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!

When was the last time you actually thought about the breathing process?  Have you ever?

For many of you this will be reviewing material that warrants a regular review.  For some this will be NEW and IMPORTANT information that can really help your stress level when activated.

Isn’t it amazing that this involuntary process of breathing, one that gives us a FREE commodity, one we take for granted, can be refined and used to radically improve the quality of every moment of our human lives.

By cultivating your ability to improve the quality of your oxygen you’ll actually see these things happening to the body.  Your level of energy will increase, the quality of sleep will improve, and your muscles, tendons and ligaments, in times of stress, will relax easier.

You can create morphine like painkillers from within you.  You can lower your blood pressure, slow your heart rate, control the flow of hydrochloric acid and adrenalin, and even create endorphins that are similar to an opiate like high.  “Get high” naturally.  Additionally, beta-endorphins also kick in when you walk or exercise, because of premium breathing.  Do something that is good for your body.

You may think it’s too simple and ask why isn’t there more promotion of the benefits of using oxygen optimally.  Simply, as yet, the “prescription” of oxygen for you hasn’t been necessary (with exceptions such as inhalants for asthmatics or COPD patients).  No one can market the oxygen you can freely use.  No one profits from breathing the air all around you, EXCEPT YOU. You don’t have to ask permission to obtain the healing powers of this wonderful gift for your oxygen machine.

The idea is that mindful breathing techniques will get enough oxygen to all the hidden and infinite areas of the only place you have to live – your body.

What else can you expect when you tend to your oxygen garden?  Your breathing will become easier, because the muscles in your chest will be stronger.  Your air will flow in and out more rapidly and with less effort.

The tiring work you do will be easier as the more mindful oxygen you take in, the more energy you produce.  You oxygen will distribute rapidly from your lungs to your heart and to all parts of your body.

Your heart will beat strong and will pump more blood with each stroke.  Even when you are working your hardest, you heart will pump blood at a lower rate than if you were “de-conditioned”.

You will increase the number and size of the blood vessels that transport blood to your body tissue, thus enriching that tissue and increasing circulation.

Cultivating this oxygen will pay off not only with better health for your body, but the quality of your oxygen intake is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.  Intelligence and skill function will always peak with increased intake of oxygen.  Your brain actually requires fifty percent more oxygen than the rest of the body to think optimally.

This is the physiology of your body.  If you work on getting in the habit of breathing deeply and exhaling fully, all these things will automatically happen.  How cool is that!

Think about your oxygen and take in a few mindful plugs of right now, exhaling fully and deeply. It’s  a wonderful thing to do for your life!

This is your life!  The next moment everything could change. Whether it is a rough day, or going smoothly, use this moment to help you stay robust and relaxed.  If the duration of your break is only for a couple of minutes at a time, that is okay.  It is amazing what just that brief period of time will do for you, if you let it.

Stretch and move around.  If you’ve been glued to the internet or your task is tiring your eyes,  blink them for fifteen seconds. Rub your hands together until they get warm, and place them on your eyes for a few seconds. Give those wonderful eyes a rest for a minute!

We so abuse our bodies and forget to give them time to recover. PLEASE, remember to love your body (and not just it’s shape or tan), but think: “My body is the only place I have to live. It works for me twenty-four seven, even when I sleep it is regenerating. I will get into the habit of taking a couple of minutes every hour during the day to let my body and mind rest.”

Stress can cause anxiety, fatigue, depression, and even panic attacks.  By practicing simple exercises, you can help manage your stress effectively; even stopping some of these symptoms.

Stress hormones, like cortisol, can put a damper on your metabolism. When you become stressed about something, these hormones are activated. When your day is hectic, close your eyes and take five deep breaths. Exhale through the mouth. You will lower your heart rate and keep that metabolism “rocking and rolling’ (particularly important for those of you who are trying to lower your weight.)

Think yourself stronger.  “Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation found that people who imagined contracting their biceps for 15 minutes, five days a week for 3 months increased their arm strength by more than 13 percent.”

I am not surprised. MIND OVER MATTER and BRAIN MAGIC – we all have power available from within us. Power that truly does work! It is all about three things: 1. Believe it. 2. Bring it to the surface. 3. Practice, practice, practice.

Think and improve your lives: “I know better than to waste time and energy worrying about my future. I only can truly live in the present. I pause and gently wave all worry thoughts away from me – no negative concern, large or small can interfere with my peace of mind.”

As you exercise these thoughts your power to make good choices and think in a positive manner will increase daily.

Our magical Brains

Did you read about this on a recent post entitled “Stress and Our Incredible Brain”?  If not, check it out.  The statement that the brain rewires itself by just thinking is a proven fact – not just a theory.

Think positive thoughts today and you will begin to create new brain cells. Every time you begin to travel that negative highway, take a breath and find something to trigger that rewiring process.

“The brisk air makes me feel alive”. “I can begin again today to strive for excellence.” “I am happy I am still here to have the opportunity to learn to be happy more often than I’ve been.” “I love my family.” “I love my friends.” “I think the sound of the waves breaking on the shore is wonderful.” “I like the thunder when a storm approaches.” “I am fortunate to have the intelligence to be able to work and earn a living.”

Any positive statement will do!  Create a wonderful day or evening for yourself and those around you.

“Only what thou art in thyself determines thy value”

Orison Swett Marden, 1898

Burnout is a term we hear often.  ANYONE can suffer from burnout! It is when you feel seriously stressed and simply believe you may not be able to cope one more minute.

BUT BURNOUT CAN BE AVOIDED.

As with most behaviors, when you learn how to recognize the problem, the causes and symptoms, and ways you can change your environment to reduce stressful situations, you will find you can “manage stress” much more effectively, and probably not burnout at all!

Burnout most often occurs in people who feel that they are overworked and unappreciated.  They become disappointed and sometimes very cynical.  They may also feel guilty and ashamed, and may secretly blame themselves.

Signs a burnout can be near include exhaustion (both mental and physical); hopelessness and helplessness; low self-esteem and low spirit, and perhaps more frequent illness.

Burnout often occurs in professionals that “help”, such as nursing or teaching.  But anyone who feels very pressured, or even bored from work can suffer from burnout.

The first step towards recovery from any stress related concern is to define the problem.  Is the situation itself stressful?  Is the problem just some small matter that triggers these feelings?  Is there something about your situation you can change?

Nurses as an example again, particularly those who care for terminally ill patients, can be prime candidates for burnout.  However, by accepting that the scenario itself is stressful, they can reduce feelings of guilt and resentment.

Make Changes

Changes in both you and your environment can help prevent burnout.  You must let your emotional response take a step back, and let your intellect analyze the situation.  You may have more ability to change your environment than you think. Try to think in positive terms to follow with positive actions.

If a lack of appreciation on the job is damaging your morale, take charge.  Your environment will change as you develop skills to communicate and voice a calm and intelligent opinion about matters to either superiors or your peers. Share your feelings and listen to others.  This is simple and yet can have awe-inspiring results.

When you ignore your needs (both physical and mental) during a period of constant or severe distress, burnout is surely going to be a result.  You must take time to recover and heal from burnout if it strikes.  It can ignite a series of other physical ailments if ignored.

Use and develop skills such as risk-taking, reaching out to friends and family, and talking with others in similar circumstances.

Ask someone your respect to look at your situation and suggest solutions.  Use this change to make burnout a first step toward greater satisfaction.

Above all, before any response, use your oxygen to calm and regenerate you.  Always breathing in slowly, visualize it helping your intellect and your muscles relax.  Then exhale slowly, visualizing all the negativity flying out the fingertips, and making way for positive responses.

Why not practice right now with a few thoughtful breaths.  It will help you right away!  Believe it.  Scientists are now proving “the ability of mere thought to alter the physical structure and function of gray matter.”  It certainly can’t hurt!