Stress Management

Stress is unavoidable. What is avoidable is how you allow
stress to dominate your life. With a few changes in your life
you can manage your stress and get your life back in balance.

Stress is caused by anything in your life that causes you to feel
like you have lost control. Your day has just lost its’ balance.

To gain control of your stress you need to find ways to
decrease and prevent stressful incidents in your life. Your
body reacts to stress by producing the stress hormone
cortisol. When you live in a constant state of stress your body
will produce cortisol to the point that your immune system is
affected. With a constant flow of cortisol the healing process of
your body will slow down.

By adding the following to your daily routine you should see
your life become less stressful.

Check Your Lifestyle

Take a good look at your lifestyle. What choices have you
made or not made that may cause stress in your life?

Determine if any of the following could be causing some level
of stress in your life:

> The feeling that you do not have a purpose in life

> Your life is out of control. Not enough of you for
your personal, work and family obligations.

> You can not get enough sleep.

> There is not enough time in the day for exercise

> You eat most of your meals on the run and they are never
healthy

> You are smoking more and / or drinking too much alcohol

Do any of the above fit you? You have the choice to change
each point listed above. Starting a new habit is not as hard as
you might imagine. First choose the easiest habit to change.
This will give you a sense of accomplishment and you will find it
easier to move to the next habit that requires changing.

Change Your Thinking

Stress is going to happen. Very few people can go through an
entire day without a negative event. Stress is that feeling of
losing control. You may encounter negative thoughts, anger,
guilt, powerlessness, or a sense of worthlessness as you
encounter your day. It is how you handle those events that will
determine your level of stress.

Have heard the saying “When life gives you lemons, make
lemonade”?

> Do not dwell on the negative

> Start speaking in the positive – no more negative talking

> Determine how to deal with the problem – think in a rational
way,
not a negative

Rise to the challenge to become a positive optimist.

Time Management

Are you managing your time or is your time managing you?
Your level of stress is sometimes directly related to how well
you manage your time. If there are never enough hours in the
day, then your time is managing you.

First you must know how you are actually spending your time.
Keep an hour by hour record of how you spend your time.
This will include your time at work, with your family, and your
leisure time. This is the best way to determine your time
stealers.

Now that you actually have a written record of what you do, you
need to learn how to manage your time.

> Make a list. At the end of each day make a “Things to do
Today”
list for tomorrow.

> Prioritize the list with the most important task listed first and
the least
important listed last. Don’t let the list become another stress
inducer. Always remember that you don’t have to accomplish
everything you put on your list.

> Focus on the list that you made for today. Concentrate,
delegate,
and schedule your time according to the priorities that you set
for
the day. Save some time for leisure activities.

> Do not over commit yourself. Learn how to say “NO”. Before
you
commit to something always take time to think it through and
ask
yourself how important is it for you to do it and what will go
lacking if
you commit to the task.

Keep a Journal

When life is but a whirlwind of events it is hard to recognize
what brings stress into your life. At the end of the day write
about your day. What you liked, what was stressful, why was it
stressful, how did you handle the situation.

Writing will help you see how you react to stressful situations.
Now you can work to change unhealthy habits into positive
healthy habits.

Find a Friend

It is time to share the lemonade. Find someone that is positive
and build a friendship. The ability to have moral support when
the day is tough is the best medicine.

Manage your stress and start feeling better about your life.