Stress Management Magic

It has been proven you can keep a sharp edge on your intellect throughout your life. Many scientists believe that the combination of a person’s innate ability, and the additional brainpower that comes from consistently challenging the mind, will manifest in what is called “cognitive reserve”.

Studies have shown that diverse and mentally stimulating tasks result in more brain cells!  Also, a greater ability to bypass age-related trouble spots in the brain is quite apparent.

The more you work your mind, the greater your cognitive reserve.  The greater the reserve, the better ability you will have to withstand inevitable challenges of aging.  Keep in mind that we all begin to age way before fifty!

As a survivor of multiple traumatic incidents, and a stress management specialist, I have learned you can “retrain” your brain to accommodate any incident, or series of incidents that manifest in your life.  You can create new brain cells with new thoughts and habits.  Doing these things will begin for you a lifelong experience of stress management, better health, and will put you on the path to stay as sharp as possible. Exquisite breathing can really enhance these processes.

You are reading to find out about how to manage the stress in your life that may seem overwhelming and chaotic.  If you spend your life reliving your misery, or anger, and struggling just to swim in a pool of sadness, what does it accomplish? NOTHING. Time spent “mourning the past” just trashes any chance of peace and progress that is still available to you. We do have wonderful brains that can keep learning no matter how we have diligently tried to kill all the cells by the “party on” philosophy. I’ve been there too – big time.

There are bound to be some physical restrictions and mental problems that may increase with aging, and for some, those problems may inhibit to some degree some areas of retaining a sharp intellect.  Reasons for this decline might be a loss of neural connections, a blockage of blood supply, and perhaps decreases in nerve-signaling chemicals.  Memory can diminish with age, though only certain types.

Typically “learned skills” are so firmly wired in individuals, they typically do not decline unless you have a disease such as Alzheimer’s.

But for most people, the ability to keep that edge is dependent only on a few things.  The commitment to exercise (even moderately) is imperative, as movement is so crucial to brain health cognitive thinking, changes in aging can be the result of inactivity.  Refresh the brain on a daily basis with new thoughts, new information, and new habits.  If your memory, as you age, is suffering, it is probably your short-term memory. Some moderate loss is to be expected.

After all, this wonderful human machine clicks along for years and years.

So how are you going to keep your brain at it’s best?  BY GROWING NEW BRAIN CELLS!  Scientists believe certain lifestyle habits can spark the cells’ growth.  I believe the use of your oxygen combined with habitual thoughts (new thoughts for advancement preferably), will absolutely grow new brain cells.

In a nutshell:

1.  Pay attention to your mental and physical changes.

2.  Make sure you “exercise” your brain with new information.

3.  Exercise your body.

4.  Incorporate good nutrition in your life, as many memory

problems stem from vitamin deficiencies.

5.  Be the master of your own thoughts.  Thought manifest into

action, and your behavior becomes your life.

Even if you can’t get away, you can ALWAYS enjoy the beauty of this planet through photography. Perhaps you’ll think of  ideas to help you manage stress.  Sit right where you are and relax for a few minutes.  This is for you.  If you are unable to travel, or unhappy in the place that you live, visualize these places and through your vision, travel perhaps,  to a place in your dreams.

Breathe in deeply through the nose – Exhale slowly through the mouth.  Please repeat and enjoy your added oxygen while you transport your mind via photography.

Take the path of least resistance.  You never know what you may find.  Take a walk with someone you love.

Enjoy the beauty of the flowers abundant in springtime. There are thousands of stunning flowers and fragrances!  Every color and shape unique to another.

The stillness of any body of water brings calm to a mind overwhelmed with stress.  Listen to the sounds of nature and stop for a moment.  Go sailing.  Sit by a lake and revel in the beauty.

Find a river and enjoy the majesty of nature and the diversity of it.  Enjoy the moments of your life.  Note all the various plants and trees.  Divert your attention from stress to the less conflicted moment you can enjoy, and create,  in life.  Seek beauty in your surroundings.  If in a city notice the amazing structures that climb to the sky and appreciate the work of humankind, and the diversity.

Take a child somewhere and watch the joy in their eyes as they feed the geese (or listen to the clucking hens, or see the animals in the zoo.)  Enjoy the laughter and the wonder of a world new to them.  The time flies so take your mind back to the honesty of being a child and the innocence.

Try something new.  Be willing to “see if you like” – whatever it is you experience for the first time.

You may find a place you can sit quietly and let all the answers you seek be settled in peace in your mind.  You may even find God.

Take a camping trip and see the awesome wonder of nature and maybe hearing the powerful sound of a beautiful waterfall.  Feel the water droplets splash on your face as you near the spray of the falls.

Take the time to appreciate your pets.  It doesn’t matter whether you are a dog or cat lover – animals are for man to appreciate and enjoy.  Good vibrations (literally endorphins) are created when you “pet your pet”.

Grab a hot cup of coffee and enjoy the fresh snow and icicles that form from the roof.  Smell the coffee and savor it’s taste – or hot chocolate, if you prefer.

And when the end of the day comes, stop again – find a quiet place and breathe deeply.  Be still and regenerate your heart and mind.  You deserve it!

Stress “Unmanaged” Will cause violence in a staggering number of people. It is almost inevitable!

Whether we choose to believe it or not, stress unmanaged will ultimately cause violence in many people.  Domestic violence, abuse towards children, intimate partners, (regardless of gender) and the elderly is on the rise.

Stress unmanaged can change of the body chemistry and can do can do infinite damage to credible brain function management. Anger causes words to cut to the heart, and actions to damage the recipient for his or her entire life in many circumstances.

Don’t be fooled.  Don’t be naïve.

There is a boiling point for water and for human emotions.  Whether the water stays in the pot or boils over, ultimately that, which is in the circumference of the pot, can be damaged or ruined entirely. .

Such is it with human behavior. Consequences of unmanaged stresses inflict suffering and can be life threatening.

Family conflicts are usually the result of stresses created in dysfunctional families.  Low levels of family conflict are warning signs for families that they are at risk of much greater abuse.  Any family member may intentionally or unintentionally contribute to the escalation of violence.

Stress is often created by feelings of hopelessness and or helplessness.  Other things that add to that could be excessive work hours, financial strain, and alcohol or drug abuse.

Personality disorders and/or early traumatic life experiences often predispose people to use violence in their own family relationships as adults.

Arguments created by stress can escalate.  Spontaneous arguments can lead to threats or actual physical assaults…without specific patterns, but they almost invariably escalate to more serious and injurious physical assaults.

We like to think “things” will resolve, or time will pass to “make it better”. For those individuals with particular personality traits or particular body chemistry, the danger lurks in close proximity to all who are near.

If YOU or someone near you is within the perimeters of this description, do something! Whether it be finding counsel (and if it is for YOU – please – do it now!) or just talking with family to consider action.

SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY>not just for the individual, but also for all who may tread in the same path, either by coincidence, or choice.

It YOU one of the people referred to in the paragraphs above, PLEASE take a slow breathe now in though the nose.  Now exhale slowly through the mouth.  Please do it again several times.

The added oxygen will calm you and help you to think more rationally, and remember, you have already taken the first step towards helping yourself by searching the Internet!  Don’t give up.  Don’t give in.  Connect with someone – perhaps a local group that deals with anger management.  Take time for yourself – you can’t afford not to do so!

If you are totally overwhelmed and need help and don’t know who to turn to you can email:  mo@jett.net.You are not alone.

We’ve all been there!

Life gets harder in the long run.  This statement is not meant to discourage you.  It is simply a fact, another stress that must be met head-on.  That doesn’t mean you can’t meet the challenge.  You were born with an instinct to survive, and along this journey in life there are times that are so spectacular that the “down time” can be met with the knowledge you will be stronger and wiser as years increase.

Part of the reason that life gets harder is because our bodies age, and with aging comes some problems that we just can’t avoid.  Some can be avoided with proper nutrition and exercise, but some changes must simply be accepted.

You are encouraged to continue to learn stress management and seek good mental and physical health.  No one in the years past age fifty can promenade “back” to the good old days.  Even those of you in your thirties won’t be able to turn back the clock.  Your age is a done deal, so acceptance is imperative, and your true beauty is honestly reflected in your heart and mind.

When your reality seems more like “bleak than bling”, keep these thoughts in mind.

1.  You are not alone.  Every single human being faces these same problems -aging and sometimes trying to find a reason to live.

2.  If you are aging, you aren’t dead.  If you aren’t dead then there is a reason to live; you just may not recognize it at the moment!   Take time to counsel with others. There is help available, and no one will judge you. We’ve all needed help at one time or another.  Just getting your feelings out in the open and sharing with someone will help.

3.   Part of the reason you may feel that life just isn’t worth it, is the fact these are difficult times, and are often compounded by personal traumas.  Try to sit back and change your perspective of the scenario that is your biggest stumbling block. .  Sometimes we are so emotionally charged we neglect to focus clearly on options.

4.  Enter the world of volunteering your time.  Why? Because you will divert your own attention to something worthwhile and in the process you may find many reasons to live.

5.  Remember the one thing you can count on is CHANGE.  Whatever the problem is – everything can change in the blink of an eye. What seems an insurmountable problem at this moment may be handled in the next moment.

6.  Because you are overwhelmed by stress you have probably begun shallow breathing.  Your body needs oxygen.  Concentrate on deep breathing and getting what you need to supply your body and mind optimally.

7.  If you are using alcohol to “relax”, keep in mind it is a stimulant.  After the rush and purported relaxation there will be the letdown.  The chemical reaction is always the same.  Don’t be deceived.

8. Pray.  It can’t hurt, and even if you don’t believe, you will mentally be releasing your concerns and thoughts. This action can help and is a positive step towards your healing.

A great thought for those thoroughly challenging times:  LIFE ISN’T ABOUT HOW TO SURVIVE THE STORM…BUT HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN!

Exercising your mind!  Your thoughts and words are self- fulfilling prophecies.

Be careful – You will get what you desire and think about.

Whatever you pay attention to, whatever you dwell upon, will ultimately manifest in your life.

You can choose your thoughts.

You are the energy you project, whether it is negative or positive.

From your perceptions you conceive much of your life.

Find celebrations in the moment. Don’t regret the past, for it is the past and experiences can be tools for learning. It cannot be changed.  Don’t anticipate trials and fears happening in the future, for they may never happen.

The power of your thoughts is real. Never let another person, or a scenario in life, enhance your healing, your thoughts, your heart. You are in charge of you.

Seeds have been planted in us all our lives.  Many of them, tragically, planted from failings of other generations long ago, transported as habit, doing great harm decades later.

Start to plant your own garden.  Create and elevate the thoughts that will bring the reality you choose into your life.

You can’t celebrate what you can’t detect.  Most of us are living in the fog of our own thoughts, unaware of the blue sky above.  You are so much more than your negative and limiting thoughts. Let go.  Happiness can be yours this very instant, if only this instant.  The moment can be yours.

Mind over matter works in stressful times

Exercising your mind will help manage your stress.  It doesn’t matter if you are about to begin the performance of a lifetime, start a project of killer magnitude, attend the funeral of a best friend, or visit your in-laws:

WHATEVER NEEDS TO

BE DONE CAN BE DONE MORE EFFECTIVELY WHEN YOU EXERCISE YOUR MIND.  IF YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR MIND, YOU WILL BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR “MATTER” (your own body).

You need to begin to take charge and learn that you can manage whatever the circumstances may render necessary. If you exercise your thoughts, your resolve will be finer.

No matter what the circumstance, think about your oxygen and take a breath!  Take another and exhale deeply, regaining your composure; get the oxygen to the brain for this oxygen machine.

Kill the pain with internal pharmaceuticals and positive thoughts created by you.  Regenerate.  Relax and take control of your life.  In that moment or two you supply your “tank” with premium oxygen, your brain will charge and the more profitable and beneficial response will then come to fruition.  It will happen.

When you think, “I can’t handle this” – think again.  Think instead, “I can and will handle this.”  Take a breath.  Make it happen.  Only you can make it happen.

Tap the resources we all have.  The gold comes from within.

Can standing or sitting straight really help your stress level?

Yes.  Think about it. Are you slumped over towards the computer? Are your abdominals taut or are they hanging loose? Are your shoulders rounded forward?  You will not get the flow of oxygen as effectively if your posture is poor. This will actually contribute to muscles and ligaments tightening further during stressful times.

Posture is much more important than we are ever told.

Over the past 20 years revelations about posture have been presented to me in so many different ways. Have you ever seen a young woman in her late teens or early twenties with shoulders rounded forward? You can almost see bones protruding from the back. How about the young man with his belly hanging out and shoulders rolled forward. It is not only a matter of how poor posture looks – it is what it ultimately does to your body and mind.

Poor posture is simply derived from a lack of training in good posture habits.  Habits can be changed.

When we have poor posture we actually cut off a portion of our oxygen supply to our body. Our cramped position hinders that precious stuff from getting to all the areas where it’s needed.

As our oxygen supply is “kinked up”, our energy level is not as powerful. Our abdominals weaken which in turn weakens our lower backs, and will often cause back pain.

Good posture maintains a fine balance between muscular strength and flexibility. This balance decreases stress, increases self-image and eliminates the possibility of chronic postural strain. (It also helps elimination!)

Right now try this: Sit up straight. Hold in the abdominals, pressing low back into back of your chair. Press your shoulders down (we lift them when tense), and back. Lift your head and neck thinking about stretching the neck upward to separate vertebrae and discs.

Take a deep inhalation in through the nose. Hold it for a few seconds and exhale through the mouth. Do it slowly several times, keeping the new posture. It will be so beneficial if you practice this just a couple of times an hour. This practice will begin to get you in the habit of good posture and good breathing.  The benefits you will find that are coming to you simply by learning to stand correctly can be life changing.

Practice your standing posture as well. Stand up against a wall and do the same steps. Then breathe! If you think of this as a mini workout you will be right! You will find you feel better after the day at the computer or desk. You will have more energy and actually be more relaxed at the same time.

Do not give in to having a lazy body control your health. Use your intellect and make some positive changes and life will improve. As you breathe more effectively you will also get the benefit of extra oxygen to help calm stressful situations

With a bit of practice, you’ll be ever so glad you took the time to get in the habit of maintaining great posture!  After a bit of time you won’t even have to think about it – you will just do it naturally.

Another plus – just look in a mirror at you with poor posture.  Then correct it. You actually will have the appearance of someone who has just lost a bit of weight!

Easy Quick breath :

3 short deep inhalations- sniff, sniff, sniff.

and

1 long and slow exhalation – with head high but humbled- shoulders back – make room for the new.

Do it again.

Do it again.  (Be careful: it’s natural, free, and WILL envigorate and relax at the same time!)  Could be addictive!

Do it again and slowly now both on the inhalation and exhalation.

SLOW DOWN – it’s okay! Listen to music you love, dance around just for fun,  get back to work refreshed from your short break, or simply return to the tasks at hand!  Remember  your life is your choice – really!  How you respond to what happens is one-hundred percent your decision.

Before any response to circumstances get oxygen to your brain.  The brain needs fifty percent more oxygen to make the best decisions.  It’s available any time you choose to breathe mindfully. It is a very positive secret weapon in times of high stress.

Think about this – It will help!

You are the only person who can change the amount of stress that burdens you day after day.

Every change begins with willingness.  If you find yourself wishing an area of your life were different, you must first be willing to let go of past hurts and sorrows.  You must be receptive to change, and you must release limiting thoughts and beliefs.  You must expand your understanding.

Every thought you think and every word you speak is creating your future.  You become what you are thinking about, whether you want it or not.

Every thought is vibrational in nature.  If you care to change, you must change negative thoughts to positive.  Shift your attraction. Contemplate yourself beginning to use the potential you were ordained to do, and use the gifts you were given.

Do not unconsciously absorb another person’s energy or temperament.  Even after the briefest encounter (perhaps a negative one), you may find yourself temporarily changed, and sometimes, not for the better.  Be aware and don’t fall into this pit.

You can rewire patterns in your brain.  Change your thinking and you will change your life.

If life isn’t working for you need to reinvent yourself-reinvent your life.  Change your perceptions. Let go of those limited beliefs.  Wisdom and knowledge “gates” are always open.

When you finally really “get it”, the fact you have more control over your life, you will come to realize you actually have all the power.

In moments of deepest despair remember there is always humor.  Seek it.   Humor lifts you to God.

Remind yourself: “I am safe. It’s only change. Substitute fear for curiosity.

Assume ANY changes you make will be for the better. Don’t assume what others think.  Be true to yourself and your thoughts.  Strive to project the demeanor of the person you want to become.

Keep a passion for life.  Choose your words and actions.

Build or keep a circle of friends whose influence will be positive towards the “growing” of the new you.  You can help others accept the new you if you remember you will have an effect on others.

Contemplate how you want to be treated and let those thoughts light the atmosphere around you so that it is uplifting and inspiring.

You’ve probably heard a statement similar to this, but it never hurts to contemplate truth and remind yourself to invigorate your life.  “It is not the goal; it’s the journey towards the goal that can be the magical part of your life.”

Take a breath and take charge of how you respond to the stress in your life.  Practice and it will become habit.  You can change your life – and your stress – moment by moment!

All of us have changes in life.  Change is impossible to stop.

There are common events such as promotions, relocations, divorce, parenthood, loss of job, death of a loved one, and numerous other events.

Whether these changes are welcome or unwelcome, all can be extremely stressful unless we learn how to adjust to them. Taking the time to recover, refocus and regenerate, following life changes can help us survive and oftentimes thrive.

Recover

After a major life change, you need to regain your sense of balance and routine.  Your situation may be, at least currently, stressful, challenging, or unfamiliar.  You may have symptoms such as depression, headaches, and / or backaches.

To begin recovery, it will help to step back from your new situation.  Take time just for you.  Plan a weekend get-away, or make time for “mini-breaks” such as a trip to the library or movies.

Exercise and sharing your feelings with others are excellent stress reducers.  You need to step back from your new situation so you are able to get distance and a true perspective.

Refocus

Stop!  Take a breath.  Take two.  There is still no charge for your oxygen, and it will help you to “perceive”, or to look at the big picture.  You will gain greater peace of mind about the change if you can step back and give your intellect an equal moment of time you give your emotions.

Take time to think about what has happened, why, and what it might mean. You will probably realize your feelings are mixed.

For example, if you’ve had a fight with a relative, you might feel relieved (the relationship might have been tense for a while), and uncomfortable in another (you love that person and don’t want a breech in the relationship.)

You may feel sad or angry about having to let go of familiar people and routines.  With time, those feelings will change.  Talking to trusted friends, family members, a counselor, or human resource professional may speed the process.

Regenerate

ALL major changes can be very stressful for your body, and your body needs time to heal.  Though it is mandatory that you settle your mind first, your body should not be neglected.

Get extra rest; avoid alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.  They just intensify the problems.  Try to increase your circle of support.  This is very important.  Connect with new people or reinforce old friendships.

No one can escape change.  It is inevitable.  Life is about change. Accepting the fact that change has taken place is important.  Take steps to recover, refocus and regenerate.  You will find acceptance easier.  These steps will help you successfully make the change part of your life.