February 3, 2008

Stop Your Divorce Before it Begins

Don't wait until it's too late to get your relationship back on track. Did you know that most divorces aren't really necessay. The biggest reason they even happen at all is a lack of understanding of how to get out of the destructive behavioral loops that tear couples apart.

 

The biggest secret to not only preventing relationship meltdown but also re-igniting passion and love is to recognize that judgment and blame are the things that you need to get rid of.

 

Until you have released the need for judgment, you will always have it reflected back to you in your relationships. This is one of the main causes of stress. All too often we assume that we know what others mean by what they say or do without bothering to gain a clear understanding of what’s really going on. Inevitably this leads to a breakdown in communication and conflict.

 

Stress management techniques for relationships

 

The biggest secret to stress free relationships is to master the skill of being agreeable! If you think about it just for a moment this makes a lot of sense. How did you feel the last time someone disagreed with what you though, said or did?

 

Did you thank them, give them a big hug and then ask for more disapproval? Probably not! The bottom line is that people don’t like being disagreed with. This is what leads to arguments and conflict.

 

You have a choice every time you relate with another person. You can either be agreeable in nature or you can be disagreeable. The first choice will cause people to be more relaxed and enjoy your company. The second creates stress and frustration.

 

It costs nothing to agree with someone else’s point of view even if you think it’s ridiculous. Who are we to judge how another person views their life and the world around them. Conflict always arises from disagreement’s which then leads to power struggles.

 

This means that either one or all parties are trying to prove that they are right and someone else is wrong. This is a no win scenario because if one person is made wrong, then the outcome is tension and resentment.

 

So what do you do if you disagree with what someone is saying? Ask if it’s ok to share your opinion. If the answer is no then to keep your relationships stress free keep your mouth shut. Changes topics if you need to or go do something fun together but let it go and move on.

 

The next secret to effective stress management in relationships is to master the skill of understanding.

 

The key here is to learn to be a good listener. Can you remember a time recently when you were talking with someone and they either interrupted you before you finished talking and started talking about themselves or completely ignored what you said and talked about something totally unrelated?

 

I know that’s happened to me thousands of times. Well guess what, if you didn’t like it I can guarantee you that others won’t like it if you do it to them.

 

By listening attentively to what others say and not interrupting you will prevent the possibility of causing stress and tension in your relationships because the people you are communicating with will feel seen and heard.

 

This builds trust and respect which are two of the most important ingredients of a happy, healthy and productive relationship.

 

Here are 4 stress management tips to master the skill of understanding:

       

  • Don’t interrupt unless you have something urgent to attend to. Then excuse yourself politely and make a time to meet with them that you can give your undivided attention.
  • Look them in the eye and keep your body language open.
  • Only ask questions that are relevant to the topic. This lets the person who is talking know that you are really listening to them.
  • Never assume you know what someone means, always ask for clarity before sharing you’re opinion. Don’t be afraid to keep asking questions until you are 100% sure about what is being said.

The best time to seek to be understood is only after you have taken the time to first understand them. Then they are more receptive to what you have to say.

 

This skill is one of the most important in building good bonds between people that are stress free. There is nothing more powerful than letting others know that they matter.

 

Happy, healthy and stress free relationships are no accident. They are skillfully developed over time by people who care about people.

 

These secrets will only work if you apply them. The more you apply them the greater the stress relief you’ll have in relationships. I know this for a fact because they have been working for me for more than 15 years.

 

To Your Great Life and Health,

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September 17, 2007

The Stress Relief Escape Plan

Unless your name is Bruce Willis there’s a pretty good chance you won’t be called out to save the world.  But you and Bruce do have something in common.  You both know what it’s like to experience overwhelming stress and you both need to have a good stress relief escape plan to deal with it.

You see, stress (especially chronic stress) can be so draining on your life and lifestyle.  If left unattended it can slowly affect your mind, body and eventually your spirit.  With this in mind it is important to understand and acknowledge when you’re under stress, and as mentioned earlier have a really good stress relief plan.

Listen to your body’s Stress

The first step is to pay attention to your body and its messages.  Here are some of the tell tale signs of stress:

—> You find yourself getting angry easily and acting short at others,

—> You feel tension building up around your shoulders and temple,

—> It’s becoming hard to sleep at night or you need drugs or medication to sleep

—> You’re grinding your teeth when you’re sleeping

—> You constantly feel tired

—> You’ve had a cold or flu for ages and can’t seem to shake it.

All of these may be signs you’re stressed and need relaxation techniques to experience relief.

Have a Game Plan for Stress Relief

Let’s face it, we all experience stress in our lives, but the key is to manage it before it builds up too much and causes damage. Here are some of the natural stress relief techniques you can include in your stress relief plan:

—> Avoid negative stress – If you know that you’re going to place yourself in a stressful situation in the first place you can just say ‘No’.  Many people do this in their work environment by over committing themselves.

—> Relaxation breathing techniques – This is a good way of eliminating your stress instantly.  Check out this technique here.

—> Stress relief CD / Meditation CD – A Relaxation / Meditation CD will guide you through a set process for relaxation.  This should be used regularly for maximum benefits.

—> Regular Exercise – This is great at dealing with stress (especially for men).  If you haven’t exercised for a while it’s important to start with low intensity and build up over time.  For maximum benefits you should also change your diet to eat heaps of healthy food.

—> Visualization techniques for relaxation – If you find it difficult to sleep at night then visualization techniques could be just the thing.  You may learn how to do this or be lead through a process by using a stress relief program or meditation CD.

—> Stress relief program – A good stress relief program will include a process for meditation, stress relief techniques and a journal to record your thoughts and progress.

—> Other stress management skills – This includes spending time with friends, time saving solutions, taking a hot bath, reading a book and watching a movie/ your favorite show.

Set aside time for stress relief today … you never know when you might have to go out and save the world after all ;)

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August 6, 2007

Easy Stress Management for Couples

Easy Stress Management for Couples 

Imagine how your life might be if you knew how to finally stop the stress in relationships that saps your strength, drains your energy and ruins your productivity! 

Until you have released the need for judgment, you will always have it reflected back to you in your relationships. This is one of the main causes of stress. All too often we assume that we know what others mean by what they say or do without bothering to gain a clear understanding of what’s really going on. Inevitably this leads to a breakdown in communication and conflict.  

Stress management techniques for relationships 

The biggest secret to stress free relationships is to master the skill of being agreeable! If you think about it just for a moment this makes a lot of sense. How did you feel the last time someone disagreed with what you though, said or did?  

Did you thank them, give them a big hug and then ask for more disapproval? Probably not! The bottom line is that people don’t like being disagreed with. This is what leads to arguments and conflict.  

You have a choice every time you relate with another person. You can either be agreeable in nature or you can be disagreeable. The first choice will cause people to be more relaxed and enjoy your company. The second creates stress and frustration.  

It costs nothing to agree with someone else’s point of view even if you think it’s ridiculous. Who are we to judge how another person views their life and the world around them. Conflict always arises from disagreement’s which then leads to power struggles.  

This means that either one or all parties are trying to prove that they are right and someone else is wrong. This is a no win scenario because if one person is made wrong, then the outcome is tension and resentment.  

So what do you do if you disagree with what someone is saying? Ask if it’s ok to share your opinion. If the answer is no then to keep your relationships stress free keep your mouth shut. Changes topics if you need to or go do something fun together but let it go and move on.  

The next secret to effective stress management in relationships is to master the skill of understanding. 

The key here is to learn to be a good listener. Can you remember a time recently when you were talking with someone and they either interrupted you before you finished talking and started talking about themselves or completely ignored what you said and talked about something totally unrelated?  

I know that’s happened to me thousands of times. Well guess what, if you didn’t like it I can guarantee you that others won’t like it if you do it to them. 

By listening attentively to what others say and not interrupting you will prevent the possibility of causing stress and tension in your relationships because the people you are communicating with will feel seen and heard.  

This builds trust and respect which are two of the most important ingredients of a happy, healthy and productive relationship.  

Here are 4 stress management tips to master the skill of understanding: 

1.       Don’t interrupt unless you have something urgent to attend to. Then excuse yourself politely and make a time to meet with them that you can give your undivided attention. 

2.       Look them in the eye and keep your body language open 

3.       Only ask questions that are relevant to the topic. This lets the person who is talking know that you are really listening to them. 

4.       Never assume you know what someone means, always ask for clarity before sharing you’re opinion. Don’t be afraid to keep asking questions until you are 100% sure about what is being said.  

The best time to seek to be understood is only after you have taken the time to first understand them. Then they are more receptive to what you have to say.  

This skill is one of the most important in building good bonds between people that are stress free. There is nothing more powerful than letting others know that they matter.  

Happy, healthy and stress free relationships are no accident they are skillfully developed over time by people who care about people.  

These stress management tips will only work if you apply them. The more you apply them, the less stress you’ll have in relationships. I know this for a fact because they have been working for me for more than 15 years. 

To Your Great Life and Health,

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July 31, 2007

Life Balance – the key to Less Stress

In today’s society we place so many demands on ourselves it’s understandable why the need to seek Stress Relief is increasing.  Consider how much our lives have changed from over a century ago – what sort of lifestyle do you think your average person would have and do you think they were under more or less stress than we are today? 

By developing a balanced lifestyle of work and play you can become even more effective at what you do and gain new life skills. 

If you are working exceptionally long hours or your main focus is just your job that it’s even more understandable that will experience stress at work.  When we take on a role we like to take ownership of that role, warts and all.  We like to develop it and grow with it.  As a result the overall instances of work related stress are on the increase.  I think we’re just taking our jobs too seriously.  Have you ever seen the type of person (perhaps your one) that always frowns and looks upset?  Or the person that seems to freak out at the smallest things like they’re experiencing an anxiety panic attack?

It is important to want to grow with a new position or you career, yet the old saying ‘everything in moderation’ definitely applies to your job.  Any great career involves a balance of work and relaxation.  It is important in any job to have time for yourself.  Take up a hobby, go dancing, do some gardening.  Any of these are good examples of Stress Relaxation Techniques. The key here is to occupy your mind with something totally different than your job.  This will give you a fresh perspective on your job and will help you to be more focused.

There are also several stress management skills that would be of benefit to experience: Breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery. 

These Stress Relief Exercises can be developed over a period of time to prevent you from experiencing any long term stress damage and are available as a part of many Relaxation Programs.  Find some balance in your lifestyle.  If you’re working too many hours, cut back.  If you don’t have a hobby, get one.  Take the time for yourself, you deserve it.  These are the keys to less stress in your life and will help you to gain new life experience.

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July 26, 2007

An apple a day keeps the Stress monster away … True or False?

There are many wives tails and few of them generally show a grain of truth.  So, is the wives tail true about an apple a day, and can an apple a day reduce stress? 

Well, an apple a day is an indirect stress relief technique.  A fresh apple actually contains phenolic phytochemicals which reduced the affects of stress in the body.  But realistically you need to do more than just eat an apple a day to experience true relaxation. A really good stress management technique is in your daily eating habits.  You see, when it comes to a healthy, happy stress free body, 5 serves of fruit or veg everyday is a right up there with exercise.

But what are the benefits?  When it comes to controlling your stress relief it’s important to have as many factors on your side as possible.  After all if you don’t feed your body the right way it can’t perform to its best.  Athletes are aware of this, and this is why diet plays such a big part in relaxation techniques for athletes.

If you are stressed and you’re thinking of the best relaxation techniques, maybe the first step should be to look at you’re eating.  Are you making it easy for your body to relax?  One of the greatest stress management skills I learned was to feed the right stuff into my body from the very beginning.  Feed yourself the right stuff, combined with effective stress management activities and will permanently eliminate your Stress Monster.

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July 21, 2007

The Daily Grind - How stress affects your teeth

There are many people around the world daily that are looking for effective Stress Relief Techniques and when you consider the damage it can have on your smile you can understand why. 

A Recent Story Released by New Channel 4 KTIV discusses the affect that stress can have on your teeth.  It turns out daily work related stress can cause you to grind your teeth at night as you sleep.  Dr Weller mentions in this article that men have larger jaw muscles, which can cause more damage when they clench and grind.

Over time this can be very painful, especially when you eventually grind your teeth to the nerve or even worse, they may crack or break.  The repair from this damage can go into the tens of thousands of dollars. 

That rings alarm bells to me to check out stress management skills to ensure you get on top of the situation before it gets Nasty!  I mean, Stress Relief in this instance has a 2-fold reward; you’ll feel better and you’ll keep those pearly whites in good nick.  After all … if you don’t find ways to reduce that stress right now, you’ll be looking for relaxation techniques for anxiety to stay calm after your teeth fall out.

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The Daily Grind - How stress affects your teeth

There are many people around the world daily that are looking for effective Stress Relief Techniques and when you consider the damage it can have on your smile you can understand why. 

A Recent Story Released by New Channel 4 KTIV discusses the affect that stress can have on your teeth.  It turns out daily work related stress can cause you to grind your teeth at night as you sleep.  Dr Weller mentions in this article that men have larger jaw muscles, which can cause more damage when they clench and grind.

Over time this can be very painful, especially when you eventually grind your teeth to the nerve or even worse, they may crack or break.  The repair from this damage can go into the tens of thousands of dollars. 

That rings alarm bells to me to check out stress management skills to ensure you get on top of the situation before it gets Nasty!  I mean, Stress Relief in this instance has a 2-fold reward; you’ll feel better and you’ll keep those pearly whites in good nick.  After all … if you don’t find ways to reduce that stress right now, you’ll be looking for relaxation techniques for anxiety to stay calm after your teeth fall out.

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July 10, 2007

Stress Management is FUNKY!

Now that’s one bold statement. Stress Management and Funky are rarely shared in the same sentence together. But why not? Stress is really uncool. It’s like a relative that keeps visiting when your busy … You want them to leave, but they just keep hangin around. Enter Exhibit A – Stress Management Techniques.

These little creatures will successfully ward off the Stress Intruder, and if used effectively, will keep it away forever.

Now here’s an added (and unexpected) bonus. By using Stress Management Techniques you’ll develop new Stress Management Skills you can share with others. You’ll be fully blinged with your new skills, walkin around, sharing your Stress Management Tips with all your friends.

You’ll gain new respect, writing Stress Management Articles, Stress Management Books. The world will be your oyster. It is yours for the taking.

All you need to do is Chill, get control of that Stress, and you will be a Relaxation Superstar!

 

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July 4, 2007

Knowledge is the key to Stress Management

Many people that experience stress everyday are really unsure how to handle it. One of the secrets to handling stress is through understanding what stress is and how you are experiencing it.

By reading Stress Management Articles you will begin to gain an insight on stress and may even discover a few Stress Management Activities. Quite a few Stress Management Techniques are readily available if you are prepared to put in the necessary work to understanding your own unique situation. In reality, Stress Management skills are learnt over time and once applied make a massive difference on your out look to life and relaxation. One of the key ways I began to understand Stress Management was by reading books, articles and trying what they suggested. The main Stress Management Technique I use is focussed breathing, where you focus on a point and control the speed and depth of your breathing. I am aware a lot of other people have also had success with this method. Overall, look for many different types of Stress Management Tips and find the one that works best for you.

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