Saturday, October 24, 2009

10 Tips to Beat Stress

These 10 simple lifestyle changes help to cope with stress. These tips are easy to implement but effective.

1. You need to exercise regularly to increase energy levels and improve your moods. Exercise produces endorphins, which make you feel great.
2. Meditation is a great way to start your day. Sit quietly and focus on your breathing. Try not to think about anything but do not stress if things pop into your thoughts. Relax for about twenty minutes and you will be ready for anything the day has in store.
3. Start a gratitude journal and write in it every day. Write down things that make you feel grateful. Try to add new things every day but do not stress over it if you feel stuck. The point is to notice and be grateful for the good things in your life.
4. Eight hours sleep each night, preferably at the same time each night is the best way to feel energised. Too much or too little sleep can make you feel exhausted.
5. Take up a hobby. If you feel stressed, something like knitting is very relaxing. Find something that interests you and look into it.
6. Volunteer to help others. When you help others, it makes you feel good.
7. Set yourself a target and break it into simple goals. As you reach each goal, mark it off on a progress chart. You will feel like you are achieving something and it will encourage you to keep progressing. Every time you need a boost, check out your progress chart.
8. Multi tasking is not good for your health or for your enjoyment. Concentrate on one task at a time and get right into it. Get completely involved and enjoy the task. Enjoy every moment of your day and your quality of life and your moods will improve.
9. Confront your problems as they come up. Do not let a problem fester inside you. Often your problems are a lot easier to solve than you expect so get them sorted and out of the way.
10. Comfort foods really do comfort you. Complex carbohydrates help your body to release serotonin and improve your mood. Do not be afraid to indulge occasionally.

Naturally The Best is Wendy Streater's blog devoted to healthy living. Have a look at http://naturallythebest.info.

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Learning Meditation Part 2

Relaxation Through Meditation

My preference would be to call meditation relaxation – conscious relaxation, chosen

relaxation. These are words that are more universally understood, more comfortable.

Constantly working toward the goal of discovering my own ability to reach a state of

serenity, I have learned to meditate.

Meditating is actually easier than you might imagine. Most of us have dabbled in meditation

by participating in conscious relaxation. Maybe during an exercise class or to manage pain

at the dentist or anxiety before a test. We start by paying attention to our breathing. The

practical effort to focus completely on our breathing takes our minds away from the "mind

clutter" that constantly tries to invade our mind and eliminate feelings that will lead to a

time of calm. With repeated effort the goal of clearing your mind – to think of nothing,

does occur and the process of meditation takes on its own energy. The result is, and I

guarantee this, peace, serenity, calmness, eventually opening yourself to new insights.

Meditating for Life

Too much stress, stress reduction, chill out, let it go, detach – familiar phrases to all of

us. Our world is fast, fun and exciting. It is also challenging, trying, demanding and

frightening. These two sides of our lives produce stress, emotional reactions, anxiety,

worry and anticipation. Our bodies and minds can tolerate only so much of any of these.

After a while, each of us reaches a saturation point and the results become uncomfortable at

best; for some it may be unbearable, even unendurable.

No magic pill is available to eliminate these feelings. The reality is, as the wise old man

said, the answer is inside all of us. To manage these universal concerns we must go inside

ourselves. Among the steps we can take is the learning and practicing of meditation.

What to Expect

With time and faith in the commitment to practice frequently, (daily meditating is ideal),

during your meditation time you may "leave the moment." A feeling of separation exists where

the mind is clear, clean and blank. You will still hear sounds around you, but they will not

interfere with your meditation.

Sometimes you may weep -- you may not even be aware of what is making you weep. It is your

own emotions having a voice of their own. Sometimes you may feel a smile across your face --

that is contentment showing itself. Sometimes you may fall asleep and awaken truly

refreshed.

There is no right or wrong behavior during your meditation. It is your time for you.

Everyone deserves this kind of personal attention. This is a self-care activity; loving

oneself! Teach it to your children instead of a time-out in their room or corner. Teach it

to your friends, family, anyone who will listen. We can share this gift and get back as we

give. We are all better because of each person who meditates. The peace and joy felt by

those who meditate enters the world for all of us as positive energy. From it the world is a

better place. Imagine if we all practiced meditation!

Learning Meditation Part 1

Welcome to Learning Meditation. I hesitate to use the word meditation. To me, as well as

many others, the word "meditation" conjures up the picture of a bearded man sitting cross-

legged in front of an entrance to a cave or high on a mountain top. Climbing the mountain

and reaching him is part of the arduous journey toward self-fulfillment, self-improvement.

Once we find him we ask, "What is the meaning of life?" or "How do we achieve peace in

ourselves and our lives?" This all-knowing man tells us the answers are "inside ourselves"

and tells us to go and contemplate. I don't know if that answer was worth the journey!

Well, I am

not a wise man on a mountain. I am just like you -- involved in life and work,

seeking more serenity and calm in my life. I am still learning to do it better, using

meditation as a guide on my journey. I invite you to take this journey yourselves. I invite

you to use meditation to find the answers to your questions.

Friday, May 22, 2009

How to Relax Your Mind in Seconds

More and more people are tired of being stressed and are desperately searching for answers on how to relax. This world keeps speeding up and the only way to find balance and peace again is to reconnect with our existence. Our existence offers us everything, and if you want to see peace and happiness within yourself you have to learn how to relax your mind. Depending on how fast paced your reality is, slowing down might take some well disciplined practice. This practice will benefit you in ways that you won't even realize at first but you are sure to notice something different right away.

Relaxation is our natural state of being, and it promotes good mental and physical health. It increases the functioning of the immune system as well as the digestive and respiratory system. It will improve your relationship with yourself and thus with others.

Firstly, to relax right now you need to breathe. I realize that you are already breathing as of this moment, but how are you doing it? Where are you breathing from? Is your breath shallow and fast or deep and slow? The idea is to become aware of your breath by getting into a slow deep rhythmic flow breathing from your energy center, which is located right below your naval. You can even put your hand right below your belly button and feel your lower abdominal going up and down. Breathe in and out with your nose and simply focus on your being. Become aware of your body and release any tension that you feel. This is ultimately the answer on how to relax your mind in seconds.

The next best way to relax quickly is to find yourself some good meditation music and just continue to focus on your breathe. There have been some great advances in technology as far as meditation audio and I would highly recommend something called bin-aural harmonics. When you listen to these meditative sounds through headphones it creates a slightly different tone in each ear. There is then a third beat that our brain creates from listening to these slightly differing tones which is called a bin-aural beat. The bin-aural harmonics help our two brain hemispheres become in syncs, allowing us to reach an instant relaxation state. If you are looking for how to relax your mind in seconds, this is a very fast, efficient and successful method of doing so.

How to Relax

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Your health is your responsibility. Stress can have a negative consequence on your health and relationships. The best way to stay healthy and happy is to learn how to relax.

Steps

Think positively. Focus on the beauty in everything.
Avoid people that are constantly complaining or angry. Stress can be contagious, so avoid transmitters. Understand that there is always a solution to a problem.
Avoid toxic people. Spend less time with people who try to guilt you into doing things or tell you that you're not good enough. Yes, even if they're family.
Stop feeling guilty. Guilt is a potent source of stress. Get rid of the source of guilt by behaving yourself; stop engaging in behaviors that make you feel guilty. Seek professional help, if necessary, but don't allow destructive behavior to escalate and sabotage your life and health.
Learn to prioritize. Make a list of tasks for the day. Organize the list by importance. Learn to be proactive and take care of things before they become a big problem. Time spent more productively means more free time to relax.
Make healthy food choices.
- Avoid excessive sugar found in granola bars, pastries or soda. Carbohydrates, such as pasta, convert easily to sugar. These can cause severe ups and downs and agitation, upsetting your body's ability to efficiently utilize energy.
- Avoid excessive coffee. Instead of regular coffee, switch to decaf or an herbal tea with little or no caffeine. Warm water will help you to relax.
- Eat fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are free of refined sugar, such as apples, grapes, carrots, broccoli, brown rice or whole grain breads.
- Eat plenty of low-calorie protein, such as chicken, fish, whole grains, legumes, dark leafy vegetables or low-fat dairy. These proteins are a better source of energy.
- Take a multi-vitamin. Some vitamins relieve stress.
Exercise every day. This is the best known, scientifically proven way to significantly reduce stress. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to overcome stress if you exercise regularly.
- Try at least thirty minutes per day of moderate activity.
- Walk in the park, woods or on a treadmill.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Park a little further away from the entrance of a store.
- Ride a bike.
- Go swimming. Try your local pool, a nearby lake or a friend or relative's home.
- Increase your activity, once you've built endurance, if desired.
- You don't need to work out like a body builder or celebrity.
Find a quiet place when you are feeling overwhelmed.
- Draw a warm bath. Light candles around the tub, dim the lights, add bubbles or lavender, if desired.
- Lay on your bed or sofa. Play some soft music or nature CDs. Relax listening to ocean waves, waterfalls or birds.
- Read a good book. Curl up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of chamomile tea.
- Imagine a personal paradise. Close your eyes and envision a different setting. What do you see around you? Is there a breeze? What do you hear - birds or water? Imagine the calming sound of ocean waves reaching the shore. Enjoy a moment in your special place.
- Even the stall of a bathroom will work if you have no other place to go.
Download ebooks on relaxation. Use controlled breathing, muscle tensing and relaxing, affirmations (which become your own subliminal messages to your subconscious), and visualization to experience the full impact of total relaxation.
Do yoga. It relaxes your body and clears your mind of the stress and rush of the day.
Practice meditation. Remove all thoughts and emotions from your mind by concentrating on your breathing. It takes a little practice, but is very rewarding. Some Buddhist monks use this practice throughout their lives!
Breathe more slowly. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Inhale deeply, count to five, then exhale slowly, counting to five. Do this ten times to relax your muscles and nerves.
Try a massage. Go to your local spa for a great massage.
Lower your shoulders to help relax. Be more consciously aware of the tension that is quick to accumulate in your shoulders.
Perform self-hypnosis. Focus on something, take a few deep breaths and let yourself become hypnotized. If you have trouble with self-hypnosis, go to a licensed hypnotherapist. Do not allow an amateur to try to hypnotize you. Beware of subliminal messages.
Be calmed by water. Assemble a small fountain in your bedroom or yard. Walk near a beach or lake. The calming sounds of water are very soothing.
Do activities or hobbies that relax you. Get your mind off the things that normally stress you out. You may just need a break every now and then. Go fishing, sew, sing, paint or take photographs.
- Try singing a song using numbers instead of words. This helps to distract you from stress to suddenly relax.
Spend time with your pet. Cuddle or play with your pets. They'll love it and so will you. Talk to your pet about all the stress and anxiety you've been going through and you'll feel a lot better.
Read a book or an article that makes you think. Read about a leader, such as Martin Luther King or Frankl's writings about the mind. Inspirational thoughts can lead to a more positive outlook on life and add new energy.
Work! Although this may sound counteractive to your goal, procrastination never feels as good as having nothing to do. Get it done now and truly relax.
Smile and laugh. Laughter is the best medicine. Rent, buy or see a hilarious movie. This is guaranteed to help. Smiling and laughing releases endorphins, which fights stress, helps to relax and reminds you that life is more than just work. Even if it feels strange at first, make it a point to smile more often.

Tips

As you begin to exclude sugar from your diet, you may continue to crave it and feel agitated. Be strong. After a couple of days, the cravings will subside and you'll begin to feel more calm.
Be confident! Don't give up. Continue with these relaxation techniques. You "can" reduce your stress levels. Just by visiting this site and looking for help, you're already well on your way.

Warnings

Consult your physician if stress is causing serious symptoms, such as headaches, poor appetite or general fatigue.
Thousands of people become unknowingly addicted to drugs and alcohol in times of severe stress. Be strong and prevent this from happening. One of the hardest parts of dealing with stress is recognizing and avoiding temptation.

Related wikiHows

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Relax Your Mind