Stop Stress Beat Cancer

It’s October which means it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 
 
Did you know that 75 – 90% of all doctors visits are for stress related illness  including Cancer!  Kinda scary isn’t it?
 
To honor breast cancer survivors and pay tribute to those that did not survive I decided to do something special.  My first, order of business is to remind you to take care of  your health.  Secondly, to let you know I understand how stressful building a business can be.  So to support you in your business building efforts I’ve lined up a few folks that I felt would give you some great resources that would help you to reduce your stress and build your business.  The more you manage your stress the more effectively you can build your business finding and working with  your ideal product and market
 
This giveaway is  filled with complimentary gifts from people like
Felicia Slattery, Ronnie Nijmeh, Maritza Parra,  Melanie Jordan  and more. You’ll find incredible  tools to help to deal with
the stress that comes with running a growing business.

So grab those gifts now at http://www.StopStressBeatCancer.com they’ll only be available until October 31st.

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?

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!

Just For Today Don’t Allow Stressful Thinking To Affect You

You  encounter stress from day-after-day, but how you deal with stress determines whether it moves you forward or holds you back. Stressful thinking is frenzied, inaccurate, and unreliable, even so a lot of  you go through life thinking and behaving in stressful ways. Many of you assume that this is the way life has to be, and there is no getting around it, but this is certainly not the case! 

Silencing negative thinking may be easier than you ever imagined it could be, but it begins with a positive thought.

Negative Thinking, Positive Aspirations, and You

Negative thinking not only controls the way you approach life, but it also can affect your body, mind, and relationships. When you substitute negative thoughts with positive ones, you have the ability to move ahead in a healthier and more productive way.  With adequate time and effort, you’ll be able to alter your thought process, and it all begins with just a few words.

The Power of A Few Words…

When you see a list of affirmations, you see nothing more than a list of words with idealistic phrases that do not seem to apply to your thinking. If you look closer at each affirmation, you may find that many of them summarize the way you would like to think.

When you see a positive phrase that speaks to you, hold  onto it and use it to wipe out the negative thought you want to eliminate. Basically, you’ll be replacing your negative thinking pattern with a positive approach. This is what positive affirmations are all about!

Affirmations are positive statements that stimulate your mind to achieve all of the great things you would like. Words have the ability to move mountains because they can evoke emotions within you.  If you use an affirmation that speaks to you on a deep level -“ and you reaffirm it by repeating it often“ you can make the statement your mantra and your reality.

If you are overcome by negative thinking to the point where you believe no affirmation can work for you, don’t lose hope! There are many affirmations that can help you deal with just that!  Using an affirmation such as, “Negative thinking is not my way of thinking” will give you the ability to alter your thought process and your life. It may feel awkward at first, but as you reaffirm the positive emotions you desire, your negative thinking will be replaced with positive thoughts.

There are a lot of different affirmations to help you with negative thinking.  Something as simple as, “Negative thoughts cannot enter my mind” will allow you a moment to replace anger and frustration with a positive thought.

Does this sound too good to be true? There are a lot of people who, just like you, think this strategy is too simple to be effective. The only way to know for certain is to try it for yourself. What do you have to lose? No one has to know but you, and you just may find that the benefits are so great that you want to share them with everyone you know. Here are a few other affirmations you can use:

I see myself realistically and objectively
I find deep inner peace with myself as I am
I say positive things about myself to myself
All of my false images of myself from the past are now dissolved
I love and accept all parts of myself
I love and accept all of my thoughts and feelings as part of myself
I have positive self esteem apart from others judgments and criticisms
I love and approve of myself without pleasing others
I accept myself completely as I am, though I recognize areas for improvement
I value and honor myself as I am, though I recognize areas for improvement
I am loving and accepting of who I am and who I am becoming
I feel total peace with my powerful positive self-esteem

Stress Causing Migraine Headaches Are More Common Then You Think

Stress can trigger tension type headaches. Those more intense headache are commonly known as migraine.  Migraines are usually experienced after stressful situation and the body is attempting to repair and detoxify. A migraine headache is a dull or throbbing pain usually on both sides of the head.  It’s a sneaky headache that just seems to strike when you least expect it, but often in times of extreme stress and anxiety.

Because it can hit without warning, it’s hard to find ways to prevent it.  Once it hits, it becomes a source of  constant  pain almost too much to bear.  Unfortunately, while stress itself is a trigger, a migraine only brings about even more stress!

Keep a headache journal in which you can  write down the date, time and place the migraine headache started. Also note what you were doing and how your mood was at the time the first pain wave hit.  As you compare notes, look for commonalities. Were you overtired, trying to do too much without adequate sleep?  Overexertion is a stressor that’s a common trigger for migraines.

Each migraine is unique and you may find that certain foods are more likely to help relieve or prolong the pain. Cut back on your caffeine intake in sodas and coffee.

Drink high quality fruit and vegetable juices for the nutritive value as well as the detox potential. Since you may not feel like eating during a migraine, at least you will get some quality nutrients from the juices.

Taking a nonsteroid anti-inflammatory (NASID) medication at the first indication of pain may be helpful.  Common over-the-counter NASIDs are ibuprofen, naproxen and acetaminophen. If this doesn’t help, and relaxation techniques are no match for your migraine, then stronger medications may be necessary from a physician.

Fluorescent lighting, which is common in offices and commercial buildings, can be another trigger to make migraines worse for some people. If you’re working in an office with this lighting, bring a small desk lamp that has a full spectrum light bulb. Turn off the overhead lights and use your desk lamp.

Room noises that you would normally ignore become like the sound of an army marching across your forehead when you have a migraine headache. If you can’t get away from the noise, put earplugs in your ear to muffle the noise.

There’s no foolproof way to prevent migraines but you can be prepared to apply the most comforting approaches that work for you.

Stress Free Living – How Do You Manage Your Stress

Living stress free means managing your life.  If you don’t manage stress, it will find a way to manage you. Stress can be very invasive in your life. It loves to be in the driver’s seat and you hand over the keys without fail on a regular basis because you feel defeated by it.

You might blaming the boss, the car mechanic or your spouse for your stress. You can’t control what other people do or say, but you can manage some of the smaller irritations in your world in order to reduce your stress.

Magazine Perfect Housekeeping – Unless you can afford a full time housekeeper, you need to accept that clean is good enough. Save the frantic furniture polishing and baseboard wiping for quarterly cleaning or preparing for a party. Remember that rooms in magazines look so great because no one lives there to mess them up.

You really can’t get rid of all of the stress in your life, if you did you wouldn’t be living. – you need to become adept at learning how to prevent unnecessary  stress from entering your life.

That means change – and for some, change itself is enough to cause immense periods of stress and anxiety.  Even though it may be damaging your physical and mental health, you’re  got to take back the reins of control in your life.

You can’t just sit and whine about the stress in your life – you have to actively work on reducing it.

Stress Free Living Coping with Corporate Stress

Even if you love your job, they’ll be days where you are going to experience stress.  People allow stress to get the best of them, but you don’t have to.  You can learn to cope with corporate stress so you use the stress to move you forward instead of holding you back.

A Look At Corporate Stress

When you are stressed out about your work, you may feel like you are on an island all by yourself.  Of course, it isn’t the case at all.  Did you know that as many as a quarter of the people you work with right now feel as though the job is the biggest stressor in their life?  It is also thought that three quarters of employees feel as though they have more on-the-job stress than their parents ever did. 

Corporate stress is not something unique to you – everyone experiences it! Sometimes just knowing this is enough to help you get through to the other side so you can start feeling happy and healthy again.

Thankfully, there is something you can do to reduce corporate stress in your life.

Corporate On-The-Job Stress Solutions

Some solutions to corporate stress include:

• Letting the small things go, it probably doesn’t matter anyway
• Proactively balancing work and family life
• Creating a support network of friends and family, or even co-workers

Letting Things Go

The fact is, when you allow yourself to take a more relaxed and positive outlook on the world, it will suddenly become a lot more relaxed and positive.  When you choose to have a positive approach in life, you’ll likely find that the things that would have stressed you out before will now roll off your back.  It’s not that you won’t feel stress; it’s just that you will have a more positive way of interpreting things so that stress is not necessarily such a bad thing.

Finding Work-Life Balance

When work takes over our lives, that’s usually when we become stressed out at work and when we cannot cope well.  You should make sure that you engage in daily activities that do not involve work, even if this is simply reading a chapter of your favorite book or picking up the phone to call a friend.  When you allow your work life to consume you, stress will consume you too. In turn, you’ll become less efficient and effective at your job.

Relieve Work Stress with Quality Family Time

Make sure you spend time with your friends, family, or even your co-workers outside of work.  Don’t allow your home to become an office away from the office. That’s no good! Make sure you have a support network of friends and family members who will remind you that there are plenty of things to do that aren’t related to your work in any way.  It’s also helpful to have this support network so that when you are stressed out, you’ll have someone to turn to. Oftentimes a support system helps keep us grounded when we would otherwise be tightly wound with work-related stress.
 
It’s true that stress is a part of life, but that doesn’t mean it needs to consume us. Stress will come and go, but coping is something that needs to be ongoing so you can live a great life inside and outside of your professional life.

Stress Free Living De-Stressology Tip – Plan Ahead

Plan ahead- there are certain things in life that just happen. They are annoying and frustrating but that’s just the way it is. This may include a traffic jam on your way to work or a long line at the post office. If you are prepared for these things, then you will be able to handle these annoying situations a lot better. Give yourself an extra 20 minutes to get to work to allow for the rush hour traffic. It’s a lot better for your self-improvement to be sitting in your car thinking “good thing I planned ahead and left 20 minutes early” rather than honking the horn and swearing for being late.

Stress free living is having an open, honest dialogue with myself helps me to communicate with others.

When you  communicate effectively with others you’re able to be true to yourself.

Open honest dialogue allows you to have a deeper level of communication because you’re fully aware of your thoughts and feelings. You know what you want to say because you have thought it through and talked realistically and honestly with yourself first.

Respect and value your ability to communicate your inner thoughts effectively.  You can do this when you practice what you say before you say it.

Coming to a full understanding of yourself allows you to think through any frustrations and realize how your words may affect others.

Vent frustrations, share excitement, and be prepared for conversations by first reflecting on your own needs. Often you’ll find that what you really want to say is very different from the way you first felt about the situation.

Be open and honest with yourself first, and you’ll be able to convey your feelings with others with confidence. You’ll find your relationships are stronger because you first had a conversation with you.

When you’re feeling frustrated prepare for communication by first talking with yourself.  Choose to take the time to vent any frustrations and sift through unnecessary dialogue in your own conversation before you have it with others.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Have you thought through what you want to communicate?

2. Have you had the conversation with yourself first?

3. How did the conversation with yourself lead to a better communication experience?

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