EQ - Stress handling

Seven strategies to overcome Stress

• Set realistic goal - when you set attainable, healthy goals and write them down, you will stay focused have a high probability of accomplishing them. Put these goals into your computer to flash reminders to you on a regular basis. Visualize attaining these goals each night as you fall asleep and you will maximize your ability to achieve them!
• Positive self-talk - The best way to eradicate those "weeds" that fill the "garden" with healthy grass. Try telling yourself positive, self-enhancing thoughts every time you catch yourself being negative. Try reading motivation quotes, stories, bibles and you'll see!
• Pick an optimistic interpretation of events - finding a silver lining in every dark cloud that comes your way. When you view unfortunate events in your life as temporary and not permanent indicators of a weakness, you can continually ward off the stress of life events. More importantly, an optimistic interpretation of events has been shown to lead to remission of disease and the generation of T-cells, which are critical components of our immune systems! The key here is choice. You always have the choice in how you will see a situation and deal with it.
• Improve your diet and exercise habits - Caffeine is known to increase anxiety. Blueberries are known to enhance brain power and memory. Aerobic exercise (e.g., rapid walking, swimming, jogging, tennis, etc.) produces hormones that counteract stress hormones in our bodies. So, why not eliminate caffeine (coffee, tea, soda), add blueberries to your diet and increase exercise? Everyone can do these simple things. Of course, maintaining ideal weight and keeping fit also eliminate the negative self-talk and resultant stress that arises from looking into the mirror each morning!
• Embrace opportunities for relaxation - So many of us fill our lives with work and parenting responsibilities, that there is no time is allotted for relaxation. One of the best stress busters is regular relaxation breaks. These can range from spontaneous mini-vacations (e.g., weekends), to a relaxing walk in a serene place (e.g., the beach or near a babbling brook), to taking 15 minutes twice a day to meditate right in your office. There are many excellent relaxation tapes, yoga exercises, and visualization/hypnosis tapes on the market. The key to this is to make the time, be sure you will not be interrupted and stick to your plan. Recharging your emotional batteries is healthy and easy to do, as long as you take charge of yourself to allot the time and make relaxation part of your weekly routine.
• Stay close to positive people and influence - find positive, optimistic, successful people to get close to, who will encourage you to move away from your habitual, "inside of the box" ideas. What a breath of fresh air that will feel like to you!
• Search for opportunities for fun and laughter - LAUGHTER alone alleviated his pain and pushed his debilitating disease into permanent remission, a ton of research has shown the immense power of fun and laughter on both our emotions and our bodies. Sadly, the average youngster, age 6, laughs more than 100 times a day, while the average adult laughs about 15 times. We now know that the primary antidote to stress is fun, laughter and engaging our sense of humor. Whether it is reading a joke book, watching a funny movie or sitcom, or using your creativity to lighten up your workplace, bringing fun into your life is immensely important for your health. Endorphins, which override stress hormones and produce a sense of release and calm, are released by the brain every time we laugh or engage in a fun activity. In fact, the immune system is impacted in a powerful way by fun and laughter. Someone once said the "people don't stop laughing and having fun because they get old...they get old because they stop laughing and having fun!" So, by making sure that your life includes frequent episodes of laughing and looking at the funny side of events that take place in your life, and in the world...you will surely add life to your years and years to your life!