THEN READ ON MY FRIENDS! I have specialized in this work for over twenty years,  but I I STILL HAVE STRESS to contend with quite FREQUENTLY!

Don’t misunderstand this statement. Stress will be your partner all your life.  But the good news is that if you “practice stress management”, it will not destroy you physically and emotionally.

Stress need not be debilitating.  I only allow it to encompass my being for minutes.  I use the empowerment of breathing as my immediate secret weapon. Next I make (and in the beginning it took practice) my mind switch from emotion to intellect, during which time I take a breath again. This very moment is the perfect one to do it. You might as well too! J Be selfish and take two deep breaths and deep exhalations too.’

Release all the troubles and draw in positive expectations.  It you habitually do this, I mean throughout the day wherever you are, you will begin to feel better almost immediately.

It would be instinctive to tell a friend who was drowning in stress, “Relax.  It will be okay.  Take a breath.  Slow down.”

Think about it. J We have natural gifts that can really help us manage any stress. They are offered to us all, for free.  Now pretend you are your friend and love yourself that much!

Your performance in any task requires a confident and relaxed state of mind.  It is attainable, but ONLY if you challenge yourself to find out if what I say is true or not.

I guarantee it is!

Simply the diversion from the stress to thinking about and performing the simplest of breathing exercises will really help!

Some stress is positive, such as wedding preparations, the birth of a child, or graduation.

Some stress can be absolutely disheartening.  A death in the family, divorce, financial disaster, or fighting with someone you love.  All of these require a dedicated and habitual offering to your brain to exercise thoughts, your breath, and then your actions will be responding intelligently, and not just reacting.

Here’s a thought to ponder.  Every single individual in the world wakes up with challenges and not knowing what life will bring from moment to moment.

We think we’d like to know the future, and make plans for what to do in our lives.  But here’s the thing: the only for sure plan you can make for your life is to be flexible and be prepared to be surprised.

Dedicate a few minutes during your workday each hour to

breathing and clear the negative away.  When stuck in traffic think about something lovely and take a breath. When you do mindful breathing you are relaxing and regenerating simultaneously – and if you don’t think that is true – you don’t know the workings of the body you are living in.  It will work (even if it feels like it isn’t at first).

If you are honorable to your goal of seeking stress management this simple practice is the first step to that goal.  Remember also to make the journey a happy challenge and use your moments well.   Time is fleeting.

Our human body is truly magical.  In many instances,  it can be self-healing, if we only take the time to learn some basic facts.

For instance, did you know that a complex part of our brain called the autonomic nervous system prepares our body when stress enters a scenario?

You’ve probably heard of it.  It’s called the “fight or flight” response.  You’ve probably experienced it.  Most humans have experienced it and some, people many times.

Here is the magical part.  Without you even realizing it your body prepares for danger by slowing digestion so that blood may be directed to the muscles and the brain.  In the face of potential danger it is more important to be alert and strong than for food to digest.  It’s automatic!

Your breathing gets faster to supply more oxygen for the muscles.  The heart speeds up; blood pressure soars and forces blood to part of the body that needs it.  (Remember your heart beginning to pound faster when you are stressed?)

Perspiration increases to cool the body.  This allows you to burn more energy.  Muscles tense and prepare for action.  All this is done automatically!

Chemicals are released to make your blood clot more rapidly.  If you are injured this clotting can reduce blood loss.  Sugars and fats pour into the blood to provide fuel for quick energy.

This “body magic” is done automatically for you when stress enters, when you are injured, or fearful.  The reaction can be invaluable for survival in critical situations.

The problem that can occur with this automatic magic is that if it happens too often, it can take a serious toll on your body, mind, and your spirit!  You don’t want to “wear out” your body before it’s time!

This is one of the important reasons to learn to recognize and manage stress.  It will put you in charge of your own life, and you will learn other methods to address the majority of stressors.

BEGIN NOW by taking in a deep inhalation through the nose. Visualize it traveling to your brain and through your body.   Now exhale through the mouth slowly. When you inhale remember that when you keep breathing in a stressful situation, you are empowering yourself.  You will stay more relaxed, think optimally, and give yourself a chance to respond instead of reacting to a circumstance. You will keep the body from automatically going into “fight or flight” unnecessarily.

Take another mindful breath.  Hold it a few seconds, and now exhale.  When you exhale remember it is a mind housekeeping tactic to visualize all the negativity flying from your mouth into oblivion (also clearing the carbon dioxide to make room for more oxygen.)

You can learn through, exercising your mind, to slow your breathing, calm your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and relax those muscles, which in turn will allow you to make the best choices possible for the scenario you face.

Please inhale slowly and deeply.  Hold it a few more seconds, and now exhale through the mouth.  Use this secret weapon whenever needed. It’s readily available, the only cost is your thought process, and it WORKS beautifully!

No matter what the circumstance, you always have a choice how to respond.  Use your oxygen before speaking and it will enable you to respond intellectually instead of simply emotionally.  A fine mix of the two will offer any scenario a better result.

Create a wonderful day.

There are many outstanding websites dedicated to introduce readers to the “why” of stress, it’s causes, and the management of it.  Each has a quantity of excellent information, and the majority of it is credible information. This is an amazing gift.

Stress Management Magic is unique, however, because our goal is to address specific and current challenges we all face in the area of stress management – not tomorrow – but today!

We teach techniques and work with you right online to begin to learn to change your life to one of peace and happiness amidst all the turmoil of 2010.

The time to begin learning to manage stress is not when you can squeeze in a day to think about it.  It is not when you can afford go to a class to practice or pay for a personal trainer. The time is NOW.

Begin now, and with our guidance, within a few short weeks, and perhaps sooner, if you will dedicate small increments of time throughout the day, you will find your world changing.

We offer food for thought on how to handle stressors such as anger, depression, divorce, loss of employment, financial challenges, and aging

We offer tips on improving relationships, managing stress at work, and dealing with a myriad of stress inducing scenarios.

Through posts we work on improving your child/parent relationship, communication skills, and on even improving your own health.

Our goal is simple.  We want you to learn techniques you can use anywhere and anytime.  WHY?  Because, we all have a right to be happy and at peace, and teaching the basic’s should NOT cost a penny!  You have a right as a human being to know how to use innate gifts for your benefit.

If then you choose to join a meditation class, a yoga class, another stress management program, or any other method to “enhance” what you’ve learned here, then bravo!

LET’S GET STARTED!

Take a slow breath in through the nose.  Your additional oxygen will relax and regenerate you simultaneously.  That is how the body works.

Exhale through the mouth, clearing carbon dioxide and making room for more oxygen.

Again, inhale slowly (think: I am feeling better).  Exhale  slowly (think:  I release my negative feelings).

Inhale slowly – exhale slowly.

Do this mindful breathing two or three times. ANY time of day when you feel stress beginning to mount, slow it down by doing this breathing.  Whether you think it will help or not – do it!  You are an oxygen machine, and this is the way the body works. You increase stress by not giving muscles, ligaments, and tendons needed oxygen.  Your brain needs fifty percent more oxygen to think optimally.

If you dareJ……..Push back the chair, and stand up for a moment.  Stretch your arms up to the ceiling and take a breath.  The natural response to a stressful situation is to hold our breaths.  This increases our anxiety as we are oxygen machines and need to breathe!  (You are not ignoring your job:  you are refining your intellect and maintaining a relaxed demeanor to do a better job!

Twist your body a bit.  Lift each leg and rotate your ankle in a few circles.   Wiggle your toes.  Stretch your fingers out and then crunch them together.  Now take another deep inhalation and exhalation.

If peers or family give you a strange inquiring look, just let them know you are taking a mini-management minute to improve your performance and regenerate a bit.  It does work.

When you resume your position, just before beginning the task before you, take another deep breath and give yourself a mental pat on the back.

It’s your life, your body, and your right to keep it finely tuned!  Onward and upward.

The first step is to take a deep and mindful plug of oxygen into your oxygen machine!  When in difficult situations, whether it’s loosing a database, or perhaps facing a screaming combatant, we actually hold our breaths.  Think about it.  In turn our muscles, tendon and ligaments begin to tighten.

Instinctively we are preparing for the “fight or flight” syndrome and our stance becomes that of preparing for defense.  By unconsciously holding our breath we cut off our needed oxygen supply to make a more rational decision.  Our brains need fifty percent more oxygen to think optimally.

We need to put aside any doubt and release any tendency to “make things work out” or to force an outcome.

There is unlimited and abundant energy and you are in charge of whether it is positive or negative.

One of the most important exercises in managing stress is to expect the unexpected, and keep a habit of storing in your brain the belief that we are able to handle whatever happens to us!

None of us knows from moment to moment what our lives will challenge us with next.  In order to begin to manage stress we must be flexible to the idea that a new challenge may pop up, one we never dreamed would happen, and that no matter what we will meet the challenge.

The next step to begin real management of stress is to REFUSE to be negative and affirm, “I am getting better.  The situation will resolve with my calm perseverance.”  No matter how you feel at the time, whether you believe it or not, your positive affirmations make the statements true.

As you speak the words the body responds with positive energy growing and healing.  You will create brain cell impressions that reinforce your words. Do this repeatedly and you will find at some point that the thoughts automatically come to fruition in your mind and you will find a positive resolve with peace and the use of your own calm intellect.  It will happen!

Now take a few deep breaths and when you exhale remember your exhalations are making room for more wonderful oxygen to think optimally. Visualize all the negativity flying from your fingertips into oblivion and use your inhalations as a power surge for the mind and the body.  CREATE a wonderful day for yourself and those around you!

Here are five questions for you to honestly answer.

1. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in the mental condition you are in right now / or a worsened condition?

2. Do you want to stress out and wear your heart out faster?

3.  Are you willing to ignore your lack of stress management skills and find yourself in a contentious situation with no resolve in sight?

4.   Do you need to turn to alcohol to “take the edge” off?

That’s a tough one.  The difference between having a drink and depending on it is the crux of this question.   Is that your stress management technique every day?

5.  Do you like the feelings you get in your gut when you have gone past the point of no return and still it’s necessary to “suck it up and shut up”?

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If you answered NO to questions 1,2,3,and 5 (or any of them), it’s time to FIND THE TIME to learn simple stress management techniques

If you answered YES to question four, then you also need to get busy for you, the sake of your family, and your LIFE!

The following five statements are simple management skills and invaluable to use daily.

1.  Use your oxygen mindfully and change your life.  Only a minute or two “a few times” a day will help!  (Previous posts have specific directions and on line practices).  This is the number one and simplest help for you.

2.  When you begin to feel upset or nervous, let a bell ring in your head and think:  “I am in charge of my response.  No matter what the problem, I CAN handle it.”

3.  Take mini-breaks at the computer.  Close your fists tightly and release.  Stand up and move around to get oxygen flowing. Open and close your eyes several times, and rub your fingertips together until they get warm and place them on your eyes for a moment.  Take a breath!  ANY or all of these things can help instantly.

4.  Don’t let the “momentary” stress STEAL your joy.   One guarantee in life is that EVERYTHING changes – and can in the blink of an eye – so be patient and calm and remember, “this too shall pass”……

5.  SMILE more often.  Practice it.  Even if you don’t think there is anything to make you smile, do it.  You will find that simply smiling will automatically elevate your spirit.  Even if you smile simply because it seems to be silly to smile for nothing, do it!

Now CREATE A WONDERFUL day for YOU and those in the circle of your life.

Pain / Stress / Forgiveness = closely related feelings.  Both physical and mental pain are intrinsic, contained wholly within the human intellect and spiritual nature.  You all have more within you, powers yet untapped or realized.

Humans gifts often go to the grave with people not using their gifts or even recognizing them simply because the world has told them they aren’t up to the job.  You are up to it! You have to FIND, and DRAW, from that power within; the untapped reservoir of all the characteristics and strength you dreamed you would have.   Perhaps someone told you that you would fail or that you had no hope to accomplish anything in this lifetime. They were wrong and you know it innately.

Dealing with words wrongly spoken is a huge stress to handle.  So if it’s happened to you, just draw in a slow breath, wait a few seconds, and exhale fully through the mouth.

(In case you don’t know how to breathe for YOUR benefit, here it is – short and sweet – and life enhancing any time you choose to use it!)

“ Deep Breathing is the simplest and most important form of stress reduction. Most people breathe only from their upper diaphragm. This is not the way we were intended to breathe. We are particularly prone to breathe incorrectly when stressed, by taking quick and shallow breaths. The exaggerated form of this is hyperventilating, which some people do when experiencing an anxiety or panic attack. The proper way to breathe is to inhale deeply from the abdomen. You should be able to feel your lungs fill up with air as you inhale. If you do not breathe from the solar plexus, you are not getting enough oxygen. You may think that it looks better to hold your stomach in but you are losing out on vital oxygenation of the body. Deep breathing is a very quick way to release tension, particularly noticeable in the neck, shoulders and head (headache).

Stand any place and inhale deeply so that you feel the air expand in the lower part of your abdomen and your stomach extend out. Hold the breath as long as it is comfortable and then exhale slowly…”

Rachael Collins

02 April 2009

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Pain is a unique experience.  Pain can put a halt to any activity your may want to do.  It can stop you from every dream in your life.  If you can’t play, walk, move, sleep soundly, or think and concentrate, you are being robbed of your life.  It’s time to change things around!

Pain that you “think you can’t make go away” can, overcome you, and can change the way you feel about yourself and others.  It can destroy relationships and lives.  The secret to managing your pain is first to unleash all the anger you have for so many things. You have suffered enough.  You have been mad at others and circumstances long enough! Don’t dwell on the past ONE MORE MOMENT!

As you inhale think:  I am empowered

As you exhale think:  I forgive others and myself

As you inhale think:  I am wonderful and can make things better

As you exhale think:  No more negativity.  No more useless anger

As long as you are alive you have the capacity to change.  “Why should I change?”, you may ask.  If you are able to manage your stress, happy, love your life and yourself, no need to change.  Otherwise, think about it.

A person’s description of pain — where it is, when it starts, what helps to relieve it — are key to understanding pain. Only the person with pain knows exactly what it is like, whether mental or physical.

That is exactly why ONLY YOU can figure out where you go from here.  Let go of the need to control and stress will drift from you like the wave retreating into the fold of the ocean.

Make sure you get a good night’s sleep.  Set the stage and when you first are laying down, breath again, with thoughts than enhance you, and enfold you into a sweet slumber. When you are well-rested, you have more energy to get well, to enjoy life, and to do the things that are important to you

Get started now.  Breathe.  Let go of anger and sorrow.  Forgive others errors.  Forgive yourself.  These are major steps towards learning to manage your stress and live a more wonderful and peaceful life.

Seek other help for stress if need be, once you get started with these simple exercises of intellect.  Try yoga.  Walk with a friend.  Sign up for classes or other online help.  CREATE YOUR LIFE!

You know you need it, but there is always a reason (or justification) to enable you to “wait till things settle down” to begin to learn how to manage your stress.

So many people, who desperately NEED help, are simply in denial.

“I don’t have time.”  “I can’t afford classes.”  “I just can’t!”

Don’t be one of those folks who begin to seek help and then just put it off until another day.  Don’t wind up having a heart attack.  It happens more often than you think, with stress that is not managed, a huge factor in causing the problem.

Heart disease kills more people in the USA than any other stress related disease or medical issue.  Cancer is next in the line of our biggest killers.  Many scientists and medical practitioners are now admitting that there is high probability that stress has been the initiator of many of these fatalities.

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“Coronary heart disease is also much more common in individuals subjected to chronic stress and recent research has focused on how to identify and prevent this growing problem, particularly with respect to job stress. In many instances, we create our own stress that contributes to coronary disease by smoking and other faulty lifestyles or because of dangerous traits like excess anger, hostility, aggressiveness, time urgency, inappropriate competitiveness and preoccupation with work.”

The American Institute of Stress

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It is time for you to begin to manage your stress. This day is yours – CREATE a beautiful one for yourself and those around you.

Quick Tips

THINK before you speak. Take a breath and it will spark your intellect, RELAX and regenerate you, simultaneously.

Remember words are sharper than any knife and they pierce the heart.  Once you speak them you cannot erase them in the mind of the person to whom you were speaking.  Do not allow yourself to respond negatively for it will simply increase the stress already present.

Take THIS opportunity to tell someone you love or appreciate him or her.  The feeling YOU get when you pass love or a positive thought to someone will help dissipate your negative thoughts.  You will also find a positive response to you can elevate your peace.

Make these moments of value and the worth of your actions will ultimately come back to benefit you! It always works… The things you think, and the way you breathe!

The things that you think within, words you speak, and the quality of your oxygen will ultimately become your life and health. YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF WHERE YOU GO FROM HERE.

Breathe and think positively. Teach your brain to create those “cell impressions” from which you can empower yourself simply through your thoughts. Ultimately, if you are consistent, your body physiology will be changed for the good.

Put aside any doubt and release any tendency to “make things work out” or to force an outcome. Open your thoughts and your life to the source of all intelligence and let go of worry.

Worry changes nothing for the better. The only thing worry does is increase in increments and cause more worry, more problems, and more stress.  Worry affects us physically in a negative manner and it changes nothing!

Spend time on thoughts that are positive and quality and you will draw those things positive to you. Be mindful of your oxygen intake, and as you exhale send all those negative thoughts into oblivion.

If you think I may be repeating some things simply phrased a bit differently – I am!  Repetition is the key to learning.  Once you have created these new brain cell impressions your “new way of thinking and speaking” will become second nature.

What is the past is the past. The future is but a “hope for the best”.  The moments you have are now. Make them of value to you and those in the circle of your life.  You are in charge.

If you want – really want – to change your life, take that yoga class you’ve thought of joining.  Join a group to help one another. Buy stress management tapes and CD’s.  Go to a therapist!  Get more help on line.  Be the master of your future and get help now!

Now take a deep and mindful breath and visualize wonderful oxygen regenerating you and relaxing you.  When you exhale visualize all the negativity and unresolved worries fly from your fingertips into oblivion.

Truth does not waiver:  When you speak you are prophesizing what happens next!

Words come to life.  If you are negative there is a ninety-nine percent chance that you will get negativity back and have a less than perfect settlement of the “challenge” you face.

I am angry

I don’t know how I will get through this

I can’t forget the past

I won’t ever get out of this mess

These are self-fulfilling prophecies.  As sure as these words come out of your mouth, they have been engaged in the cycle of coming to life – in your life!

“The relation that exists between the mind and body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death….

Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, and love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul.”

Ellen G. White

1827-1915

These words were written many, many years ago, but they are the absolute truth, and truth NEVER waivers.

If you practice these three simple techniques, you will find your life will actually improve in many ways.  Stress management is up to you though – no matter how you “say” you want to change, YOU are the only one that can instigate change….and you are the only one who can practice, therein creating new brain cell impressions and new feelings about a stressful scenario.

1.  The number one management technique is using your oxygen in a crisis situation.  Take a few breaths to get the oxygen you need.  It will also give you a few moments to think about your coming response.

2.  Drop the negative words and EVEN IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IT works such miracle changes, incorporate positive words.  If you are thinking “impossible” – don’t!  Think instead, “I can do this.”  Words CAN empower you.

3.  Speak slowly and calmly.  Never let anyone or any challenge turn you into a nasty, mouthy, and dull witted person!  Don’t let anything change your life like that without your permission!

4.  Never forget (particularly with women) – WORDS can pierce a person’s heart with the same intensity and pain that a sharp sword would deliver.  Most physical pain is healed with time, but ill spoken and cruel words can pierce a person’s heart over and over again, and sometimes, stay with a person for his or her life.

(If you are faced with challenge after challenge in the stress arena, it may be time to seek outside help such as counseling, classes,  various forms of yoga, meditation classes, CD relaxation tapes, or perhaps a church group.  You have one mind and you don’t want to loose it to stress!)

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in Americans.  Are you stressed out at work?  Worried about finances?

Family problems?  Not sleeping good?  All the stress adds up to trouble if not managed!

STRESS that is out of control and constant,  can set you  up for a fatal heart attack! This is not a rumor.  This is factual.

Hundreds of websites are dedicated to helping you recognize signs that an attack is a probability, likely to happen sometime in your future.   One sign might be heavy breathing.  Often this symptom is NOT recognized as a pre-warning symptom; for many people there are no recognizable signs until the attack.

Simply put, you need to learn everything you can about what slows the progress of cardiovascular disease. And then do everything that’s known to modern medicine to reduce your heart attack risk factors.

Your heart health can’t wait – it depends on what you do today, and from this moment forward.

A simple prevention tip is to take a low-dose aspirin every day.

Remember aspirin can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, so take aspirin with caution.  Though this is recommended for men, it can also prevent heart attacks in women – and possibly a stroke.  It is a good idea to consult with a physician before starting aspirin therapy.  (A single baby aspirin is often the aspirin of choice).

Another way to help prevent a heart attack is to keep your blood pressure under control.  Unmanaged stress can elevate your blood pressure and accelerate your heart rate to unhealthy numbers.

When you feel flushed, excited, or recognize that stress level reaching unacceptable levels, take a breath.  Slowly.  When your blood pressure is rising, if you THINK and be mindful of your oxygen intake, you can slow your heart rate and keep your blood pressure from skyrocketing.

This technique is so easy many people don’t really the value of simply “controlling” your breathing.

YOU ARE AN OXYGEN MACHINE AND WITHOUT ENOUGH OXYGEN YOUR HEART WILL DIE!

Stress causes humans to only take in shallow breaths, which in turn, doesn’t allow the brain to get enough oxygen to think rationally instead of flying off the handle.

Lower your cholesterol.  There are several ways to do this.  Exercise (which will help you drop weight, and in turn drop pounds), improve your nutrition, and for your entire body and brain health and functioning – quit smoking.

If any of these things make you think, “I can’t do it” – and you begin to stress out – use your oxygen.  When you are thinking optimally, decide what you want in this one life you have to live.

There are hundreds of websites to help you, programs like weight watchers, stress management classes (which will help you manage EVERYTHING), articles to read, yoga classes, adult community classes, even senior centers for those who qualify.

But nothing will be accomplished if you don’t make a decision and stick to it.  If you think your family genes have doomed you to obesity, heart problems, cancer, diabetes, and so forth,

THINK AGAIN!

Genes account for one one-third of what happens to your body!  The other two-thirds depends on the lifestyle you choose for yourself!  HONESTLY….so take a breath and start this very moment to avert a heart attack and so many other illnesses’ that are self-induced.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Are you feeling stressed out?  You can’t imagine it, but stress show on your face!  You don’t want to look like this at work, do you?

Think outside the box! This phrase often refers to novel, creative and smart thinking.

“According to consultants of the 1970s and 1980s tried to make their prospective clients feel inferior by presenting them with the puzzle. The challenge is to connect the dots by drawing four straight, continuous lines that pass through each of the nine dots, and never lifting the pencil from the paper. The puzzle is easily solved but only if you draw the lines outside the confines of the square area defined by the nine dots themselves. Thus, the phrase “thinking outside the box” was born. ”

You’ve gone far enough to look up “stress management” and read this post thus far, now think outside the box and begin to change your life!

Granted for some individuals out of control stress management requires medical help, perhaps anti-depressants, counseling, yoga classes, or general therapy; stress management help from a source that can be your motivator and guide you.  That is fine.  Help is out there!

YOU, however, may be one of the self-motivated individuals who are able to make life changes with just a bit of knowledge and a burning desire to have less stress in your life.  There are plenty of you out there – just too many of you, know you need it, but when it comes down to practice, says:  “I just don’t have time.”

If you IGNORE your stress now it will accelerate with fervor, and sooner or later plow you down like an innocent bystander.  Take action now and save mental and physical woes that will come without you doing anything about managing your stress.

Here are a few simple thoughts to mull over to help get you started.

When you adopt a positive outlook you create a shift in your outlook.  Instead of seeing a set of problems before you, see opportunities and challenges.  Instead of feeling hopeless about any stressful scenario, feel hopeful.  By focusing on the things that do work well, you are inviting more of the same.

Your brain is adaptable.  “Scientists use the term ‘plasticity’ to describe the brain’s ability to adapt.  It’s a simple idea with big implications.  If some brain cells are lost through normal aging, others can often pick up the slack.  Existing connections may be fine-tuned.  The remaining cells also may grow new dendrites-branches that receive messages from other cells.

“The upshot:  Specific areas of your brain may actually grow as a result of particular experiences.  Certain areas may function more efficiently, too.”       (excerpt from Healthy Living)

What this means to you is that you can use almost any stressful experience to grow new brain cells and refine your brain.  The trick is to adapt that positive train of thought and made the problems challenges instead of dreaded problems.

This power is all kick started from within you and if you are tired of the way things are, pull it together and CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Five Easy ways to get started

1.  Practice mindful breathing.  Not familiar?  Simply put: breathe in through the nose, and exhale through the mouth.

Every time you feel stressors getting the best of you – slow down and breathe.  (For more details on this refer to previous posts – with detailed information)

2.  If you think ANY negative words or feelings, replace them with two positive thoughts.

Example:

I can’t  =  I will,  Ican

I’m miserable = I’m happy, I’m  grateful

no = yes, will do

I’m fearful = I’m brave, I’m empowered

things will never change = this too shall pass, change is a guarantee

Teach your changing brain to respond to life experiences with smart thoughts that blossom into changes for the better.

3.  Don’t take everything so seriously.  The “party” was going before you arrived, and will be here after you leave.  Allow you to have some fun. Prioritize what is REALLY most important.

4. Smile more often.  It doesn’t matter if others do or not.  Smiling actually makes you feel better.  Just do it.  If you smile at someone and they scowl or ignore you then just remember they must be more unhappy than you.  Send them a blessing.You will feel better than if you allowed them to take your happiness away.

5.  Know that no matter how you want to control things – most things are simply out of our control.  The only thing you really have control over is your response to life!  Things usually work out, and sometimes better than you expected initially.

CREATE  a wonderful day and you will change your life and the lives of those in your world.  Pray (and / or meditation) never hurts!