Close the door and forget about everything else for an hour or so. This helps to increase levels of calmness and the calmer we feel, the less likely we are to get stressed out or depressed.
2. Comedy night: get in your favourite nibbles: chips, tortillas, salsa, crackers, cheese, pizza, chocolate, cookies, ice cream etc. Crack open a bottle of wine or pour yourself a beer or two and spend a full evening watching your favourite funny films or comedians. Laughter raises our spirits and is a great antidote to the stresses and trials of modern living.
3. Get out of the firing line: Take off for some peace and quiet for a day or better still a weekend or a week. Take a journal, relax and gather your thoughts. When we are under pressure or struggling to cope with a major situation or event in life, seeing solutions to our problems can be really difficult. Distance from problems can bring clarity and relieve tension. I love going to the coast when I feel like this and it always, without fail, helps me to calm down and find solutions. I do not know why but there’s something really soothing about being near the ocean. Being near water, come to think of it.
4. Increase calmness and feel great by indulging in massage. Share a massage with your partner – create a relaxing atmosphere by softening the lights and have oils and towels to hand. Lavender oil is particularly relaxing. Or, treat yourself to a massage from a professional masseur or masseuse. For an invigorating massage, visit a Turkish bath if you are fortunate enough to have one nearby. Massage is very relaxing. It’s one huge stress buster as well but be warned, it’s addictive! Not a bad thing to be addicted to though, and it will do you no end of good.
5. Spend a week without watching any television. Television can fill your mind with negativity, bombard you with image manipulation via commercials and give you a distorted view of reality by showing you everything that is bad about the world. Famines, disasters, murders, violence, war – the list is endless – and news programmes and soap operas are full of such events. So give your mind a break from this assault on your senses. Abandon the television for a week and do something more rewarding instead: Read a book, listen to music, socialize, workout, go for a walk or try your hand at something new. If you need to hear the news, listen to a radio news bulletin once a day. But try and avoid them for one week, replace them with something more life enhancing and see how you feel.
The above ideas are very simple to implement but they are also very effective in helping to relieve stress and tension. Give them a try and watch your mood levels rise!
Is acne stress related?
Stress - Since your skin in your largest organ, how you live can sure influence how healthy your skin is. And stress, not necessarily "bad" stress, but rather certain external and internal stressors, factor into this health equation. So let us look at how to handle these stressors with regards to acne prevention.
External Stressors- A goal of acne prevention would be to keep your skin pores clear from clogging and becoming infected and irritated, resulting in blemishes and inflammation. So you need to look at your external environment throughout the day for factors that could trigger skin pore clogging. Here are some examples of what to look for: grease, oils and sun, like being around open fryers in kitchen areas, or around machine oil and grease in workshops or factories, or out in the sun all day on a construction jobsite. Too much oil, grease or sun on the skin can clog pores and trigger acne and other skin irritations.
Minimize contact by wearing long sleeves and other protective wear and gear and discussing further options with your dermatologist or healthcare provider. With regards to being out in the sun, note that a small amount of sun each day can be fine and healthy. However, extended periods can trigger the sebaceous glands to create more oil as your skin dries out. At the same time, the dried out skin needs to be cast off or shed at a faster rate than normal. The resulting extra oils and dead skin make a wonderful environment for pore clogging. So here, too, use protective clothing for outdoor activities and apply sunscreen; oil-free products are best for acne-prone people, and those with a minimum protection of SPF 15 and both UVA and UVB protection.
Internal Stressors - Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations. What happens is that these emotions can set your adrenal glands to work creating more cortisol, the substance that in turn causes your sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum oil, excessive amounts of which can be blocked in pores. Same old story: extra oil + extra dead skin cells = blocked pores, triggering acne flare-ups. With internal stressors, though, the results are usually "inflamed papules" or small, solid inflammations (or skin elevations that do not contain pus), instead of whiteheads or blackheads.
To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, here are some suggestions.
Get plenty of rest and sleep a recommended average of eight hours per night. Try to maintain regular hours each day, regardless of which shift your work.
Some say to focus on reducing SWAT: reduce your stress, worry, anxiety and tension, so journal a little each day mentioning any "SWAT" stressors you have felt. And focus on those that may seem overwhelming or to be taking too long to "end," seeking help from others or other resources as needed for stress management
Check with your dietician or healthcare provider to establish and follow a regular well-balanced dietary and exercise plan of action to keep your body healthy on the inside and outside. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music
If you are feeling like everything is getting on top of you, or you are finding it difficult to cope or function or you are feeling down in the dumps, then try these 5 easy-to-do tips to relieve tension and stress and boost your spirits:
1. Take a relaxing bath. Add music, candles and a glass of your favourite drink: beer, tea, hot chocolate, wine or even champagne. Close the door and forget about everything else for an hour or so. This helps to increase levels of calmness and the calmer we feel, the less likely we are to get stressed out or depressed.
2. Comedy night: get in your favourite nibbles: chips, tortillas, salsa, crackers, cheese, pizza, chocolate, cookies, ice cream etc. Crack open a bottle of wine or pour yourself a beer or two and spend a full evening watching your favourite funny films or comedians. Laughter raises our spirits and is a great antidote to the stresses and trials of modern living.
3. Get out of the firing line: Take off for some peace and quiet for a day or better still a weekend or a week. Take a journal, relax and gather your thoughts. When we are under pressure or struggling to cope with a major situation or event in life, seeing solutions to our problems can be really difficult. Distance from problems can bring clarity and relieve tension. I love going to the coast when I feel like this and it always, without fail, helps me to calm down and find solutions. I do not know why but there’s something really soothing about being near the ocean. Being near water, come to think of it.
4. Increase calmness and feel great by indulging in massage. Share a massage with your partner – create a relaxing atmosphere by softening the lights and have oils and towels to hand. Lavender oil is particularly relaxing. Or, treat yourself to a massage from a professional masseur or masseuse. For an invigorating massage, visit a Turkish bath if you are fortunate enough to have one nearby. Massage is very relaxing. It’s one huge stress buster as well but be warned, it’s addictive! Not a bad thing to be addicted to though, and it will do you no end of good.
5. Spend a week without watching any television. Television can fill your mind with negativity, bombard you with image manipulation via commercials and give you a distorted view of reality by showing you everything that is bad about the world. Famines, disasters, murders, violence, war – the list is endless – and news programmes and soap operas are full of such events. So give your mind a break from this assault on your senses. Abandon the television for a week and do something more rewarding instead: Read a book, listen to music, socialize, workout, go for a walk or try your hand at something new. If you need to hear the news, listen to a radio news bulletin once a day. But try and avoid them for one week, replace them with something more life enhancing and see how you feel.
The above ideas are very simple to implement but they are also very effective in helping to relieve stress and tension. Give them a try and watch your mood levels rise!
Is acne stress related?
Stress - Since your skin in your largest organ, how you live can sure influence how healthy your skin is. And stress, not necessarily "bad" stress, but rather certain external and internal stressors, factor into this health equation. So let us look at how to handle these stressors with regards to acne prevention.
External Stressors- A goal of acne prevention would be to keep your skin pores clear from clogging and becoming infected and irritated, resulting in blemishes and inflammation. So you need to look at your external environment throughout the day for factors that could trigger skin pore clogging. Here are some examples of what to look for: grease, oils and sun, like being around open fryers in kitchen areas, or around machine oil and grease in workshops or factories, or out in the sun all day on a construction jobsite. Too much oil, grease or sun on the skin can clog pores and trigger acne and other skin irritations.
Minimize contact by wearing long sleeves and other protective wear and gear and discussing further options with your dermatologist or healthcare provider. With regards to being out in the sun, note that a small amount of sun each day can be fine and healthy. However, extended periods can trigger the sebaceous glands to create more oil as your skin dries out. At the same time, the dried out skin needs to be cast off or shed at a faster rate than normal. The resulting extra oils and dead skin make a wonderful environment for pore clogging. So here, too, use protective clothing for outdoor activities and apply sunscreen; oil-free products are best for acne-prone people, and those with a minimum protection of SPF 15 and both UVA and UVB protection.
Internal Stressors - Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations. What happens is that these emotions can set your adrenal glands to work creating more cortisol, the substance that in turn causes your sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum oil, excessive amounts of which can be blocked in pores. Same old story: extra oil + extra dead skin cells = blocked pores, triggering acne flare-ups. With internal stressors, though, the results are usually "inflamed papules" or small, solid inflammations (or skin elevations that do not contain pus), instead of whiteheads or blackheads.
To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, here are some suggestions.
Get plenty of rest and sleep a recommended average of eight hours per night. Try to maintain regular hours each day, regardless of which shift your work.
Some say to focus on reducing SWAT: reduce your stress, worry, anxiety and tension, so journal a little each day mentioning any "SWAT" stressors you have felt. And focus on those that may seem overwhelming or to be taking too long to "end," seeking help from others or other resources as needed for stress management
Check with your dietician or healthcare provider to establish and follow a regular well-balanced dietary and exercise plan of action to keep your body healthy on the inside and outside. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music
How To Control Stress With A Stress Diary
You need to take control over your stress in order to channel your energy into performing as you would like to and not as a result of an unidentified stress that has a foothold in your life, and for that you need a daily control of your stress, you need a diary.
Some of your diary 's notes could be:
* Alarm clock didn't go off and the kids arrived late to school
* Traffic was worst than ever
* You arrived late to work
* Your boss was with a bad mood
* You picked up kids from school in a worst mood than at the morning
* Mother in law came to visit you
Your stress diary can help you understand what causes your stress, how you react to stress and if your reactions are appropriate and useful
And to best analyze your stress you can also include the following information into your diary
* How stressed out do you feel
* What symptoms do you feel?
* How did you handle the stress?
Analizing the diary
If you use your dairy daily, in three to four weeks you should be able to start to see your patterns. You will be able to identify your stressors (those things that provoke you stress), and you will most probably notice that some of your stressors will be repeated on a regular basis.
So the question is: What can you do about the stressors that come and come?
If one of your stressors is a person, you can decide not to see that person again (and if you can't, at least not so often)
But although the animals have only two options: fight or flight, we as human beings can also re-define situations, we can change the way we react.
In example: if you can't stand your mother in law, instead of becoming crazy when she comes to your house, you can try different answers as:
* try to understand that 's an unavoidable problem. You like to see your mother and your couple likes to se his/her mother, and that 's natural
* Or try to avoid the encounter not being there
* Or talk to your couple about it and ask that you don't want that visit too often
* Or invite a friend of yours the same day, and let your couple take care of his/her mother, while you chat with your friend
Your goal should be to diminish your life 's stress learning how to deal with stressful situations, and this can be done responding in a more proactive and positive manner
Every day has its own stress load
Very often we carry over yesterday 's concerns into our present day concerns, or tomorrow concerns into today concerns.
Every day has its own stress load it 's up to you not to multiply it. Try to live in present.
In your past, you probably should have said or done some things that you didn't. But the past is dead and you can't do anything about it, forget it, live it behind your life, don't carry it behind your back.
Relaxing tip 1: Start living mindful of the now. What 's happening in your life right now?
If you have unresolved problems, you can deal with them when the proper time comes, but for now you need to live this very moment.
Take a deep breath and while you exhale let your past problems go with it. Just relax and enjoy the feeling of being at peace within you.
If you feel it helps you, find a retired place in your house, close your eyes, breathe deeply a couple of times and get in contact with your here and now in peace
Relaxing tip 2: Practice this act of quiet calm not only when you feel stressed, practice it every day.
Take a couple of minutes to improve your life. Go back to a quiet place in your mind, close your eyes, and breathe deeply a couple of times until your reach your inner place of calm.
Relaxing tip 3: Every day, spend some time doing something that really pleases you.
It 's your life and happiness what we are talking about, and nobody but you are responsible for that.
Do not expect that someone else makes you feel happy and good, do it yourself!
And don't forget your body needs. You need to eat, drink and rest properly, because if you don't you are only setting yourself up for additional stress.
Relaxing tip 4: Isolate your stressors!
After you identify your stressors, choose one particular stressor and work on it until you regain control. Then you can go for the next one.
Don't try to deal with all of your stressors at the same time or you might feel overwhelmed
Slowly, as you start resolving that situations you will start to feel better knowing that a brighter tomorrow is waiting for you.
Relaxing tip 5: Don't fight alone!
If you decide to fight alone against your stressors, God will just watch you while you try it, but if you ask for His help He will help you.
Don't give up faith! You might think that something is impossible to solve, that you just can't solve it. And maybe you are right because we all have limitations, but God has no limitations, and He can decide to bring an unexpected solution to your life if you pray enough for it.
If you give up faith, you are already defeated before starting!
Go to your quiet place, close your eyes, take three deep breaths and relax. Then start imagining how you would like things to be...
Stay a moment feeling the joy of the accomplishment. And then let it go with the faith that what you want is coming into your life.
You don't have to think about how you will resolve each of your problems; you only have to imagine that they are already resolved and enjoy the moment.
If you develop the ability to relax, meditate and imagine your problems resolved you will bust stress, and take control over your life.
Some of your diary 's notes could be:
* Alarm clock didn't go off and the kids arrived late to school
* Traffic was worst than ever
* You arrived late to work
* Your boss was with a bad mood
* You picked up kids from school in a worst mood than at the morning
* Mother in law came to visit you
Your stress diary can help you understand what causes your stress, how you react to stress and if your reactions are appropriate and useful
And to best analyze your stress you can also include the following information into your diary
* How stressed out do you feel
* What symptoms do you feel?
* How did you handle the stress?
Analizing the diary
If you use your dairy daily, in three to four weeks you should be able to start to see your patterns. You will be able to identify your stressors (those things that provoke you stress), and you will most probably notice that some of your stressors will be repeated on a regular basis.
So the question is: What can you do about the stressors that come and come?
If one of your stressors is a person, you can decide not to see that person again (and if you can't, at least not so often)
But although the animals have only two options: fight or flight, we as human beings can also re-define situations, we can change the way we react.
In example: if you can't stand your mother in law, instead of becoming crazy when she comes to your house, you can try different answers as:
* try to understand that 's an unavoidable problem. You like to see your mother and your couple likes to se his/her mother, and that 's natural
* Or try to avoid the encounter not being there
* Or talk to your couple about it and ask that you don't want that visit too often
* Or invite a friend of yours the same day, and let your couple take care of his/her mother, while you chat with your friend
Your goal should be to diminish your life 's stress learning how to deal with stressful situations, and this can be done responding in a more proactive and positive manner
Every day has its own stress load
Very often we carry over yesterday 's concerns into our present day concerns, or tomorrow concerns into today concerns.
Every day has its own stress load it 's up to you not to multiply it. Try to live in present.
In your past, you probably should have said or done some things that you didn't. But the past is dead and you can't do anything about it, forget it, live it behind your life, don't carry it behind your back.
Relaxing tip 1: Start living mindful of the now. What 's happening in your life right now?
If you have unresolved problems, you can deal with them when the proper time comes, but for now you need to live this very moment.
Take a deep breath and while you exhale let your past problems go with it. Just relax and enjoy the feeling of being at peace within you.
If you feel it helps you, find a retired place in your house, close your eyes, breathe deeply a couple of times and get in contact with your here and now in peace
Relaxing tip 2: Practice this act of quiet calm not only when you feel stressed, practice it every day.
Take a couple of minutes to improve your life. Go back to a quiet place in your mind, close your eyes, and breathe deeply a couple of times until your reach your inner place of calm.
Relaxing tip 3: Every day, spend some time doing something that really pleases you.
It 's your life and happiness what we are talking about, and nobody but you are responsible for that.
Do not expect that someone else makes you feel happy and good, do it yourself!
And don't forget your body needs. You need to eat, drink and rest properly, because if you don't you are only setting yourself up for additional stress.
Relaxing tip 4: Isolate your stressors!
After you identify your stressors, choose one particular stressor and work on it until you regain control. Then you can go for the next one.
Don't try to deal with all of your stressors at the same time or you might feel overwhelmed
Slowly, as you start resolving that situations you will start to feel better knowing that a brighter tomorrow is waiting for you.
Relaxing tip 5: Don't fight alone!
If you decide to fight alone against your stressors, God will just watch you while you try it, but if you ask for His help He will help you.
Don't give up faith! You might think that something is impossible to solve, that you just can't solve it. And maybe you are right because we all have limitations, but God has no limitations, and He can decide to bring an unexpected solution to your life if you pray enough for it.
If you give up faith, you are already defeated before starting!
Go to your quiet place, close your eyes, take three deep breaths and relax. Then start imagining how you would like things to be...
Stay a moment feeling the joy of the accomplishment. And then let it go with the faith that what you want is coming into your life.
You don't have to think about how you will resolve each of your problems; you only have to imagine that they are already resolved and enjoy the moment.
If you develop the ability to relax, meditate and imagine your problems resolved you will bust stress, and take control over your life.
Fighting Stress? Here Are 5 Tips That Can Help
Every body has heard of stress, but does any one know exactly what stress is? Stress can be hard on many people, but does anyone know what causes stress? Many people today are wondering what it is about stress that can turn our worlds upside down and how we can help to resolve these issues. Here we will answer these questions.
First things first. A response that is both psychological and physiological due to an upset in the balance of our lives through certain events. The end result of these responses can lead to mental health or physical health issues within our bodies. Since before anyone can remember, stress has been a natural part of the human response to these certain events that may take place.
Any event that has taken place that requires you to make certain adjustments to your lifestyle or environments can be a trigger for stress. Such events can be an emergency situation, death in the family, traumatic accident or may be the end result of a serious disease or illness that you have gone through. There are also many other situations which might also cause stress that are not medically related such as finances, anger, pressures in the work place, not getting the right training needed for something, greed, love, trying to achieve great expectations, jealousy, and hate. All of these events are great causes for stress related issues.
If the events that may be causing stress in your life are not dealt with immediately, these issues can become even more difficult to contend with. Without immediate attention the stress that is caused can result in an extreme decrease in your health both physically and mentally. These stress issues have also at times left some people without homes or even turned them into finding addictions.
Now, you are probably saying "what about the tips you mentioned to help with stress prevention"? Well , just calm down and do not get worked up! I am getting there. Yes, there are 5 steps that you can do to help fight the stress that may be in your life. They are as follows:
Exercise - Aerobic exercise is a great way to release endorphins into your body. These endorphins are natural substances that allow our bodies to feel better and have a good positive attitude. Other types of exercises that are great stress relievers are swimming and walking.
Relaxation techniques - there are several relaxation techniques that are very effective when dealing with stress. These techniques may be one or a combination of deep breathing, yoga, meditation, muscle relaxation and visualization. These techniques can help you get a feeling of well being, lower blood pressure and possibly enable you to get a restful nights sleep.
Pay attention to your children - many times your children may be stresses out and as a result you end up being stressed as well. You want to monitor your child 's behavior. See if they show any signs of becoming over burdened or bullying the other children. It is a good idea to be active in our child 's life and attend those special sports events or school functions. If your child is showing these signs, you may want to consult with their school teacher and get the inside information on what may be going on. If the problem persists, you may want to seek out more professional consultation.
Time for yourself - A hot relaxing bath may be just what the doctor ordered. A hot bath with herbs and oils with light that is dimmed while listening to some soft music is a great way to relieve stress. Other forms of activities that are all yours and stress free are swimming, reading a book or taking up a favorite hobby.
St. Johns Wort - this formula is regarded very highly by many people. These people believe this natural formula to aid in the relief of anxiety and other symptoms of stress. This allows for your body to feel more relaxed and thus stress free.
It is very important for us to keep our bodies healthy. One of the best ways to do this is done by keeping our bodies as stress free as possible. If you have stress and undergone all 5 of the above mentioned stress and have not seen any relief, you may want to consult with a physician in your local area. This physician will be better able to help your with whatever issues that you may be having in your body to help relieve the stress.
First things first. A response that is both psychological and physiological due to an upset in the balance of our lives through certain events. The end result of these responses can lead to mental health or physical health issues within our bodies. Since before anyone can remember, stress has been a natural part of the human response to these certain events that may take place.
Any event that has taken place that requires you to make certain adjustments to your lifestyle or environments can be a trigger for stress. Such events can be an emergency situation, death in the family, traumatic accident or may be the end result of a serious disease or illness that you have gone through. There are also many other situations which might also cause stress that are not medically related such as finances, anger, pressures in the work place, not getting the right training needed for something, greed, love, trying to achieve great expectations, jealousy, and hate. All of these events are great causes for stress related issues.
If the events that may be causing stress in your life are not dealt with immediately, these issues can become even more difficult to contend with. Without immediate attention the stress that is caused can result in an extreme decrease in your health both physically and mentally. These stress issues have also at times left some people without homes or even turned them into finding addictions.
Now, you are probably saying "what about the tips you mentioned to help with stress prevention"? Well , just calm down and do not get worked up! I am getting there. Yes, there are 5 steps that you can do to help fight the stress that may be in your life. They are as follows:
Exercise - Aerobic exercise is a great way to release endorphins into your body. These endorphins are natural substances that allow our bodies to feel better and have a good positive attitude. Other types of exercises that are great stress relievers are swimming and walking.
Relaxation techniques - there are several relaxation techniques that are very effective when dealing with stress. These techniques may be one or a combination of deep breathing, yoga, meditation, muscle relaxation and visualization. These techniques can help you get a feeling of well being, lower blood pressure and possibly enable you to get a restful nights sleep.
Pay attention to your children - many times your children may be stresses out and as a result you end up being stressed as well. You want to monitor your child 's behavior. See if they show any signs of becoming over burdened or bullying the other children. It is a good idea to be active in our child 's life and attend those special sports events or school functions. If your child is showing these signs, you may want to consult with their school teacher and get the inside information on what may be going on. If the problem persists, you may want to seek out more professional consultation.
Time for yourself - A hot relaxing bath may be just what the doctor ordered. A hot bath with herbs and oils with light that is dimmed while listening to some soft music is a great way to relieve stress. Other forms of activities that are all yours and stress free are swimming, reading a book or taking up a favorite hobby.
St. Johns Wort - this formula is regarded very highly by many people. These people believe this natural formula to aid in the relief of anxiety and other symptoms of stress. This allows for your body to feel more relaxed and thus stress free.
It is very important for us to keep our bodies healthy. One of the best ways to do this is done by keeping our bodies as stress free as possible. If you have stress and undergone all 5 of the above mentioned stress and have not seen any relief, you may want to consult with a physician in your local area. This physician will be better able to help your with whatever issues that you may be having in your body to help relieve the stress.
How to reduce stress while commuting
How to reduce stress while commuting
Do you get out of your car with a queasy stomach, a headache and your blood pressure registering through the roof? If you do, that energy vulture called stress may have sent your pulse skyrocketing. In a study conducted at the University of California at Irvine, researchers found that the stress of commuting takes a major toll on health. According to the study, it has direct physiological effects of raising blood pressure and releasing stress hormones into the body. Not only that, long commutes (more than 18 miles one way) may also increase the likelihood of having a heart attack due to exposure to high levels of air pollutants, which appears to be a risk factor for heart disease.
Although there is no antidote to stressful commuting, there are lots of ways to shoo off the energy vulture. Here is how to thrive while you drive.
1. Prepare in advance
One of the best ways to lessen the strain of road rage is to prepare everything the night before. Clothes, documents, attache cases, and even packed lunches should be set the day before to avoid the morning rush. With everything champing at the bit, you would save plenty of time to do your morning routines, devour a good breakfast and enjoy special moments with the family. Best of all, you can dash out the highway free of traffic congestion.
2. Sleep well and wake up early
A good night 's sleep rejuvenates the body. Make it a habit to have enough sleep and to rise early. If you are already stressed out the day before, an incomplete repose takes over cumulative stress effects into your life at work and at home. Your frustration levels at work eventually rises, your brainpower falters, and your mood at home sours. You have no energy left for enjoying life.
3. Juggle your work hours
Why pack the freeways with all the other "9-to-5"-ers when you can try a ten-to-six or an eight-to-four shift? Depending on your company 's work policy, try to check out other shifts that fit your lifestyle. Choose one that would help you get rid of energy-depleting stress and allow you to lighten your highway woes.
4. Share your ride
It may be a hassle to coordinate your arrival and departure with another person or two, but carpooling is worth it. Studies show that ridesharing lowers commuter stress significantly. With carpooling, there is less air and noise pollution, less traffic congestion, and you can relax more while someone else does the driving.
5. "Cocoon" in your car
Instead of getting worked up when traffic is at a standstill, utilize your time wisely. Listen to the radio or pop in some music tapes to take your mind off the stop-and-go driving and traffic tie-ups. If you like to read but just cannot have time to flip pages of a book, check out books on cassette. Many libraries have full-length books on tape as well as abridged versions. You can even learn a new language or do some car exercises like shoulder rolls, neck extensions and tummy tucks to help you stay awake and relax.
6. Pillow your back and squirm
When you are standing, the lumbar area of your spine (the lower portion) normally curves inward, toward your abdomen. However, when you are sitting, it tends to slump outward squeezing your spinal disks and putting stress on them. Sometimes, it helps to support your back by tucking a rolled towel or a pillow in that lumbar section. In cases of longer drives, since sitting in one position for longer than 15 minutes gradually stiffens you even with a back pillow, make necessary adjustments for a comfy ride. For instance, you can try putting most of your weight on one buttock and then the other. Then, shift the position of your seat or your buttocks slightly. You may even try sliding down in your seat and sit up again for fun.
7. Work out after work
Since the evening rush is worse than the morning rush because of the compounded fatigue from the workday, it is best to wait out the traffic. Work out at a gym near your office or take meditation classes to relieve your stress. If you plan to go to dinner, see a movie or go shopping, try to do these things near work, delaying your departure enough to miss the maddening rush.
8. Give yourself a break
It may be a good idea to give yourself some days off from work. Many companies today offer compressed working hours or longer working days to give way to work-free days for you to unwind.
9. Move your office
If your job is a long drive ahead every day, inquire at work if the company would allow you to work at home some days of the week or if you can work near your place. An alternative work schedule would make you feel less tense and in control thereby reducing stress.
10. Occasionally change your routine
An occasional change of commuting habits may be advisable too. Try walking or bicycling sometimes for a change. There is nothing like a good walk to ease tension especially when it means you do not have to get in your car and fight rush hour traffic.
By lessening the stress of getting to work, you are conserving enormous amounts of energy that may be lost over stressful commuting. It does not only leave you a lot more energy to do your job and become more productive but it also makes you feel good and gives you a good reason to always start your day right.
Is acne stress related?
Stress - Since your skin in your largest organ, how you live can sure influence how healthy your skin is. And stress, not necessarily "bad" stress, but rather certain external and internal stressors, factor into this health equation. So let us look at how to handle these stressors with regards to acne prevention.
External Stressors- A goal of acne prevention would be to keep your skin pores clear from clogging and becoming infected and irritated, resulting in blemishes and inflammation. So you need to look at your external environment throughout the day for factors that could trigger skin pore clogging. Here are some examples of what to look for: grease, oils and sun, like being around open fryers in kitchen areas, or around machine oil and grease in workshops or factories, or out in the sun all day on a construction jobsite. Too much oil, grease or sun on the skin can clog pores and trigger acne and other skin irritations.
Minimize contact by wearing long sleeves and other protective wear and gear and discussing further options with your dermatologist or healthcare provider. With regards to being out in the sun, note that a small amount of sun each day can be fine and healthy. However, extended periods can trigger the sebaceous glands to create more oil as your skin dries out. At the same time, the dried out skin needs to be cast off or shed at a faster rate than normal. The resulting extra oils and dead skin make a wonderful environment for pore clogging. So here, too, use protective clothing for outdoor activities and apply sunscreen; oil-free products are best for acne-prone people, and those with a minimum protection of SPF 15 and both UVA and UVB protection.
Internal Stressors - Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations. What happens is that these emotions can set your adrenal glands to work creating more cortisol, the substance that in turn causes your sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum oil, excessive amounts of which can be blocked in pores. Same old story: extra oil + extra dead skin cells = blocked pores, triggering acne flare-ups. With internal stressors, though, the results are usually "inflamed papules" or small, solid inflammations (or skin elevations that do not contain pus), instead of whiteheads or blackheads.
To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, here are some suggestions.
Get plenty of rest and sleep a recommended average of eight hours per night. Try to maintain regular hours each day, regardless of which shift your work.
Some say to focus on reducing SWAT: reduce your stress, worry, anxiety and tension, so journal a little each day mentioning any "SWAT" stressors you have felt. And focus on those that may seem overwhelming or to be taking too long to "end," seeking help from others or other resources as needed for stress management
Check with your dietician or healthcare provider to establish and follow a regular well-balanced dietary and exercise plan of action to keep your body healthy on the inside and outside. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.
Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips, hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to guides on stress, with solutions , do please browse for more information at our websites.
Do you get out of your car with a queasy stomach, a headache and your blood pressure registering through the roof? If you do, that energy vulture called stress may have sent your pulse skyrocketing. In a study conducted at the University of California at Irvine, researchers found that the stress of commuting takes a major toll on health. According to the study, it has direct physiological effects of raising blood pressure and releasing stress hormones into the body. Not only that, long commutes (more than 18 miles one way) may also increase the likelihood of having a heart attack due to exposure to high levels of air pollutants, which appears to be a risk factor for heart disease.
Although there is no antidote to stressful commuting, there are lots of ways to shoo off the energy vulture. Here is how to thrive while you drive.
1. Prepare in advance
One of the best ways to lessen the strain of road rage is to prepare everything the night before. Clothes, documents, attache cases, and even packed lunches should be set the day before to avoid the morning rush. With everything champing at the bit, you would save plenty of time to do your morning routines, devour a good breakfast and enjoy special moments with the family. Best of all, you can dash out the highway free of traffic congestion.
2. Sleep well and wake up early
A good night 's sleep rejuvenates the body. Make it a habit to have enough sleep and to rise early. If you are already stressed out the day before, an incomplete repose takes over cumulative stress effects into your life at work and at home. Your frustration levels at work eventually rises, your brainpower falters, and your mood at home sours. You have no energy left for enjoying life.
3. Juggle your work hours
Why pack the freeways with all the other "9-to-5"-ers when you can try a ten-to-six or an eight-to-four shift? Depending on your company 's work policy, try to check out other shifts that fit your lifestyle. Choose one that would help you get rid of energy-depleting stress and allow you to lighten your highway woes.
4. Share your ride
It may be a hassle to coordinate your arrival and departure with another person or two, but carpooling is worth it. Studies show that ridesharing lowers commuter stress significantly. With carpooling, there is less air and noise pollution, less traffic congestion, and you can relax more while someone else does the driving.
5. "Cocoon" in your car
Instead of getting worked up when traffic is at a standstill, utilize your time wisely. Listen to the radio or pop in some music tapes to take your mind off the stop-and-go driving and traffic tie-ups. If you like to read but just cannot have time to flip pages of a book, check out books on cassette. Many libraries have full-length books on tape as well as abridged versions. You can even learn a new language or do some car exercises like shoulder rolls, neck extensions and tummy tucks to help you stay awake and relax.
6. Pillow your back and squirm
When you are standing, the lumbar area of your spine (the lower portion) normally curves inward, toward your abdomen. However, when you are sitting, it tends to slump outward squeezing your spinal disks and putting stress on them. Sometimes, it helps to support your back by tucking a rolled towel or a pillow in that lumbar section. In cases of longer drives, since sitting in one position for longer than 15 minutes gradually stiffens you even with a back pillow, make necessary adjustments for a comfy ride. For instance, you can try putting most of your weight on one buttock and then the other. Then, shift the position of your seat or your buttocks slightly. You may even try sliding down in your seat and sit up again for fun.
7. Work out after work
Since the evening rush is worse than the morning rush because of the compounded fatigue from the workday, it is best to wait out the traffic. Work out at a gym near your office or take meditation classes to relieve your stress. If you plan to go to dinner, see a movie or go shopping, try to do these things near work, delaying your departure enough to miss the maddening rush.
8. Give yourself a break
It may be a good idea to give yourself some days off from work. Many companies today offer compressed working hours or longer working days to give way to work-free days for you to unwind.
9. Move your office
If your job is a long drive ahead every day, inquire at work if the company would allow you to work at home some days of the week or if you can work near your place. An alternative work schedule would make you feel less tense and in control thereby reducing stress.
10. Occasionally change your routine
An occasional change of commuting habits may be advisable too. Try walking or bicycling sometimes for a change. There is nothing like a good walk to ease tension especially when it means you do not have to get in your car and fight rush hour traffic.
By lessening the stress of getting to work, you are conserving enormous amounts of energy that may be lost over stressful commuting. It does not only leave you a lot more energy to do your job and become more productive but it also makes you feel good and gives you a good reason to always start your day right.
Is acne stress related?
Stress - Since your skin in your largest organ, how you live can sure influence how healthy your skin is. And stress, not necessarily "bad" stress, but rather certain external and internal stressors, factor into this health equation. So let us look at how to handle these stressors with regards to acne prevention.
External Stressors- A goal of acne prevention would be to keep your skin pores clear from clogging and becoming infected and irritated, resulting in blemishes and inflammation. So you need to look at your external environment throughout the day for factors that could trigger skin pore clogging. Here are some examples of what to look for: grease, oils and sun, like being around open fryers in kitchen areas, or around machine oil and grease in workshops or factories, or out in the sun all day on a construction jobsite. Too much oil, grease or sun on the skin can clog pores and trigger acne and other skin irritations.
Minimize contact by wearing long sleeves and other protective wear and gear and discussing further options with your dermatologist or healthcare provider. With regards to being out in the sun, note that a small amount of sun each day can be fine and healthy. However, extended periods can trigger the sebaceous glands to create more oil as your skin dries out. At the same time, the dried out skin needs to be cast off or shed at a faster rate than normal. The resulting extra oils and dead skin make a wonderful environment for pore clogging. So here, too, use protective clothing for outdoor activities and apply sunscreen; oil-free products are best for acne-prone people, and those with a minimum protection of SPF 15 and both UVA and UVB protection.
Internal Stressors - Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations. What happens is that these emotions can set your adrenal glands to work creating more cortisol, the substance that in turn causes your sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum oil, excessive amounts of which can be blocked in pores. Same old story: extra oil + extra dead skin cells = blocked pores, triggering acne flare-ups. With internal stressors, though, the results are usually "inflamed papules" or small, solid inflammations (or skin elevations that do not contain pus), instead of whiteheads or blackheads.
To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, here are some suggestions.
Get plenty of rest and sleep a recommended average of eight hours per night. Try to maintain regular hours each day, regardless of which shift your work.
Some say to focus on reducing SWAT: reduce your stress, worry, anxiety and tension, so journal a little each day mentioning any "SWAT" stressors you have felt. And focus on those that may seem overwhelming or to be taking too long to "end," seeking help from others or other resources as needed for stress management
Check with your dietician or healthcare provider to establish and follow a regular well-balanced dietary and exercise plan of action to keep your body healthy on the inside and outside. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.
Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips, hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to guides on stress, with solutions , do please browse for more information at our websites.
History Books Can Lift You To Be Serene Warrior Powered by Bliss
Ancient warriors were the most powerful, and as societies grew more complex, the warrior class either were at the top, such as Alexander the Great who overpowered Darius of Persia. Alexander had been trained by Aristotle to believe in God and a good life if one lived a good life. Since then, warriors have used their wits to find their ways to power. Such warriors rarely end their lives in a state of bliss or happiness.
It has been such a changed world since the English secret agent James Bond first opened at the cinemas in 1962 and we all lined up to see this exciting new old adventure. I recall it well. We had read of it first, that our inspiring new President, John F. Kennedy, had admitted, as only an offside in an interview, that at the moment his favorite bedtime reading was about James Bond. Again, a warrior, but one who playfully fought on the side of good over evil.
I and millions became eager to find out what inspired this great man, who was a true war hero himself, and his own life story was on the screen. So why would he need to admire James Bond? Aha, this was his other secret life. We all wanted in.
A World War Two heroic figure, admired by our heroic new President, was soon coming to the screen. He was apparently suave, licensed to kill, a lady killer, in behind enemy lines against impossible odds each time. And yet. This man who created James Bond had been James Bond, and he died soon into this series, and his words were carried forth by others, many times more.
President John Kennedy had made an instant hit of the book in an off hand remark to a reporter on what his latest bed time reading was. JFK mentioned how he was enjoying the wartime exploits of an English secret agent given the name James Bond.
The sensation that this created I recall well, which then soon created the movie that made an instant star out of Sean Connery.
And during that permissive age, with each movie, James became less forever with each diamond of a woman he met. Now, today your rather cavalier ways James, causes most of us to wince.
The issue now coming around after all those years of permissive self indulgence is now seen among our grand children. They curl their lips at such folly, and more likely enjoy an even balance, or where the right is more to the point, rather than the sexual dalliance.
And not so long after James Bond came the Beatles and meditation and the search for a deeper meaning to life. And many, including myself, have meditated while studying psychology and thriving in business until now, God willing.
And now studies by University of California have confirmed that there are eight common factors in those who live longest and report highest rates of personal contentment and a sense of satisfaction with their lives. This is science confirming ancient history wisdom.
The keys are
1-Count Your Blessings.
2-Acts of kindness, practice them.
3-Savor the Joys of Life.
4-Thank a Mentor.
5-Learn to Forgive.
6-Friends and family, keep them close.
7-Take Care of Your Body.
8-Develop Strategies to Cope with Stress, Hardships
So whether you behave like Alexander of Napoleon at times, allow these softer values to enter every pore of your being, until you Tarzan and you Amazon Jane still remember to show your godly examples: kittens, puppies and small children will be the first to notice.
It has been such a changed world since the English secret agent James Bond first opened at the cinemas in 1962 and we all lined up to see this exciting new old adventure. I recall it well. We had read of it first, that our inspiring new President, John F. Kennedy, had admitted, as only an offside in an interview, that at the moment his favorite bedtime reading was about James Bond. Again, a warrior, but one who playfully fought on the side of good over evil.
I and millions became eager to find out what inspired this great man, who was a true war hero himself, and his own life story was on the screen. So why would he need to admire James Bond? Aha, this was his other secret life. We all wanted in.
A World War Two heroic figure, admired by our heroic new President, was soon coming to the screen. He was apparently suave, licensed to kill, a lady killer, in behind enemy lines against impossible odds each time. And yet. This man who created James Bond had been James Bond, and he died soon into this series, and his words were carried forth by others, many times more.
President John Kennedy had made an instant hit of the book in an off hand remark to a reporter on what his latest bed time reading was. JFK mentioned how he was enjoying the wartime exploits of an English secret agent given the name James Bond.
The sensation that this created I recall well, which then soon created the movie that made an instant star out of Sean Connery.
And during that permissive age, with each movie, James became less forever with each diamond of a woman he met. Now, today your rather cavalier ways James, causes most of us to wince.
The issue now coming around after all those years of permissive self indulgence is now seen among our grand children. They curl their lips at such folly, and more likely enjoy an even balance, or where the right is more to the point, rather than the sexual dalliance.
And not so long after James Bond came the Beatles and meditation and the search for a deeper meaning to life. And many, including myself, have meditated while studying psychology and thriving in business until now, God willing.
And now studies by University of California have confirmed that there are eight common factors in those who live longest and report highest rates of personal contentment and a sense of satisfaction with their lives. This is science confirming ancient history wisdom.
The keys are
1-Count Your Blessings.
2-Acts of kindness, practice them.
3-Savor the Joys of Life.
4-Thank a Mentor.
5-Learn to Forgive.
6-Friends and family, keep them close.
7-Take Care of Your Body.
8-Develop Strategies to Cope with Stress, Hardships
So whether you behave like Alexander of Napoleon at times, allow these softer values to enter every pore of your being, until you Tarzan and you Amazon Jane still remember to show your godly examples: kittens, puppies and small children will be the first to notice.
Behaviors That Result In Stress
Do you suffer from extreme levels of stress? Do you often feel burdened by small things that others tend to handle easily? If so, you may have certain behaviors that result in stress. Many people will often point fingers at other people and situations when it comes finding a culprit for the stress that they are experiencing. Many do not stop and consider the fact that they are ultimately responsible for the stress that they experience. However, the truth is, most of the time certain behaviors that WE experience cause OUR stress. It is important that you know and understand these behaviors if you want to take personal accountability, and resolve the stress that you experience.
The first type of behavior is that in which one is negative. We are not talking about the occasional negative thought either. We are talking about negativity that is obsessive in nature. Individuals that experience this type of behavior are often negative towards others in their life, as well as things and situations that they cross paths with. These often see the cup "half empty". As a result of this kind of perception, an individual who experiences this type of behavior is often "half empty" when it comes to life, and overflowing when it comes to stress. If you find that you match this description, it is important to understand that not everything has a negative aspect to it. Work hard to see something positive in everything that you have a negative opinion about, and you will quickly learn that your stress will eventually decline.
The second type of behavior that often leads to high amounts of stress is that in which an individual feels the need to be "perfect" in an obsessive manner. These individuals are often referred to as the "perfectionist". Individuals who suffer from the effects of this type of behavior will try continuously to ensure that things are completed according to THEIR standard. Naturally, this standard is normally set relatively high. Individuals that experience this will find that they impose a lot of stress on their life. In addition to this, this behavior can lead to a high level of low self-confidence. Individuals who do not meet and/or exceed their expectations are often the ones who go through life feeling as if they are failures.
Highly obsessive analytical thinking is another example of a behavior that is considered to be destructive and result in high levels of stress. These types of individuals often review things constantly, or "read" into things. When this happens, the person experiences a lot of stress. Many actually preprogram themselves to act on high levels of stress until they accomplish certain tasks, or finish certain projects. By doing so, they are neglecting themselves of time, enjoyment, and quality of life.
If you suffer from any of these behaviors, it is important that you work to block the behavior in order to effectively reduce the stress that is occurring in your life. The first way that you can do this is to come to terms with the fact that your perception is too harsh, and that it is not necessary to feel and act in the manner that you do. Secondly, make it a point to be both positive and realistic. Third, visit a professional for coping strategies if you are not successful on your own. By doing so, you can quickly alleviate the stress that you experience on a day to day basis.
The first type of behavior is that in which one is negative. We are not talking about the occasional negative thought either. We are talking about negativity that is obsessive in nature. Individuals that experience this type of behavior are often negative towards others in their life, as well as things and situations that they cross paths with. These often see the cup "half empty". As a result of this kind of perception, an individual who experiences this type of behavior is often "half empty" when it comes to life, and overflowing when it comes to stress. If you find that you match this description, it is important to understand that not everything has a negative aspect to it. Work hard to see something positive in everything that you have a negative opinion about, and you will quickly learn that your stress will eventually decline.
The second type of behavior that often leads to high amounts of stress is that in which an individual feels the need to be "perfect" in an obsessive manner. These individuals are often referred to as the "perfectionist". Individuals who suffer from the effects of this type of behavior will try continuously to ensure that things are completed according to THEIR standard. Naturally, this standard is normally set relatively high. Individuals that experience this will find that they impose a lot of stress on their life. In addition to this, this behavior can lead to a high level of low self-confidence. Individuals who do not meet and/or exceed their expectations are often the ones who go through life feeling as if they are failures.
Highly obsessive analytical thinking is another example of a behavior that is considered to be destructive and result in high levels of stress. These types of individuals often review things constantly, or "read" into things. When this happens, the person experiences a lot of stress. Many actually preprogram themselves to act on high levels of stress until they accomplish certain tasks, or finish certain projects. By doing so, they are neglecting themselves of time, enjoyment, and quality of life.
If you suffer from any of these behaviors, it is important that you work to block the behavior in order to effectively reduce the stress that is occurring in your life. The first way that you can do this is to come to terms with the fact that your perception is too harsh, and that it is not necessary to feel and act in the manner that you do. Secondly, make it a point to be both positive and realistic. Third, visit a professional for coping strategies if you are not successful on your own. By doing so, you can quickly alleviate the stress that you experience on a day to day basis.
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