Stress Management
"The Joy of Thanks"
Our culture includes an attitude of finding out what's wrong first, so we can fix it. What is usually overlooked in this process is what's going right. Some might reflect that they're both the same, however, experts will tell you the difference is powerful.
Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at Univ. of CA Davis and his colleagues found that gratitude is more than simply a pleasant emotion to experience or a polite sentiment to express. It is, or at least can be, a basic disposition, one that seems to make lives happier, healthier, more fulfilling - and even longer.
Recent psychological research shows that
- a person experiencing gratitude is protected from the destructive impulses of envy and greed
- grateful people experience higher levels of positive emotions - happiness, vitality, optimism, and hope - and greater satisfaction with life.
Finally, there's something simple, powerful and FREE with amazing results. An Attitude of Gratitude! Why not try this???
Adapted from www.spiritualityhealth.com
"Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
To move forward today, you must learn to say goodbye to yesterday’s hurts, tragedies, and baggage. Take time right now to list the negative events from your past that may be holding you hostage. For each item listed, go through the following process:
- Acknowledge the pain.
- Grieve the loss.
- Forgive the person(s).
- Forgive yourself.
- Determine to release the event and move on.
Adapted from Failing Forward by John Maxwell
6 Ways To Keep Your Mental Batteries Charged
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When you leave your car headlights on overnight,
what happens? No power. You can’t get
to work. You can’t even get out of the driveway.
Your brain is like a car battery. If you let all the
juice run down, you can’t function very well.
Your brain tells your body that it just can’t
handle anything else. Keeping your mental batteries
charged allows you to be more productive—both
personally and professionally. When your mental batteries
are revved up, you feel more energetic and able to handle
whatever comes your way. Take a minute and look at your
calendar. Are you busy every second of the day? Try
one or more of these recharging exercises and see if
you don’t feel better and ultimately get more
accomplished.
Take a physical break—If you
sit at a desk most of the day, get up. Walk around the
block. Go to the gym after work. Exercise releases endorphins
into the bloodstream. The physical activity allows you
to change the focus of your thought process. Breathe
in the air. Feel the breeze on your face. When you return
to your desk, not only will your body be refreshed,
you will be able to return your attention more clearly
to your work.
Clear your space—Nothing bogs you down
more than sifting through endless stacks of papers and
files to find the sticky note you wrote a phone number
on. Wherever you spend a lot of time, take a minute
and clean it up. Throw away old newspapers and magazines
you will never read. Organize your office so that you
have a place for everything. You won’t get frustrated
and break your concentration when you need something.
You’ll know exactly where it is at all times.
Call a friend—work is a never-ending
activity. Getting together with a friend for lunch or
coffee gives your mind a rest. You don’t have
to worry about office politics and saying the wrong
thing. If you’re dealing with a stressful situation,
talking to a friend can help you work through the issue
logically and objectively. Sometimes the answer is right
in front of you, but you are too close to see it. A
lighthearted half-hour will make your day much more
enjoyable.
Give yourself to others—We get so consumed
with our lives that we sometimes forget that there are
others not so fortunate. Donating your time at a charity
gives you a sense of having really affected another
person. Selfless acts of kindness many times are rewarded
in the most unexpected ways. Volunteer at a children’s
hospital or deliver lunch to a homebound neighbor. You
don’t even need a special occasion to do something
nice for co-workers. When you go to the break room,
fix them a cup of coffee just the way they like it.
Whatever is bothering you quickly seems less significant
when you help someone else.
Listen to music—When was the last time
you just sat and listened to music. Whether it’s
Beethoven or Puff Daddy, spending time focusing on the
sound and the lyrics helps you regain your focus. Let
yourself get completely absorbed in the music. Close
you eyes and really hear the song. When you get overloaded,
put your headphones on and take a fifteen-minute break
with your favorite artist. You can also make your own
mix of special songs. When things get too hectic to
deal with, you can plug in, regain your focus, and return
to the task at hand.
Be thankful—Everyone has something to
be thankful for. It could be your family, your home,
your job. Step back a moment when the clouds start coming
around you. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Consider
all the things you have that millions of people around
the world will never get to experience. Putting your
life in perspective can be a great way to balance all
the things your life requires.
When your brain tells you it can’t handle anything
else, don’t give up. Take thirty minutes and re-focus.
Letting your brain fizzle out with stress and frustration
only leads to other problems. If you can’t afford
to run your mental batteries down, charge them up every
once in a while with any one of these simple exercises.
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