People try to cope with stressors in a wide variety of different ways. The most effective way, which isn't exactly quick, is by changing their general mindset. It doesn't take a clinical psychologist to understand that how someone thinks has a massive effect on his or her various behaviours. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are wanting to stop the yo-yo pattern of stress creation and stress reduction, you're going to have to examine your life in detail, find the real root causes of stress, to make the changes you know you will need to make, in order to stop stress from taking over your life completely.

If you have stress-creating, self-harming habits, you're most likely aware of them. If you're spending more than you earn, eat when you're upset emotionally, or lashing out at your loved ones whenever you let pent-up anger get the best of you, these are not healthy ways to run a life – and you know this. Read the rest of this entry »

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your workload, here are 5 things that you can do right away to help alleviate your stress.

1) Take Some Time Out There is nothing that will result in a faster burnout than when you push yourself too much, too frequently, and for too long. "Enough is enough!" You must assess within yourself when need to take some down time and recharge. Have you been burning the proverbial midnight oil a lot lately? If so, take a well deserved break and give yourself some time off. Don't worry, I'm not telling you to abandon your responsibilities and take off to Tahiti. In most cases, you only need a short amount of time to recharge yourself. Just make sure you remove yourself from your work environment and do something completely unrelated to work for a few hours. And remember to make sure you switch off your mobile phone and whatever you do, don't check a single email during that time. If that means leaving your blackberry in the office, then do it. Read the rest of this entry »

Every person who wants to elicit a positive change within themselves has a different reason for doing so – indeed, the reasons are as varied as our individual fingerprints. Some of us wish to lose those extra pounds, or we might be attempting to eliminate a negative habit like drinking or smoking. Some of us want to overcome low self-esteem or develop better communications skills. Of course, these are just a small sampling of common issues that many people have to overcome and like every other lasting change, they take time and patience.

Noticing the effects on yourself caused by your lifestyle changes will NOT be an instant thing – it can take weeks or even months before you start really feeling the positive results of your changes. There are also little signs that will help you stay focused on your goals, by giving you subtle reinforcement. Keep an eye out for any of the following signs and know that they are telling you that you are on the right track. Read the rest of this entry »

There really is such a thing as a "runner's high" – and it's a very healthy experience. But you don't actually have to run to get the endorphin "high" that gives stress the butt-kicking it deserves. When you get "in the zone," you will feel more powerful, energetic and a lot more positive.

But of course, you have to find your own endorphin zone. So how do you do that? Physical activity, of course! Being physically active gives you a wonderful sense of self mastery and connect to your body. Read the rest of this entry »

The chaos and pace of our lives can be extremely aggravating, whether you realize it or not. You can be so caught up with the need to do this, go there, talk to these people, buy these items … the list goes on. Just stop and breath!

Now, not for anything else but your personal care, you should consider finding a place all your own that you can go to. It does not even mean having to travel to some exotic destination or immerse yourself in any kind of mystic aura, all you need to do is to discover an inner self. Read the rest of this entry »

Parenting is not easy. Those who tell you otherwise do not know what they are talking about. In fact, it is one of the hardest and most stressful jobs in the world. It is not enough to feed and clothe the kids. It is so much more than that. You have to ensure that they turn out happy and become responsible individuals not only to themselves but to others.

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Are you feeling continuously stressed out? If so, you're not alone. Many people live with constant high levels of tension, leading to conditions such as depression, high blood pressure, headaches, and digestive disorders. But what can you do about it?

Providing a comfortable environment in your home is very important. Your home is your sanctuary from the outside world. As much as possible, surround yourself with items that are soothing and/or beautiful, according to your tastes. Filling your home with calming influences will not only reduce tension, but also create a beautiful environment to live in.

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Take a moment to think about your home. If I were to ask you to describe how your home feels, what would you say? Would you tell me that it is a peaceful and relaxing environment where you can escape the stresses of the outside world? Would you describe your home as a haven of serenity? Having a home that is organised and free of clutter creates a feeling of calmness that anyone would love to live in.

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We spend loads of money on stress management books and conferences. We learn how to reduce our anxiety with yoga, meditation, soothing music and medication. But, we don't often learn how to prevent it.

When was the last time that you intentionally bought a house that was $100,000 under the amount that you were approved? Or didn't fill up your entire plate with food? Or drove 5 miles under the speed limit — on purpose? We don't do "margins" well. We usually go right to the edge, take up all the space available, schedule every minute, and allocate every dollar.

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