How Stressful Thinking Impacts You

 By Linda Hampton 

Photo: 2.bp.blogspot.com
 
Most of us experience tension daily, often it's hour by hour or worse minute to minute. How we cope with stress and worry determines whether we move forward or allow it to hold us back. Habitual negative thinking is often frenzied, inaccurate, and undependable, yet you can go through your entire life with negative thoughts that cause unproductive behavior and a more difficult life. Most people dealing with stress especially chronic stress assume that there's no getting around it, and its just the way life has to be. But this is certainly not the case!
Silencing the habitually negative mind is easier than you imagine and it all starts with a single positive thought.

How Your Negative Mind Effects Your Positive Aspirations
A negative mind not only regulates the way you approach life, it also has a tremendous impact on your physical body, and with your mind body connection working against homeostasis rather then in flow having a negative impact on your health. When you switch off negative thoughts and turn on positive thinking, you have the power to move toward a healthier more productive and creative you. With time and effort, you can transform your thought process, and it's quite simple actually, because it all begins with just a few simple words.

The Power of A Few Words...
When you see a list of affirmations, you see absolutely nothing more than a list of words with optimistic expressions that do not appear to apply to you or embody your current way of thinking. If you take a closer look at each affirmation, you may find that many embrace the way you wished you could feel and think.

When you see words that speak to you and how you'd like to feel, hold onto them. You can use them to get rid of a unwelcome idea you wish to eliminate. Fundamentally, with practice, you will be replacing your negative thinking pattern with a positive thinking. This is exactly what positive affirmations are all about!
But let me caution you here. In order for your affirmations to be effective they have to meet the following criteria:

Affirmations have to be in your own voice. They need to be phrased and spoken the way you speak.
Your affirmations should be phrased and said in the same way that you would say them to a friend. After all, your mind is your friend. In fact, it's one of your best friends.
Words are a powerful way to evoke emotions both positive and negative. Use affirmation that speaks to you on a deep level and keep them in the forefront of your mind by repeating these words often. By doing this you create room for your new thoughts to germinate and grow until these thoughts become a reality. Again the trick is to use words that are meaningful to you and say them in the same way you normally speak.

If at some point, as we all do, you may become overwhelmed with negative thinking, if that happens simply close your eyes and take a few deep breaths until your emotions become a little bit more under control. Then use your affirmations to interrupt your thinking pattern.
One final thought... the past is a closed door you can choose to keep going back into that unfilled and stressful room or you can choose another door. So let's set a few ground rules:

Ground Rules Eliminate Negative thinking
1. You must start by being honest with yourself and make a sincere commitment to make changes
2. You must develop a deep passion to get rid of stressful thinking
3. You must be willing to embrace new strategies and give yourself permission to be creative
4. Give yourself a break when your old patterns re-appear as they undoubtedly will. Don't beat yourself up just begin again.
Does this sound as well great to be true? There are many people who, like you, believe this technique is well... just too easy so it can't possibly work.. The only way to know for certain is to try it. What do you have to lose? No one has to know your using affirmation it's personal and private. After all it's all in your mind. It's easy convenient and you can take them wherever you go.

Linda Hampton RN, MSN Certified Life Coach, is an author, speaker, and coach who helps busy and stressed entrepreneurs gain more time and energy, eliminate clutter and minimize stress and overwhelm. She is the author of Curing Toxic Stress. To receive her FREE Special Report Thriving In The Midst of Chaos visit: http://www.keytostressfreeliving.com

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How Stressful Thinking Impacts You

 By Linda Hampton 

Photo: info.profilesinternational.com
 
Most of us experience tension daily, often it's hour by hour or worse minute to minute. How we cope with stress and worry determines whether we move forward or allow it to hold us back. Habitual negative thinking is often frenzied, inaccurate, and undependable, yet you can go through your entire life with negative thoughts that cause unproductive behavior and a more difficult life. Most people dealing with stress especially chronic stress assume that there's no getting around it, and its just the way life has to be. But this is certainly not the case!
Silencing the habitually negative mind is easier than you imagine and it all starts with a single positive thought.

How Your Negative Mind Effects Your Positive Aspirations

A negative mind not only regulates the way you approach life, it also has a tremendous impact on your physical body, and with your mind body connection working against homeostasis rather then in flow having a negative impact on your health. When you switch off negative thoughts and turn on positive thinking, you have the power to move toward a healthier more productive and creative you. With time and effort, you can transform your thought process, and it's quite simple actually, because it all begins with just a few simple words.
The Power of A Few Words...
When you see a list of affirmations, you see absolutely nothing more than a list of words with optimistic expressions that do not appear to apply to you or embody your current way of thinking. If you take a closer look at each affirmation, you may find that many embrace the way you wished you could feel and think.

When you see words that speak to you and how you'd like to feel, hold onto them. You can use them to get rid of a unwelcome idea you wish to eliminate. Fundamentally, with practice, you will be replacing your negative thinking pattern with a positive thinking. This is exactly what positive affirmations are all about!
But let me caution you here. In order for your affirmations to be effective they have to meet the following criteria:

Affirmations have to be in your own voice. They need to be phrased and spoken the way you speak.

Your affirmations should be phrased and said in the same way that you would say them to a friend. After all, your mind is your friend. In fact, it's one of your best friends.
Words are a powerful way to evoke emotions both positive and negative. Use affirmation that speaks to you on a deep level and keep them in the forefront of your mind by repeating these words often. By doing this you create room for your new thoughts to germinate and grow until these thoughts become a reality. Again the trick is to use words that are meaningful to you and say them in the same way you normally speak.

If at some point, as we all do, you may become overwhelmed with negative thinking, if that happens simply close your eyes and take a few deep breaths until your emotions become a little bit more under control. Then use your affirmations to interrupt your thinking pattern.
One final thought... the past is a closed door you can choose to keep going back into that unfilled and stressful room or you can choose another door. So let's set a few ground rules:

Ground Rules Eliminate Negative thinking

1. You must start by being honest with yourself and make a sincere commitment to make changes
2. You must develop a deep passion to get rid of stressful thinking
3. You must be willing to embrace new strategies and give yourself permission to be creative
4. Give yourself a break when your old patterns re-appear as they undoubtedly will. Don't beat yourself up just begin again.

Does this sound as well great to be true? There are many people who, like you, believe this technique is well... just too easy so it can't possibly work.. The only way to know for certain is to try it. What do you have to lose? No one has to know your using affirmation it's personal and private. After all it's all in your mind. It's easy convenient and you can take them wherever you go.

Linda Hampton RN, MSN Certified Life Coach, is an author, speaker, and coach who helps busy and stressed entrepreneurs gain more time and energy, eliminate clutter and minimize stress and overwhelm. She is the author of Curing Toxic Stress. To receive her FREE Special Report Thriving In The Midst of Chaos visit: http://www.keytostressfreeliving.com

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Do You Know Where Your Will Power Has Gone?

 By Lynette Crane 

Photo: images.idiva.com
 
You know will power - that elusive stuff that other people seem to have, but you don't? Or maybe you had a lot of it on January 1, excited by visions of a new you, but somehow the visions have gotten dimmer as the weeks have gone by.
The parking lot at the fitness center was so crowded on New Year's Day that new members circled endlessly, watching for someone to leave. (The veterans knew, grudgingly, to come early.) Soon there will be ample parking once again for the dedicated few who seem to keep going day after day, year after year, without succumbing to what I call the February Fade.
New Year's Resolutions can take a lot of forms, but all of them start off with a bang and then...
You may even be feeling a little guilt, or even a little disgust, over your difficulty in sticking with your resolutions, and wonder, "What's wrong with me?"
Nothing is wrong with you any more than having a muscle be weak because you haven't used it much, and you don't know quite how to exercise it.
Wouldn't you like to be able to build up your Will Power muscle, just as you build your biceps with curls, or your quadriceps with cycling?
Well, you can. And here's how:
Practice breathing. Practice mindfulbreathing, in this way: close your eyes, breathe in deeply for 4 counts, rest for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, rest for 4 counts.
That's all? Well, not quite.
Repeat these deep breaths, focusing on your breathing to the exclusion of everything else. Not quite able to exclude everything else? Join the crowd. You will have intrusive thoughts about what's going to happen today, or what happened earlier, or what happened in the third grade that today reminds you of... mind travel can go on and on. That's okay. Just keep breathing and focusing on your breathing.
Keep bringing your attention back to your breathing, because what you are doing is training your prefrontal cortex, the site of conscious thought and control (aka Will Power), to become stronger in over-riding the lower brain areas, those areas where your impulse to take the easy way out - slump down in front of the TV instead of exercising, eat the entire bag of chocolate chip cookies and skip the vegetables - is dominant.
The more you do this breathing and focusing exercise, the more you develop that control. If you were to do this simple exercise for five minutes per day, at the end of five months a brain scan would show significant changes in the area of your brain from which self control originates.
Isn't that worth the investment of five minutes per day? And hey, you don't have to stop at five minutes. Try it for 10, 15...
I don't think anyone has established an overdose level for mindful breathing.

Lynette Crane, M.A.(Psychology) and Certified Life Coach,is a Minneapolis-based speaker, writer, and coach. She has more than 30 years' experience in the field of stress management. She currently works to provide stress and time pressure solutions to harried women, those women who seek "Islands of Peace" in their overly-busy lives. Her talks to groups of what she calls "harried women" are receiving rave reviews. Visit her website at http://www.creativelifechanges.com/ to see more in-depth articles and to view her programs.

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How to Lose Your Stress the Simple Way

 By Lynn Errickson 

Photo: blogs.psychcentral.com
 
An incredibly interesting and also informative aspect of stress is that it's connected to your breathing. As well, if you begin observing when you start to be stressed, you'll find out that this is undoubtedly the situation.
When you're under stress, your breathing comes to be shallow, as if your body is truly straining to moderate its oxygen movement. Your shoulders also come up toward your neck, which farther prevents the in-out air flow.
On the other hand, when you're at ease, your breathing is typically both lighter and deeper. Your shoulders are likewise more relaxed, which assists with breathing too. Due to the fact that if stress is connected to your breathing, then that should also imply that your breathing is linked to your stress!
And provided that, it stands to reason that if you observe your breathing and execute some straightforward breathing techniques, you may really minimize stress. It's like having a little secret button that you can easily push anytime and anywhere that gets rid of your tension and anxiety!
Below are some uncomplicated strategies (or secret buttons, if you prefer) that can assist you lessen stress, as well as enable you to experience more tranquility, contentment, delight as well as success in your life:
Deep Breathing: Sit in a comfy chair. If you wish, you can likewise sit on the flooring I do not advise that you lie down when you do this physical exercise, as you could fall asleep! As you sit, place one hand (it doesn't matter which one) on your stomach. Take an unwinded, deep inhale. Don't stress whatsoever. This isn't really an aerobic activity. This is all regarding restful breathing. As you breathe from your tummy, feel your hand increase. If it's not rising, then that implies you're inhaling from your chest. Continue breathing in and out from your belly 10 times. Do this physical exercise daily, or even throughout the day if you prefer, and also view the results in your very own life. You'll not just feel greater, but you'll be able to fulfill your everyday tasks with renewed energy.
Hold Breathing: This is a bit more enhanced than the Deep Breathing workout we explored above, and also so I recommend you begin with this only after you've been Deep Breathing for a few weeks or so. With Hold Breathing, you'll breathe in for 5 seconds. You'll then hold your breath for 5 seconds. You'll then slowly release the air from your lungs for 5 seconds. If you locate that there is still some extra air in your lungs after 5 seconds, then that's completely great. The goal of Hold Breathing is just to help you pay more attention to your breathing when it pertains to discharging all of the air in your lungs.
The Golden Light: Merely take a breath consistently throughout this method. Breathe in and also envision that you are taking a breath in "fantastic sunlight." Take a breath out and also envision that you are inhaling out dark smoke. Picture the gold sunlight coming in to your body via your nasal passages, and going all the means down to your toes as you inhale in. When you exhale, imagine the air as dark smoke, and picture that you are discharging all the bad and also stress filled thoughts. If thoughts other than gold sunlight and dark smoke come in to your thoughts, delicately remove them. At that point return to concentrating on the gold sunlight coming into your body and also the darkish smoke heading out.
Try any of all of these breathing procedures to help minimize stress, as well as also protect against stress prior to it begins. You'll be able to fulfill your duties and also deal with your obstacles in a healthier manner.

Find out more free ways to decrease your stress at this Destress Now
Would you like my brand new free 31 page eBook "How to Become Your Best Self"? Click Here
Lynn Errickson is a Certified Stress Management Consultant.

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3 Techniques to Calming Yourself Down

 By Georgiana Carollus 

Photo: arabtimesonline.com
 
Do you often get stressed and feel emotionally out of control? Do you find yourself spiraling down and have trouble pulling yourself out of this spiral? Here are three stress management techniques to help you when you are feeling overwhelmed.
One of the most effective techniques to calming yourself down is deep breathing. Breathe in through your nose to the count of three. Count to three and then slowly exhale through your mouth like you're blowing on something hot to cool it, again to the count of three. Continue with a few more deep breaths. If you begin to feel light-headed, pause and slow down your breathing.
Why does deep breathing help? Taking deep, cleansing breaths lowers blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rates. Additionally, it helps promote the release of serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter, into the bloodstream. Many benefits for something that takes hardly a minute!
Another effective technique to calming yourself down is thought-stopping and thought-substituting. Your thoughts generate your emotions. If your thoughts are generating extremely unpleasant emotions that are taking control of you, you need to stop those thoughts. Arguing with yourself about how you are feeling and how you think you should be feeling very rarely works. Your mind is a master debater and can out-argue you nearly every time! The better course of action is to deliberately stop your thoughts. Once you start becoming upset, yell to yourself internally (unless you're alone and can yell out loud), "Stop it!" or "Go away!" or "Next!" or even "Happy, happy, happy!" For some people, singing a song can stop those thoughts.
When you have shut down those negative thoughts, substitute a train of thought that is more pleasant for you. You may want to think about your favorite place, someone you love, music that you enjoy, or something that you find funny. The mind cannot hold two thoughts at the same time, so replace the negative chatter with something more positive. Crowd out those negative thoughts and notice that you begin to feel calmer.
A final technique for calming yourself down is to get support and share what you're going through. Talk to a friend who will let you vent. If a friend is not available, then be a friend to yourself. Give yourself the support that a friend would give you. Talk positively to yourself and give yourself comforting and encouraging messages, such as "This is hard but you're doing great!" or "You've done this before and you can do it again!"
The next time you feel overwhelmed, remember to breathe deeply; use thought-stopping and thought-substituting; and get support from others and yourself. Once you feel calmer, you will be in a better position to deal with whatever caused you to feel stressed in the first place.
A final note - these techniques are not just for instant stress relief. Practice these stress management techniques in your daily life as well, and watch your overall stress level decrease!

As a personal and spiritual coach, Georgiana Carollus has a keen interest in inspiring people to recognize their own brilliance and to treat themselves as well as they treat their friends and loved ones. She offers resources and coaching to help people establish a more caring and supportive relationship with themselves at http://www.FriendYourselfProject.com. Sign up to receive a free Daily Moment of Inspiration!

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Important Stress Relief Techniques And Strategies

By: Nick P.

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Stress is our body's emotional and psychological response to the internal and external surroundings. Moreover, those undergoing lot of stress and anxiety can have health problems such as headaches, backaches, blood sugar disorder, heartburn, etc. Therefore, to avoid the negative after effects of stress and anxiety you should look for effective stress relief techniques appropriate for your situations.

Stress relief techniques and strategies are many and varied but doing relaxation exercises and things of your interest are considered as some of the best stress relief techniques and strategies. Moreover, doing relaxation exercises has been considered as one of the best stress relief techniques, as it helps the body release the stress and anxiety. Additionally, there are numerous studies that have been conducted on stress and anxiety and many researchers have suggested that doing relaxation exercises would help in the reduction of stress and anxiety, thus keeping your mind relax and at ease. In addition, learning relaxation ways and methods would help you feel energized and motivate you to achieve your goals and objectives.

Besides relaxation methods being one of the effective stress relief techniques there are other stress relief tips such as sharing your problems and difficulties with your loved ones. Make sure the person you are choosing to share your problems understands you and spends time to help you overcome your tensions and worries. However, if you do not feel comfortable to share your problem, then you can maintain a diary and write all your problems and difficulties. Studies have indicated that women undergo stress and anxiety more than men and these stress relief techniques and strategies can help them make their life stress-free and relaxed.

Keeping yourself engaged in activities is another stress relief technique therefore, it is important for you to take short breaks while working for a long time. There are good books available online on stress relief techniques and strategies and if you are an avid book reader then reading one of the books that can help you reduce stress and anxiety would be a good idea. However, if you are finding it difficult to find the right book on stress relief techniques then it is advisable to read online reviews and know the various ways reading those books has helped individuals overcome stress and anxiety.

Meditation is another popular stress relief technique and doing proper meditation and yoga can keep your mind relaxed and at ease. For doing meditation and yoga properly, you have to learn the methods and practice regularly. Although it may take some time to achieve perfection but practicing it regularly would help you keep your mind in control, and you can enjoy the benefits of doing meditation. Moreover, if you like listening to music, then you can switch on your iPod to listen to music and then meditate.

These are some of the common and effective stress relief techniques and strategies helping individuals step forward in their life in an easy and hassle-free manner.

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Key Solutions for Managing Stress Better

 By: Tony Robinson

Stress is not all bad. In fact, a certain amount of stress can
make life interesting and engaging. We cannot escape every
deadline or every commitment, so, rather than trying to
eliminate stress entirely, we need to attempt to control stress
as best we can. Interestingly enough, if we don't have enough
stress, we may end up feeling tired and hopeless.

It would be wonderful if we could come up with a mathematical
formula for stress--the amount of stress an individual could
conceivably accept without going into overdrive. However,
optimal stress levels vary from person to person and from
situation to situation. In fact, a situation that might make
your skin crawl might be invigorating for another person.
Likewise, a person who thrives on constant change would be
stressed out in a job that is mundane, while an individual that
hates change would be stressed out in a position that is
constantly in a state of flux.

Experts believe that many illnesses are directly tied to
stress. If you find yourself becoming constantly ill, or you
feel nervous much of the time, you need to develop strategies
for coping. It should be noted, however, that stress management
is a practiced art--you can't expect to master it in a single
day. However, if you keep at it, chances are you will learn ways
to deal effectively with stress.

One of the first things you should do is to learn what your
primary stressors are. Is it cooking dinner? Preparing for a
presentation? Driving to work? While you cannot necessarily
eliminate these chores, you can make them more manageable. For
instance, if cooking dinner stresses you out, consider ordering
takeout once a week in order to take a break from your normal
routine. If preparing presentations is a problem, learn to
divide up the project so that you're only focusing on a section
at a time. If your morning commute leaves you frazzled, try
leaving for work fifteen minutes earlier. The idea here is to
recognize your stressors and come up with ideas for limiting
their impact.

You should then try if at all possible to lessen your emotional
reactions to stressors. You may notice that stressors cause you
to think negatively, focusing on the worst aspects of a
situation. Instead, consider a stressor an opportunity for
improving your life. Try to determine whether you are
overreacting to certain situations. It is entirely possible that
every stressor you encounter is not urgent--that you can take
your time to assess the situation and therefore reduce your
stress level. Also, think of yourself as being in control of
your emotions. While you may not be able to do anything about a
certain situation, you can control your reactions to it.

Pay close attention to your physical reactions to stress. For
instance, adopt deep breathing techniques in order to decrease
your heart rate. If your physical reactions to stress are
severe, you should consult your doctor to see if you should be
on medication. However, a simple reaction to stress is to simply
take a break from the action. This way, you can get some
valuable "alone time" to think through a situation and see if
you can find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Another effective way to fight stress is to strengthen your
body. You should engage in aerobic activity at least three times
a week. You should also make sure you're eating nutritious food.
Try to avoid stimulants such as sugar and caffeine, and make
sure that you get enough sleep each night. These simple
strategies can help you to cope when situations seem
overwhelming.

You have to recognize that stress is an inevitable part of
life. You cannot go through life coasting from one situation to
the next and not expect to encounter some stress. However, with
effective management techniques, you can turn stressful
situations into opportunities for growth. The more strategies
you invoke to deal with stressors, the happier and healthier you
will be. But remember to start slowly and build up your
emotional reserves. A gradual approach works best when it comes
to stress management--otherwise, you could actually become
stressed out by the pressure of it all.

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When Stress Becomes Unbearable

 By: Tony Robinson

A soldier, just back from the war in Iraq, is haunted by
nightmares of bodies on the battlefield. A woman keeps replaying
in her mind the day that she was brutally raped. A man has
flashbacks of the time that he was beaten by his step-father.
These incidents are the result of stress--a special kind of
stress. It is a stress so overpowering, so overwhelming that it
is known as post-traumatic stress disorder.

The important thing to remember about post-traumatic stress
disorder is that it is far more common than one might think.
First brought to the public's attention following the Vietnam
War, post-traumatic stress disorder afflicts everyone from
earthquake victims to survivors of kidnapping. Often, PTSD, as
it is known, occurs when an individual's life has been
threatened, or the life of someone close to him or her has been
jeopardized. More than five million people are believed to be
affected by the disorder.

There are a number of tell-tale signs of post-traumatic stress
disorder. For instance, an individual might experience continual
flashbacks or nightmares. He or she may experience feelings of
irritability or frustration. He or she might have an exaggerated
startle response, such as jumping when hearing a noise in an
otherwise quiet room. He or she may lose interest in work,
relationships, or other things that used to be enjoyed. The
symptoms may become especially pronounced when the anniversary
of the traumatic event rolls around.

Although stories of soldiers with PTSD are well-known, women
are actually more susceptible to the disorder. Also, there is
evidence that there may be a genetic predisposition for PTSD.
PTSD can lead to major depression, alcoholism, or drug abuse. If
a specific person was responsible for the trauma--say a husband,
boyfriend, or neighbor--the after-effects may be particularly
bad.

It is interesting to note that a specific sound or smell can
trigger a flashback for an individual suffering from PTSD. This
is part of the reason that the disorder is so troubling. In
essence, the individual has difficulty escaping the memory of
what happened to him or her. The recurring nightmares and
flashbacks are signs that the individual has not been able to
process the memory appropriately.

An individual afflicted with PTSD may feel a sense of
hopelessness. Since his or her ordeal seems to be repeating
itself, he or she may find it difficult to come to terms with
the event. This is why PTSD is such a debilitating condition.
However, it is important to recognize the fact that there is
hope for those struggling with this disorder. Through talk
therapy and medication, an individual can learn how to properly
process the traumatic memory. The nightmares and flashbacks
eventually disappear, as the individual receives a new leash on
life.

It should be pointed out that there is no instant fix or cure
for PTSD. It can haunt people for months, if not years. It is a
mental condition that is still shrouded in a great deal of
secrecy. There are also many misunderstandings about the
disorder. It may cause someone to miss work, or to lose his or
her job entirely. It can wreck marriages and other close
relationships. A great deal of additional research needs to be
done in order to adequately address the problem of PTSD.

In the meantime, there are specific steps you can take to
lessen the likelihood that you will suffer from the disorder. If
you have become the victim of a traumatic event, seek help
immediately. Discuss the incident with your family doctor and
ask him or her for a referral to a therapist and psychiatrist.
Don't wait until your symptoms are out of control before you
seek help.

While this type of stress is not curable, it is entirely
treatable. The important thing for you to remember is that you
are not alone, that there are a number of mental health experts
who stand ready to help you. Also, try to think of yourself as a
survivor rather than as a victim. You may find you are better
able to cope with the stress that way. Also, recognize the fact
that the incident, though traumatic, has passed. Once you
realize that you are unlikely again to go through such a horror,
you may be able to put the incident into the proper perspective.

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Is Your Organization Causing You Stress?

By: Tony Robinson

We live in a society of "joiners." We like to join churches,
clubs, and fraternal organizations. We like to join classes and
magazine subscription drives. We simply enjoy being with other
people, and so we spend much of our lives in groups. Certainly,
this is a good thing--not only for our own mental health, but
also for the good of society as a whole. And yet, no
organization is a perfect entity. Organizations often breed
conflict within their ranks. The conflicts may be between people
on the same level, or between people at different levels of the
organizational hierarchy. The conflicts may be one-time
disagreements, or bruising fights which last for eons. While
some conflicts can be attributed to personality clashes, others
stem from the organization itself.

Whether you're involved in parent-teacher organizations or a
writers' free speech group, you might find that you're running
up against organization-induced stress. This can come in a
variety of forms. To begin with, it might be caused by the fact
that the organization seems to have lost its sense of purpose.
It may be wandering aimlessly and lack clearly-defined goals. As
a result, you might feel a great deal of stress since you aren't
certain where the organization is headed--or even if you want to
go along for the ride. If you come across this problem, the best
thing to do is to air your concerns to someone in a position of
authority. It is entirely possible that the leadership will
ignore your concerns, but at least you've tried. If you fail to
achieve a workable solution, you might then be forced to leave
the organization. But you'll leave knowing that you attempted to
have a positive impact.

While most organizations have people in positions of
leadership, many groups lack true leaders. As a result, members
of the organization may experience a great deal of stress,
having to deal with constant uncertainty. A true leader takes
charge of an organization. He or she has a clear vision of what
needs to be accomplished and promotes a team atmosphere in order
to get the job done. If you are in an organization that appears
to be leaderless, try to identify potential leaders. Encourage
them to seek leadership, and assure them that you will support
their candidacies. Such a strategy can help to alleviate the
stress of all concerned.

Another problem that can lead to stress is an uncooperative
organizational culture. There may be a feeling that each person
in the organization is on his or her own, that each person
should be an independent operator. As a result, the individuals
within the organization may feel isolated and alone. The best
defense against such a situation is healthy communication. Talk
to other members of the group and find out if they are sensing
an uncooperative atmosphere too. Then, get together and confront
the person in charge. You might be amazed at what your small
committee can do to effect change within the organization--and
you might find your stress level subsiding considerably.

Yet another stress-inducing situation is organizational
pessimism. Do members feel as if things will never get better?
Are they frustrated and angry? Is there a sense of hopelessness
in the ranks? If so, you and other members of the group may be
experiencing a great deal of stress. You can lessen the stress
by promoting a positive attitude. Make sure that you offer
positive input when confronted with problems, and encourage
other members of the organization to do the same. With a little
bit of effort, you can turn your organization around--and lessen
your stress in the process.

Organizational stress may take you by surprise. You might have
joined the organization to relieve your stress, so when stress
occurs in the group, you need to undergo a major attitude
re-adjustment. The important thing to remember in such a
situation is that you are not alone. Chances are other members
of the group are experiencing the same kinds of things that you
are. Trust your judgment and don't be afraid to express your
displeasure if things go wrong. The more you express your
feelings, the more likely you are to reduce your stress.

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Occupational Stress

 By: Carole Fawcett

Statistics tell us that more people have migraine headaches on Sunday night and that the rate of heart attacks and heart attack-like symptoms are very high in the early hours of Mondays.. What does this tell us? Perhaps that people are dreading going to their job on Monday? Maybe. But there are other reasons for this as well. Two decades ago we saw changes happen in the workplace that we didn’t anticipate. The trendy term used was downsizing. Less people to do the same amount of work. Executives lost their jobs daily. New types of employment finding agencies sprung up that specialized in higher level management job finding. There was confusion in the workplace and people began to feel uncertain about their jobs. Articles started to appear that indicated we will all have more than one job in our lifetime – there would be no more job security – even for those who were University educated.
Stress in the workplace has increased over the past couple of decades. Occupational Stress can be one of the most debilitating types of stress there is. Overworked Managers no longer have the time to acknowledge their employees in positive ways. Disrespect and rudeness are two of the big attitudinal problems in some businesses. There is a loss of connectedness with the workers. People feel isolated and unsupported in their work. Add to this the addition of the part time marginalized worker. Must be on call at the whim of the employer, only allowed to turn down so many shifts, no benefits and frequently lower wages. This means that these people do not know how much money they will have coming in each month – they try to take on another part time job – but the same thing holds true. Must be on call, only allowed to turn down so many shifts, etc.. You see the problem. It’s an insecure way to live at best. This creates the stress of never being able to plan for anything. An acquaintance tells me she keeps her cell phone at arms reach when she is in the shower.
According to the Tenth Annual Attitudes in the American Workplace Poll done by Harris Interactive, workplace stress is definitely up. Some of their results would support this. 63% say that the job pressures interfere with their family or personal life and 60% say that the job is negatively affecting their physical and emotional well-being. Stress Management is a big problem: 52% say that they think that people in their workplaces need help in managing anger and stress, yet 55% say their company offers no training on how to manage anger or stress. 35% say they feel their co-workers are harder to get along with due to stress.
Granted this poll was done in the United States, but the same results could be obtained here. So, what can we do to help combat the stress in our own office. We can acknowledge one another and leave anonymous notes that are positive in content. “Thank you for being you – you brighten my day”,

“You were really helpful – thanks!” Or we could introduce some silliness and put some fun items on our desk. I have an Eeyore stuffy that talks and he never fails to elicit smiles and laughter. When I’ve had a frustrating day, Eeyore and I have a talk. Join a laughter club ande release those endorphins, serotonins and boost your immune system at the same time. If a laughter club isn’t your thing, rent funny videos for home OR work. Create a joke book, or a humour box. Buy balloons and leave them anonymously on someone’s desk. Put up funny or positive motivational quotes.
Many companies use fun as a motivator and mood stabilizer for their employees. Westjet Airlines is known for this and I am told that their employees just love going to work. The company holds parties for their employees and show their appreciation in many ways. Companies who make it fun to go to work get more out of their employees than those who don’t.
If we could learn to treat each other with respect and appreciation at work, mix in a little fun, smile and thank each other, it just might help to ease the stress of our workdays. It would be the beginning of something good.

Carole Fawcett lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in B.C. She is a Stress Management consultant and Laughter Therapist. She can be found at http://www.afunnybusiness.ca

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Teenagers and Stress: What Parents Can Do to Help

By: Sue Blaney
More and more parents are expressing their concerns about how to support their teenagers who are complaining about the stress in their lives.
What parents may not realize, is that what they do every day by providing healthy food, support, and a comforting home, provides the very stress-antidotes their teens need. Deborah Weinstock-Savoy, Ph.D.,a psychologist who specializes in working with families says “The basic nurturing that parents offer in providing a loving and comfortable home is the first line of defense.”
Weinstock-Savoy points out that home should be a place where kids can re-charge their batteries, feel safe and supported. When teenagers have the support they need, when they eat right and get enough sleep, they usually have much of what it takes to manage the stress they will confront.
Parents can help teens in some specific ways, too. Primarily this has to do with teaching, or coaching their teenagers toward problem solving. Parents need to “engage the teen’s owns sense of what s/he needs,” says Weinstock-Savoy. She says parents and their teenagers can explore this together, with the teen being asked to offer insight and suggestions, as usually kids have ideas about this. This is the direction parents need to take because it helps the teen develop necessary coping and problem-solving skills.
Assisting kids in becoming more self-aware is an extension of this thought. It may not be immediately obvious to kids, so parents should help guide them to a growing awareness of themselves, which will help them learn to identify situations, and solutions. Through this they begin to develop strategies that will be tools they will use for the rest of their lives.
While this family specialist makes these recommendations, she is quick to admit that sometimes parents are faced with “kids who won’t allow them to share their wisdom with them.” This makes it important for parents to help ensure their teenager has other adults in whom s/he can confide and go to for advice. “Parents need to identify for themselves who else is out there, who else will help provide advice, help their teens safe, and offer support.” She calls this “extending the mantle of support,” and points out that this is as important for parents as it is for kids. Parents should know the adults in their teens life to some extent; knowing that they share your families values and will be providing sound advice is another way of providing support for your child, only this time it’s from behind the scenes.
What are the biggest sources of stress for teenagers? “Peer relationships and managing school,” according to Weinstock-Savoy. She points out that kids need to have a sense of belonging with their peers. This provides an important buffer and helps them deal with the stress they confront. Missing this, the resulting sense of loneliness serves to increases their stress. School, and all that entails, is often a source of stress for teenagers. And thirdly, the important developmental steps they are taking during adolescence in developing their identity also create stress. Although this is a more abstract concept, it is an important part of the life of teenagers.
Parents who are tuned in to their teenagers, sensitive in providing support, encouragement, love and a nurturing home environment are doing all the right things to help their kids learn to deal with the stress they confront in typical situations every day.
© 2004 Sue Blaney
Sue Blaney is the author of Please Stop the Rollercoaster! How Parents of Teenagers Can Smooth Out the Ride and Practical Tips for Parents of Young Teens; What You Can Do to Enhance Your Child’s Middle School Years. As a communications professional and the parent of two teenagers, she speaks frequently to parents and schools about parenting issues, improving communications and creating parent discussion groups. Visit our website at http://www.PleaseStoptheRollercoaster.com

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How to Relieve Stress

By: Trevor Dumbleton

One question that is not asked enough by people under stress is how to relieve stress. Unfortunately, people who are under stress tend to simply take it as a matter of course and simply accept its existence as though it was some sort of natural occurrence, or even a boon! Thus, people who are feeling the effects of stress do not actually take the time to notice that they are under stress and need relief. And when people are under stress, the first part of tackling the problem of how to relieve stress is actually realizing that there is stress that needs to be relieved.

Are you having trouble concentrating? Are you struggling with a project that doesn't seem to be going anywhere? Are you dealing with people who simply will not listen to sense? Are you frustrated with the way things are going? Congratulations, you have stress. Okay, this is not really something to be congratulated on, but it is important to understand this fact. After all, the beginning of the "How to relieve stress" problem begins with recognizing the warning signs. Then, once the warning signs are seen, healing can begin.

The first thing to do when you want to know how to relieve stress is to learn how to walk away. That's right, get up, go someplace else, and just cool off. It is often vital to hit that reset button and take a few deep breaths away from the action. The work will still be there when you get back, but being there beyond your breaking point will not get it done. An overabundance of things to do will not be helped by a clouded mind, so give your mind a break. Then, once your head is clear again, you can head back and bang out the projects with the greatest of ease. Or at least more ease than when you were sitting in front of a pile of work and wondering how you would get through it all.

Okay, so you need a break, you have walked away, but you are still so stressed that you are ready to pop. Unfortunately, the previous lesson on how to relieve stress has not worked and you need something more powerful. Well, you need to pull out a better method. This means that you need to simply concentrate on nothing.

When stress is way too much for a simple period of walking away, you need to practice an exercise in meditation. This means sitting down, closing your eyes, and thinking about absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to think about nothing, so you should think about your breathing. Take a deep breath in and feel the air moving through your nostrils, down your windpipe, and into your lungs. Then push that breath out and feel it moving all the way up from your diaphragm, up into your lungs through your windpipe and out of your nostrils. Feel every motion of the air and notice how it feels as it exits. Imagine your tension flowing out with the air, evaporating into the endless space of the atmosphere, diluting into a complete dilution of oxygen. Think about nothing but breathing and notice every moment of the experience. Then, after about 3 or 4 breaths -- or as many as it takes -- open your eyes. You should feel as refreshed as though you just took a quick, refreshing nap. If you don't repeat the exercise until your mind is clear and you are able to concentrate on your work again.

These activities are very effective for a short period of time, but you will also need a method for relieving stress in the long run. After all, it is taxing to notice that you are under stress and it takes a great deal of will to make that leap and push away all those feelings. Thus, you need a way to relieve stress in the long term.

In the long term, the best method to choose, when you want to know how to relieve stress, is to do what you always say you are going to do: eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep at night. Yes, we all say that we will do it, but none of us every actually follow through. But, if you eat right, you will feel better during the day, if you exercise, you will feel better during the day and sleep better at night, and if you sleep enough, you will actually clear away all that fogginess that can lead to stress. So do your body and your mind a favor by taking care of those little things that you keep telling yourself you will do tomorrow. After all, today was yesterday's tomorrow.

When you want to know how to relieve stress, you should begin with a few simple methods as you slowly build up your will power to tackle the larger work of exercising, eating right, and getting the sleep you need. By doing all of these things, your mind will be cleared up, you will feel better during the day, you will sleep better at night, and you will not have to worry about stress nearly as much. After all, once you are relieving stress routinely, you won't have to worry about how to relieve stress.

About the Author


LowerYourStress.com: for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html

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How To Deal With Environmental Stress

By: Trevor Dumbleton

An increasing problem in today's world is environmental stress. This is a type of stress caused by increasing pollution in air we breathe, the water we drink, and even in the sounds we hear. Though environmental stress seems to be simply a physical problem, it can actually alter the ways that our minds work. However, too much environmental stress can also cause physical problems that will ruin our health and lower life expectancy.

One of the most common, and most noticeable, types of environmental stress is air pollution. As factories churn out smoke and carcinogens, we are forced to breathe air that is filled with poisons. Whether we notice them or not, we cannot avoid them. Our lungs are constantly subjected to small particles that stick in the lung tissue and gasses that can find their way into our bloodstream. Obviously, this is not a good situation, because we cannot exactly afford to stop breathing.

As well, we are subjected to a whole variety of chemicals when we drink water. With all the chemicals that are used in farming, or sprayed on our lawns, or poured into our water supplies, the water we drink is filled with all sorts of poisons that are doing our bodies no good. Once again, we cannot afford to stop drinking water, but we do need to be aware that the water we are drinking contains a lot of things that we would not want in our bodies.

However, there is not much we can do to avoid this situation. Obviously, filtered water is superior to simple tap water, but even water filters cannot remove everything from our water. In fact, we do not want filters to remove all of the substances, as water contains many electrolytes that are essential to ensuring the proper functioning of our bodies. Even bottled water is not safe, as the water has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is usually either a stream or from the ground. Unfortunately, streams are filled with particulate matter and chemicals can soak into the ground. However, some water is simply taken from municipal water supplies and those are not safe either. Thus, this is a problem that needs to be faced in day-to-day life.

Unfortunately, these poisons do not only put stresses on our bodies, they put stresses on our minds as well. These physical forms of environmental stress put poisons into our brains as well, and can cause them to functions less effectively. Just as alcohol or drugs can affect the ways that our minds work, these subtle poisons are also seeping into our brains and causing mental changes. In fact, receiving too many of these poisons can slow down mental processes without our noticing the change. It will simply happen so slowly that we cannot notice the difference.

In addition, one of the most common causes of environmental stress is noise pollution. Anybody who lives in a large city is bombarded with a deluge of noise that can damage the ears, numb the senses, and cause a boatload of stress for our minds. With cars, busses, trains, factories, and people all screaming to be heard above the din filling the streets of the modern city. These pressures on our brains and our eardrums are enough to shut the mind down and send it into a cocoon of insensibility.

As well, simply being in a public place can cause us to have to deal with noise pollution. This is, of course, caused by the infamous "cell yell". Anywhere we go in public, we must deal with people yelling into their mobile phones. This is not only annoying, but it is a form of environmental pollution. Listening to someone yell at a phone causes our minds stress and, through that, causes our bodies stress. They are annoying, and annoyance is a form of stress. Thus, we find ourselves stressed by something that is simply a fact of modern life.

Environmental stress occurs to us every day and we should be aware that it is happening. Obviously, we cannot be aware of it all the time because to do so would probably cause us more stress just by simple worry. However, it is a fact of life while living in the modern world and we should have the presence of mind to know that environmental stress takes a toll on a body… and a mind.

About the Author


LowerYourStress.com is a categorized resource directory for everything to do with stress. Get a free ebook to help with your stress levels: http://www.loweryourstress.com/stress-book.html

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Simple Ways To Combat Stress

By: John Hilbert

We live in a fast paced society which seems to be becoming more hectic by the day. Every day we run into people who lose control and flip out. We, ourselves, do it on occasion. There's no way to change the world around us so we have to try to control our inner world. We have to take care of our own mind, body and soul.

Here's a few very simple things that can make a big difference:

-take a walk every day-
-limit caffeine and alcohol intake-
-instead of watching television, read a book-
-at dinner time, turn off the TV, radio, and phone-
-when it's sunny out, get outside as much as possible-
-avoid negative people as much as possible without being rude-
-try different things once in a while(stay out of ruts)-

It's not difficult to do these things but most of us won't unless reminded of them. So, put these tips on a little note somewhere visible and add a couple of your own ideas and keep adding to the list. It's been said and proven that you get more results when you put your goals in writing.

Try this for a month and see what happens.

http://conquer-stress.info/stress/


About the Author

John Hilbert has an informational website at: http://conquer-stress.info/stress/

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Stopping Stress

By: Steve Gillman
How To Defend Yourself

Do you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed? Do you sometimes feel like you just have too much to think about? Does it make you tired, irritable, or even depressed? What can you do about it?

People rarely go to the doctor to say "I think I have stress," and yet the National Institutes of Health say that 80% of illnesses are caused by stress, directly or indirectly. Hormones, such as adrenalin, are released into your blood when you're stressed. This causes a rise in blood pressure, a faster heart and breathing rate, and faster conversion of glycogen into glucose. These are good things if you need to escape a charging grizzly bear, but when these effects are prolonged, the immune system is depressed, and your body suffers other negative changes.

Common effects of prolonged stress include fatigue, pain in the muscles and joints, headache, mental confusion, depression, anxiety, and irritability. Stress reactions cause your body to use too much energy, which can result in physical and mental weakness.

Managing Stress With Meditation

Years ago at Stanford University, an analysis of 146 meditation studies was done. The conclusion was that meditation not only was beneficial at the time of practice, but that it significantly reduced anxiety as a character trait. The studies focused on transcendental meditation, but it's probable most methods have similar results. (Reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychology 45: 957­974, 1989.)

The bottom line is that stress is a killer, and that meditation really can help you defend yourself. Traditional meditation may have the most beneficial effects, but maybe you're short on time, or uncertain about learning to meditate. In that case, there are two simple techniques you can learn in a few minutes, and start using today.

The first is a breathing meditation. Close your eyes, let the tension drain from your muscles, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and breath deeply through your nose, paying attention to your breath. As thoughts or sensations arise, just acknowledge them and return your attention to your breath as it goes in and out. Do this for five or ten minutes.

To use the second technique, stop whatever you're doing when you feel stressed, and take three deep breaths. Watch yourself until you identify what is bothering you. Are you worried about something? Is there a letter you need to write? Maybe your neck is sore. Note everything you find.

Now deal with these stressors. Write the letter that's on your mind, take an aspirin, put things on tomorrow's list. If the best you can do is recognise there's nothing you can do right now - then do that. With practice, you'll get better at finding what's just below the surface of consciousness, irritating you. After you address these things, close your eyes, take three deep breaths, and you'll feel more relaxed and able to think clearly. Try it now.


About The Author

Steve Gillman has meditated and studied meditation for over twenty years. You can visit his website, and subscribe to The Meditation Newsletter at: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com/newsletter.html.

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Can you manage stress?

Are you one of those people that found themselves suffering from constant stress and do not know how to break through? I certainly know how you are feeling as I have been there previously suffering from all kind of problems related to stress. However what I found is that there are some tips that exist in order to deal with these effects. In this article I will be providing some small tips in order to share with you my experience when it comes to managing stress.

First of all I will suggest that you make some changes in your lifestyle if you are undergoing some stressful situation in your life. For instance having a balanced diet with plenty of exercises can certainly help to limit the negative effects of stress upon our body. Also it is advised that you stop smoking and decrease or even stop your consumption of alcohol.

There are also some unconventional treatments that may be useful in coping with stress. For example treatment such as aromatherapy can be actually helpful in dealing with problem related to stress. In truth essential oils can have some comforting effect. You can as well try some massage techniques so as to assist you. This French article on therapeutic massage (www.massagesrelaxants.fr ) and stress symptoms has genuinely grabbed my interest and should be worth taking a look.

If you constantly suffer from stress you might also learn how to manage your life better. For instance make sure that you get all your things done in time to make sure that you do not get unnecessary stress upon your shoulders. You might also try to surround yourself with some friends and relatives that are understandable and with whom you can share your problems. This should put you in a better position to resist stress.

Stress has become quite a popular problem during the recent times as people fail to cope with the increasing speed of our society. This is causing both physical and mental problems for a lot of people. Fortunately there are some simple ways that exist in order to help you deal with stress. I hope that the small tips given in this article has been helpful for you to learn more on stress management.
About The Author:

Written by Jeanette Pinorbe for the French site Massagesrelaxants.com where you can have more information on oriental massage (massages relaxants ) and stress relief.

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Communicate your stress

If you are having a problem with stress, you may wander what you can do about it. You are not sure how to make it go away and how to feel relaxed again. If you are having these problems and need to find a way to help the situation, you should take the time to communicate with others so that you can find your way again.

You need to communicate with people that you trust about your stress. If you are having a problem at work, you need to talk it over with your boss or supervisor. You should never go to other employees and tell them the problem. It is very possible that they would spread your concerns to others and this can cause a problem in some instances.

If you are having trouble at work, you may want to ask for some time off.

When stress is building up and you can no longer take it, you may need a few days to regroup and get yourself back on track. You cannot stay in a situation that is making your life miserable. If the few days off do not help, you may want to make a career change instead.

If the problem with stress is coming from a relationship in your life, you need to talk it over with the person. If there is a family member that is making life hard for you, you should confront the problem and talk it over with them. There is no better way to get rid of stress then to communicate it out with someone else.

Stress in the love life can be hard. You may find yourself in a rut and not sure how to get out of it. When this happens, you need to find a way to make it clear to the other person what your stress is coming from. Talk to them and try to figure out a way together how to deal with it. If it is the other person making life hard, you may want to consider distancing yourself from them temporary or permanently so that you can rid your life of unwanted and unneeded stress.

When you are getting your feelings of emotion out in the open, you will have a better chance of relieving your body and mind of all the problems that you are having. Do not be afraid to communicate and talk about stress in your life. You may find that you are going to feel a lot better and your stress may start to disappear.
About The Author:

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com

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Stress Management - Are You Stressing Out Over Your Exams?

By Kenneth Masters
Examination stress is a state of mind whereby you feel overwhelmed or confused and you may be unable to recall information which you have learned. Below we will examine various methods of mastering examination stress.
Pausing for scheduled breaks from studying is equally as important as studying hard. You ought to plan on taking a break for a minimum of fifteen minutes for each 90 to 120 minutes of studying. Go for a rapid walk around the block, jog to the park and back or have a cup of tea as you chat with someone about a totally unrelated subject. You need to make certain that these breaks are active, because lying on the sofa or watching a little television do not rejuvenate you or clear your brain.
Drugs such as caffeine, contained in coffee, black tea and energy drinks, together with tobacco, cocaine, speed, sleeping pills or tranquilizers, will last but a short period of time and there are after-effects with which you will have to deal that will be more difficult than the exam stress with which you started. These drugs will not help at all and you will be well-advised to take regular breaks and get an appropriate amount of sleep and exercise instead.
Making use of guided imagery can be beneficial as well. Imagine meeting a future you who is simply taking the exam and see it in your mind's eye as occurring just the way that you would have it to be.
Imagine yourself as perfectly calm, answering all the questions quickly and easily. The next time, think of the scene again but this time imagine that you are standing directly behind the future you.
Then strike up a dialogue with the future you and make some inquiries, such as the following:
What did you do to prepare for the exam? What was your attitude and what beliefs regarding yourself did you have? What resources did you identify that you could draw from? Is there any advice that you can give me? And make any other inquiries for which you would like to have answers. Next, imagine stepping into the boots of your future self and looking through your eyes and imagine the situation taking place just as you would like to see it occur.
Now, prior to returning to the present point in time, instruct your future self to transfer all of the resources, attitudes and other benefits you need directly to you and absorb them. Now travel back in time to view all of the steps that you will take in preparing for the exam as you seek out your future self.

If you'd like to read some great articles on bathroom redecoration, be sure to check out these new articles on bathroom floor cabinet and black bathroom vanity designs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_Masters

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Are You Anxious, Nervous, Worried Or Stressed?

By Willie Horton
Do you ever feel uncomfortable, anxious or tense? Are there things that you worry about - things that sometimes even keep you awake at night? Are you ever nervous or apprehensive? Do you get hassled or lose your temper easily? Do you feel that you suffer from stress? If you perceive yourself to be suffering from any of these afflictions, it is just that - nothing more than a perception. Because none of these problems is real - no matter how real they might appear to you, they are nothing more than creations of your own mind. You are letting your mind play tricks on you. Your inner self cannot be anxious, nervous or uncertain. Worry and stress are unknown to the real you - the part of you that is beyond these useless forms of thought but that part of that is shielded from you by those self same thoughts. All these problems - and many more - are symptoms of an over-active personality - when you feel that you're suffering from them, it's only your personality trying to trip up the real you. Most of the time, it succeeds.
What you must realize is that your personality - a word derived from the Latin word persona, meaning a mask - is nothing more than a mask that not only hides the real you from everyone else, it has you completely fooled into thinking that it is, in fact, who you are. This mask tries to ensure that you never actually turn up to what is actually going on in the here and now. You may be interested in learning that psychology tells us that your personality is a series of snapshots of events and people that impressed you during your early childhood - generally speaking before the age of eleven or twelve - the period of our lives that we normally call our formative years. You took snapshots of these things because they were big enough to make you feel good or bad about yourself at the time. Unfortunately, psychology also confirms that the normal person is far more likely to dwell on the negative rather than the positive snapshots. These snapshots - which clearly have nothing to do with your current adult life - are the source of all the afflictions that I listed at the start of this article. Your predisposition towards the negative is a fertile seedbed for all the useless, toxic, self-destructive thoughts that create anxiety, worry, doubt and stress.
You see, your subconscious mind is still obsessed with those snapshots and this obsession is what creates your personality. In other words, your personality isn't real - it may have got you to where you are and you may be very fond of it - but be careful you don't fall in love with an illusion because, chances are, your personality is holding you back from an effortlessly happy and successful life. Chances are, your personality is moving you in the wrong direction in your life.
To rid your life of the symptoms from which only your imaginary personality can suffer - stress, worry, anxiety, doubt, fear, loneliness - you need to circumvent your personality, your perceived weaknesses and strengths. You need to forget about who you think you are and start finding out who you can really be. You've got to lose your life to find it! In other words, you need to go searching within for the real you because not only does the real you not know stress, worry, doubt, not only is the real you fearless, the real you is capable of achieving effortless success and happiness - it can effortlessly create the life that your heart desires for you. The great thing is that you don't have to look too hard to find the real you - it is simply waiting to be discovered. You'll find the real you in the quiet of a reflective moment, in the experience of one of those perfect "natural high" moments that we've all experienced at some point in our lives - where peace and contentment reign.
But there is absolutely no point in waiting for the next peak moment to hit you. You want to get over the illusions of stress and worry right now, don't you? Well, you can start that wonderful journey straight away by doing a little meditation. Meditation, which is often misunderstood, develops your mental discipline - it puts you in control of your own mind rather than the way in which you have habitually surrendered control to your pre-programmed subconscious mind - and suffered the consequences. When you meditate you stop the noise in your head - you stop giving your attention to the useless thoughts that create stress and worry and start giving your attention to the simply and perfect reality of the present moment. In doing so, you will begin to appreciate and experience that anxiety, tension and fear are simply nothing more than useless thoughts - they are not reality - and that a clear, focused and present mind (the real you) simply has not got the time for such nonsense - it has much more important work to do on your behalf if only you would let it.
Copyright (c) 2010 Willie Horton

Willie Horton enables his clients live their dream - since he launched his acclaimed Personal Development Seminars in 1996. His clients include major corporations: Pfizer, Deloitte, Nestle, Wyeth, KPMG, G4S & Allergan. An Irishman, he lives in the French Alps and travels the world as a much sought after speaker and mentor. In 2008 he launched Gurdy.Net home to his Online Personal Development Seminars, Change Your Life & No More Stress

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Willie_Horton

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Ways You Can Reduce Stress Today

By: Dennis Miller

One of first steps towards enjoying a more stress-free life is to know where it's coming from - be it a so-called external source or from yourself.

Your goal is not only to identify as many of your sources of stress as possible, but with as great as precision as possible, and to break your sources of stress down into the 'right size' sources. If you're not sure what's making you stressed, how are you supposed to cope with, or eliminate this stress? Similarly, if you lump all your stresses into one gynormous stress, how are you supposed to even want to begin to tackle your stress?

1:Brainstorm on a blank piece of paper anything or anyone (actions, people and attitudes) that you feel is contributing to your current stress level.

Start off with external actions and people. Then look at how you may, unconsciously or not, be contributing to your own stress, whether it's your mind-talk or attitude or your stress coping skills. For example, ask yourself the following:

-What actions (jobs to do, events and deadlines) do I associate with my stress? -What people (family, friends, colleagues) do I associate with my stress? -How does I contribute to my own stress (attitude/thoughts, feelings, behaviors/habits)?

2:Be as specific as possible, by asking yourself, the 5 W questions - who/what, where, when, why and how.

You want to know what specifically is stressing you so that you can tackle each of the sources of stress one by one, in a manageable fashion, and either eliminate or reduce them.

Anytime you sense that you are being too vague for it to help you, do a stress-buster, and go in for the specific. Classic examples are your stress excuses or cover-ups, such as "It's just a hectic time of year", or "Whenever I'm with Mary, we end up fighting about silly things" or "I just have a nervous personality, that's all".

3:Break down each Stress Source into a Manageable Stress Issue:

If you say simply, "my husband stresses me", you are unlikely to be able to reduce the stress you feel around him, unless you leave him. If instead you identify that "my husband stresses me when he talks about finances...", this already has become more manageable issue. And if you then identify that it's really only when you talk about the phone bill that it gets stressful, then you are able to focus in on one specific stress source.

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