How to stress less?

 Put yourself first – you heard me!  Remember how the airline flight attendant asks you to place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then on your child.  Same philosophy!  When we take care of ourselves, we can better care for others with no frustration.
Slow down – do you really have to get it all done today?  We all know our work will never truly get done, so stop and smell the roses along the way.   Use yellow highlighter on your to do list to highlight what you did get done.  This is a positive approach to focusing on what you did do, not what you didn’t

 Focus on what you want.  You are wasting precious energy when you focus on what you don’t want.  Just think of the stressful hours, days, years we’ve already wasted on focusing on what we don’t want.  Our thoughts do make our reality.

If you find yourself stressed, impatient or angry,
apply Rule Number 6.

Below is a great story behind this from
The Art of Possibility
by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander.

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to contact me for a
complimentary session.
joanne@joannehilliard.com
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Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk.  The resident prime minister admonishes him:  “Peter,” he says, “kindly remember Rule Number 6,” whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws.  The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by a hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying.  Again the intruder is greeted with the words: “Marie, please remember Rule Number 6.”  Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology.  When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague: “My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this.  Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?”  “Very simple,” replies the resident prime minister.  “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so g—damn seriously.’”  “Ah,” says his visitor, “that is a fine rule.”  After a moment of pondering, he inquires, “And what, may I ask, are the other rules?”

                        “There aren’t any.”

This really does work to help you lighten up!

  • Eat small healthy portions.  Yes, we are what we eat.  Think about how you feel after you have eaten healthy, small or moderate portions vs. how you feel after over eating or eating unhealthy foods.  It affects your attitude and your energy!  If we would only eat like the French – slow and enjoy every morsel.
     

  • Stay in the moment.  If you find yourself worrying or fearful, you are thinking about the past or the future.  By staying in the moment, you can better access what takes practice…it’s all about applying new habits.
     

  • Listen to your gut – your intuition – always.  To do this, we have to slow down (Tip #2) and stay in the moment (Tip #6).  Do what is really right for you
     

  • Exercise.  We all know that exercise releases endorphins.  So you’re not only improving your body, you’re feeling better about yourself.
     

  • Stop and drop.  If I am really tired, I have found that I can accomplish so much more in less time if I take a 15-30 minute or more nap instead of struggling all day.  Sometimes we may not be able to do this during the week, so do your best to at least try it on the weekends.
     

  • Do what you do best and let others do what they do best. Hire, barter, whatever.  Things get done so much faster, with fewer struggles, and usually better.  After all, our time is precious.