If your teeth are clenched and your fists are clenched, your lifespan is probably clenched. ~Terri Guillemets

Today’s life is full of headaches, deadlines, hassles, obligations, frustrating people, traffic and a slew of other things that can bring on unwanted stress. However, if you don’t handle it properly and work at relieving stress you can shorten your lifespan or have a number of health issues because of it.

Here are a few of the health issues that can be brought on by stress:
~Heart disease
~Depression
~Weight Gain
~Weight Loss
~Digestive problems
~Skin problems
~Sleep problems
~Autoimmune diseases

Work on stress relief so you can live a long healthy life!

Welcome back!

Exercise is one of the best stress management tools accessible to you.
Though, many won’t make the time or fit it into their schedules-not realizing if they exercised for even twenty minutes they’d be able to function more efficiently and actually be able to save time and be stress free to boot!

Exercise releases beta endorphins that actually counteract the effects of stress in the body-it signals the body that the danger (stress) is gone and the body can begin to relax.

You don’t have to go out and join a gym or run a marathon right away to feel the stress relieving benefits of exercise. Find something you enjoy and can do easily without added stress.

Walking-it’s fun, it’s easy and gives you a chance to get out in the fresh air. You can walk alone and spend time in thought, prayer or grab a friend and make a social event of it.
Bicycling-there’s something about the wind in your hair and the breeze hitting you that is exhilarating and refreshing. Find a bike path or go to a park or hit the bike trails and enjoy.
Yoga-some quiet time to build your coordination, flexibility, circulation, posture, strength and complete body conditioning and de-stress at the same time.
Swimming-if you love the water or want something you can do that’s easy on the joints, muscles and bones try swimming.
Dance-dance at home or go out dancing with your friends or significant other. Get those feet moving and enjoy the music!
Running/Jogging-no, you don’t need to go run a marathon immediately-but do get those running shoes on and take an invigorating run. Enjoy the sounds and scenery as you go (yes, you can run and enjoy it without constantly being plugged into your ipod)-brings you closer to the environment around you.

Whatever form of exercise you enjoy, make time to do it!

The benefits of exercising are countless but here’s a few:
~Improved ability to manage and deal with stress
~Decrease in the effects of stress
~Increased energy
~Improved self-esteem and self-image
~Improved quality of sleep
~Decrease in body fat
~Strengthening of your immune system
~Improved heart & lung efficiency
~Decreased risk of developing heart or lung disease
~Reduced blood pressure
~Reduced cholesterol levels

So, what are you waiting for?
Get up and get exercising and reap all the wonderful benefits!

This is a Program That Will Equip Anyone With The Ability To Manage Their Time So Effectively, It Will Seem As Though You’ve Literally Created More Hours In Day

Do you feel that you can never get things done simply because you just don’t have the time?

Do you often wonder where the hours in the day go as you realize that yet another project was either delayed or not even started?

Are you having trouble taking action to achieve goals that you know would enrich your life because right now you’re trapped in a time frenzy?

If you answered yes to any one of these questions, don’t worry because you’re not the first person who has experienced these feelings and you certainly won’t be the last.

Time is the only thing that each and every person on the earth is equally equipped with.

No One Can Create Any More Time In Their Day Than Anyone Else… It’s What You Do With Your Time Will Separate You From Everyone Else

With the new “Time Frenzy” program, you become the master of time rather than allowing time to control you.

How Laughter Yoga Reduces Mental stress
compliments of http://www.laughteryoga.org

Our breathing is connected to our state of mind. It is apparent that the state of mind directly affects breathing. When in a stressful emotional state or turmoil, the breathing pattern alters drastically. It becomes faster, shallow and irregular. Sometimes people even hold their breath under stress which leads to an accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood.

Mental stress occurs due to arousal of sympathetic branch of over autonomic nervous system which is very sensitive to carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Laughter Yoga provides an excellent cardiac workout and triggers a breathing pattern that offers significant respiratory benefits. It lowers the amount of residual air in the lungs, replacing it with oxygen-rich air. This reduces the level of carbon dioxide in the lungs and prevents the stress arousal system.

Diaphragmatic breathing

The best way to reduce mental stress is to activate parasympathetic system which is opposite of sympathetic system. This can be done by changing the way we breathe. If we can learn to breathe from the diaphragm mental stress can not occur even if you have stressful thoughts in the mind. You body simply will not react to stressful thoughts.

The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscular partition between the chest and the abdomen. It plays an important role in the most vital function of respiration. During inhalation the diaphragm contracts and pulls down to make a space for expansion of lungs and during exhalation it relaxes and pushes the lungs to facilitate exhalation.

By shifting the breathing pattern from shallow to deep diaphragmatic breathing, it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which is the cooling branch of the autonomic nervous system and is the opposite of the sympathetic stress arousal system. This scientific phenomenon coupled with ancient yogic wisdom of breathing makes this concept a unique exercise regime to loosen stress and relieve anxiety.

One of the prime objectives of Laughter Yoga is to learn how to move the diaphragm and shift the awareness of breathing from the chest to the deep abdominal breathing. With the movement of the diaphragm we can bring our emotions under conscious control.

Imagine, Life Without Stress, Without Anxiety:
A Life Enriched With Freedom.

Can you imagine what it feels like?

Can you imagine having the power to undo stress and silence anxiety?

Can you imagine losing body fat just because you feel better?

Can you imagine living an intuitive life with a heightened state of Awareness that leaves you impervious to outside influences?

Can you imagine what it would feel like to be the Master of your life?

…the answers are in this program. The answer is
TOTAL BLISS.

If you can spare just 30 minutes of your day(can you afford not to spend 30 mins. taking care of yourself!?), than you can begin to experience a transformation that will permanently eliminate Stress & Anxiety from your life. The total Bliss Stress Reduction Program is a 6 Module Audio Course that will show you how to:
Eliminate the annoying effects of stress so you can lose weight, have more energy, be happier, and make more money!
Increase your level of Self-Awareness so you can build on your strengths and get rid of any weaknesses.
STOP letting other people push you around and learn how you can get others to do what you wish.
Increase your metabolic rate causing you to lose that unwanted weight and increase your energy levels.
Sharpen your mind and access heightened creativity levels that are within you.
Discover how you can strengthen your relationships with your family and loved ones.
Discover how to use Yoga and simple exercises to reduce all stress and reach a deeper sense of relaxation at any time in your day.

The Body Scan is a very popular relaxation technique.
You do a mental scan of your body from head to toes searching for any tension and make a conscious effort to release that tension.
Doing a body scan is a great way to unwind or calm down after any stressful event as well as a preventive measure to maintain a stress free, tension free body.

There are different ways to do body scans, try them and do what works best for you.

One technique is to tense each body part in turn from head to toes and then relax each part as you go. Another way is to visual the tension being released from each body part and not physically tensing the parts.

Simply lie down on a firm surface.
Feel your head, shoulders, back and hips settling into the surface.
Relax your arms, hands, thighs, calves and feet, allowing your feet to fall open away from each other.
Focus on your feet, are the relaxed or do you feel any tension? Release any tension or strain, taking focused breaths while doing this.
Wait a few moments.
Move on, feel from your ankles to your knees…are your lower legs tense or relaxed? If any tension or strain exists, release it, taking focused breaths while doing so.
Wait a few moments.
Move on, do the same process for your thighs and upper legs and hips.
Move to stomach and buttocks, then to ribs, chest, spine and back again repeating the process.
Then work your way to shoulders and back repeating the process. (Many people ‘hold’ stress and tension in shoulders, so take special notice to anything you feel there and release it).
Next you’ll move to hands, arms, shoulders feeling for any tension or stress and releasing it.
Finally end with paying attention to any facial or head stress or tension. Just relax and breathe.
Lie still for a few moments and savor and take in the feeling of total relaxation.

Do a body scan as mentioned above, when you’re feeling tension or need to unwind.
Do it weekly as a preventative measure to keep your body free of stress.

As previously mentioned, media is everywhere and you can overload on it.

You should disconnect from all forms of media every day…even for only 30 mins (longer could be better) but try to disconnect for at least 30 minutes a day.

That means no emails, tv, internet, movies, dvd’s, news, etc.

Go outside, meditate, exercise, play with your kids or pets….just stay away from media outlets. Clear your mind of all the media overload you can encounter during the day and just relax and enjoy.

The Four Square Breathing method can help you during a panic attack or anxiety.
It’ll help you calm down and be able to deal with a stressful situation.

Step 1: Take a deep breath, breathing in for four seconds.
Step 2: Hold your breath for four seconds.
Step 3: Slowly exhale for four seconds.
Step 4: Do nothing for four seconds and then repeat the process as many times as you need until you calm down.

Know your stress triggers and avoid them.

If you know you don’t like driving in traffic, don’t.
Plan your driving route on lesser traveled roads or at non rush hour times so you can drive and remain calm.
If you can’t avoid rush hour traffic, then perhaps listen to some calming music or pray while you drive to not get stressed over the traffic.

If a conversation about politics, religion, green subjects, global warming, consumerism, recession, finances or any other topic is too overwhelming for you..avoid those conversations.These are usually hot topics for many and get people riled.

If you’re not appreciated at work and are “stressing” over situations…stop.
Don’t let it get to you and affect you adversely.
Do your job and once away from work, don’t dwell on things…let it go until tomorrow when you’re back on the job.

If crowds and gatherings send you into panic attacks, avoid them.
If you were to go to a concert and be amongst thousands of screaming people, you may miss out on the enjoyment if you’re too busy being stressed and annoyed with the people around you.

If you’re sound and smell sensitive, a trip to a crowded mall may send you into a frenzy. The aromas, fragrances, noise of blaring music in stores, people talking, kids screaming can all be stressful. If people stampeding and pushing to get a sale bother you…avoid the mall…shop online. Shopping online is much easier on a person…no traffic, no crowds, no noise, no smells, no stress.

Learn and acknowledge what your stress triggers are and avoid them.
Just stop doing things that you find annoying, stressful or upset you.

For quick reading on the ability to say no read:
Article: Say No

If you want to cut instant stress in your life, cut your to-do list.
Don’t think you can?
It’s easy.
Delegate some of the items to someone else.
For the items you can’t delegate, ask yourself these questions:
Is it life or death if I don’t get something done today?
Will I die tomorrow if all the listed items aren’t accomplished?
If you answered no, then don’t stress over it…
If it gets done, great.
If not, there’s always tomorrow.
Now, that doesn’t mean to procrastinate about items either which can lead to stress when you are up against a time frame to complete items. There’s a happy medium. Find that balance and you’ll be able to get everything done and not stress over it.

cutting your to do list, cuts stress