Life is Tough-Relax!

We all learn how tough life can be with it's strange twists and turns and sometimes brick walls. It has a tendency to get your cortisol levels sky high. The adrenal glands, located on your kidneys, secret cortisol, called the "stress" hormone. It is involved in releasing glucose for proper blood sugar levels;immune function/inflammatory response; and regulation of glucose metabolism/blood sugar levels.

Cortisol is secreted at higher levels during stressful times or when you are in the "flight or fight response" mode. Higher and chronic levels in your blood help contribute to Impaired cognition; suppressed thyroid; blood sugar fluctuations like hyperglycemia; lower bone density; muscle tissue loss; increased blood pressure; reduced immunity and inflammatory responses; and a surge in abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.

One of the basic tenets of stress management is know how to invoke the "relaxation response" in your body so your system can reduce the cortisol and return to normal. A low stress lifestyle or using some of the following techniques can help you cope:Meditation, breathing exercises;yoga;guided imagery; exercise;self hypnosis;sex;journaling; and music.

Start to increase your stress management skills today and come visit us at http://www.stressless.com/

It's the little things!

There is "acute" stress, which occurs for a high intensity short term period like a car accident and "chronic" stress, which lasts a longer period and does not seem to go away as a result of things like financial difficulties or marriage issues.
It's the "cumulative" stress that builds up daily over time that occurs on a steady basis which can do you in. It becomes cumulative and destructive. Your mind becomes numb and the ill effects of the stress hormones increasingly circulate in your system eating away at your blood vessels and organs.
So, how do you prevent or resolve these daily irritants? The same way you approach all your stress management issues, with steady resolve to challenge your negative, cognitive thoughts and replace them with healthy, positive thoughts. Make sure you are eating and behaving healthy, and you learn to relax your mind and your body. Even if you haven't incorporated these strategies into your stress management tool box, start today. They will not only help alleviate the daily stress, they will help to rein in the hormones and destructive, psycho-physiological damage being done by the cumulative stress.
Come see us at www.stressless.com

Meditation is Free Health

Meditation is the best health producing behavior you can incorporate into your stress management tool bag!

The health benefits from this free exercise are quite astounding when compared to other drugs and procedures. When you practice meditation regularly, you lower your heart rate and breathing; blood pressure stabilizes; there is more efficient use of oxygen; and there is less sweat. The adrenal glands (on kidneys) produce less cortisol, (adrenaline and noradrenaline); and your system generates positive hormones; the body ages at a slower rate; and your immune function improves. Your mind is cleared up and your creativity increases. People who meditate regularly find it easier to give up life defeating habits like smoking, drinking and drugs.

With all these benefits, it is hard to understand why everyone is not engaged in meditation. But, the simple fact is the majority of people are either not interested, think it is "new age" mumbo jumbo, or are just too busy to fit it into their "busy" schedule.

Try to incorporate meditation into your life and enjoy not only the tremendous health benefits, but a more peaceful, less chattered mind which will reduce your stress and anxiety.

Come to see us at www.stressless.com

Stress Less Moment

Just like you schedule time every morning to brush your teeth, shave, take a shower, put on makeup, etc., you need to set aside 20-30 minutes or more for a

"Stress Less Moment". This is the time where you seclude yourself into a room with no noise, distractions, phones, or potential interruptions. You sit in a comfortable chair or sit on a floor mat and meditate. After you meditate, you visualize your day and your potential accomplishments and establish a positive mental framework. Cognitive behavior techniques, prayer, and breathing exercises are all part of your arsenal to use to get in the right mindset for the day.

People complain that the reason they don't exercise or eat properly is due to lack of time. However, just as brushing your teeth not only feels good and is socially pleasing, it helps to prevent decay and bad gums. Think of your 'moment' doing the same thing, only for your mind and positive mental health. It is your mind that controls your thoughts and you control your mind. Thoughts turn into feelings and action. The more your see positive mental pictures ahead of you, the more they will occur and the fewer negative thoughts will try to invade your space.

You make time for your teeth because it is important. Do the same for your mind!

Think about it and make the time and come see us at www.stressless.com,

Terror Alert-Do What?

As if we don't have enough stress and anxiety with our daily existence to deal with, we now have to contend with the National Terror alerts put out daily by the Homeland Security Agency. They range from Low to Severe attached with different colors, with, as you guessed it, Green for Low and Red for High.

For some time, we laughed in amusement at this effort to inform or scare us, since there was no follow up explanation for what do we do when it starts to get towards Red? It was meaningless and required no action from us so why are they telling us? Well, if you do some research, FEMA and Homeland Security have posted different actions for each level of concern. It is very practical and once you review the suggestions, it makes good sense.

In essence, they treat the terror alerts much like a natural disaster (hurricane, tornado, earthquake, fire, etc.) First make sure you have personal first aid/supply kits for your home to battle the no electricity/water issue and how to turn them off. Then you develop a "family plan" for the emergency and let everyone involved know what is expected of them. Know how to contact local agencies to keep informed of the situation and review alternate routes from those you normally take to work or play. Offer yourself for volunteer work and learn CPR and first aid.
Monitor your neighbors and be observant of suspicious activity in your area.

Just like good stress management, being prepared and organized up front will reduce the stress and anxiety, when and if something might occur.

So when the Terror alerts start to go up, ask yourself if you have everything organized and ready just in case? If not, which we are sure most would respond, then put it at the top of your "To do" list and make it happen.

Stress Less and come to see us at http://www.stressless.com/

Allocating Stress

A recent stress poll on the Internet representing over 3,000 responses asked people," What area of your life causes you the most stress on a regular basis?"
"My job" was 30%; "My finances" 20%;"My relationships" 20%; "My children" 10%;"School" 10%;"Other" 10%. The answers pretty much fall into a typical response pattern among all surveys when you try to categorize stress. However, the stress you have at home when you have an argument with a loved one is carried into the office/school/etc. and can be compounded. So, is the correct answer that your stress is created in your relationship or at work or both? Does it matter?
We think it does and here's why. One of the first things you need to do in proper stress management it to uncover the stressor(s) that are helping to cause your irritation or stress level. If the truth is your finances are causing you and your partner to argue at home and this leads to you being short with co-workers, then the finances are the stressors that need attention and not necessarily your interpersonal relationship with your co-workers.
So, when looking at these research reports about where most people's stress is coming from, we look with a crooked eye since there is so much crossover amongst the common areas of stress producing events and opportunities. Finding the original source of conflict is the key to reducing stress across all areas of your life. One of the challenges of corporate stress management is working with your employees to reduce the stressors of the workplace, taking in mind that many, if not most, of the issues may have originated at home or elsewhere.
We are all stress carriers to some degree, but need to be mindful that the original source of stress is what we need to focus on for maximum benefit and resolution of the problem.
Bring your stress over to www.stressless.com and hang out.

Self Induced Stress Syndrome

As we say, there really is not a layer of stress in the universe, only that which our thoughts create. The more you learn to control your thinking, the less stress you will experience. Can you be stress free? Probably not, and you would not want to be stress free. We need stress to keep us attentive to issues and to stay keen for problem solving, business and family needs, etc. However, much of the stress we create, has been self inflicted and is preventable.

For instance, if we do not plan ahead, we always get in trouble. If we try to travel without clear instructions and or a map, we will get lost. If we do not organize our desk, home, closet, drawers, bank account, etc., we will experience problems which could have been prevented with proper planning. How many times have you had to be somewhere at a certain time and could not find your keys, watch, glasses, map, etc ? If you are like most of us, it is a recurring problem, which again could be prevented by planning/organizing/listing, etc.

So you see, much of the stress and angst that your experience is directly attributable to you and lack of proper planning and organization.

To work toward a more organized and stress less you, try making lists of things you need; set up specific areas where things go so you can find your glasses, keys, etc. Prioritize your "To do" list

so you tackle the most important things first and not worry about the less important things.

It requires discipline, but will pay big dividends and result in less stress for all.

Tidy up and come see us at www.stressless.com