Browsing Tag

reduce stress

Design Your Life

31 Ways to Reduce Stress

03/28/2011
Taste the rainbow~

Who doesn’t get stressed? With the busy and bustling world we live in it becomes harder and harder to leave work behind.

I tend to keep piling appointments, projects and more right on top of each other until I can no longer breathe which is why stress management is so important to me. Stress is harmful to both your emotional and physical well-being so don’t let stress overwhelm you. Take control.

1. Involve your senses.
2. Live one day at a time.
3. Set aside time for yoga and/or exercise everyday.
4. Inhale deeply through your nose and release the breath from your mouth. Try this a few times.
5. Brew and slowly enjoy some chamomile or caffeine free tea.
6. Pet and groom your pet.
7. Get enough sleep. Try to get about 8 hours each night.
8. Voluntarily change your current activity.
9. Discuss it with a friend.
10. Write in your journal.
11. Do something for someone else. Help someone out.
12. Don’t procrastinate, start doing.
13. Don’t think about the past. Forget about it.
14. Don’t think about the future, think about now.
15. Live in the moment.
16. Relax your standards.
17. Ask questions. A lot of questions.
18. Organize your home.
19. Simplify your life.
20. Avoid hanging around friends that are chronic worriers.
21. Eliminate caffeine from your diet.
22. Eliminate or seriously lower sweets and sugars in your diet.
23. Do something you love to do everyday.
24. Eliminate destructive self-talk.
25. Do one thing at a time.
26. Improve your appearance in someway (even if you just paint your toenails!).
27. Delegate responsibility to others.
28. Be more flexible and patient.
29. Be prepared.
30. Count your blessings. Especially when something goes wrong.
31. Learn to say no.

Design Your Life

Making Mondays More Miseducated

11/09/2009

Monday jokes rain out of people’s ears at offices.. I don’t know how it is where you work but I’m sure whatever day the work week begins on someone’s complaining.

Instead of thinking of Mondays as a bummer, think of them as a beginning to your inspiration overload sessions every week — begin to plan fun and personal growth activities *as well as* work, errands, tasks, etc.

.. and if scheduling seems like absolute hell to you and you have no issues with procrastination.. simply pass to Step 2.

Want more mood therapy techniques like this?
Key to Living the Law of Attraction
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated
ALL Business is Show Business

Step 1

Schedule your day per hour — Write what you actually do beside it and next to that make 2 columns for you to rate how much pleasure you experienced during the activity and to what percentage you mastered it.

Again, make sure you allow time throughout the day for activities you look forward to.

taste
Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette

Step 2

Incorporate more Miseducated whimsy and special you time into your Mondays.

Instead of taking a shower before you start your work day, take a bubble bath using sensitive Mr. Bubbles or your favorite bubble bath — play some inspiring music that you can hear while in the tub and brew a cup of earl grey tea.

Create your own (lots of recipes here!) or buy a new scented lipgloss to apply throughout the day, not just when lips are chapped! Think of ways to incorporate other new smells into your day such as an aromatherapy candle, nice-smelling lotion, sweet solid perfume, etc.

Master your skills. As you’re working imagine what you might do to keep on task better while still enjoying your day. For me this means the occasional walk-around break, snacks optional and listening to music or inspiring pod casts while I work.

Keep a little notebook in your purse or briefcase especially for inspiring sketches, notes and pieces of inspiring found-items. These little carry-along scrapbooks can be great sources of inspiration and remind you about experiences when you’re sitting down to work and communicate your ideas.

Decide that you’re going to rearrange a room in your home/apartment and surf online for delicious decor in your free time. Find ways to make your environment a little more you, a little more unique and much more inspiring! Sometimes just changing things up is very revitalizing.

My favorite movie since childhood, the delicious 80s glitter rock fest (The Labyrinth) complete with faeries and the rock king himself, always inspired me as everything, even the dirt, was covered in glitter. Sweeping your floor and feeling a little bummed? Sprinkle glitter in with the dust and even dust bunnies become just a little more magical.

It’s off to your local handmade market for you! Purchase some incense that smells great and a little decadent snack. When home, burn the incense as intended and relax near it reading and enjoying the occasional whiff of fragrant smoke. Don’t like incense? Try scented candles!

Write your best friend a good morning letter when you begin your work day. Chances are you’ll brighten her day as she is also at work and it’ll make you smile knowing she’s smiling. You might even get some sweet messages back throughout the day that make you feel wonderful for opening communication.

Grab a pack of post-its in your favorite color and write inspiring and positive messages to everyone signed, Happy Monday. Stick these on electric posts, subway windows, in your lover’s briefcase, on the milk in the fridge, on your coworker’s computer mouse, etc. <3 Don't overdo it, it's more special for those that find the surprises anyway. Kitty Rave! (both my and my best friend’s favorite way to wind down at night!) At night time when you’re relaxing and feeling a little excited that you’ve gotten through another Monday, turn up the dance music and dance around the house in your pajamas with your cat or dog. (my chihuahua gets really excited about this and bounces around the room) You’re getting exercise, they’re getting exercise and it’s really quite fun.. especially if you’re jamming to Kissy Sell Out. Often my husband even plays his electronic music live on kitty rave nights.

Have a great Monday!