We all have this favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out, and I wouldn't bother naming all of them since it may also vary in different languages. But when it comes down to it, I think that it is how we work or even relax, for that matter that triggers stress. Ever been stressed even when you're well relaxed and bored? I know I have.
Since Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. is unavoidable in life, it is important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done by just remembering it, since life is basically a routine to follow like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but as they say-- every minute counts.
Managing time
Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce your stress.
To improve your time management:
· Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.
· Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.
· Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.
· Manage your commitments by not over- or undercommitting. Don't commit to what is not important to you.
· Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.
· Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.
Build healthy coping strategies
It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.
Lifestyle
Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:
· Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.
· Have a sense of purpose in life.
· Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.
· Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.
· Get moderate exercise throughout the week.
· Limit your consumption of alcohol.
· Don't smoke.
Social support
Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.
Changing thinking
When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body's stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.
· Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress.
· Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.
· Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it.
· Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.
Even writers like me can get stressed even though we're just using our hands to do the talking, but having to sit for 7 or 8 hours is already stressful enough and have our own way to relieve stress. Whether you're the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.
Selasa, 26 Januari 2010
Rabu, 20 Januari 2010
"Have One Week, Will Relax" Your 7 days program to Stress management
They say there's more than one way to skin a cat. The same goes when you start tearing your hair out with all the frustration, grief, anxiety, and yes, stress. It's a state of mental conditioning that is like taking that bitter pill down your throat, causing you to lose your sense of self, and worse your sanity. Just thinking about it can drive anyone off the edge.
And they say that the proactive ones are already living off the edge.
As one stressed-out person to another, I know how it feels, and believe me there are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you can carry once you head out that door. You can't blame them for being like that; they have their own reasons, so much like we have our reasons to allow stress to weigh us down. They say that stress is all in the mind, well, what's bugging you anyway?
There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it out of your life one of these days. So I'll try to divide it into a seven-day course for you and I promise it's not going to be too taxing on the body, as well as on the mind.
1. Acknowledge stress is good
Make stress your friend! Based on the body's natural "fight or flight" response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I've yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezers
Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you've got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the best
When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
This is something I've learned from a gym instructor: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
5. Give stressy thoughts the red light
It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. "If this happens, then that might happen and then we're all up the creek!" Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong - how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spots
Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines…. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?
7. Burn the candle at one end
Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it's often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don't burn the candle at both ends!
So having stress can be a total drag, but that should not hinder us to find the inner peace of mind that we have wanted for a long time. In any case, one could always go to the Bahamas and bask under the summer sun.
And they say that the proactive ones are already living off the edge.
As one stressed-out person to another, I know how it feels, and believe me there are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you can carry once you head out that door. You can't blame them for being like that; they have their own reasons, so much like we have our reasons to allow stress to weigh us down. They say that stress is all in the mind, well, what's bugging you anyway?
There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it out of your life one of these days. So I'll try to divide it into a seven-day course for you and I promise it's not going to be too taxing on the body, as well as on the mind.
1. Acknowledge stress is good
Make stress your friend! Based on the body's natural "fight or flight" response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I've yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid stress sneezers
Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you've got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.
3. Learn from the best
When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.
4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
This is something I've learned from a gym instructor: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.
5. Give stressy thoughts the red light
It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. "If this happens, then that might happen and then we're all up the creek!" Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong - how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?
6. Know your trigger points and hot spots
Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines…. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?
Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?
7. Burn the candle at one end
Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it's often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don't burn the candle at both ends!
So having stress can be a total drag, but that should not hinder us to find the inner peace of mind that we have wanted for a long time. In any case, one could always go to the Bahamas and bask under the summer sun.
Jumat, 15 Januari 2010
Top Ten Ways to Reduce Your Stress at Home
Top Ten Ways to Reduce Your Stress at Home
1. Create a communication center on the fridge for messages, chores etc.
2. Make a calendar for everyone to refer to ? write in daily schedules, appointments etc.
3. Keep the grocery list posted where all family members can add items as they run out.
4. Create recipe categories that make sense to you.
5. Keep related items together, for example the coffee filters and coffee "live" above or near the coffee maker.
6. Make a closet, drawer or shelf just for certain items (i.e., bathroom supplies, batteries, cook books).
7. Keep cleaning supplies in a bucket for ease of use.
8. Start a child's file system with a simple container, basket, file or shelf. It may contain information about their medical records, medicines, education, extra curricular activities, memorabilia, etc.
9. Finish one task at a time. Distractions will leave you with a lot of chores that are half way done.
10. Practice the art of wastebasketry. Take a minute and clean out, toss and purge whenever you can, don't put it off to another day.
1. Create a communication center on the fridge for messages, chores etc.
2. Make a calendar for everyone to refer to ? write in daily schedules, appointments etc.
3. Keep the grocery list posted where all family members can add items as they run out.
4. Create recipe categories that make sense to you.
5. Keep related items together, for example the coffee filters and coffee "live" above or near the coffee maker.
6. Make a closet, drawer or shelf just for certain items (i.e., bathroom supplies, batteries, cook books).
7. Keep cleaning supplies in a bucket for ease of use.
8. Start a child's file system with a simple container, basket, file or shelf. It may contain information about their medical records, medicines, education, extra curricular activities, memorabilia, etc.
9. Finish one task at a time. Distractions will leave you with a lot of chores that are half way done.
10. Practice the art of wastebasketry. Take a minute and clean out, toss and purge whenever you can, don't put it off to another day.
Senin, 11 Januari 2010
Do You Need An Air Purifier?
It is estimated that each year millions of Americans think about purchasing an air purifier for their home or their business. Are you one of those individuals? If so, have you purchased an air purifier yet? Unfortunately, a large number of individuals think about purchasing an air purifier, but not everyone ends up making that purchase. One of the reasons for that is because many individuals wonder whether or not they really need one.
When it comes to owning an air purifier, anyone can own one. You do not necessarily have to meet certain criteria to be able to benefit from the use of an air purifier. Honestly, you could just be someone who is looking to breathe clean air. If that is the case, you could definitely benefit from the purchase of an air purifier. Despite the fact that some individuals have no set reason for wanting or needing an air purifier, there are others who do. If you find yourself one of these individuals, as described below, you may want to seriously think about purchasing an air purifier for your home or your business.
Air purifiers work to clean the air. They do this by preventing harmful particles from passing through their collection grids or filters. These particles may even include dust particles. For that reason, if you have allergies associated with dust, you may very well find that an air purifier works to remove or completely eliminate your allergy symptoms. In turn, this may make your days and nights more pleasant and enjoyable.
In addition to reducing allergies associated with dust, air purifiers can also help those with allergies that are related pets. You will find that multiple air purifiers not only trap pet hair, but they also trap the air particles created by pet droppings. These dangerous particles are not only harmful to those who have allergies, but to everyone else who is in the home. In addition to eliminating particles created by pets in the home, you could also use an air purifier if you have a business that is centered on pets. These types of businesses include pet grooming shops and vet offices.
You may also want to think about purchasing an air purifier, especially if you have young children at home. Children tend to be more susceptible to illness. With cleaner air, your child’s health may improve by a ton. In addition to being used in traditional homes, you may also want to purchase an air purifier if you run or operate a daycare center. An air purifier may not only improve your health, but the health of all of your children. Essentially, this will make for happier and healthier children, which is extremely important when running a daycare business.
An air purifier may also be ideal for those who are smokers. Even if you are not a smoker, there may be someone inside your home who is. If this is the case, you will want to seriously consider purchasing an air purifier. Most air purifiers, especially those designed specifically for smoking households, may help to reduce secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is bad for everyone, but it is especially bad for children. Of course, you will want to try and not smoke around your children, but if you do, you will want to purchase an air purifier, if not for your own benefit then for the sake of your children.
As mentioned above, those operating a business centered on pets or kids could benefit from the use of an air purifier; however, they are not the only types of businesses who could benefit. If you are business owner, whether you run a small retail store or an office, you may want to think about getting an air purifier. As mentioned above, air purifiers help to keep the air clean. In reality, this means that your employees will be healthier. In addition to better performance, you may also find that an air purifier helps to reduce the illnesses being spread throughout your building. In turn, this may not only result in better performing employees, but employees who end up requesting less sick time.
If the above mentioned examples describe you, in any way, you are advised to purchase an air purifier. Whether that air purifier is for your home or your business, you will reap an unlimited number of benefits to owning and using one.
When it comes to owning an air purifier, anyone can own one. You do not necessarily have to meet certain criteria to be able to benefit from the use of an air purifier. Honestly, you could just be someone who is looking to breathe clean air. If that is the case, you could definitely benefit from the purchase of an air purifier. Despite the fact that some individuals have no set reason for wanting or needing an air purifier, there are others who do. If you find yourself one of these individuals, as described below, you may want to seriously think about purchasing an air purifier for your home or your business.
Air purifiers work to clean the air. They do this by preventing harmful particles from passing through their collection grids or filters. These particles may even include dust particles. For that reason, if you have allergies associated with dust, you may very well find that an air purifier works to remove or completely eliminate your allergy symptoms. In turn, this may make your days and nights more pleasant and enjoyable.
In addition to reducing allergies associated with dust, air purifiers can also help those with allergies that are related pets. You will find that multiple air purifiers not only trap pet hair, but they also trap the air particles created by pet droppings. These dangerous particles are not only harmful to those who have allergies, but to everyone else who is in the home. In addition to eliminating particles created by pets in the home, you could also use an air purifier if you have a business that is centered on pets. These types of businesses include pet grooming shops and vet offices.
You may also want to think about purchasing an air purifier, especially if you have young children at home. Children tend to be more susceptible to illness. With cleaner air, your child’s health may improve by a ton. In addition to being used in traditional homes, you may also want to purchase an air purifier if you run or operate a daycare center. An air purifier may not only improve your health, but the health of all of your children. Essentially, this will make for happier and healthier children, which is extremely important when running a daycare business.
An air purifier may also be ideal for those who are smokers. Even if you are not a smoker, there may be someone inside your home who is. If this is the case, you will want to seriously consider purchasing an air purifier. Most air purifiers, especially those designed specifically for smoking households, may help to reduce secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is bad for everyone, but it is especially bad for children. Of course, you will want to try and not smoke around your children, but if you do, you will want to purchase an air purifier, if not for your own benefit then for the sake of your children.
As mentioned above, those operating a business centered on pets or kids could benefit from the use of an air purifier; however, they are not the only types of businesses who could benefit. If you are business owner, whether you run a small retail store or an office, you may want to think about getting an air purifier. As mentioned above, air purifiers help to keep the air clean. In reality, this means that your employees will be healthier. In addition to better performance, you may also find that an air purifier helps to reduce the illnesses being spread throughout your building. In turn, this may not only result in better performing employees, but employees who end up requesting less sick time.
If the above mentioned examples describe you, in any way, you are advised to purchase an air purifier. Whether that air purifier is for your home or your business, you will reap an unlimited number of benefits to owning and using one.
Rabu, 06 Januari 2010
Simplifying Lifestyles in Healthy Aging
As we age, the preservation and expenditures are sometimes more than we can afford to keep up our residence. As you grow older, your decisions have to modify to your affordability. In view of the fact, you may need to consider moving to a low-subsidized project. The housing communities make life simpler for you. In the end, you will pay less, which clears up stress. This leaves you room to plan for your future.
In the world are many housing projects, including the projects designed for seniors. You will find townhouses, condominiums and apartments in your area. You have many options, i.e. you can lease, rent or even buy some of the low-cost homes. If you lease or rent however, the owners usually take care of the lawn, which makes you life simpler.
When you move to areas where people are your own age, it often brings you rewards. You can meet new friends. New friends are great, which you can plan activities together as you work toward healthy aging. At clubhouses for seniors there is always something happening as well. The clubhouses often provide seniors with free meals and fun. Some areas allow you to enjoy bingo. For a diminutive fee, one can join these housings while enjoying two or three meals per day. The meals are balanced and in proportion, which gives you added convenience. You can save time cooking, as well as have three balanced meals each day.
Perhaps you enjoy golfing. Alternatively, you would like to learn how to golf. If you enjoy golfing perhaps, you can find low-cost housing in your community where golf is optional. Many communities have low-cost housing near golf courses. Some areas offer golf lessons. While enjoying golf, you can meet new friends here as well.
Our bodies demand that we enjoy activities on a daily scale. In view of the fact, you want to keep your brain and body in active motion. Of course, you need to take time out to rest, yet planning activities and enjoying them daily will help you live a healthier and longer life. Learning golf will teach you new skills, which is always a great thing to acquire. Learning new skills, artistic quality helps one to stay in touch with self.
Some community residential housing offers you the opportunity to enjoy musicals, poetry reading, lobbying and so on. In the lobby areas, you may enjoy watching the evening news with the new friends you have met.
In some areas, you will find projects that help to keep their seniors happy by taking them on short trips. You will enjoy people your own age while you learn, view new areas, and so on. Perhaps a group of seniors may visit supermarkets, shopping malls and so on. Some areas that offer you such convenience also provides you transportation. What an added gain, since you can cut back expenses of high-priced car insurance, gas, maintenance and so on.
As you meet new, acquaintances or potential friends learn how to manage your time wisely. You want to learn how to understand your friends by expressing your feelings. Expressing feelings is a great way to relieve the mind of stress.
Put together your new life by discovering the meaning of life and your purpose. Also, discover your peace of mind as you socialize daily finding new relationships to share your journey through life. Lastly, you want to listen to people around you, since you can learn how to manage your life by clipping out patterns which people have followed to live a healthy aging life.
In the world are many housing projects, including the projects designed for seniors. You will find townhouses, condominiums and apartments in your area. You have many options, i.e. you can lease, rent or even buy some of the low-cost homes. If you lease or rent however, the owners usually take care of the lawn, which makes you life simpler.
When you move to areas where people are your own age, it often brings you rewards. You can meet new friends. New friends are great, which you can plan activities together as you work toward healthy aging. At clubhouses for seniors there is always something happening as well. The clubhouses often provide seniors with free meals and fun. Some areas allow you to enjoy bingo. For a diminutive fee, one can join these housings while enjoying two or three meals per day. The meals are balanced and in proportion, which gives you added convenience. You can save time cooking, as well as have three balanced meals each day.
Perhaps you enjoy golfing. Alternatively, you would like to learn how to golf. If you enjoy golfing perhaps, you can find low-cost housing in your community where golf is optional. Many communities have low-cost housing near golf courses. Some areas offer golf lessons. While enjoying golf, you can meet new friends here as well.
Our bodies demand that we enjoy activities on a daily scale. In view of the fact, you want to keep your brain and body in active motion. Of course, you need to take time out to rest, yet planning activities and enjoying them daily will help you live a healthier and longer life. Learning golf will teach you new skills, which is always a great thing to acquire. Learning new skills, artistic quality helps one to stay in touch with self.
Some community residential housing offers you the opportunity to enjoy musicals, poetry reading, lobbying and so on. In the lobby areas, you may enjoy watching the evening news with the new friends you have met.
In some areas, you will find projects that help to keep their seniors happy by taking them on short trips. You will enjoy people your own age while you learn, view new areas, and so on. Perhaps a group of seniors may visit supermarkets, shopping malls and so on. Some areas that offer you such convenience also provides you transportation. What an added gain, since you can cut back expenses of high-priced car insurance, gas, maintenance and so on.
As you meet new, acquaintances or potential friends learn how to manage your time wisely. You want to learn how to understand your friends by expressing your feelings. Expressing feelings is a great way to relieve the mind of stress.
Put together your new life by discovering the meaning of life and your purpose. Also, discover your peace of mind as you socialize daily finding new relationships to share your journey through life. Lastly, you want to listen to people around you, since you can learn how to manage your life by clipping out patterns which people have followed to live a healthy aging life.
