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.

Three ways to take care of YOU!

When your life seems out of control and you’ve got endless demands tugging at you from all directions, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, fatigued – and just plain stressed!

Believe it or not, balancing your life does not require massive changes. You don’t have to quit your job, abandon your family and escape to a remote retreat in order to feel peaceful and happy. In fact, true balance is something that starts WITHIN YOU first and foremost – no matter what else is happening in your outer life circumstances.

Below you’ll find three simple ways to begin building a greater sense of inner peace and harmony:

1) Quiet time.

One of the first things we tend to sacrifice when we’re busy is our personal time. Instead we devote all of our energy and attention to caring for others, multi-tasking, meeting responsibilities and “being productive.” Over time this depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities.

To live a more balanced life, quiet time to yourself is CRUCIAL. You may believe that you don’t have any time available for yourself, but something amazing happens when you consistently MAKE time; you find yourself feeling happier and more energetic, your focus improves – and you still get plenty done! Just a few minutes spent sitting quietly in meditation, prayer, or reading a book can do wonders in transforming stress into peace and happiness.

During your quiet time you can light a Sacred Glo candle and allow the scent to take you to moments of serenity!

2) Self-care.

Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are other ways to nurture and love yourself on a daily basis. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep (or as much as you personally need) is a great start, as well as eating nutritious food, exercising daily and speaking kindly to yourself.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re really tired or stressed, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? On the other hand, when you’re feeling well-rested and centered, you’re much better able to handle upsets. Caring for yourself is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy, inner peace and joy – which means you’ll have the strength to handle whatever comes your way.

Make Sacred Glo a part of your daily self-care regimen. All of our products are certified natural and good for your mind, body, and spirit. With scents like Citrus Burst, Blackberry Surpreme, and our ever popular Almond Glo you will find yourself in a moment of total relaxation. Our complete line of bath and body products is perfect for a day of self-care!

3) Flexibility.

Did you know that one of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We all do it from time to time; get a mental picture of how our lives ’should be” – and get really annoyed when our outer circumstances don’t cooperate! One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind. In other words, learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow.

When you have a flexible mind-set, you’re able to deal with crises and problems much more easily because you’re not working against a preconceived notion of how things ’should be”. You’re able to tap into your creative problem-solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and frustration. Be like the tree that bends with the breeze – and you’re much less likely to break!

These inner changes can make a dramatic difference in your state of well-being, but you may also want to examine your outer life circumstances; and see if there are other small changes you can make to help support your inner work.

For example, you might choose to let go of certain obligations that are no longer meaningful or enjoyable to you. Just because you agreed to host weekly meetings for a support group three years ago doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it forever – especially if it’s become a drain on your time and energy!

Be willing to let go of activities that no longer complement the lifestyle you desire, and you’ll create a space for greater fulfillment, joy and peace.

Using Sounds of Nature to Complete Your Spa Environment

We are all aware of the physical, emotional and mental ramifications of stress in our lives, especially in today’s economic environment.

It has never been more important than right now to find a bit of peace and serenity, to make a place in our minds and hearts where we can wash away daily stressors and become one with our soul again.

Creating a spa environment at home is quite a personal experience. Everyone’s living spaces are as different as they are, but there are a few common grounds we can explore to get there.

Of course, the first step is to make yourself a private area in your home where you can lock out the world for at least 30 minutes at a time. It should be uncluttered, quiet and unfettered.

Using aromatherapy is essential here to creating the perfect spa environment. Scented candles, bath salts with essential oils, even essential oil placed on sachets around the room are enough to layer your favorite soothing scent around you.

Background sound is also critical to completing your at-home spa space. While music from your favorite artist might be pleasing, it’s not really going to contribute to your relaxing environment. Calming sounds of nature, such as gentle rain or ocean waves, is like nature’s lullaby, especially when paired with soft acoustic melodies from a guitar, harp, flute or piano. This is a cleansing sound that washes over you, and induces feelings of coziness and security.

Jungle sounds from the rain forest, with wildlife noises and trees rustling have a slower tempo and can help you ease into a meditative state of calm. The rhythm controls breathing and heart rate, stabilizing blood pressure and reducing your stress level.

Add in sounds of thunder crashing and wind through the trees in a storm and you will find yourself in a happier, more secure state. Often viewed as white noise by listeners, sounds of the storm can mesmerize you and lull you into serenity.

Nature sounds CDs are relatively inexpensive, usually under $10, and can be found in many places, even the corner drugstore. It’s a worthwhile investment in the soul’s health and well being.

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!

Laugh for Health

When was the last time you had yourself a really good laugh?

I’m talking the kind of laugh where your ribs are sore after, you can’t catch your breath, and there are tears streaking your mascara. If you can’t remember, then you are missing out on a number of holistic benefits for mind and body.

A good belly laugh does more than just tickle your funny bone. It relieves stress both mentally, with its release, and physiologically, by reducing at least four of the hormones associated with stress response (epinephrine, cortisol, growth hormone and dopamine).

And while an uncontrollable giggle relaxes the muscles in your body, it tightens the ones in your abdomen, sort of like an internal jog, circulating oxygen more efficiently and providing a bit of cardiac conditioning. This also helps to lower pressure naturally.

Lungs also get a good workout from laughter; when you laugh, you expel more air than you take in, resulting in a cleansing effect. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as emphysema will get the same benefits from laughter as they do from doctor-prescribed deep breathing exercises.

Mirthful laughter also boosts your immune system by activating your T-lymphocyte cells and antibodies, which attack viruses and other harmful intruders. And, on top of all of these benefits, one good belly laugh releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, proven to help alleviate muscle aches and pain associated with arthritis.

Nothing funny about your life right now? Here are a couple of tips to get you in the mood:

•    Watch a funny movie.
•    Get together with a close friend to reminisce about the good times.
•    Have a favorite comedian, like George Carlin or Lewis Black? Rent yourself a stand-up DVD and just let go.
•    Go see a local pee-wee football or soccer game … those little guys are sure to get you giggling.
•    Log on at jokeoftheday.com – indulge in some mindless whimsy!

And the best part about letting go and laughing until you roll on the floor? It’s free. And has no side effects!

The Importance of Bedroom Decor

Even though it is the room we spend most of our time in, the bedroom is usually the last place we decorate.

And yet we look to our bedroom as a haven for relaxation, for calm and for sensual energy, but are we actually taking steps to insure that?

Providing the right kind of atmosphere for relaxation in your bedroom can be achieved through a few simple decorating changes, like color and lighting and how furniture is positioned throughout your space.

Many of these principles follow feng shui, a centuries-old philosophy that incorporates harmony and peace into a living space to control the flow of energy that surrounds you.

Think of your bedroom as a blank canvas, and start with the walls. These background colors are very important in controlling your emotions and mood, and calm earth tones are highly recommended. Tans, browns, rust, and hues of off-white can accomplish this nicely. Light shades of blues and greens are also cool and relaxing.

Your bed should be accessible from either side, experts say, to reduce stress. Also, end tables need to be on each side of the bed to keep balance. Never allow your bed to sit on the floor, or directly under a window. Also, do not place your bed directly in view of the doorway. Angle it instead so that you can see the door.

Get rid of televisions, computers and exercise equipment! Your bedroom is for relaxing. These things unconsciously raise your stress level. Also, avoid clutter, since it traps positive energy from flowing.

Lighting is perhaps one of the most critical components here. Your bedroom should have a dimmer, and when at all possible use candles to light the room, as long as they are toxin-free. Sacred Glo’s lotion candles offer a wonderful opportunity to provide relaxed toxin-free lighting and poetic aromatherapy into your bedroom haven. Paraffin wax-free with all cotton wicks and the finest natural ingredients, Sacred Glo’s handmade creations bring the calm right to your bedroom.

Making your bedroom a relaxing environment will not only reduce stress, but provide a better, fuller sleep to leave you refreshed for the next day. Carpe diem!

Gardening For Serenity

With the busy traffic of our lives, it is often difficult to clear the clutter of racing thoughts from our mind, and a find a bit of daily serenity. One way to quickly restore the five senses and provide a great stimulus to both mind and body is gardening.

Gardening for relaxation can provide a road to inner peace. The sights and smells of a garden in full bloom provide the soul with a sense of accomplishment; it’s hard to ignore the wonder of life when you have created it with your own hands all around you.

No matter how small your space – even if it is simply a windowsill – developing a green thumb is a relaxing and healthy pursuit. It keeps you in touch with nature, and gets you out of the house for a bit of physical activity. Cultivating your own little space of natural beauty provides the soothing, healing color of green to calm your stress and holistically help to reduce blood pressure. You body will also release endorphins, elevating mood.

And in your serene little garden, clean oxygen is being produced every minute by the plants you have grown. Imagine how relaxing filling your lungs with fresh air is, knowing you helped create it! Being outside even for short stints allows you to reap the mood-enhancing benefits of the sun’s Vitamin D.

In life we do reap what we sow, and making a time investment in growing a little garden is worthwhile, for it gives back exponentially. It also teaches us the fine art of patience and solitude; and opens up a space where we can escape the concrete jungle of our daily lives and find a brief respite.

Sense of self, sense of pride, and sense of life through the pursuit of gardening can lead also to a sense of serenity and peace. And achieving this will give us back the balance that stress takes away.

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.

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 and candles in their practice. Experiment and see what works best for you, and start reaping the benefits!

Create a lavender haven

Finding pathways to relaxation may not just be important to your sanity, it may be crucial to your physical health and wellbeing. And creating a small haven for yourself once a day, far from the madding crowd, is actually quite simple. It’s as easy as shutting the door, closing out the world for 30 minutes, and surrounding yourself with lavender.

The health benefits of lavender essential oil are many. Its name comes from the Latin “lavare” meaning “to wash,” for its clean aroma. That aroma has long been celebrated for its curious ability to remove nervous tension and ease anxiety. Inhalation of lavender aromatherapy preparations is also connected to reducing pain and body aches, an unfortunate byproduct of stress. It can also help with headache and migraine symptoms like nausea and light sensitivity.

In women, it helps restore hormonal balance, promotes stable mood and increases mental capacity and clarity. A natural sleep aid, lavender’s light aroma is often used for the treatment of insomnia.

But did you know? Simply smelling lavender enhances blood circulation and reduces inflammation and workload in the lungs, helping you breathe better. No wonder holistic medicine practitioners have been using lavender essential oil for years to treat asthma, sinus problems, cold and even flu!

SacredGlo’s Sacred Clarity lotion candles contain a beautiful lavender essential oil blend, and are a fantastic way to jump-start your journey to wellbeing. Here are some other suggestions to create your lavender haven:

Make a 30-minute rule with your family: “This is my time.” No phone, no TV, no interruptions.

Find an area in your home, such as your bedroom or bathroom, where you can close the door and be alone.
Light several lavender-scented candles.

Take a warm, relaxing bath and add a few drops of Sacredglo’s Lavender oil blend to the water.

Rub some lavender into a warm washcloth, and drape over your eyes

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