Stress Free Living With Nature’s Stress Therapists Are Right Outside Your Window

In the average home, the windows are hard to open because they’re rarely opened. With air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter, windows almost seem like a useless accessory now. 

That’s sad, because there are excellent therapists just outside your window waiting to help alleviate the stress that’s overcome you.  For less than ten dollars, you can get a bird feeder to place outside your home or office window.

Spend a few bucks a week on birdseed and you’ll be rewarded with a variety of birds stopping by for breakfast each morning. If you add more seed in the afternoon, you’ll draw the early dinner crowd.

After awhile, you’ll be able to identify the birds by their unique songs. Even though these little birds work hard every day just to find food, water and safe shelter, they never fail to sing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. As you listen to their songs, you begin to feel remarkably less stressed.

If you plant the right kind of flowers outside your window or bring in container plants, you’ll become a favorite attraction for butterflies. They don’t make any noise so you have be alert to see them. Pay attention to their delicately colorful wings fluttering around outside your window. If you remember biology class, those butterflies live only a few days but they make the most of every moment. As you watch them, think what you would do if you only had a few days left in your life? What prevents you from doing those things now?

 Nature’s play therapists are the squirrels. They hop from branch to branch in the tree with reckless abandon. If they fall, they shake and get back up again. It seems that squirrels just want to have fun, but they have a serious side too. Squirrels put away food first, but still find time to play. There’s a lesson for you. Get the work done but schedule time for your enjoyment also. Have you ever seen a depressed squirrel? Maybe it because they have actually mastered the work-life balance that we all talk about.

 So pull back those curtains, get some window cleaner and rearrange your chair to take advantage of nature’s therapists outside your window.

Live Stress Free With The Power of Failure

Now this might sound a little strange to you but what exactly do you think about when you hear the word failure? You probably are thinking that you’re not good enough and or maybe that you should give up. One definition is the lack of success

While failure can involve those thoughts and emotions,  failure can also make us stronger or wiser.

A simple definition of failure is: An act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success.

When I think of this definition of failure, I’m reminded of Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb. While there are many conflicting stories of how many times Edison “failed” at inventing the electric light bulb, most agree it was in the thousands before he found the right combination of materials.

One of Edison’s most famous quotes is, “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

If you adopt this same attitude, you’ll overcome your feelings of failure and be able to see your dreams and desires come to fruition.

Robert Schuller stated these famous words, “Failure doesn’t mean you’re a failure; it just means you haven’t succeeded yet.”

Henry Ford said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”

When you consider those words from these wise and successful people, you’ll truly begin to understand the power of failure.

The truth is, you only fail when you give up! When you keep trying until you’ve found the answer or the solution, you’re successful.

You’d never say Thomas Edison, Robert Schuller or Henry Ford were failures would you? Sure, they were unsuccessful many, many times, but they didn’t give up until they found the answer, the right procedure or the right materials to solve their dilemma.

In case those quotes weren’t enough to make you believe failure has a positive power and strength, here are some more you might relate to:

“Failure is an event, never a person.” – William D. Brown

The next time you try your hand at something and don’t achieve the desired result immediately, remember failure is an event;  it’s not you.

Bill Cosby also said it well when he said, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

If you’re trying to please everyone, you can’t possibly succeed!

“Never confuse a single defeat with final defeat.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

“You can’t have any successes until you can accept failures.” – George Cukor

Just because you’ve failed once, twice or 10,000 times at something, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure. You only fail when you stop trying.

Still not convinced? How about this:

“You always pass failure on your way to success.” – Mickey Rooney

What do these words mean to you? No matter what you’re trying to succeed at, whether it’s a sport, project, career, invention, or at school, there will be times when you don’t succeed. But you mustn’t let that stop you from reaching your goals, dreams, and desires.

The common thread among all these famous people and their wise words is the same. You can’t have success without failure. Never give up and never stop trying. There is power in failure, you just have to give yourself a chance.

Keep trying, keep failing and soon you’ll find true success!

Reflection – As I Let Go Of Perfectionism, I Feel The Burden Lifted From My Shoulders

As I let go of perfectionism,  I   feel  a heavy burden lifted  from my shoulders.

I release the thought  that I must do everything  without a single error or misstep. No one  is perfect and  striving to be superhuman only  brings stress and  disappointment. As the thought dissipates,  so, too, do the pressure  and stress I had put upon  myself.

I can do an excellent job in my work without requiring that every project be absolutely  perfect. When I think about it, I realize that any project, no matter how good, can always be improved  upon  in some way. So the pursuit of perfection  is insatiable.

I can receive wonderful  results in other areas of my life without having to be perfect.

Spending  time with my spouse  and children brings all of us joy. I do  not have to be perfect to love  and  be loved. My family members  do not have to be perfect for me to love them. We love each other because  of who we are, faults and all.

Wouldn’t life be boring if everyone  were perfect? Our unique  qualities bring variety and excitement to life. In the same way, wouldn’t I be boring if I were perfect? I see now that being imperfect is more
than just fine. It is very good!

Striving to be flawless is counterproductive to living  a fulfilling life. Why spend  time working toward an impossible  goal when I could be using that same time to achieve goals that are real?

Rather than adding to my stress with impossible  goals, I choose  to fill my life with gratitude,  peace,  and happiness.

Today, I choose  to be imperfect! I set achievable  goals that I know I can accomplish  and I feel great about them. I feel free to accomplish  my goals now that the burden  of perfectionism has been lifted.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Do I require  perfectionism from others or myself? Why?
2. Do I feel I deserve  to be loved, even though  I’m imperfect?
3. What are my goals today? Can I achieve them without being perfect?

Stress Free Living – Organizational Skills for the Unorganized

It’s difficult if not impossible to live stress free if your not organized.  Some people lack organization skills in  only a few areas of their life while others are unganized in almost every aspect.    Sifting through the chaos could seem like an insurmountable task, but it doesn’t have to be this way!

The key is to evaluate your situation and make small steps toward an organized life. Don’t try to change all at once or you could end up just adding to the chaos.

Here are some tips and tricks to follow in order to get organized:

1. Have a Place for Everything. There are certain items that you use nearly every day. Make sure that these items have a permanent place in your home. Put your keys on a key holder near the door or your wallet in your desk draw. When your things are put away in their proper place, you’re not only organized, but you’ll save time as well.

2. Make a List. When you have tasks to complete, make a list of everything you need to do in order to reach completion. Writing it down will help you to visualize what needs to get done. Lists also insure that you don’t forget to do anything.

•  You can also separate your lists into long-term and short-term categories. The short-term list might be items you need to complete today, while the long-term sheet is your monthly or yearly goals.

3. Start Small. If there are many aspects of your life that you’re trying to get organized, start with the small pieces first. For instance, if your home is unorganized, start with one room – like the kitchen. Give yourself a timeline to complete kitchen organization, and then expand yourself to other rooms once you complete that task.

4. Find a System That Works And Stick To It. There are many different organizational methods that you can choose to implement, but the most important element is to use it consistently. Make sure you understand it and follow through.

•  For example, there are different ways you can organize your bookshelf. You can order all books by author. You can order all books by topic. You can order by topic and author. Once you choose a system, all you need to worry about is following through.

5. Get Rid of Clutter. If you find your life is full of clutter, it’s time to get rid of the junk. Maybe it’s time to finally go through all the stacked boxes in your garage to make more room. When you’re going through your clutter, decide immediately whether or not you’ve used the item in the past couple years. If you haven’t, consider selling it or giving it away to charity.

•  Always remember that your first instincts are often right. If your first instinct is to get rid of something, don’t over think it. You could end up keeping something that sticks around for another couple years, unused!

6. Sort Your Mail. This is a simple one that can help you greatly. Your mail can stack up fast. As soon as you get it, sort it. Throw out the junk mail and shred the documents you don’t need that might contain personal information. Take care of your bills right away, so you don’t have to worry about it later.

7. Go Paperless. In this digital age, it’s popular to cut out the paper to save yourself some organizational headaches and save the environment. When companies bill you, there is usually an option to go paperless. Use this option and start managing your billing statements online.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

Of course there are many things you can do to get yourself organized. Try to make a positive step forward each day even if it’s something small. You’ll soon find that your life is becoming more manageable and you’ll feel a great deal of satisfaction!

Build Confidence With Daily Affirmation Statements

Do you suffer from low self-esteem? When something painful happens in your life, do you beat yourself up about it time and time again?

Concentrating on words such as: “That was dumb,” “I am so overweight,” “No one loves me,” and a host of other negative assertions can easily zap the happiness right out of your life.

Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be permanent. Positive affirmations can turn your negativity around. Affirmations are merely statements or phrases, which stress on the positive rather than the negative.

These mantras can actually reprogram your unconscious thinking and bring you a plethora of good benefits that you’ll enjoy for years to come!

Here are some easy ways to incorporate positive affirmations into your life:

1. Statements should always be in the present tense. Begin your statements with “I can” “I have” or “I am,” instead of a phrase like “I will” or “I may.”

* Examples of this would be “I have a beautiful body” and “I am so intelligent,” instead of “I will never be so stupid again.”

* Choose statements that focus on the positive attributes you want to encourage, saying them as if you already exhibit that behavior.

2. Address yourself by name when verbalizing your assertions. Believe it or not, this does make a big difference. When you say: “I, Jane Doe, am a beautiful person both inside and out,” it makes your statement more compelling because you hear the sweet sound of your own name!

* Using your name in the statements allows your subconscious to process the phrases even faster.

3. Concentrate on one or two statements to start with. Although you possess a lot of positive attributes, it’s best to concentrate only on one or two when you’re first starting out. If you start with twenty positive affirmations, your subconscious may be overwhelmed or dismiss the deeper meaning.

* For example, if you meet someone who goes on and on about how wonderful and beautiful you are, what’s your reaction? Ordinarily after the second or third compliment, you tend to wonder if this person is actually being sincere! The same principal applies to practicing many affirmations at once.

* Focus on one or two, and when they’re firmly planted into your subconscious, you can move on to more.

4. Practice your statements as often as possible. Our subconscious mind is more open to suggestions when we first open our eyes in the morning and then again when we’re ready to fall asleep at night.

* The more often you say your statements, the quicker you’ll experience lasting changes.

5. Don’t fret if you’re having trouble writing your statements. There are many books and self-improvement web sites that include hundreds of positive, daily affirmations. You can then pick out one or two that you’d like to focus on and get started.

* Don’t let something as meaningless as not being able to compose a positive mantra hold you back from making changes and incorporating happiness into your life!
 
Low self-esteem is something that holds us back from living the life we deserve. You can rebuild your self-confidence and self-esteem with daily affirmations and experience the joy of life you’ve been missing. Try it and you’ll love it!

In A Rut? Then Stop Settling And Start Sizzling

Ok you’re trying to find your way to live a stress free life or at least reduce your stress to a dull roar.  But, it looks like you’re stuck in a rut. Are you bored with your life and the same routine day after day? Of course you can’t be happy like this!

There’s an exciting world out there with a lot to offer. Deep down you know you want to get out and take a big bite of it (and not let it take a big bite out of your).  Sure, it may be a bit overwhelming, and even scary at times, but you can’t let your life just pass you by.  Personally I let a lot of years pass me by – but no more.  It’s never to late to start sizzling.

It’s time to live those dreams, take a leap of faith, and get out of your comfort zone! But how do you get started?

Read on for some valuable tips and suggestions to help you be all you can be, now and always:

1. Decide what you want to do. Put your fears aside and step outside of your comfort zone. If you could do anything without fear, money, or time being an issue, what would you choose?

• Make a list of everything you would like to accomplish someday. It doesn’t matter how crazy or outrageous you may think it is, just write it down.
 
• It also doesn’t matter if your list has three or thirty-three things listed. Just search your heart and your mind and write down what you would really like to do.

2. Faith. It’s important to have faith to see your journey until the end, yet this may be one of the hardest qualities to develop. Remember how it feels to be stuck where you are with no excitement and no real purpose. You know things can be better than they are now, but how?

• All you need to do is believe in yourself. You know that countless people before you have lived their dreams, so why not you? What makes them so different?

• There really is no difference between you and others, except for the belief in the possibility for great success. You can be just like they are; you just have to believe you can do it!

3. Don’t keep it a secret. If you’re ashamed of how you’re feeling, you shouldn’t be. Many people find themselves in the same predicament. The only thing that should embarrass you is if you intentionally decide to stay in that rut! Do yourself a big favor and open up to someone you trust.
 
• Whether that’s a parent, spouse, or best friend, tell them that you’re ready to make a change in your life and they’ll be able support you throughout your journey. They’ll encourage you on the good days and cry with you on the bad days.

• Most importantly, they’ll be there to support you throughout it all. It’s just what you need to achieve great success!

4. Take the first step. It’s time to take that first leap of faith. As much as you want to step outside the box and get out of this rut, nothing will happen without taking that first big step.

• No matter how frightening you may be, you need to focus on the big picture and the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow. Muster up all the encouragement and support you can find and just do it. Once the first step is accomplished, it gets easier!

• You deserve to be the best that you can possibly be, and deep down inside you know this. You’ll be so glad you took action – and you’ll be so proud of yourself when you celebrate at the finish line!

No one enjoys being in a rut and just going through the motions of life. Don’t let your fears hold you back. After all, this is a wonderful world that you deserve to enjoy to the fullest!

Go out and experience everything life has to offer. Take that first leap of faith and you’ll never look back again!

Developing Your Inner and Outer Strengths

Stress free living is all about finding your strengths.  Everyone has unique talents and strengths, but whether you’ve discovered and actively developed them is the real question! Maybe you have been told that you’re good at something, but your let your skills go untapped while waiting for the confidence and courage activate.  You may be in for a long wait.

There are even some people whose self-esteem is suffering to the point that they truly believe they don’t possess any talents at all! If this is you, please believe that your talents are there, just waiting to be revealed to you!

These tried and true strategies will help you develop your strengths to their full potential:

1. Research. Perhaps you think that you’re strong in one area, but you aren’t completely sure. This is where you need to look into things that interest you or that you believe you might be good at. See what resources are available and what it would take to make the commitment to strengthen your strengths.

2. Patience. Developing your strengths to their full potential won’t occur overnight. To fully develop a talent, you must be patient. Patience is not easy and many of us tend to struggle with it. But if you can be patient, you’ll definitely reap the benefits at the end of the process.

• A useful way to think of developing your talents is to consider it as a journey. It may take a while, but you’ll learn a lot along the way.

• You’ll make mistakes and celebrate milestones, and by the time you’re done, your strength will be fully developed to the peak of your abilities.

3. Set goals. People are more successful when they set goals. Write down what you’d like to accomplish and what date you’d like to achieve this by. Remember to be realistic and review your goals frequently to keep yourself on track.

• Post your goals in places where you’ll see them throughout the day. The refrigerator, bathroom mirror, and your computer monitor are a few ideas. This will not only keep you on track, but it’ll also motivate you to reach these goals as quickly as possible.

4. Believe you can do it. Confidence can be one of your greatest strengths and assets. When trying to improve yourself in any capacity, if you truly believe that you’re able to accomplish anything, you’ve won half the battle.

• The battle with your mind is often greater than any challenge you face in reality.

• You may have tough days when you’re unsure of yourself, but as long as you get back on track quickly, you’ll build momentum.  Remember, you can do this!

Final Thoughts on Developing Your Strengths

Strengthening your strengths may be a daunting and overwhelming journey at times. And, yes, it will take some work. But everything worth anything involves hard work!

It’s important to focus on the big picture and remember the rewards you’ll enjoy once this process is over. Also, ensure that you have the unwavering belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.  By possessing these two attributes, you’ll be on the road to success in no time!

Stress Free Living – How Well Do You LISTEN?

Most people can talk about themselves and their ideas, jobs, plans, friends, etc. on and on. And yet, the ones that truly stand out – in business and in life – are those who cannot only talk but also LISTEN.

And by listening we don’t just mean saying “uh-huh” every now and then in polite conversation. If you want to be heard when it’s your time to speak, you must also learn how to listen well.

Active Listening Techniques

Pay attention. When someone is speaking to you, pay attention! Move closer to them and maintain eye contact. If in a crowded and noisy area, turn your head so that your ear is close to the speaker. And don’t just take note of the words you hear. Look at his/her face and take note of the facial expression of your speaker and other body language.

Don’t prepare. Part of listening attentively is NOT planning what YOU are going to say when it’s your turn to talk. If you do this, you’re only half-listening because you’re already busy formulating your response. So don’t prepare; just listen to the one speaking.

Convey that you’re paying attention. Give the speaker clues that you’re listening by making a few gestures such as nodding your head, smiling when appropriate, laughing when necessary, and so on.

Interjections such as “really?”, “uh-huh”, “no way!”, and others also help relay to the speaker that you’re listening to what’s being said.

You may even want to “return the story” by saying something like “so let me see if I have this straight, you mean…”. Feel free to ask questions too. This conveys to the speaker that not only are you listening, but that you are interested in the conversation.

Another situation where you may need to clarify with a speaker is when he/she is speaking in a slightly different tongue or tone. He/she may be pronouncing the words differently and rather than just ‘drift off’, ask politely for the speaker to repeat or clarify certain things he’s said.

Don’t interrupt. One common mistake of most people in a conversation is that they keep interrupting the speaker. Not only is this rude but you run the risk of completely misunderstanding what’s being said because you didn’t give the speaker a chance to finish his story. So give the speaker the time he deserves before you join in.

Listening is really an integral part of ANY relationship. Pay attention at how you listen to others. When you hone this skill, you’ll find yourself naturally getting better at communicating with others.

How to Deal with Stressful Change of a Job Loss

The one thing that’s constant in life is change. Some changes are great. In fact, you may have been wishing and wanting them to occur for a long time.   It’s inevitable that there are going to be changes throughout life. Some changes, however, are harder to adjust to and when this type of change comes, it can be very stressful for you and your loved ones.

Let’s discuss one of life’s difficult change and find out how best you can overcome the situation

Stressful Change: Losing Your Job.

During these hard times, millions of people are fearful of losing their jobs. In the event this occurs to you, what should you do? Stare in the change in the face and move on.

When faced with job loss you only have two choices really: mope around and feel sorry for yourself or accept it and plan your next steps. It’s of course best to do the latter if you don’t want this event to be truly stressful.

The best way to greet losing your job is to view it as an opportunity. Finally, you can do what you’ve always wanted to do. You’ve been given a second chance so go and grab it!

Following are some tips on what to do.

• Ask yourself what interests you and what would truly make you happy everyday.
• Once you figure out your ‘calling’, take steps to bring it into your life. For example, if you love to cook and want to start a baking business at home, then enroll yourself in a baking class. Upgrade your skills so that when you venture into this business, you increase your chances of being successful.
• If you opt for setting up your own business, keep in mind that starting it is as important as planning it. Don’t wait for things to be ‘perfect’ before you open your business. That’s just procrastination talking.
• Whether you set up your own business or not, it may be necessary to invest in yourself first to increase your skill level. So take classes, join clubs, do what you can to improve yourself.

How you choose to handle a situation will determine how much stress you’re going to allow.  Think of any CHANGE as just another OPPORTUNITY. The choice is yours. The change has already happened; either way, you have to deal with it so why not deal with it in the most positive way possible? But the sooner you begin to look at life changes as new opportunities, the sooner you’ll enjoy a less-stressed life!

Stress Free Living – Top 9 Ways to Beat Stress

Stress is a common part of life. However, that does not mean that we should just accept it and let it roll over us! Not at all; there are many things that you can do to get rid of stress whenever it occurs so that you stay focused on leading a healthy and happy life.

Easy Steps to Getting Rid of Stress

One: Be less busy!
In general, people take on a lot more than they can handle. There are various reasons for this. For one, you may not realize just how much you can and cannot do or you may have underestimated the time allotted for certain tasks. It can also be that you find it hard to say no to certain things especially if you think that saying ‘no’ means that you’re admitting a certain level of incapability.

So sit down and make a list of everything you are involved with and see which ones you can cut out. For instance, to which clubs do you belong? Are you really an active member or are you really interested in the group? If not, then drop it!

Two: De-clutter.
When you are in an unorganized environment, you’re mental state tends to be disorganized, causing a high level of stress. Here’s a simple exercise: sit down in your living room or bedroom or whatever room you like. Look around and see which items can be thrown or at least boxed up. Anything you haven’t used or touched in 2 months should go!

Apply the same process in other rooms of your home and even at work. You’ll soon realize that an organized and clean home and workspace brings clarity and focus to your mind, avoiding any stressful situations.

Three: Budget your finances wisely.
One of the biggest stressors in life is the lack of money. One way to beat this issue is to learn to budget your resources better. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save by simply cutting out certain items. For instance, do you really need that $3 latte run every morning? Don’t be afraid to seek professional help too (e.g., financial planner) if you really want to turn around your finances.

Four: Exercise!
Apart from losing excess weight, exercising also helps you get rid of stress. Endorphins are released when you work out and this gives you a feeling of well-being.

Five: Eat right.
We consume too many chemically-manufactured food items these days and as they say “you are what you eat”. So try to go back to basics and opt for organically grown and produced items. Even if you don’t do this, simply cooking and eating at home can cut oil and salt intake tremendously! So eat well and your body and mind will follow.

Six: Say NO at work.
If you find yourself always running after deadlines and feeling completely swamped all the time with work, learn to say NO. Take good stock of your day-to-day work activities and see which ones you can cut out. And after you do this, see to it that you don’t take on anything extra if you can help it!

Seven: Enjoy what you have.
Enjoy what you do have. In our society you’ve probably learned somewhere along the way that more is better. Well, it’s not.
When you learn to be content with what you have right now, you’ll find much more peace within yourself

Eight: Talk to someone.
The benefits of having someone listen to you are tremendous! So go and reach out to someone and just try to get things off your chest. You’ll feel relieved and happy you did.

Nine: Keep a journal.
Sure you may have a lot of friends you can turn to, but it’s also important to write down what you feel NOW. But remember that journaling is not just for the ‘bad times’. Write down good times too so that each time you’re stressed, all you have to do is read some of those great entries and you’ll feel an immediate sense of relief, gratefulness and happiness.

Stress can eat you up if you let it so don’t. Prevent it by following the tips above. Good luck!

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