Friday, April 1, 2011

Spell Stressed Backwards and You Get Desserts: How to Manage Stress to Make Life Sweeter

"Adopting the Right Attitude Can Convert a Negative Stress Into a Positive One" - Hans Selye April is Stress Awareness Month Let's face it. We are all going to face some stress in our lives. Although not all stress is bad. A new home, job promotion, new baby, wedding plans are all examples of good stress. On the other hand tight finances and job losses are all too common sources of stress in these economic times. These negative events take a mental and physical toll on us. This can eventually impact our immune system and lead to long-term health problems. How Do You Cope With Stress So how do you cope when faced with stressful situations? How do you get through the day? Do things build until you find yourself with a short fuse, easily irritated, taking your anger out on those around you? Or are you one who becomes overwhelmed, emotionally withdrawn, depressed and end up doing nothing? In either scenario you probably know you need better coping skills. A skill that is both powerful and effective is a technique used in NLP called "anchoring". The premise of this procedure is that you can change the way you feel immediately - sad to happy, lethargic to motivated for example - by using anchors. The process is really quite simple. And it works. Here's how to do it. Stop Negative Self Talk The next time you are feeling down change the way you physically carry yourself. Hold your head up, stand tall, breathe deeply and walk with confidence. Sounds too simple, right? But notice the reaction you get when interacting with others. Your outward appearance will project confidence no matter how you may feel inside. Next change your negative self talk - the "loser" talk - with one word. STOP! See the word mentally or speak it out loud. This will immediately interrupt that downward spiral and pave the way for anchoring. NLP Anchoring Start by remembering a time you felt good about yourself. Immerse yourself in that memory. What were you doing, wearing, with whom, saying what. At the height of that memory, when you are feeling awesome, do something unique to anchor that mood. Clench your fists, tug your ear, hum a special tune. Pick a gesture that works for you. Anchor several feel-good memories, dreams, or fantasies in the exact same way. And you are done. Now every time you use your anchor - for example, let's say tug your ear - you will automatically trigger all the good feelings you have linked to it. Use this NLP technique every time you are feeling tense, anxious, stressed. Fire off that anchor and immediately be in a better place. You will feel more resourceful in this state of mind. Better able to explore new avenues for resolving or at least tackling the source of your stress. Look at it this way, when you spell stressed backwards you get desserts. Stress, when managed well, makes life sweeter.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Spring Cleaning for the Mind, Body and Spirit: To a More Vibrant You

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow" - Proverb from Guinea

Wasn't this a cold snowy winter? I for one am ecstatic that spring is in the air. I can finally open my doors and windows. Let in the fresh air. And chase away the winter doldrums.

This year I included one new item on my spring cleaning list. Me. I need an infusion of fresh air. An energy boost to clear the sluggish routine I've been used to all winter. And just like my home, it is time for me to be refreshed and renewed.

Spring Cleaning for the Mind

Have you noticed that we think the same thoughts that we did the day before? Do the same old routine again and again out of habit? My usual Saturday morning routine is to turn on the television while I clean the house. Not this Saturday morning! It is time for me to spring forward in a new direction. So I decided instead of television I would listen to some music in its place. Soon I found myself singing along with the songs I loved. Got a little carried away in fact. Belting out songs. Singing around the house with my broom as a microphone. It was silly fun. I was laughing and the "feel good" endorphins were flowing. American Idol watch out!

Spring Cleaning for the Body

After the long sedentary winter I had to do something to get the blood circulating. Nothing too strenuous of course. But enough of an exercise to get the "creaks" out of my joints. I turned on my Yoga tapes and started the series of graceful stretches known as the Sun Salutation. Starting in Mountain pose, hands up, head to knees, lunge, plank, Cobra, Downward Dog, lunge, head to knees, up to Mountain. Awkward at first. But by the second round I was a little more flexible. My body felt different. I finished in the Warrior pose feeling strong and in charge.

Spring Cleaning for the Spirit

What better way to beat the winter blues and lift the spirit than to get out in nature. I went outside to my patio and sat with eyes closed, facing the sun. Enjoying the kiss of the sun on my face. The warmth of its rays on my body. The sunshine was stimulating the flow of serotonin which helped to elevate my good mood. In addition I was benefitting from my body's production of vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin for strengthening my bones.

After several minutes in this relaxing mood, I began deep abdominal breathing. Inhale one, two, three. Hold one, two, three. Exhale one, two, three, four, five. Slow deep abdominal breaths with the added bonus of exercising my stomach muscles and trimming my waist at the same time.

Five minutes later and I was feeling energized. Buoyant. Vibrant. And this positive energy lasted all through the day.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Stop Dieting and Lose Weight: Stress Free Weight Loss Tips

Several years ago I was looking for a "non diet" solution to take off the extra weight I invariably gain over the holidays. Then I read this tip - by cutting the sugar by half in my morning tea I could lose 5 plus pounds in a year. It was simple, effortless and it worked. Since then I've looked for stress free weight loss tips when I need to take off a few extra pounds. Below are a few of my favorites:

8 Quick Tips to Jump Start Your Weight Loss: (1) Drink a glass of water when you feel hungry. Wait 10 minutes. Your body may be signaling thirst - not hunger. (2) Eliminate all sodas and alcohol for a month. (3) Get in the habit of eating meals on dessert plates for portion control. (4) Eat most of your calories at breakfast and lunch when you are most active. (5) Don't eat anything after 8:00 pm, or at least two hours before bedtime. (6) Brush and floss your teeth after eating to discourage nibbling. (7) Eat sweets late in the day. Sugar is an appetite stimulate so save the sweet treats for later in the day. (8) Can't fit the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables into your day? Juice them.

Control Your Appetite by including at least one low Glycemic Index (GI) food with each meal or snack. Eat a salad at the start of every meal and fruit at the end. Watch the weight come off. Among its other benefits, low GI foods curb the appetite and reduce cravings. And there is a wide variety of delicious and nutritious foods to choose from. Even ice cream and chocolate!

Boost Your Metabolism with interval training. Alternating high intensity with low intensity exercises throughout a twenty minute workout will boost your metabolism long after the exercise session is over. Don't go to the gym? Take a walk thirty minutes after eating. Get a pedometer to track your progress. One hour of walking equals 150-200 calories burned. Make exercise fun. Dance, bike, jump rope, learn Martial arts, try belly dancing. (Zumba anyone?) You get the picture.

Reduce Your Stress: Stress and weight gain seem to go together. Learn relaxation, visualization, deep breathing or self-hypnosis techniques to get through the tough times. Try this two minute stress relief technique: Choose a relaxing color, word or phrase. Touch your thumb to first finger to form a circle (I'm okay" sign). Close your eyes and focus your attention inward. Inhale slowly. Exhale twice as long. Say, see or imagine your relaxing color, word or phrase. Repeat four times beginning with the slow inhalation. Allow yourself to let go now. Enjoy the sense of calm.

One Final Tip: Use simple techniques that you can incorporate into your everyday schedule. Make those you can live with a part of your life. After all, maintaining your ideal weight should be "stress free".