Friday, July 29, 2011

5 Important Tips To Managing Your Stress

At one point or another, we all have to deal with some type of stress. The important thing is to prevent it from taking over our daily life, and this can often be done by observing a few simple ways to keep emotions high and the blues at bay.

Pet your pet. For years, experts have agreed that pet owners may lead happier, healthier lives thanks to their four-legged friends. Gently stroking a cat or dog is believed to lower stress and increase happiness.

Take a hike. Studies have shown that walking at least 30 minutes each day may help to significantly ease stress. It doesn't matter whether you walk outdoors or indoors using a treadmill; the important thing is to get up, get moving and get rid of your stress.

Common scents. Many people relax to their favorite scented candles, but few know that certain scents have a calming effect that may actually reduce stress. Lavender, vanilla and other fragrances that you may find especially soothing may be just the ticket to a stress-free day.

Just breathe. There's an old saying that recommends taking a deep breath and counting to 10 to soothe anger. Well, the same is true with stress. Breathing in rhythm may improve positive emotions as it helps to promote activity in the area of the brain that's responsible for good thoughts. Positive thinking can lead to happiness, which is one sure way to stop stress.

Treat yourself. Whether you're feeling a little blue or just need a quick pick-me-up, take time to be good to yourself. Have a sip of your favorite beverage, indulge in a light snack to tempt your tastebuds or just take a break. When one errand runs into another and days seem to fly by so quickly that we barely even notice them, it may be time to get out of the rut and take a moment to enjoy life by treating yourself to something great.

The information contained in this article is designed for reference purposes only. It should not be used as, in place of or in conjunction with professional medical advice regarding a treatment or cure for stress. For additional information, a diagnosis and/or treatment advice, consult a licensed physician.

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Managing The Stress In Your Life

While we often worry about stress, not all stress is bad. We need a certain amount of stress to make our lives interesting. And since there is no way to eliminate every commitment or deadline in our lives, we should try to control our stress levels in the best ways we can.

It would be nice if someone created a mathematical formula for stress that would measure how much stress an individual could take without become overwhelmed. Optimal stress levels vary from individual to individual, however, as well as from situation to situation. Some situations that would make you feel very stressful are considered fun and invigorating to someone else. People who love constant change in their lives would feel too much stress in a tedious, mundane job. You can see how different people’s definitions of stress may be. Scientists believe that many illnesses are directly related to stress. If you find that you are sick a lot of the time, or that you feel nervous often, you must develop effective strategies to cope with your stress level. Otherwise, you could be open to serious physical deterioration. Stress management is a practiced art, however. You will not relieve your stress in one day; you must keep at it and eventually, you will discover methods that work for you.

A first step is to learn what things make you stress out. While you may not be able to eliminate these things, you can work to make them more manageable. If cooking dinner causes stress, for instance, you may consider getting take-out food once a week to give yourself a break. If giving a presentation at work worries you, maybe you can learn to focus on just one section at a time and reduce your stress in that way. If commuting to work makes you stressful, leave a little earlier. It will become easier to address your overall stress if you discover the things that cause it and then try to limit their impact.

The next step is to try to reduce your emotional reactions to the things that stress you. You may find that these stressors make you think in a negative fashion, focusing only a situation’s worst aspects. Try, instead, to think of a stressor as a chance to improve your life. Try to see if you are overreacting to a situation. It may be that every stressor you encounter does not require an urgent response. Maybe you can take some time to study a situation before it bothers you. Think of yourself as in control – while you may not be able to do anything about the stressor itself, you can control how you feel about it.

Be sure to be aware of any physical reactions you have to stress. Deep-breathing techniques can help you decrease your heart rate, for example. If you have severe reactions, consult your doctor to determine if medication can help you. You can also reduce your stress levels by making your body stronger. Do aerobic activities three times per week, and make sure you eat nutritious foods. Avoid stimulants like sugar and coffee. And recognize that stress is a part of life. While it can’t be eliminated, you can develop coping strategies that will help when you feel overwhelmed.

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Saturday, July 23, 2011

Should We Avoid Carbs?

Very complex carbs (dietary fiber) also have a very complicated molecular structure, and also are resistant to most digestive enzymes produced by the human body. As a result, they cannot be broken down into glucose or other nutrients at all. This is why fiber transits the intestinal tract largely undigested. This has a knock-on effect on the speed of digestion of other carbs around them. For example, where certain starches are "protected" by indigestible fibrous wrapping, the enzymes cannot get to grips with the starch as fast as normal. Also, the presence of soluble fiber in the stomach and intestine typically creates a viscous mass of digesting-food in which carbs and enzymes take longer to mix. Result? Carb digestion slows down.

As we have seen, because the human body runs on glucose all carbs are converted into glucose in the digestive tract. The glucose then enters the bloodstream and thus contributes to a rise in "blood-glucose".

Blood Glucose Must be Kept Within Limits

A very high level of glucose in the blood is toxic, while a very low level is detrimental to bodily functions. Therefore the body has a system to regulate the amount of glucose in the bloodstream to ensure that it remains balanced within safe parameters. This glucose balancing system depends upon two mechanisms: hunger and insulin.
Low Blood Glucose Triggers Hunger

If blood-sugar levels drop, the brain causes us to feel hungry. Result? We eat food that is then converted into glucose and our blood glucose levels rise. If we don't eat and blood-glucose levels fall too low, we trigger the condition known as hypoglycemia.

If we eat a diet that contains too many high GI carbs (carbs that are rapidly converted into blood glucose) we force our body to respond by releasing equally large amounts of insulin into our bloodstream to cope with the glucose. Over time this excessively high level of insulin can cause the "insulin-receptors" in our cells to become less sensitive to insulin.

The hunger-or-insulin see-saw mechanism works well, provided that we don't eat too many high glycemic index (GI) carbs that are rapidly converted into glucose. When this happens, when a LARGE amount of glucose enters the bloodstream (called a "sugar spike"), the system responds by releasing a LARGE quantity of insulin. (It thinks we've eaten a huge amount of food.) The amount of insulin is so large that not only does it disperse the food-glucose we have just eaten, it disperses a lot more. Result? Our blood glucose falls too low. So, within a short time (about 2-3 hours) the brain tells us to feel hungry and we recommence eating. This rapid rise and fall in blood glucose, caused by excess production of insulin, is not good for our health or our eating habits.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Play To Your Amusement With Stress Management Balls!

For managing the stress, there are two types of methods such as temporary methods and the permanent method. Temporary methods are many, but the permanent method is only one—meditation! That is the ultimate stress management product.

Meditation leads to a state of supreme happiness. But in this mad race of materialistic world, many say that they don't have time for meditation. What a strange paradox! Meditation leads you to happiness. And you don't find time to become happy! Don’t feel alienated with stress and be in the know of stress management balls.

Coming to the contemporary methods of stress relief, one of the popular one is—achieve stress relief through stress balls. When you are under stress, to remain without activity will add more to your stress. You are restless, and to find a way out, take something in your hand, and squeeze it. Play with it in style. It will take care of your tensions and concerns. It is a sort of diversion from the brooding state of your mind. You have something else to do than the useless thinking that goes to increase your stress and tension. Stress balls are found to be good at their limited stress relief act.

Why these stress balls do what they do- to relieve stress to some extent? Before answering this question, let me tell you the common reasons for your stress. Motivated desires are the cause for your stress. When such desires are not fulfilled, you begin to worry and this mounting worry is the cause of your stress. You expect your particular wish to fructify in a particular manner. When that does not happen, you are frustrated and the stress process begins.

The stress balls are available for the asking. You get them in departmental stores, job fairs, business/industry gatherings. They perform their job well, and you feel good handling them. You feel, as if you are engaged in some creative activity. You enjoy that unique, relieving noise. You feel some good activity is happening. It is plain joy, no reward of punishment activity. In fact, to play with it is equivalent of doing some exercise. So, it gives the benefit of an exercise and reduces the level of stress.

Another variety of stress balls is liquid balls. They too are excellent to relieve your worries. You will not get much resistance as you work out on them, but the unique feel good experience, will relieve you of the stress. You get stress balls in pairs also. This is a Chinese variety. Rub and bang the balls against each other. The peculiar noise and the physical activity work like a double benefit scheme. The desired object, stress management is achieved.

Management business is to manage…and in this case, why not do it with stress balls?

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Friday, July 15, 2011

A Plan For Managing Stress

It is hard for you to find a place to work that does not have some stress. This explains why you have to come up with a plan to manage your stress. It needs to be easily remembered and one that is able to be started with minimal supplies.

Are you looking for one for your company? Are you finding yourself is places that are causing stress but, have no way to deal with it? You will want to continue reading this article!

Stress and anger are together a lot and work is the place they are best. Unless you are patient there will be times that you will get angry at work. You will need a strategy for dealing with stress.

Some companies that offer the workers a place they can go to rid themselves of the anger in a good way. They are called stress relieving rooms. This room may be sound proof filled with things to break or a room with a punching bag. These places can be found on many call center facilities where the stress levels can build high and the importance of getting rid of this stress is necessary.

Some smaller businesses give the employees an elegant lounge where they can have coffee served to them and it has a few soft sofas to rest on. This is more common in the big offices where socializing with other workers is a way to get rid of stress. The leading sport is golf. Tournaments are held for the workers are allowed to play golf while trying to work through ideas is one way for managing stress. These tournaments will include all workers no matter what position they are in. More common is bowling and fishing.

Managing stress does not have to be tied to the surroundings. When rooms are not a choice or you do not have any sporting events on a regular basis, you will need to be the one that comes up with your own stress relief.
1. Managing your time will manage your stress
2. Your lifestyle – Review It
3. More Exercise
4. Eat Healthier
5. Sleep Vetter and More Hour
6. Activity will give you a way to fight sicknesses and it will make you feel better in general which, will get rid of your stress.

A program that is created for helping you deal with stress is a way for you to learn to take you life back again. You will learn to fight stress so that it will not bring you down again. Because of the damage that stress can do, programs have become popular for those who are dealing with the stress. The results of stress can cause you to feel emotionally drained, physically tired, not able to think and concentrate correctly, and kill your budget. It seems only necessary that you should start to take your life back from the stress.

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Sunday, July 10, 2011

Tips For People Who Stress About Money


Money or the lack of it, can cause many people a great deal of stress. People often play mind games with themselves by worrying about certain situations. How will I be able to pay if my car breaks down? How will I cope if I lose my job? In this article, I give money management advice to help people to de-stress about their financial position and future.

Worrying about money is especially true for people who are self-employed. They worry about what might happen if business becomes slow and fear that they will not be able to their mortgage etc. Most businesses go through peaks and troughs and it is of course during the lean times when people start to stress. Even though the peaks are possibly just around the corner it becomes very hard to positive.

In this situation I would advise people who are self-employed to build up a financial safety net. This money can be saved when they are having a good period and can then be spent when things are not going so well. How will I pay for the mortgage if business falls? Answer, by the money you have saved up, so calm down, you will be fine.

The periods when business is slow can be used to re-charge the batteries and can also be used to think up fresh ideas, of the direction you want the business to go in.

For all people it is important to know how much money is likely to be coming in per month and how much money is likely to be going out. In business this is not all that easy to do, however in family life it should not be too difficult to predict.

If the amount that is seemingly going out is more than what is likely to be coming in, we then need to look at what we are spending. This next idea might seem a little sad but can actually be quite fun. I would advise people to keep a record during one month, of everything they spend. It is not as hard as it may sound and will give you an insight on how much money you actually waste.

For example, how many people are members of a gym, but never actually go there? How much money do you spend on take-away food per month? Do you always need to use the car, is it not possible to walk a little more often, therefore saving on petrol costs? How much money do you spend on cigarettes? Do you really need the latest flat screen television?

During the good times we can afford to waste money, however if you are worrying about money, it is time to tighten your belt.

I myself try to save a certain amount of money per month and invest it in a unit trust. Over time the fund value builds up and if I ever need a lump sum for example, car repairs, I just cash in some of the units. I also allow myself to take out a certain amount of money at the start of each year. This helps me to pay for my car insurance, road tax and to book a family holiday. This has been working well for me for the last five years and is something I plan to continue.

It is always worth planning for the future in this way, not just to cover you if your car breaks down but also for many other reasons. You may want to build up a little nest egg to:

pay for your daughters potential wedding

buy the car of your dreams

have the holiday of a lifetime

buy a house

re-locate abroad

buy a business

for your retirement

help fund your childrens university fees


I am now aware of how much money I am likely to spend per month. I like to have treats and waste money as much as the next man. I am more than happy when money is tight to give up these treats and see it as a battle of wills.

I hope you have found this article interesting and of use.



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Monday, July 4, 2011

Advantages of Being Confident

Almost all successes and attainments in life come from your ability to feel certain that you can accomplish what you set out to achieve. Confidence is the gateway to success; to the life that you wish to lead and to the dreams that you desire to live.

With confidence you can boldly progress towards your ambitions and aspirations. With confidence you can rise up and handle life’s demands and challenges. You can tackle any hurdle and obstruction, and move on to the next step of your journey to fulfilment and achievement.

One of the principle requirements to anything you want to do in your life is confidence. Confidence is an indispensable part of your development, betterment, progress and success, both at a personal and professional level. With confidence you can forge ahead to fulfil your potential and perform at your peak level.

Having confidence is the crux that allows you to achieve your true potential in whatever situation; in your relationships, your work or career, your finances and your self-image.

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