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6 Ways to Deal with the
Stress in Your Life
We all experience it at one time or another; this
trespasser called stress. It is perhaps the number one cause of most health
problems today. Let’s explore 6 ways to deal with the stress in your life in a
healthy and effective manner.
* Talk about the problems you are experiencing with
friends, loved ones or a professional. Keeping everything bottled up will only
create more problems later on. Join a support group with people experiencing
similar problems.
* Exercise often. Go to the park and walk for 20-30 minutes
either every day or every other day. Exercise relieves tension and produces a
calming effect. Perhaps joining a gym with a friend would be more to your
liking.
* Yoga exercises. Sit in a quiet room alone and begin
breathing exercises. Choose a mantra which will help you to stay focused.
* Music does calm the savage beast. Listen to some
classical or instrumental music. Ocean or nature sounds are a perfect way to
release stress.
* Healthy meals can become an important factor in limiting
your stress. Ensure you eat three meals a day, and make an effort to avoid too
much caffeine and sugar.
* Sleep deprivation can cause stress. Go to bed early.
Seven to eight hours sleep can make all the difference.
Coping with stress can be challenging. Every day you seem
to be pulled in every direction, trying to accommodate others. The first
priority is to take care of you. You are the thread which holds your family
together. If you are stressed, you won’t be much good to anyone.
Give yourself a break every now and then. Buy a new
outfit; go to a movie; do something you’ve always wanted to do. Your family can
take care of themselves for one day. Alone time is just as important to you as
it is for everyone else. Think of yourself as a gas tank; eventually you will
run out of fuel.
Laughter is a wonderful release. You’ve probably noticed
those times when you’ve laughed so hard, you cried. This is probably due to the
fact you haven’t laughed in a while, and the tension released through laughter
is the best cure-all method for dealing with stress-related issues.
Avoid stressful situations whenever possible. If you are
a working mom, it’s probably not the job but the people who are causing you the
most stress. Take everything in stride.
If you can’t finish a task, don’t worry about it. If
dinner doesn’t turn out as you expected, improvise or order out.
Life is too short; and stress can reduce it further.
Nothing is more important than your health or state of mind. Eleanor Roosevelt
wisely said, “No one can make you a victim without your consent.” She was right;
it is, after all, up to you.
Donald Fulghum
Positive Thinking: A Powerful Tool
Have you ever met someone who was so positive about life,
you wish you felt that way as well? You can. Positive thinking is a powerful
tool. Our minds control all of our thought processes and can be the catalyst
for living a happy and positive existence or live life with a doom and gloom
attitude.
Here are several ways to not only improve your mindset,
but your life as well.
If you are faced with a negative thought, change it to a
positive one. Remember the movie, “Pollyanna?” Her father taught her the “glad
game.” She encouraged the town to find things to be glad about. Eventually, they
did and were happier than ever before.
* Surround your life with positive people. Go to events
which bring you joy or have special meaning. Invoke positive memories whenever
you can.
* There is a saying, “It’s the simple things in life that
make me happy.” Find those simple pleasures, no matter how small or
insignificant they may be. They are yours to enjoy.
* Laughter is the best medicine, especially for a heavy
heart. Be around people who make you laugh; it’s quite contagious.
* Love yourself; nurture the inner you; love others, and
most of all be kind. Greet the doorman in the morning, or give a hug to someone
who needs it most.
* Help someone less fortunate than yourself. Volunteer your
time at a nursing home or hospital. When you give, you receive ten-fold.
Remember, what you do affects others. If you are negative,
people will shy away from you. However if you are positive, you will be
surrounded by people who wish to be in your company all the time. Congratulate
yourself on jobs well done! Positive thinking breeds positive results.
Begin your day in a positive manner. Nothing is worse then
getting up in a grumpy mood. It not only sets the tone for the days’ events,
but impacts your family as well. Place flowers around your home; open the
curtains and let the sun shine in. Also, add more light to your home if needed.
Light has a direct effect on one’s mood.
Changing the way in which you view life can make all the
difference. Try not to think about the negative aspects, but focus on the
positive blessings in your life. Turn off the bad news, and channel your
thoughts in the direction of goodness. It may be cliché, but take time out to
smell the roses. Give thanks for all you have; and be generous to those who
have nothing.
Take a look at the smiles on your children’s faces. Nothing
in the world can negatively impact the feelings those smiles invoke. Live life
to the fullest and enjoy every precious moment of it.
Donald Fulghum
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