At one point or the other life has a way of overwhelming the best of us. Time is so limited and the amount of things that you have to do is staggering. It’s no wonder that you feel helpless by it all. In order to save your sanity and general health you must stop feeling over whelmed by life.
- Stop what you are doing and take a breath, get away from the all the things that are driving you crazy. Relax, clear your head of all the stress that life has dropped on you. Try relaxation exercises like autogenic training or meditation.
- Take out a piece of paper and write down all the things that need to be done. Things might not be so taunting once you see them on paper.
- Every thing is important, but you have to prioritize. Rank all the things that have to be done in order.
- Plan how you are going to do things and how much time you will take on each item.
- Without interruption go to the first item and work on it till completed. Don’t start another thing before finishing the task that you are working on.
The key to all this is time management and staying focused on one thing at a time.
David, November 9th 2009 |
Tags: Overwhelmed by life, stress, time management helps with being overwhelmed, use relaxation techniques to help with stress
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If you feel that you are under stress constantly and you don’t want to take medications then you might want to try Autogenic training for stress management.
Developed in 1932 by a German psychiatrist Johannes Schultz, autogenic training is a relaxation technique that can be done in just a few minutes each day. The key to this technique is visualization. If practiced on a regular basis two or three times a day autogenic training can be beneficial to relieving stress. Like hypnosis, this technique works on the power of suggestion so it is vital that you go into with an open mind.
How does autogenic training work?
This technique can be done lying down or sitting down in a comfortable position. Like progressive relaxation techniques you start out at your feet and repeat phrases to achieve relaxation. Make sure that the place that you do autogenic training is quiet and you wouldn’t be disturbed.
For example
- My feet are heavy and warm. Repeat this 3 times and move to your legs.
- When you get to your chest, concentrate on your heart and say ‘My heart is calm and serene’.
- After you have gone through all the parts of the body repeat the phrase ‘I am relaxed and stress-free”
- Repeat all the steps at least twice, three times a day.
It is important to practice this regularly because it takes time before it is effective. Usually 2 or 3 times a day will be enough.
David, October 17th 2009 |
Tags: Autogenic training for stress management, How does autogenic training work, power of suggestion, relaxation, stress
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Are you anger on the inside? Do you know someone that is? And does that person act out that hostility in a passive way, not blaming themselves for anything. Maybe that person or you have a passive aggressive hostility.
What does this have to do with stress? Usually the person who has this type of behavior can live with it without much problem. Unfortunately the people around the passive aggressive become much stressed and they are the ones that have to convey to the passive aggressive that they can’t live that way.
The person with passive aggressive hostility usually comes from a non-nurturing background where they felt inadequate which develops into a history of low self-esteem. They aren’t usually hostile toward other people in a confrontational manner. They work out their hostility and anger by being non productive and being unhappy in the situation that they are currently in. They have a difficult time accepting authority and just accepting advice in general. People who have passive aggressive behaviors are at a greater risk of becoming depressed as they become older.
Healing passive aggressive behavior
One method to help an individual overcome their passive aggressive behavior is for them to become more assertive with their feelings.
Another area that needs to be worked on is their low self-esteem.
Their negativity toward everything says more about how they feel about themselves rather than their surrounding.
Communication or lack of it is also a drawback for those with passive aggressive behavior. Learning to communicate more effectively will increase their self esteem and assertiveness.
Learning that other’s feeling toward them doesn’t have an effect on who they are, is very important.
David, October 8th 2009 |
Tags: aggressive hostility, depression, healing passive aggressive behavior, low self-esteem, Passive aggressive behavior, stress, stress management
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Certain scents or smells always bring out particular emotions in folks, whether it is something cooking in the morning or the smell of cologne or perfume. It makes you think of something as simple as you are hungry or it could remind you of a person or place you used to know. Of course it could also bring the opposite effect; certain smells may remind you of things that you would rather forget. The sense of smell is very powerful and can be used in a very positive way. Aromatherapy uses plant oil extracts or essential oils as a form of therapy to help with such things as reducing stress, depression and pain among other things.
Plant oils have been used since the beginning of time for therapeutic treatments and aromatherapy has been used for about the century or so. The Greeks and Egyptians were early users of fragrances as well as the Romans. The French started to use essential oils not only for therapy but also for medicinal use at the beginning of the century.
The two basic ways to use aromatherapy are by inhalation and by applying it to the skin. Putting a few drops of essential oils on a cloth or spraying them gently into the air will do the trick or by using lotions, body oils and other products with essential oils in them.
Aromatherapy can be very useful in the reduction of stress and anxiety as well as muscle relaxation.
David, September 10th 2009 |
Tags: anxiety, Aromatherapy, Aromatherapy and stress reduction, essential oils, reduction of stress, smell, stress, therapeutic treatments
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One of the greatest sources of stress is trying to find the time to do everything. You have to do this and you have to do that and don’t forget that other thing you were supposed to do. If you life is divided up minute by minute with all the tasks that have to be done, then you are probably have a lot of stress to deal with. So how do you deal with it all? You need time management tips.
Through organization and thoughtful planning you can manage your time and help elevate the stress that comes with worrying if you are going to get everything done.
Make a list of all the things that need to be done. Don’t analyze them at this step. Just write them down.
- What really needs to be done? Make sure that only the most important things are kept on the list
- Can you enlist volunteers to help with your list? Look for help.
- stay focused on the tasks at hand, don’t let anyone disturb you from finishing your chores
- Limit the amount of time you spend on each item on the list. You don’t want one task to bog you down.
- Get plenty of rest and exercise. Healthier folks get more things done.
David, August 28th 2009 |
Tags: relieve stress, stress, Time management tips
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Meditation can be an effective tool in controlling stress. Meditation helps to clear the mind of extraneous thoughts that clutter the mind and prevents clear and focused thought.
When the subject of meditation is discussed the image of a lone monk in the wilderness sitting in a trance for hours on end comes to some minds. But meditation is used by millions of peoples through out the world. Meditation comes in many different forms but all with the same purpose to open the mind and clear it of negativity and stress.
Some of the different forms of meditation are:
- Buddhist meditation, which concentrates on exploring the mind and seeking enlightenment.
- Hinduism strives for relaxed contemplation and reflection where the mind is cleared of all thought.
- Taoism meditation is reaching a state of stillness and of emptying the mind of all thought
- New Age is mix of eastern philosophies and new ideas. Transcendental Meditation is probably the most popular form of new age meditation
David, August 14th 2009 |
Tags: buddhist, hinduism, meditation, new age, stress, taoism, trance, transcendental meditation
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Since stress seems to occur on a daily basis then you must be prepared to deal with on a daily basis. With practice you can control stress before it controls you. There are many things that you can do to reduce stress, here are just a few of them.
- Talk out your situations with friends. Sometimes it helps just to communicate your problems with some one who will listen.
- Stop negative thoughts from your mind. It takes a lot of practice to stop being negative especially if you have been someone who doesn’t see the positive in anything. Start now and eliminate negative thoughts.
- use deep breathing techniques
- use guided imagery techniques
- Exercise is great for the body in general and definitely great for the mind!
- music therapy
- Get a massage
- rent your favorite movie and watch it again
- Watch what you eat and cut back on the sugar.
- simple meditation can be included with tip numbers 3, 4 and 6
- manage your time more wisely and always include time for yourself
- Join a support group where you will find people with similar situations.
David, August 12th 2009 |
Tags: deep breathing, guided imagery meditation, massage, meditation, music therapy, reducing stress, relieve stress, stop negative thoughts, stress, stress reduction, support group
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The idea that music helps us calm down is as old as music itself. Whether it is a pop song or a symphony, the sounds seem to go through our brains like waves that washes our stress out to sea. After a hard day of work the sound of a car radio almost seems therapeutic since our bodies are winding down and the music complements our natural relaxation response.
There have been studies that have shown that music does help relieve tension and anxiety. It lowers blood pressure, relaxes muscles and can help with depression.
Is it the music or is it the emotions that it stirs that makes it so relaxing to hear a favorite song? It is probably both. And it doesn’t have to be sounds of music that can soothe you, it can also be recordings of nature sounds that puts you in a mood, almost hypnotic, where the days problems can be forgotten or at least be better understood.
You don’t have to stay at home in your easy chair, combining a good walk with great tunes can lift your spirit and refresh you like few things can. Especially if the music has a quick beat that you can keep pace with.
Music therapy can also be used in conjunction with deep breathing exercises, where you on a sound of nature tape and breath. You will definitely reach a relaxed state that you will look forward to returning to in the future.
David, August 9th 2009 |
Tags: anxiety, deep breathing exercises, lift your spirits, music does help relieve tension and anxiety, music therapy, relieve stress, relieve tension, stress, tension
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Everyone has been in a stressful and anxiety filled situation. How did you handle it? Did you do nothing and hoped that it would be over soon? Did you have a plan ready when the stressful moment occurred, and they always seem to occur, don’t they, usually at the wrong time. Maybe you counted to ten or twenty or keep counting till you forgot what you were worried about. That doesn’t work does it? There are some folks who close their eyes and imagine they are in a peaceful place away from stress and strain. Their image of this place is so strong that the stress is controlled as well as the anxiety filled situation.
Do you think that you could do that? You sure could.
Before you get into that bad situation where you feel that your head is going to explode. You need to practice for a few minutes everyday Guided imagery meditation.
- Find a quiet spot where you will be alone for a few minutes without interruption.
- Sit in a comfortable position.
- Starting at your feet, think about each part of the body and how relaxed it is till you reach the top of your head. This takes practice so don’t get discouraged.
- After going through step 3 at least one time, close your eyes and think about the most peaceful place on the earth. It doesn’t have to be a place that you have been. It just has to a perception of yours that it is peaceful and tranquil.
- As you mind moves around this tranquil place, be aware of your breathing. Is it steady? It should be.
- Give yourself a few minutes to engulf your emotions into this place in your mind. You should feel light and relaxed, maybe not right away, but with practice it will come.
Now when that stressful moment arrives and you feel like everything is going wrong, you should step away from the situation for just a moment. Find a quiet location where you can close your eyes and visit your ‘place’. With practice stress wouldn’t have a chance.
David, August 3rd 2009 |
Tags: anxiety filled, guided imagery meditation, imagery, meditation, reducing stress, stress
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Stress is a part of everyday life. Some people can handle without any problem. They have a certain mindset that nothing will bother them and they can get through anything. But for the rest of us, stress presents a challenge that we are not always up to. Relieving stress can be done in many ways. One of the best ways is to do deep breathing exercises.
The function of breathing is to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide from the body. This process happens automatically. The oxygen is delivered into the Respiratory system where it eventually goes through the bronchial tubes which lead into the lungs. Small sacs called alveoli pass the oxygen to the capillaries which in turn send the blood to the heart. The diaphragm does the work of pumping out the carbon dioxide and bringing in the oxygen.
Since oxygen is vital to the system, without this process the body would die. When the body is feeling stressful breathing becomes shallow and forced. This results in lightheadedness, panic, increased heart rate and headaches among other things.
By doing breathing exercises stress can be managed and breathing related side effects can be relieved.
Deep breathing techniques can be done in a matter of a few minutes or longer.
- In order to have complete concentration, find a place that is quiet where you won’t be disturbed.
- Sit in a relaxed position.
- Clear your mind of all things that are troubling you (I know that is difficult but with practice this can be achieved)
- Slowly Exhale first through your mouth
- Slowly Inhale through your nose holding the breathe for a few seconds
- Repeat these steps for a few minutes
Some people when they are beginning these breathing exercises put a hand on their stomach to ensure that are exhaling through the stomach. Try it and see if it works for you.
While you are breathing and exhaling keep your mind clear.
In order for deep breathing to work it must be done a few times on a daily basis. Increasing the amount of time spent on each session while increase the effectiveness of the exercise.
David, July 31st 2009 |
Tags: alveoli, bronchial tubes, deep breathing, deep breathing exercises, diaphragm, Exhale first through your mouth, Inhale through your nose, oxygen, reducing stress, reducing your stress, relieving stress, respiratory system, stress, stressful breathing
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