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. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Streater

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.