You’re a woman and you’re stressed? No kidding! How to fix that.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by ckmy

Women and stress – a volatile mix. Of course, stress isn’t good for any of us, but stress does seem to be impacting us women more. Makes sense – when we started earning money for the bacon and frying it up in a pan (thankfully, that ad no longer airs), it was a recipe for disaster. A health disaster.

And I know you know. But you learn more by hearing the message in different ways at different times. Finally, the reality – and the urge to get proactive about decreasing your killing stress level – kicks in.

So, here’s one more. Once again, the HeartMath Institute brings us an infographic that shows you, at practically a glance, what’s happening to you when stress rages on unchecked. Better yet, it gives you ideas what to do about it.

Look it over, then begin to change your statistics by noticing where/when you are stressed. Then, notice where/when you feel calm, energized, happier, at peace. What’s happening then? What are you doing? That’s your clues to how you can de-stress … without getting stressed about the process.

 

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TruthSerum

Posted on April 23, 2013 by ckmy

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TruthSerum

Posted on April 16, 2013 by ckmy

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Wellness in a short and sweet but powerful step

Posted on April 11, 2013 by ckmy

Wellness gets put on the back burner too often. Until you can’t ignore it because you’re ill.

And why does it get put at the end of your 100-item to do list so often? Because it seems too terribly huge. Too damn big. Too much of a maze.

Here’s what you do instead of waiting for the moment you can put that huge plan into action:

Today – right now – take the first short, sweet, easy step you can think of.

Simply park farther away from the store.

Drink one glass of water.

Eat one serving of a fruit or a vegetable.

Sit down and be silent for a few minutes. Breathe.

Straighten up a small space.

Call a friend who will lift you up.

Or anything else that occurs to you that you need to feel a little healthier, a little better.

When you’ve done that? Pat yourself on the back. (Yes, go ahead – if you don’t do it, who will?) You deserve it. Don’t measure the quantity; measure the quality. Say to yourself: Well, that’s damn better than doing absolutely nothing. I did something. And tomorrow I will do something more.

And, that, my friend, is the wellness ball rolling. In action. You keep that up, it stays rolling, picking up speed all the time. Even if you miss doing one small thing in a day, that ball will start right back up the day after. All you have to do is just … pick.it.up. Then give it a little push with some action.

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TruthSerum

Posted on April 9, 2013 by ckmy

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The pause that does your body good

Posted on April 4, 2013 by ckmy

To lower stress and boost your good health, you know you need to figure out a way to have some down time.

(If you’re not so sure what the big deal is about stress, check out: The sneaky thief stealing your health to view a graphic that shows all the ways stress impacts your body.)

So, cool, you know. And you’ll do … as soon as you find the time. Nodding your head?

I know, so here’s a solution: Work in daily pauses. No big deal. No pulling out your calendar. No stress trying to fit – oh-my-gosh – one more blasted thing into your life. I’m trying to help you lower your stress, not cause it.

Okay, are we on? You can address your stress by putting some pauses in your day. Pauses to:

•  Disconnect for even a minute or two. Turn off your phone and email reminder. Know that, if only for a minute, you’ll have peace and silence.

•  Sit back in your chair, close your eyes, and take some deep breaths.

•  Go outside and enjoy nature. Feel the fresh air. Let your shoulders unkink.

•  Stop rushing as you’re running an errand, giving something to a co-worker, etc. Pause. Slow down, notice something good – bright colors, sunlight streaming in, a friendly face.

•  Apply this in your own unique way. Perhaps there is an aquarium you pass by and can pause to watch the fish peacefully swimming. Maybe you can take a moment to light a candle, and enjoy the flickering light. The point is to find the something that captures your attention for a moment and takes you away from your current worries.

These all are simple, yes? They all are very do-able, right? You just need the reminder. Whether you have a free minute or several, you can pause. If you’re saying you can’t create/take a free minute, I hope you jump to remedy that … now.

In reality, pauses exist all over the place. Even if you feel you only have seconds to pause. Seconds will help. Don’t wait until you have enough minutes strung together. Pause for seconds. Every second counts.

These pauses will instantly lower your stress level, and allow you to feel better. Instant relief in that very moment. And longer term insurance that you’ll not face illness in the future.

This is the pause that truly refreshes. Take two, and call me in the morning. ;-)

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