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Date: September 16, 2009
Volume: 1, Issue: 06
Take Another Look at Stress Mastery
(95% of stress related problems can be reduced or prevented .)
”Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. It believes that everything is an emergency.” Natalie Goldberg
Have you ever noticed how you can calm yourself by taking 2 or 3 slow deep breaths? When I find myself stressing I like to stop and take two or three deep, slow breaths letting the last breath exit with a long sigh. My shoulders drop immediately, my stomach settles and a sense of stillness moves through my body. It helps me sit back (or stand back) and take another look at the present – and whatever I am letting cause my stress.
“One of the greatest challenges that we face is living a happy, healthy, peaceful life - one that is more balanced, less stressed and more fulfilled – while juggling the demands of daily life.” Rebecca McLean
Studies have shown that up to 87% of all disease, pain, drug and alcohol abuse, injury and emotional and mental breakdowns are due to stress. Even more important, 95% percent of these stress-related problems can be reduced and prevented. So in short we don’t have to live with unmanaged stress. Yippee! Now that’s good news.
Stress, however, is not all bad. Our stress response, the fight or flight response is stimulated by real or perceived physical or emotional danger or harm. Our body responds with a rush of adrenaline, a racing heart, dilated pupils, elevated blood pressure and rapid breath.
It serves to send us messages like get ‘out of the way’, ‘help that person’, ‘be careful’, ‘be alert’, etc. In such times it can be a life saving mechanism. But when we allow ourselves to be in a sense of chronic stress it creates a negative impact on our physiological system often beyond what our system can handle. We exhaust our ability to adapt. Ultimately, the system breaks down and mental or physical illness can set in.
As the quote above states, it is one of life’s greatest challenges to live happy and stress free when juggling the daily demands of our life.
Have you heard the impression, it’s easy but hard? That is how I experience dealing with stress sometimes. I know what to do, but there are times that I let myself continue feeling stress long after I could have shifted my stressful burden. Do you find that you do that sometimes?
Often we just need to be gently reminded to take care of ourselves. It is our choice, isn’t it? Here are a few strategies for mastering stress that you may not have thought of before. You may find them helpful the next time you are in a stressful state.
- Take deep breaths throughout the day, to recharge, revitalize and relax your whole system. Do it when you don’t even feel the stress. That’s the key.
- Do something each day that brings you joy, that you love to do, and that leaves you energized and refreshed.
- Create and maintain a personal support system of people you trust and feel at ease with. Let them know when things are feeling too stressful. Talk it out.
- Tell the truth. Sometimes honesty demands the expression of strong feelings. The benefits are powerful and liberating.
- Visualize positive outcomes. This is the first step to creation!
- And finally, one of my favorites, at the end of the day take a long soak in a warm bath to dissolve tensions, soften muscles, and relax the mind. Sigh . . . :)
Summary:
Yes, stress is part of this life. But if we make a commitment to ourselves to take small steps throughout the day to relieve stress from building up we have done half the work. Of course, the other half is to do it. The easy, but hard piece. Actually, it is only hard if we let it, right?
Make peace your top priority. Choose peace-giving thoughts. Breathe in the calm, fresh energy and exhale the fatigue.
Washington, D. C.: A place where they take the taxpayer's shirt and have a bureau in which to put it. - Unknown
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Humor helps too!
Let me hear your best tips on dealing with stress in your life.
Here is to your peace and happiness, Marlene
Coach@marlenelockwood.com
© Copyright 2009 Marlene Lockwood All rights reserved.
Look what’s coming on Nov 4, 2009 – We are very excited!
Circle of Life™ Teleclass series. The Power of Focus: using the energy of change to move you toward your dreams.
Open to anyone wanting to “turn it around!”
![bigstockphoto_Exulting_The_Sunset_300315[1]](../Marlene_Lockwood/images/Exulting_The_Sunset300315.jpg)
The good news… is that change and chaos create energy - energy that can be used to refocus your life, energy that promotes creativity and possibilities and which can help you refocus your life.
Consider these questions:
Do you feel stuck in your personal or professional life?
Are you confronted with a future that feels too uncertain?
Are you wondering if “this is it”? If you need to settle for “just getting by”?
Take a minute to Imagine . . .
- Living a balanced life: work, self-care, relationships, play, finances, family
- Reducing your stress and energizing yourself with simple self-care practices
- Navigating major life choices in a focused, healthy and supported way
- Utilizing your strengths more effectively
Co-coached by Ulrika Brattemark and Marlene Lockwood
In this 16 week teleclass we will be using a proven approach to life enrichment where you will be supported to move beyond your fears and limitations toward living a life that is truly rich and meaningful to you. You can turn it around. Now is the time. This teleclass includes the following features:
12 Weekly teleclass group meetings |
One Private coaching session |
Self-care tools |
Weekly Master Mind group meetings |
On line group forum |
A 220 page Guidebook |
Recordings of sessions |
Holistic process & tools |
Many handouts/resources |
Watch for more information COMING On my blog, on Twitter, Face Book and Linkedin.
Marlene Lockwood focuses much of her coaching time working with women who are rebuilding their lives after the end of a love relationship. She supports them in navigating life transitions with more ease, to improve their life balance, and increase their creativity and vitality. They become in tune with their heart’s desire and become eager to leap solo into their new amazing life. Marlene is a certified Facilitator and Health and Wellness Coach, qualified Myers/Briggs Assessment provider, and serves as faculty and mentor for Institute Cultural Affairs. She received her BSN from CSUS, and her MPA from the USF. www.marlenelockwood.com
Ulrika Brattemark works with individuals and groups to support them in creating the life they deeply desire. She is committed to helping others discover what is truly meaningful to them, cultivating their personal strengths and uniqueness, and to create and sustain positive change in their life. Ulrika is a certified Health and Wellness Coach who continuously furthers her coaching expertise by attending advanced workshops, retreats, and courses in multiple Mind/Body topics such as Stress Management, Communication skills, Yoga, and Creativity. coachulrika@gmail.com
P.S. I am so delighted to connect with each of you through this Ezine. This is a new challenge for me, but one I take on eagerly. I would enjoy hearing from you. Please give me your suggestions on subjects you are interested in as well as your feedback. coach@marlenelockwood.com
www.marlenelockwood.com
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