How to Make Your To-Do List More Effective

You already know that to-do lists help you get focused and organized throughout the day. When you have your to-do list in hand, you’re freeing your mind from all the disorganized thoughts and, instead, getting them down on paper.

 However, this technique can go awry if your to-do list isn’t organized as well as it should be. You might lose your motivation and drive and, at the end of the day, you may notice that most of the things from your list are not crossed off.

 Follow these tips to create an effective to-do list:

1.  Clarify Priorities. It may help you to develop some sort of ranking system for your to-do list. Certainly every item on the list can’t be equally important. You can even use a number system and rank them from 1 to 5. Items ranked 1 might have a lower priority, while the 5s are tasks you should attend to first.

• You should also clarify your priorities in the sense that you need to leave yourself detailed instructions. Figure out the: who, what, where, when and why of items that may be complicated. This way, when it comes time to tackle the task, you won’t skip over them simply because they seem too complex to complete.

 2.  Pare Down the List. You need to complete tasks or part of tasks one step at a time. If you have 15 minutes to spare, find something on the list that you can complete in that time period. It’s common to tell yourself that 15 minutes is not enough time to do something, but all those 15-minute chunks add up to something huge. At the end of the day you’ll be surprised how much you’ve accomplished in small increments.

3.   Include Flex Time. If your to-do list is too rigid, it simply won’t be effective. You absolutely need to include some flexibility and breathing room in your day. Try not to jam pack your day with unreasonable goals, otherwise, you’ll be at risk of disappointment.

4.  Add in Something Fun. Your to-do list is no doubt full of things you may not be looking forward. That’s why integrating fun activities and tasks should also be a priority! When you add in a fun item it doesn’t feel like work. It may even feel like a break. When you return to the less desirable items, you’ll be more motivated to actually get them done.

5.  Don’t List Too Much. It’s vital not to overwhelm yourself. While some days might be action packed in order to reach certain deadlines, you need to avoid this level of stress on a regular basis. If there’s too much on your plate, or you have to work too fast, you can’t possibly enjoy yourself and you’ll only end up frustrated and overwhelmed.

 6.  Keep It Organized. Your list needs to be organized in a way that makes you feel comfortable. There are many options nowadays, especially with digital devices. However, the old-fashioned pen and paper method may be what works best for you. You can also opt for using the internet or even your cell phone or mobile device to keep your list organized.

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!

Stress Free Living with Gardening Therapy

Until a few years ago I would have never put stress free living in the same sentence as horticulture.  After all isn’t that  hard work.  What I found in Horticulture, more commonly known as gardening, is a calm, introspective activity.  A lot of people live in apartments or condominiums where there’s little or no place to garden. Then there are those who live in houses with well kept  lawns maintianed by a landscaper  because the homeowner has too much on her plate to garden.

Gardening requires time and you tell yourself you have too much to do and no time. Well, that’s the point – you need to get away from the stress of your day-to-day schedule and gardening is great way to do that!  Whether you have a enormous backyard or a couple of containers on a patio, you’ll be able to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of gardening.

More and more psychologists and physicians are prescribing gardening for stress reduction therapy everyday. Gardening allows you to enjoy an activity that’s nurturing and gives back whatever you put into it.

In our instant gratification world, gardening changes the importance of time. Plants don’t grow overnight. During the growing time, plants require attention and depend upon you to protect them from bugs and disease.

Gardening teaches patience that over-stressed, extremely anxious people don’t appear to have. If you’re facing burnout and stress from work or your personal life, gardening is an activity that gets you outside and actually helps to lower your blood pressure.

Gardening can also give you a secure place to take out your frustrations. Angry with  your co-worker?  Spend your time focuing you your gardening and not your colleagues.. Need to work out some anger?  Pull weeds.

And if you really would like to work out some emotions, work until your dead tired and sweating,  cut off a few  dead branches or  mulch the flower beds. In this ways, you get something constructive out of negative emotions.  Even if your thumb isn’t very green, you can arrange a Zen rock garden surrounded with easy to care for plants in small containers.

If you use small containers, you only stand to lose a few plants at a time. Then you replace the container and don’t have to dig in the dirt. That’s much easier and faster.  Another way to make your garden a peaceful place is to add a water feature.

Local home improvement stores have kits with everything you need and classes on how to set up a fountain or pond. Even a small water feature on the patio can bring more of a sense of accomplishment and peace to your garden then you can even imagine.

As you gain more gardening experience, you will be able to  grow different types of plants. Check with your local plant nursery for suggestions on what types of plants fit into the limits of your outdoor environment and within your skillset. Gardening might just become habit-forming it’s a effective way to decrease stress and provide tranquility.

Live Stress Free – 5 Simple Relaxation Tips

Everyone goes through times throughout the day where you just wish you could relax for even a couple of minutes.

You already know that rest helps your body re-energize, but sometimes you’re so busy and involved in the present moment that you just don’t  have the time to slow down.

Well, as luck would have it there are easy ways to relax, even during your most active days, that don’t involve a great deal of time or equipment.

Here are 5 Simple Relaxation Tips:

1. When you’re in line at the market: rather than stressing out because there aren’t enough cashiers and every line has 5 people with heaping carts of groceries, use that time to relax your body by taking a few deep breaths.

• Deep breathing helps increase the oxygen in your blood. Your blood then circulates that extra oxygen throughout your body helping your internal systems recharge.
• Taking five slow deep breaths will do the trick. The right technique is to breathe in and breathe out deeply through your nose and out your mouth.
• Not only will deep breathing help you relax, it’ll help to clear your mind, reduce brain fogginess, and you’ll feel a good deal more alert and prepared to take on the next project on your plate.
• Deep breathing can be done anyplace when you’re feeling stressed or just would like to clear your mind.

2. When you’re at work: It’s frequently difficult to find time to decompress at work. You may even get in trouble if you’re caught “relaxing.” Oh the horror! However, there are a few techniques you’ll be able to do while you’re at work to help create a sense of calmness that aren’t so conspicuous to other people.

• If your job requires you to sit at a computer all day, make it  a point you get up and move around for a couple of minutes every hour. This helps circulate the blood throughout your body. Just moving the blood flow will make you feel more alert and focused.
• While sitting at your desk, roll your head around, from side to side and from front to back with your eyes closed. This technique helps relieve neck tension, increasing blood flow to your brain, which is a natural and easy way to relax.
• If you’re on your feet all day, stretch out your back and sides by standing with your feet firmly on the floor, shoulder width apart, and twist your upper body, including your head, slowly from side to side. This will loosen up your back muscles and spine, releasing tension throughout your body.
• During a break or lunch period, go for a walk. Walking is a great way to clear-cut your mind and your body will benefit from the additional exercise also.

3. When you’re hurrying through a busy day: Take just a couple of minutes to daydream and escape the busyness of reality.

• Daydreaming permits your imagination to flow, causing instantaneous relief from the stress of the real life.
• Remember a place or experience that makes you feel happy or calm. Imagine how it smells, how the air feels, and who’s around.
• After five minutes of a calming daydream you’ll feel relaxed, reenergized and prepared to face the real world once again.

4. Wherever you’re at, smile: Smiling is proven to help relax and rejuvenate your body.

• When you’re out and about, smile at others around you.
• When you’re at work, smile at your colleagues. Not only will it help you relax, it’ll help relax them also.
• Smile at your children when you’re toting them around to all their different activities. This will create a peaceful environment you’ll all enjoy.

5. When the going gets tough, laugh: Laughter’s proven to be an instant stress reliever. Now I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to be seen as a crackpot, so laughing aloud when you’re in line at the store or sitting at your desk may not be the best time. When you can, get someone involved in your laughter with you.

• Tell a amusing joke or story to a co-worker (at an appropriate time, of course).
• Play a fun game or sing a silly song with your kids as you’re driving.
• Watch funny videos on YouTube.

Engaging in these simple, everyday relaxation techniques will help to sustain and strengthen you throughout your day. It’ll also make it easier to relax when you get home. Your friends, co-workers, and family will all appreciate the new, relaxed you!

Stress Free Living De-Stressology Tip – Everyone Makes Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes – develop tolerance and patience.  The first step to finding peace of mind for yourself and others is by developing tolerance for mistakes.  Even you make mistakes too.

Stress Free Living De-Stressology Tip – Exercise With A Friend

Get motivated by exercising with a friend.   Exercises releases endorphins and boost your spirit.  It a great way to maintain a healthy weight.  Exercising can be difficult if your not inspired to be active.  So call a friend  make a “date” to get fit together.    When you exercise with a friend you encourage each other to go a little  further then you would have alone.

Use Positive Thinking For Stress Free Weight Loss

First ask yourself can I use positive self-talk for losing weight the stress free way.

There is no single answer because there is no weight loss program that will work for everyone. Certainly just sitting down and talking to yourself about losing weight will not be the only thing you have to loss  weight. .

It cannot make pounds drop from your body, but if used properly and effectively it can help alter your mental state and your receptiveness  that will lead you toward long term and healthy, balanced eating and weight loss. Positive self-talk is not about accomplishing things without having to do anything one at all, but rather about motivating oneself to find the willpower needed to accomplish them.

What is the first step toward losing weight through positive self-talk?

First, you must make a definite decision about the weight-loss process. Begin by reminding yourself that you are fully committed to giving yourself a healthier body and more balanced lifestyle. Tell yourself how great you will feel once you have achieved your goals, and continually reinforce those goals as your own.

But you can’t just tell yourself once.  You do it repeatedly over and over again.  Write out statements on index cards and post them around the house in places your sure to see it every day like the bathroom mirror.  Say it a few times when your in the car going around your day to day business.

And if you want it to be super effective record it with a small tape recorder and listen to the recording again and again.

Parenting Can Be Stressful

Children are absolutely the most amazing part of life, at the same time, they may be at the center of the most stressful part of your life. It’s our fierce love that keeps us from reacting in frustration and disappointment when things don’t quite go our way.

Stress from parenting doesn’t have to damage the relationship you have with your child. Truthfully, the steps you take to lower your stress, can strengthen the bond you have with each other. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your child after all you need a high level of energy to be a good parent. .

Kids also experience stress. As adults sometimes we have the misconception and mistaken memory of childhood as one long parade of cotton candy and amusement rides. Yet, our kids today are falling victim to negative effects of stress in greater numbers then ever before.

There are fun enjoyable things you can do to eliminate or at least reduce stress at any age.

Soothing infant stress. For infants try a daily infant massage. Gently and softly stroke your baby’s legs, arms and body, to improve circulation and relax muscles. This can be an intimate time for bonding time.

Toddle time is a very exciting time for you two year old. If the terrible twos are wearing you down spend time playing with your child. Remember some toddlers are ready to jump into the next new activities while others are far more cautious. Respect your child’s individual style. Instead of spending time worried about temper tantrums and potty training enjoy the two’s with your toddler. Your only two once.

School Daze. Once your child goes to school it’s so easy to overschedule them and yourself. Select one or two activities that your child loves and set limits. It’s helps them to realize that life has limits. A quiet walk with your child can have an unbelievable benefit of connecting you both. Try a nature hunt of finding the most unusual leaves or stones. It’s fun doesn’t cost anything and you’ll both love the time you spend together.

Teens don’t have to be trouble, but they may be the hardest ones to deal with. Your teen is trying to find where he or she belongs and are looking for the “right group” to fit in with. But as quiet as kept they still want the love, support and discipline from their parents. The teen who’s parents lets them stay out for all hours of the night with very few limits will not have the same feeling of love as the teen who’s parents limit their activities. Don’t be too restrictive because it’s time for them to stick their toe in the water it’s just too soon for them to jump in. Be consistent, don’t loose your temper and never give up.

Now it’s mommy time. All life changes start with small steps. Here are a few small steps you can take:

1. Do something good for your body. No time to join the gym – go for a walk
2. Do something good for your mind. Sit quietly and have a mediation minute. And I do mean a minute. Just take one minute to clear your mind by closing your mind and taking deep breaths.
3. Do something good for your spirit. Tell your children what they mean to you and how much you love and care about them.
4. Do something to simplify your environment. Find 5 things to throw away today. Clean up the clutter in your home.

As a parent, it’s important that you spend some time alone, getting away from it all. But it’s equally important that you monitor your child’s stress levels too and ensure they aren’t reacting to their anxiety in a way that may be harmful.

Next Page »