›› Stress Reduction
There are many ways
to reduce stress in your life. Here are some suggestions if you find
your tendency to worry if affecting the quality of your life mentally,
emotionally and physically.
If you have a problem that needs to be taken care of, stop
procrastinating and just do what needs to be done. It may be hard to
face, but once it's dealt with the stress in your life will go way down.
If you have toxic people in your life, that is, people who make you
feel uncomfortable, bad about yourself, lacking in some way, jumpy,
sad, essentially too much negative emotion, limit the amount of time
you spend with those people, or cut them out of your life. It's
impossible to cut out certain people like beloved family members and
co-workers, but you can in these cases, organize your life in such a
way that you spend less time with them than you ordinarily would. And
when you do have to spend time with a toxic person, schedule some time
with a person whom you find uplifting afterward. It will be a positive
antidote.
Try positive visualization and affirmations. There are loads of books
on the market with instructions on how to use these powerful tools.
Many of us run negative stress-producing thoughts without even
realizing we're doing it 24/7. It is possible to replace these with
positive thoughts and mental pictures. In fact, it is imperative to do
so to reduce stress and living a more rewarding life.
Stay away from caffeine. The temporary boost it gives you isn't worth
its cost in added jumpiness and roller coaster energy swings.
Start writing down your thoughts in a journal, both everything that
worries you and everything you love about your life (that you can think
of in one sitting). Then be done with it for the day, and go about
living.
Get plenty of exercise. Exercise releases endorphins which make you
feel good. It's also very good for your overall health and can often
pop you out of a worried state of mind. It's also very beneficial for
people who have depressive tendencies.
Try seeing a counselor or hypnotherapist. There's nothing quite like
having the attention of a trained professional, someone who listens
well and has some insights and ideas for you to try. Each of us is
unique, and good therapists realize this, knowing that what works to
reduce stress for one person isn't going to work for another person.
It's always good to get a helping hand.
Allow yourself a few minutes each day, a very limited time, to worry to
the hilt. Exaggerate your fears and negative mental images. Then when
your time's up. Let is go until your next scheduled worry session.
Take a break from the media for a while-TV, radio, newspaper,
magazines. Read a good, uplifting book instead, and go for long walks.
It's amazing what even just a few days of this can do to improve your
frame of mind. You might want to make it permanent.
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
