Identify and manage your stress

Everyone needs a Stress Management plan. The core part of a good Stress Management plan simply involves identifying the areas of stress in an individual’s life. Taking an objective look at circumstances and situations that may seem unmanageable, can be a helpful first step in dealing with stress.

Once the areas that are causing the most stress have been identified, a plan to reduce the level of stress produced by each situation can begin to be formulated.

Often situations which create a large amount of stress can be eliminated completely. For those stressors which cannot be entirely eliminated, a plan to better manage the situation, so that the amount of stress produced is decreased significantly, is often helpful in relieving the overall amount of stress the person is feeling.

One of the most common sources of stress, for many people, is the habit that they have of not setting healthy limits on the amount of commitments they enter into.

When you overextend yourself it creates undue stress, and generally leads to exhaustion, burn out, and inevitably, “failure” to fulfill many of ones obligations. This “failure” is often perceived by the individual as a personal “failure”, creating feelings of guilt, shame and poor self-esteem; feelings which inevitably contribute to the amount of stress the person experiences.

An individual who has a tendency to over-commit may also be driven by a desire to “prove” themselves, or to “live up to” a certain standard which they have imposed upon themselves.

Having rigid ideas about ’success” and “failure” and demanding too much of oneself, contributes to the overall stress in the person’s life. Many times an individual has such a deep fear of failure, or a desperate need to “live up” that they refuse to set limits on their time, until health problems or other life events force them to do so.

If an individual has a difficult time making necessary changes in their routine, or setting healthy limits for themselves, underlying causes of the behavior should be addressed. Consider what constitutes ’success” and “failure.” How can ones point of view be altered, to allow some relief from the “rigid taskmaster” of self?

What limits can be set comfortably? What obligations and commitments can be let go of? Simple questions such as these can go a long way toward helping identify the sources of stress, and creating a plan to reduce the affects of stress that stress a person’s life.

Natural Ways To Deal with Depression

Depression is a medical condition that can be mentally and emotionally draining.  Those who have depression with dangerous and deadly thoughts, such as suicide, are urged to speak with a medical professional immediately.  However, if you only find yourself feeling down or depressed on occasion, you may want to examine natural remedies.

As with many other medical issues and complications, a healthy diet is a great way to manage or treat depression.  A well balanced diet is the key to staying happy and healthy, especially where depression is concerned.  All individuals are encouraged to drink water and consume a good number of fruits and vegetables each and every day.  In fact, there are a number of natural remedies and home remedies for depression that are based on healthy foods.

Receiving the proper amount of vitamin B can also help those suffering from depression. Foods that are recommended include eggs, green vegetables, whole grain foods, apples, and fish.  As ideal as it is to naturally receive vitamin B from foods, you may also want to consider natural vitamin B supplements, as they are a quick and effective way to help with depression.

Rose petals can also be used to help an individual, such as yourself, manage or treat depression.  When using this natural remedy for depression, take a small number of rose petals and mix them in boiling water.  Once cooled, drink the mixture.  Another optional step involves mixing in a small amount of sugar or stevia.  This can help with those who have taste preferences.  Natural, herbal teas are another great alternative.

Another natural, yet alternative way to treat or manage depression is to use mediation.  Meditation and relaxation are two proven successful ways to cope with depression.  For many individuals, sitting in a quiet room with their legs crossed, simply inhaling and exhaling is enough.  For others, they choose to first learn the proper ways to relax and meditate.

In keeping with relaxation, a relaxing bath is another way to help manage depression.  Although a bath may not provide permanent relief, it is a step that should still be taken.  When using a bath to manage depression, many recommend a warm water bath, as well as the addition of natural immersion.  For the best chance of relaxation, baths should be taken in a quite room that is not fully lit, as excessive lighting and noise can hinder one’s ability to relax. A Sacred Glo candle is perfect lighting for a nice relaxing bath without too much light.

The above mentioned natural remedies are just a few of the many that you may want to try if you find yourself depressed.  These home remedies can also be recommended to any close friends or family members that you know.  With that in mind, as previously stated, it is important to remember that depression can also be chronic.  This is when professional assistance should be sought.

Use Positive Thinking In The New Year

“Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in experience and achievement.” ~Edward Rickenbacker

Believe it or not what a man thinks, he ultimately becomes.  This is what makes the power of positive thinking so important. Positive thinking is a mental attitude that declares to the mind thoughts, words and images that are advantageous to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.

The benefits of positive thinking and positive attitude are well documented. Researchers of Positive Psychology find that people with positive attitudes are happier, healthier, and live longer than those with negatives attitudes and habitual negative thinking.

If you’re a person whose first thoughts about the meaning of something that’s happened are negative thoughts, be encouraged by the knowledge that the first step toward a positive attitude and positive thinking is to simply think another thought. Thoughts are under your control. Your pessimistic way of thinking is habit; habits can be changed.
Learning to use positive affirmations will help, as will sharpening your awareness to nip negative thinking in the bud before it escalates. Learning to question and re-structure your thinking when it turns negative will help you think positively more often and stay that way.

It is important to note the positive thinking does not mean that you walk around wearing rose colored glasses. The bottom line is that reality happens. However, how you choose to handle it can come from a positive mindset.

As you go forward with this New Year, focus on developing your mind to have a more positive progressive mindset. You can become a better you just by the way you think.

Relieving Stress Through Daily Meditation

The daily affliction of stress in our society is nothing short of an epidemic. Forget the flu; this epidemic can take you out of commission for a lot longer than 72 hours. Suffering from the weight of stress is more than just mental exhaustion. It has real physical signs and symptoms, and often leaves your emotions in tatters. It is the frequently undiagnosed cause of many health problems.

Fortunately, there are many ways to release that stress, almost as many as there are stressors themselves. Finding an appropriate outlet for your daily dose of stress is important and can save lots of heartache as life goes on.

Becoming more popular as a stress relieving method is meditation. The simple beauty of this practice is that it takes no money, very little space (you can meditate anywhere) and has dramatic results. All it takes is a small time commitment and a dedication to feeling better.

Stress release from meditation is achievable both in the very short term and long term. True believers promise you can see and feel the difference in yourself from the very first session. Practicing meditation takes only 15 to 30 minutes daily, and can be done wherever you happen to find yourself when you have that time available.

Here’s how to begin:  Sit comfortably, preferably cross-legged on the floor if it is convenient. Then, concentrate on your breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Listen to yourself breathe; make it become the only thing that it exists. Through this, free your mind. Push all thoughts aside until your mind is clear. That clarity will take you to the next level.

Relax your muscles slowly, starting with your feet and toes. Picture each muscle as it relaxes. Work your way up your legs, to your torso, arms and finally your face. Used your relaxed state to go deeper inside yourself, and keep that breathing regular.

By practicing meditation for stress release, your blood pressure is decreased, your body uses the oxygen in your blood more efficiently and you produce less adrenaline. Your brain will function with much more clarity, allowing you to think and contemplate situations rather than simply react based on adrenaline.

Meditation has no cost associated with it, but some people do use aromatherapy in their practice. Experiment and see what works best for you, and start reaping the benefits!

Simple Yoga

Finding new ways to relieve stress is important to our complete well-being. Releasing daily stress is a way to find calmness within the body and serenity within the soul.

Meditating, aromatherapy and writing in a journal can all soothe the mind directly;  yet are difficult for some people to adapt to. You will also discover that there are ways to work on the mind through the body.

Our bodies are our log books, storing and imprinting all of life’s information in the way we center ourselves, breathe and move. Listening to the body, experts say, is really listening to the mind and the soul.

When it comes to working on the body and mind connect, yoga is one of those great stress relieving methods. Despite popular belief, yoga does always involve turning yourself into a pretzel. There are simple moves you can use that are not body-strenuous; but still provide the calm, often referred to as active relaxation.

Here are a couple of simple moves to get you started. Before doing any of these positions, warm up your muscles with simple stretching.

Supported Bridge Pose
Place a couch pillow (or a folded blanket) in the center of your mat or floor and lie on them so they support the length of your spine. Slide off the end until your head and shoulders are touching the floor. Rest your arms to the floor, palms up. Fold your legs under cross-style. Hold this pose for 5 minutes and release.

Extended Triangle Pose
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides. Inhale, and raise both arms parallel to your shoulders. Exhale, slowly turning your torso to the left. Bend at the waist, and bring your right hand down to the left ankle. Hold for several minutes. Repeat with the other side. The key here are S-L-O-W movements; remember to breathe deeply.

Seated Forward Bend
Sit on the floor, supporting your bottom with a couch pillow or folded blanket, and your legs stretched out in front of you. Press with your heels. Now lean slowly onto your left buttock ad hold for a few seconds Repeat with the other side. The press your thighs and palms to the floor and lift slightly, turning your head upwards.

These poses are designed to relieve tension, stress, alleviate mild depression and provide peace. Try them daily, to see if this might be your perfect way to achieve your own sacred serenity.

Dangers of Stress

Recent research suggests that anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of illness is stress-related.

Stress is a normal part of life. When your feet hit the floor in the morning, stress starts. That is expected because your body is no longer in the rest phase. However, there is a level when stress can become deadly.

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand, be it physical, mental, or emotional. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. When people experience stress by something going on around them, their bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood. These chemicals give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger. But this can also be a bad thing, if their stress is in response to something emotional or mental and there is no outlet for this extra energy and strength.

Although some stress is good this is not true in most cases.

There are different types of stress like survival stress where you are in a “fight or flight” situation and have to respond to potential danger. Then there is internal stress where you worry so much that you cause more stress on your body than need be. This often happens when we worry about things we can’t control or put ourselves in situations we know will cause us stress. You also have Environmental Stress where your body response to things around you that cause stress, such as noise, crowding, and pressure from work or family. And finally you have stress that comes from being Fatigued and Overworked.

Fatigue and Overworked Stress builds up over a long time and can take a hard toll on your body. It can be caused by working too much or too hard or by not knowing how to manage your time well or how to take time out for rest and relaxation.

People under large amounts of stress can become tired, sick, and unable to concentrate or think clearly. Sometimes, they even suffer mental breakdowns.

If you are suffering from extreme stress or long-term stress, your body will eventually wear itself down. You will find that many illnesses that have a direct correlation with stress. Such as…

• Chronic pain
• Migraines
• Ulcers
• Heartburn
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• PMS
• Obesity
• Infertility
• Autoimmune diseases
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Skin problems
• High blood pressure

Understanding your stress level is important. There is a delicate balance to this stress being good or bad. If nothing in your life causes you any stress or excitement, you may become bored or may not be living up to your potential. If you have no passion, drive, or determination, which all cause a lever of stress you may be living without purpose. On-the-other-hand, if everything in your life, or large portions of your life, cause you stress, you may experience health or mental problems that will make your behavior worse.

Recognizing when you are stressed and managing your stress can greatly improve your life.

One of the best things you can do to relax and relieve stress is take time to enjoy. The Sacred Glo candle is a great way to relax and enjoy the moments. You can learn more about this wonderfully unique candle by visiting the Sacred Glo main site.

You owe it to yourself to live a life that is stress-free.