Stress – Personal Growth Cafe

October 23, 2019March 27, 2018

Seven Ways to Reduce Stress in Your Home

Does this picture describe your happy home?

The baby’s crying while you hurriedly put the fast food on the table, the dog is throwing up on the floor, the hubby’s got the TV on full-blast, and your teenager just angrily slammed the door on his way out.

Unfortunately, it’s a typical scene for many of us.

However, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way.

There are, in fact, things you can do to ease this stress and create a more harmonious environment so that you and your family can look forward to coming home!

Although some degree of stress is inherent as you deal with the varying phases of your family members, if you strive to uphold a core set of values and go with the flow, you can maintain a happy and healthy home.

Here are some specific ways you can reduce the stress at home:

1. Get organized. Life can quickly become chaotic when you don’t maintain organization.

An organized home runs smoothly, while an unorganized home leads to stress and lost time.

A good tip is to start small with your organization efforts.

Start with one room or even a portion of a room.

The idea is to think of it as a series of small projects instead of one overwhelmingly huge one.

2. Communicate. Your family will certainly benefit from actively working on communication skills.

When you fail to communicate effectively, you may not get what you want and can even cause upsetting misunderstandings.

Working on communication will allow all family members to feel loved and appreciated and help the household run efficiently.

3. Eat dinner together. Everyone in your family likely has a busy life of their own.

It’s easy to suddenly realize that you have no idea what’s going on with your spouse or child.

When you make it a point to eat dinner together every night, you make time to connect with your family.

You’ll learn how to work as one even with busy lifestyles.

4. Have fun together. It’s important to schedule time to have fun together as a family, even if these times can’t be as often as you’d like.

Schedule family nights in advance and allow each family member a chance to pick that evening’s activity.

5. Show unconditional love. Be sure to practice the art of unconditional love with your family.

This leads to secure attachments and will ultimately keep everyone in your family happy and stress-free.

Children and parents alike need to know that, when they make mistakes, they have a loving family that will back them up and forgive them.

6. Give support. Go out of your way for your family members.

It might not be an ideal Friday night to go to your daughter’s art show, but just think of how they’ll feel when they see that they have your love and support.

Actively express your support by really being there for your family – no matter what.

Just thinking about how much you love them is not enough!

7. Family rules. Having a set of family rules will help with organization and allow everyone to know what’s expected of them.

Schedule a family meeting to establish the house rules.

Make sure everyone has a chance to participate and share his or her concerns.

You’ll likely find a compromise that allows everyone to be happy.

A happy and stress free home is one built on love.

Don’t be too hard on yourself and others, and you’ll have the basis for creating an excellent home life.

What are the major causes of stress in your family?

What is your favorite bonding time with the family to reduce stress?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 20, 2019March 27, 2018

10 Foods That Fight Stress

It’s easy to forget the importance of everything we put into our bodies.

While you can’t always eat a completely balanced diet, you can reduce your stress levels simply by choosing stress-fighting foods.

Since everyone is different, some stress-relieving foods might work for you while others may not.

Your best bet will be to try them all and then incorporate the ones that work for you into your regular diet.

Here are some foods that can help alleviate your stress:

1. Green Leafy Vegetables. Leafy greens contain a lot of magnesium.

Magnesium is an important mineral that has the power to relax muscles.

2. Fish Oil. Fish oil contains essential fatty acids that help with serotonin uptake in the brain.

Serotonin makes you feel good mentally and enables your brain to better cope with stress.

You can get your fish oil from certain kinds of fish, such as salmon, or from supplements.

3. Milk. There is a reason that milk is sometimes referred to as a “wind down” food.

The proteins in milk can help reduce anxiety while the calcium is another mineral that can help with muscle relaxation.

4. Chocolate. A small piece of dark chocolate each day can actually provide you with many health benefits.

Chocolate has a stimulating effect.

The caffeine also helps to increase serotonin.

It’s okay to indulge in chocolate in small amounts!

5. Red Wine. Many experts believe that a glass of red wine each day provides health benefits.

The only drawback is that it’s easy to overdo it when drinking alcoholic beverages.

Wine is packed with beneficial antioxidants and can temporarily lower blood pressure and help you relax.

6. Oatmeal. Oatmeal and other carbohydrates also help increase serotonin levels in the brain.

In fact, your brain needs carbohydrates in order to function normally.

This is why it’s essential to include good carbohydrates like oatmeal in your regular diet.

7. Lean Meats. Lean meats can help you combat stress by providing a good source of protein.

Turkey, eggs, chicken and fish are all good choices because they contain necessary amino acids for healthy brain function.

Remember not to eat fatty meats because the fat can interfere with proper digestion of the amino acids.

8. Coffee. Yes, caffeine is a stimulant and there is also a risk of developing an unhealthy habit.

However, moderation is the key.

Coffee can help stimulate the brain into working with more energy and efficiency, helping you feel more motivated and less stressed.

9. Nuts. Nuts help you maintain your proper blood sugar.

They also contain plenty of the vitamin B complex, which combats fatigue.

10. Spinach. Spinach is one of the world’s super foods. It contains many vitamins, antioxidants and omega 3’s.

This means it would be hard to eat spinach and not feel good!

Vitamins & Supplements

Of course, it’s always best to get your nutrients from the natural source.

If this isn’t possible, or if you can’t stomach a certain food, it’s best to look for vitamin supplements so you can still derive some benefits from it.

Vitamin supplements help your body get the nutrients it might be missing.

Once you start consuming these necessary nutrients, you’ll be on your way to feeling healthier and stress-free.

How often do you do stress eating?

Which of these foods will work best for you? Why?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 19, 2019March 27, 2018

10 Natural Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Anxiety can take over your life without you really knowing it.

It’s important to stay in touch with your inner self to maintain balance and notice when there might be a problem.

If your anxiety is severe or causes you to panic, be sure to see a health professional.

However, for day-to-day anxiety, there are natural ways you can reduce anxiety by yourself.

Here are some herbs, tips, and techniques you can use to alleviate your anxiety:

1. Passionflower. Passionflower is a popular herb that has been known to help reduce anxiety.

For many, passionflower is as effective as some prescription drugs.

It also helps with insomnia since anxiety and insomnia often go hand in hand.

2. Self-Hypnosis. Hypnosis can be a great way to relax and get in touch with your subconscious.

Self-hypnosis enables you to perform techniques on yourself instead of requiring someone else’s assistance.

3. Proper Nutrition. Sometimes you may forget about the intense connection between how you feel and what you put into your body.

Simply paying attention to getting a natural, well-balanced diet can help you reduce anxiety.

If eating right is difficult for you, be sure to take a multivitamin and avoid chemicals, processed foods, and caffeine when possible.

4. Time Management. A hectic schedule can cause anxiety.

Perhaps it’s time to drop some activities or manage your time in a more efficient fashion.

Remember to schedule time for yourself to focus on activities that relax you.

5. St. John’s Wort. St. John’s Wort has been used as a supplement for centuries.

It’s a natural herb that can help with both depression and anxiety. It’s best used for mild to moderate cases.

6. Acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient art that can reduce your anxiety by enabling you to feel calm and relaxed.

It involves the use of thin needles that are used to relax your muscles.

7. Worry Time. If you feel that all you do is worry, it’s time to pick a worry time.

Choose a period of the day – maybe 5 to 6 PM – where you allow yourself to worry as much as you want.

Worrying is simply not allowed or tolerated during the rest of the day.

Every time you feel worries arise during other times of the day, tell yourself that the worries have to wait for your worry time.

You’ll soon find that you won’t really worry all that much during your worry time!

8. Exercise. Studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce anxiety.

Exercise produces serotonin (the “feel good” hormone), relieves stress, increases oxygen levels throughout the body, and relaxes your muscles.

9. Meditation. Pick a time each day when you can meditate.

Find a quiet, relaxing place and focus on your breathing while you relax.

Next, immerse yourself in visualizing that you are living the life you desire.

Meditation can relax, inspire, and motivate you.

10. Valerian Root. This is another natural anxiety herb.

It’s an excellent choice if you also have trouble sleeping.

Valerian root can be taken as a tea or a capsule and should be taken approximately two hours before you go to bed.

Whether you choose a natural herb, activity, or life change to reduce your anxiety, you’re making a good decision when you opt to go with a natural solution to your problem.

How do you feel about your anxiety level?

How are you working on reducing your anxiety level?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 18, 2019March 27, 2018

10 Natural Ways to Reduce Stress

Stress is something that affects everyone.

Stress does serve a purpose and there’s even such a thing as good stress.

However, when you feel like your stress is getting out of hand, the best thing you can do for your body is to look for natural stress relievers.

Here are some techniques you can use to reduce your stress level:

1. Practice yoga and meditation. Yoga and meditation are ancient arts that have been proven to work.

They can be practiced separately or together.

When you connect the mind, body, and spirit in a healthy, peaceful fashion you feel more relaxed and rejuvenated.

2. Enjoy the benefits of green tea. Green tea is a natural herb that you can drink or take in capsule form.

It’s loaded with beneficial antioxidants to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.

It’s a natural stress reliever and helps boost metabolism to energize you. It may even help with weight loss.

3. Go for a walk. Many people think that going for a walk is only good for your physical fitness.

However, walking can benefit you spiritually and mentally as well.

Staying even moderately active increases oxygen levels in your brain, which also improves your mental state.

Plus, a 20-minute walk gives your mind a chance to reflect and rejuvenate.

4. Keep a diary. Keeping a diary can help you unload your thoughts in a private manner.

You have the benefits of knowing that your secrets are safe and you can still vent in the process.

Venting on paper just might prove to be a great stress reliever.

5. Try aromatherapy. Many herbs can be used in aromatherapy to calm you in a natural way.

Try lavender, rosemary, or peppermint for some popular choices.

6. Get a full body massage. A massage is a great way to relax your muscles.

It also helps to get blood flowing properly throughout the body, which naturally reduces stress.

7. Listen to music. You may want to try some traditional relaxing music such as classical or world music.

However, everyone is different, so experiment with different types of music that you might find relaxing.

8. Use stress-reducing herbs. Herbs are affordable, natural, and a great way to relieve your stress.

There are many herbs that have been known to promote calmness and overall feelings of well-being.

Some of them include chamomile and St. John’s Wort.

9. Take a warm bath. Taking a warm bath is beneficial to your body and mind.

The warmth will help your body relax while the peaceful time to yourself will help you achieve a balanced mindset.

10. Do something funny. The saying “laughter is the best medicine” is no joke!

Laughing can definitely help you to relax and therefore reduce stress.

Do something you personally find funny, like going to a comedy show or hanging out with a good friend.

You’ll soon find that there are endless possibilities for natural ways of reducing your stress.

Your job will be to find out what works best for you personally.

As long as you take time out of each day to take a break and unwind, you’ll be well on your way to reducing your stress.

How much time do you take each day to clear your mind and relax?

How can daily relaxation help eliminate stress from your day?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 16, 2019March 27, 2018

Action Strategies to Reduce Anxiety

Are you seeking a solution for your anxiety?

Perhaps you’ve found yourself spending lots of time sitting around and worrying, only to end up having more anxiety over your anxiety!

The only way to help the situation is to take action. You don’t need to resort to anything drastic, but if you take action even in small steps it could make all the difference.

Here are some action strategies for reducing your anxiety:

1. Get a biofeedback device. A biofeedback device will show you the subtle things your body does when it gets anxious. It will record your actions, such as increased heart rate, perspiration, temperature, and strained muscles. These are things you don’t normally notice.

When the biofeedback device gives you these readings, you get to know your body better and you’re then more able to counteract these symptoms and relax.

2. Talk with friends. Feeling anxious also usually makes you feel quite alone. One way to combat this is to remain open about your feelings and communicate with other people. Make time for your friends or family.

3. Seek counseling. You know yourself best and will be able to tell if you’re having mild anxiety problems or severely life-altering issues. If your anxiety is showing an interference with your daily life, seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

4. Meditate. Meditation is certainly an action strategy even though it seems like quite the opposite. Your choice to be inactive is an action in itself. Try to meditate by taking deep breaths in and out. Doing so will relax all of your muscles in the process and your problems will begin to fade away.

5. Exercise. Start an exercise routine. Exercise gets the endorphins pumping and will actually relax you. When you engage in regular exercise you get your body into a healthy rhythm. You’ll have a built-in break from anxious situations when you make time for exercise.

6. Start a journal. Starting a journal can be a real stress reliever. It’s like you have a secret friend to vent to whenever you want. In addition to reducing anxiety, starting a journal might also be beneficial for you because it will help you preserve good memories, too.

7. Eat a balanced diet. Putting healthy foods into your body can help reduce anxiety. Analyze your current diet and pinpoint the items that might need to go. Enjoy the less healthy items in moderation while you increase your intake of the nutritious foods your body craves. Also, you may want to consider taking a multivitamin.

8. Drink water. This one sounds simple enough, right? The truth is that water has some amazing healing powers. Be sure to get at least 8 glasses of clear fluids each day.

9. Find an outdoor hobby. Play a sport or start a garden. Not only will you get some much-needed fresh air, but also you’ll relieve stress while taking your mind off of your problems.

Reducing Anxiety

The truth is there are many things you can do to actively reduce your anxiety. Make a list of the things you find relaxing and make sure that you allow yourself some time each day to do one of them.

Focus on gaining better control of your mind. Don’t let your thoughts run away with you. Instead, give yourself some time to unwind in the evenings. Most important of all, don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone deals with anxiety at some time or another, but you can use these tips to keep it under control.

How do you recover from a tiring day?

How can controlling how you feel help you see the positive side of things?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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August 18, 2019March 26, 2018

Finding Peace in Chaos

The majority of us live stressful and hectic lives.

It seems that we’re busy 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and never have enough time to accomplish what we need to.

Whether it’s your boss demanding overtime, your children needing your constant focus, or your spouse requesting your attention, every day seems like a whirlwind.

You love your family and need your job, but chances are, you tend to neglect yourself in the interim.

It’s extremely important that you don’t let this happen.

Put aside some time each and every day to make YOU a priority.

With a bit of creative thinking and time management, there are ways to find peace in your daily chaos.

When you turn off the outside chaos, it gives you a chance to revel in all that is good and right with your world.

And when you do this, you emerge with renewed energy and a fresh new attitude!

Follow these tips to enjoy more peace in your life:

1. Read a good book. If you’re one of many who enjoy reading, this may be just what you need.

You can spend some time immersed in a different place or time, which will help you regain your calm.

If you have a hard time focusing for long periods of time, try an audio book instead.

2. Listen to uplifting music. Music has always had wonderful and mysterious powers.

It’s used to calm children, the elderly, and even animals during times of stress and angst.

Play music that appeals to you. Dance, sing along, or just sit back and listen to its beautiful melody.

3. Reflect and meditate. Focus on everything that’s good and right with your life.

Think of those you love and what you hope for them in the future.

Think about your own future as well and what you hope to achieve in your lifetime.

Close your eyes, sit in a comfortable chair, or lie down on your bed.

Block out all sources of stress and think only positive thoughts.

4. Enjoy some family time. Spending time with those you love is often a great stress reliever.

Choose a fun activity that you can all enjoy.

You may want to play a board game or pop some popcorn and watch a movie together.

It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you can have some fun and relax together.

5. Get some assistance from the experts. Many noted authors have written invaluable books on the topics of de-stressing and de-cluttering your life.

You can even purchase these books in an audio format and listen to them during your commute.

When you’re stuck in traffic, rather than getting upset, why not turn this time into a way to de-stress?

6. Slow down. Take your time, stop and smell the roses, and listen to the birds chirp.

Everything you need so desperately to accomplish will still be there waiting for you five minutes later.

It’s a beautiful world out there!

Do everything you can to make sure you enjoy every minute of it.

Use these tips every day to help you discover all the beautiful and wondrous things in your life and you’ll also find peace in your chaos!

How have you brought peace into your life through relaxing your mind and body?

How often do you find time for peace and relaxation?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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July 19, 2019March 25, 2018

I can release my feelings of trying to control everything. I can go with the flow.

I acknowledge that the only person I have complete control over is me!

I cannot control the thoughts, opinions, or actions of others.

However, I can control my reactions to whatever life throws my way.

I let go of my desire to control situations and I refuse to allow frustration to cloud my mind.

Instead, I choose to focus on what I can do in any given situation.

Even though I cannot control everything, I am not powerless.

I still have tools that help me direct my life toward achieving my goals, regardless of life’s distractions.

My time management skills keep me focused and organized.

I allow time in my schedule for dealing with distractions without losing my focus on my priorities.

Affirmations are another tool that helps guide my life to where I want to go.

Regardless of what life throws at me, I can replace any negative thoughts that creep in with positive ones.

Even in hectic times, I can use breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and meditation to restore peace and harmony to my soul.

I also use my optimistic outlook on life to find the silver lining in everything.

With these tools at my disposal, I know I can go with the flow, whatever that flow might bring!

I do not need to have control over anyone but myself to enjoy life with all its blessings and challenges!

Today, I choose to focus on controlling only myself and discover how joyful life can be without any desire to control others.

How can you control your life by controlling yourself?

What stops you from just going with the flow?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 14, 2019March 23, 2018

Five Simple Relaxation Tips

Everyone experiences times throughout the day where you just wish you could relax for even a few minutes.

You already know that relaxation helps your body re-energize, but sometimes you’re so busy and caught up in the moment that you just don’t have the time to unwind.

Well, fortunately there are simple ways to relax, even during your busiest days, that don’t require a lot of time or equipment.

Here are 5 Simple Relaxation Tips:

1. When you’re in line at the grocery store:

Instead of stressing out because there aren’t enough cashiers and every line has 5 people with heaping carts of groceries, use that time to relax your body by taking some deep breaths.

Deep breathing helps increase the oxygen in your blood.

Your blood then circulates that extra oxygen throughout your body helping your inner systems recharge.

Taking five slow deep breaths will do the trick.

The proper technique is to inhale and exhale deeply through your nose and out your mouth.

Not only will deep breathing help you relax, it’ll help to clear your mind, reduce brain fog, and you’ll feel much more alert and ready to tackle the next project on your plate.

Deep breathing can be done anywhere when you’re feeling stressed or just want to clear your mind.

2. When you’re at work: It’s often hard to find time to relax at work.

You might even get in trouble if you’re caught “relaxing.” Oh the horror!

However, there are some techniques you can do while you’re at work to help create a sense of calm that aren’t so obvious to others.

If your job requires you to sit at a computer all day, make sure you get up and move around for a few minutes every hour.

This helps circulate the blood throughout your body.

Just moving the blood flow will make you feel more alert and focused.

While sitting at your desk, roll your head around, from side to side and from front to back with your eyes closed.

This technique helps to relieve neck tension, increasing blood flow to your brain, which is a natural and easy way to relax.

If you’re on your feet all day, stretch out your back and sides by standing with your feet firm on the floor, shoulder width apart, and twist your upper body, including your head, slowly from side to side.

This will loosen up your back muscles and spine, releasing tension throughout your body.

During a break or lunchtime, go for a walk. Walking is a great way to clear your mind and your body will benefit from the extra exercise as well.

3. When you’re rushing through a busy day: Take just a few moments to daydream and escape the busyness of reality.

Daydreaming lets your imagination flow, causing instant relief from the stress of the real world.

Think of a place or experience that makes you feel happy or calm. Imagine how it smells, how the air feels, and who’s around.

After five minutes of a calming daydream you’ll feel relaxed, reenergized and ready to face the real world again.

4. Wherever you’re at, smile: Smiling is proven to help relax and rejuvenate your body.

When you’re out and about, smile at others around you.

When you’re at work, smile at your co-workers. Not only will it help you relax, it’ll help relax them as well.

Smile at your children when you’re toting them around to all their different activities. This will create a peaceful environment you’ll all enjoy.

5. When the going gets tough, laugh: Laughter’s proven to be an instant stress reliever.

Now I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to be seen as a nut case, so laughing out loud when you’re in line at the store or sitting at your desk may not be the best time.

When you can, get someone involved in your laughter with you.

Tell a funny joke or story to a co-worker (at an appropriate time, of course).

Play a fun game or sing a silly song with your kids as you’re driving.

Watch funny videos on YouTube.

Engaging in these simple, everyday relaxation techniques will help to sustain and strengthen you throughout your day.

It’ll also make it easier to unwind when you get home.

Your friends, co-workers, and family will all appreciate the new, relaxed you!

How do you keep yourself relaxed after a stressful or challenging day?

What activities do you do to relax your mind and body?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 13, 2019March 23, 2018

10 Practical Stress Relieving Tips

Stress-induced problems swirl around us all the time and it often feels like the pressure never ends!

Yet, there are simple ways to relieve stress without harming your body.

Here are 10 steps to a less stressed life:

1. Cut out the busyness.

What are some things you can cut out of your schedule to give you more quality time for you and your family?

What clubs or organizations do you belong to?

What meetings or activities are you involved in? Is it all necessary?

Carefully consider which programs and activities you can remove from your schedule – then do it!

2. De-clutter and organize your home.

When your home is cluttered and unorganized, you tend to feel cluttered and unorganized on the inside, causing you more stress.

Get rid of the stuff you never use by selling it, throwing it away, or giving it to someone who’ll make use of it.

Once you’ve done that, organize what’s left over and make a place for everything.

If necessary, use labels and organizational containers to make it easy to find things again.

3. De-clutter and organize your workspace. Organizing your workspace is no different than de-cluttering your home.

Remember, your external environment affects your internal peace. Messy on the outside likely means messy on the inside.

4. One of the major stress factors is money. However, there’s a simple solution: a budget.

Most people don’t like the word budget, but budgeting doesn’t have to be difficult.

In fact, financial planning actually helps you save money.

Do a search online to find a budgeting system that works best for you.

It needs to be simple and easy to use every day.

Once you’re on a budget you’ll feel a lot less stressed due to finances.

Seek the help of an experienced financial planner who can steer you on the right financial path.

5. Enjoy what you do have. In our society you’ve probably learned somewhere along the way that more is better. Well, it’s not.

When you learn to be content with what you have right now, you’ll find much more peace within yourself.

6. Get regular exercise. When you workout, your body burns off more than just fat and calories. Working out also burns off steam.

If you’re stressed due to work situations or family conflict, getting a good workout will help you relieve stress.

You’ll be able to think and reason more clearly, which will help you deal with some of the core issues that are causing your stress.

7. Eat healthier. Yes, eating healthy foods really does relieve stress because when your body is nourished properly, it functions optimally.

Eating right lends itself to clearer thinking.

8. Reduce your workload. If you have a heavy workload, either on the job or at home, do what you can to reduce it.

Take a good look at your routine and determine if the workload is really worth the toll it’s taking on your body and health.

If it’s not – and there’s no end in sight – perhaps it’s not the proper solution to your problems anyway.

9. Communication is key to relieving stress in your life.

If you have a friend you can talk to openly and honestly, seek them out.

Getting things off your chest will help you sort out problems and see your situation in a new light.

The less foggy your mind is, the more stress you’ll be able to remove from your life.

It often helps to have someone outside of the situation to talk to because they’ll likely see something you don’t.

10. Journaling is a great way to relieve stress. You can have an outlet without having to reveal your deep thoughts to the world.

Journaling is a great way to see the progress you’ve made, which can be very therapeutic.

As you can see, there are many ways to reduce stress. Put them into practice now and you’ll soon begin to see a real difference in your life.

Your stress will start to diminish and you’ll be free to enjoy your beautiful life!

How do you deal with stress?

What activities do you need to do more of to get yourself out of stress?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 6, 2019March 23, 2018

Coping with Stressful Changes in Your Life

Life is constantly changing around us, in us, through us, and about us.

It’s inevitable that there are going to be changes throughout life.

Some will be good, some bad, and some indifferent.

Some you like, some you hate, and some just don’t matter.

Obviously the changes you like are easy to deal with and you might even look forward to it!

What about the changes in life that aren’t so peachy? How do you handle those?

Let’s explore some of these common changes and the best ways to cope with them.

1. Job Loss

Job loss is on the forefront of almost every American’s mind right now as the economy declines more and more each day.

This type of change can be very stressful, if you allow it to be.

However, by looking at the situation differently, job loss doesn’t have to be stressful.

When you’re faced with job loss, try to think of it as a new opportunity to try something new or something you’ve always wanted to do.

Some ideas are:

Take some evening classes to learn a new skill or trade.

Make arts, crafts, or jewelry and sell it online or at craft fairs.

Teach others what you know through tutoring or consulting.

Start an online business.

The point is to take a step out of your comfort zone and see the many opportunities that lie before you.

Stepping out of your comfort zone isn’t easy though, is it?

It does take effort and courage.

When you’re stuck in your comfort zone, well, you’re just that – stuck.

Who wants to be stuck?

I don’t and I would venture to say that neither do you!

To get unstuck, take a step out of your comfort zone and look at other possibilities, instead of stressing over the changes that lie ahead.

2. Moving

How about moving or transferring to another area?

That can be a pretty big change that could cause a lot of stress.

The best way to cope with this situation is to look at it as a time to refresh and renew.

I know this can be difficult sometimes, especially when you love the area you live in now.

And, of course, you’ll miss all your friends, family, and familiar sites.

Moving away from people you love can be very stressful and difficult, but it doesn’t have to be!

You can look at the big move as an opportunity to stretch your horizons and meet new people.

Your friends and family will still be there, and you’ll still be able to keep in touch with them on a regular basis.

But you’ll also grow roots in other places, and you just might build even stronger friendships and relationships than you’ve ever imagined!

Focus on the New Opportunities

There are always positive ways to look at things and when you train your minds to look at change as opportunity, instead of stressing out about it, you’ll be happier and healthier.

Here are a couple of other common life changes that tend to be stressful, but can be seen as an exciting, new opportunity:

3. Unexpected Pregnancy – An unexpected pregnancy obviously can cause stress financially, emotionally, physically and mentally.

However, it’s a wonderful opportunity!

An opportunity to love a child and to give life.

A new opportunity to make some lifestyle changes or to give life to someone who can’t have children of their own through adoption, and so much more!

4. Children Growing Up – A child going off to college or moving away from home is a huge change that many find difficult to deal with.

Once again, look at the opportunities available not only to you, but for your son or daughter as well.

Maybe you’ll be able to downsize your home, saving you hundreds of dollars each month.

Or perhaps your bond with your partner and friends will grow and strengthen during this time.

Not to mention the growth and experience your child is going to gain as they grow and mature out in the world on their own.

How you choose to handle a situation will determine how much stress you’re going to allow on yourself.

You can either look at it as a new opportunity or a dreadful scenario. The choice is yours.

But the sooner you begin to look at life changes as new opportunities, the sooner you’ll enjoy a less-stressed life!

What recent change in your life has caused you stress?

How are you coping with this challenge?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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