Goodbye Stress..hello grattitude

 

Chronic stress has been called "the silent killer." It compromises our immune system and it’s increasingly recognized by Western medicine as a major contributor to some of the most persistent and chronic diseases of our time, like obesity, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, depression, etc.

It’s also a fact that it’s increasingly harder to avoid excess and constant stress. Too many of us live our lives in a constant white-knuckled, jaw-clenched state with our adrenals working overtime—all of which results in stored toxins and blocked energy. We become physically, mentally, and emotionally stagnant, and our systems (such as metabolism) slow down.

It’s important to understand that stress is a reaction—we can choose how to react to stressful situations. Lugging around emotions, trauma, guilt, resentment, and memories with us can compound day-to-day stress, to further age us, wreak havoc on our bodies and health, and result in serious long-term consequences, such as excess weight, anxiety, and even physical pain and poor posture.

So how can you release stress from your body and mind right now? I suggest that you start practicinggratitude. 

I’m amazed that study after study demonstrates the incredible power of gratitude:

• Reduced depression
• Improved self-esteem
• Development of a strong immune system
• Decreased blood pressure
• Increased sleep quality
• Healthier eating habits
• Increased productivity
• Ability to reach goals faster
• Increased feelings of happiness and well-being
• Reduced negative emotions such as envy, hatred, and anger
• Increased positive emotions such as love and empathy

Below is a simple list of 3 things that you can do to practice gratitude:

QUIT COMPARING 
It can be easy to start comparing results or circumstances, without even realizing you're doing it. For instance, If you lose 1 pound, but someone else loses 3 that week, you may start to think your 1 pound isn't a win, when in fact it is! Comparison is the thief of joy. There's no need to sabotage your own success by becoming overly concerned with the success of others. Make a conscience effort to focus on being appreciative for what you have and what you have accomplished. As Oprah once put it, "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." 

START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Set aside 5 minutes a day, perhaps in the morning, just to write down everything you're thankful for. Whether it's something as small as your warm cup of coffee to start out your day, or as big as have a loving and supportive community of people to cheer you on, jot it down! You will not just benefit from having that 5 minutes of positive-focused time in the moment, but you can also look back on your journal entries when you're feeling down. Win, win!

MAKE A GOAL
Each day, make it a goal to find one thing good that happened to you that day. When you're constantly focused on "finding" that positive thing, you'll find your whole mindset has shifted to looking for the positive even in the worst of days. Spending your energy in this manner will benefit your mind and your body to live a more grateful life and leave the stress behind!

30 Tips for Working from Home

1. Set your Alarm
   
2. Stretch
3. Shower
4. Floss
5. Groom
6. Get dressed for work not leisure
7. Eat a healthy breakfast
8. Five mins of news only
9. Go out your back door (if you have one)
10. Take a short brisk walk
11. Come back in the front door ready to imediately start work
12. Turn off door bell 
13. Turn off social media
14. Set up a proper working room/space i.e.Space allowing, set aside a specific, separate area in your home where you can set yourself up - ideally with a properly adjusted desk and chair, similar to your workplace.The NHS advice is that you should adjust your chair so you can use the keyboard
15. Get a lock on the inside of your room to ensure no interruptions from kids etc
    
16. Agree times of day you will be available for questions, opening jars and playing with kids. Mentally accept that this will not always work and you’ll have to work through the night!
17. Take coffee breaks with a work colleague on facetime and lunch breaks with your family.
    
18. Establish boundaries with your company.. i.e.Try to work normal Hours. Try not to over compensate..i.e. trying to be seen to be working more than is necessary
19. Add in a workout at some point and get your gym kit ready the night before.
20. Accept that once you do something over and over, it becomes a habit, so the first week may be challenging but eventually it all becomes part of your routine.
21. At the end of a working day, it's best to switch off your computer and tidy away papers and other items. 
    
22. Get out and about at lunch or coffee break for ten mins (if you're not self-isolating). Working from home shouldn't mean you stay cooped up indoors all day. While you might not miss your daily commute, it does guarantee that you leave the house at least once during the day.  So get your shoes on, get outside and enjoy that fresh air. A different perspective will also help undo mental blocks and give you a fresh pair of eyes for any tasks you're struggling with.
23. If you can't go outside, you could even bring the atmosphere of the office to you.
    
24. Use an app that plays background sounds such as a train moving along tracks, or the chatter of a coffee shop.
    
25. Pick Up the Phone. If you're working from home, the chances are you'll be alone, so you won't get distracted by colleagues' conversations and other office noise. When you're at work, you're more likely to engage with colleagues but when you're working from home, you could spend the whole day without speaking to anyone which can be isolating.
26. If you have a partner in the home with you send them messages that you are thinking of them and looking forward to spending a lovely evening with them at the end of the day..
    
27. At the end of your working day, embrace your freetime...
28. Get to bed at your regular time
29. Tell yourself often how well you are doing and that this new way of living will eventually pass.. who knows you might come to love it.
30. Affirm each night "i am healthy", "i embrace change", "i am productive" 

Raise your Success Vibration

Would youlike to become just a teeny bit or even a lot more successful?

 

Yes? But do you sometimes feel like no matter what you do, you’re stuck in one place, unable to get to that next level.

Somtimes, If we're not careful, we can let our fears take over and prevent us from taking the steps necessary to move into the life we desire.

You see, even though the fear of success is quite common, it's also hard to identify because it's an unconscious behavior. So we may not even realize that something has been there, behind the scenes, holding us back from achieving greatness.

Now if this sounds like it might be you, here's a simple guide to some of the biggest flags to help you identify if fear is holding you back and how you can overcome it, so you can move into a life of freedom and success...

 

Flag 1 - You feel guilty about your success.

No matter how big or small, you feel guilty because your friends, family or co-workers haven't had the same success.

 Flag 2 - You don't tell other people about your accomplishments.

You think they're too small to be acknowledged, so you think 'nobody will care'.

 Flag 3 - You procrastinate.

Or what's worse, you avoid big projects or opportunities that could lead to your recognition or success.

 Flag 4 - You self-sabotage your dreams and goals.

You've convinced yourself that you're not good enough to achieve what you want in life. You unconsciously believe that you're not worthy of success.

 Flag 5 - You believe that if you reach success you won't be able to maintain it.

Then, if you fail you'll end up in a worse place than where you started. So you think, 'why bother'?

 Now, if you've identified having any (or even all) of these red flags in your life, don't panic! There are many strategies that you can use to overcome your fear of success...

 

How To Overcome Your Fear of Success:

 

If you'd like to overcome your fear of success, I'd recommend you start facing them little by little. Just take one tiny step toward your goal each day.

I'm not saying it will be easy, but the more you bring them to the surface and the more you analyze them rationally, the more you'll diminish their power and the faster you'll achieve your dreams.

Take a realistic look at what is likely to happen if you reach your goals, rather than looking at what you hope or fear will happen.

Another useful technique is to address your fears directly and then develop a backup plan. Let's say that you're afraid to get a promotion at your current job because in reality you fear that you'll not have enough time to spend with your loved ones.

Well, your back-up plan should start by assessing your workload and setting a set of rules where you'll always be home by a certain time.

So as you can see, this technique just requires some planning ahead and being assertive with your choices.

Always remember that success is a journey, not a destination. So don't forget to live your life with passion and enjoy it every step of the way. :)

Watch Your Thoughts

Why we should "watch our thoughts"  and not attach ourselves to them 

A man who has gone out of his town comes back and finds that his house is on fire.

It was one of the most beautiful houses in the town, and the man loved the house the most!

Many people were ready to give double price for the house, but he had never agreed for any price and now it is just burning before his eyes.

And thousands of people have gathered, but nothing can be done, the fire has spread so far that even if you try to put it out, nothing will be saved.

So he becomes very sad.

His son comes running and whispers something in his ear:

"Don't be worried. I sold it yesterday and at a very good price ― three times.The offer was so good I could not wait for you. Forgive me."

Father said, "Thank God, it's not ours now!"

Then the father is relaxed and became a silent watcher, just like 1000s of other watchers.

Please think about it!

Just a moment before he was not a watcher, he was attached. It is the same house....the same fire.... everything is the same...but now he is not concerned.

In fact started enjoying it just as everybody else in the crowd.

Then the second son comes running, and he says to the father, "What are you doing? You are smiling ― and the house is on fire?" The father said, "Don't you know, your brother has sold it."

He said, "we have taken only advance amount, not settled fully.

I doubt now that the man is going to purchase it now."

Again, everything changes!!

Tears which had disappeared, have come back to the father's eyes, his smile is no more there, his heart is beating fast.

The 'watcher' is gone.

He is again attached.

And then the third son comes, and he says, "That man is a man of his word. I have just come from him. He said, *'It doesn't matter whether the house is burnt or not, it is mine.

And I am going to pay the price that I have settled for.

Neither you knew, nor I knew that the house would catch on fire.'"

Again the joy is back and family became 'watchers'!

The attachment is no more there.

Actually nothing is changing!

just the feeling that

"I am the owner!

I am not the owner of the house!" makes the whole difference.

This simple methodology of watching the mind, that you have nothing to do with it..

Everything starts with a Thought !

Most of the thoughts are not yours but from

your parents,

your teachers,

your friends,

the books,

the movies,

the television,

the newspapers.

Just count how many thoughts are your own, and you will be surprised that not a single thought is your own.

All are from other sources, all are borrowed ― either dumped by others on you, or foolishly dumped by yourself upon yourself, but nothing is yours.

Sow a thought, you reap an action.

Sow an act, you reap a habit.

Sow a habit, you reap a character.

How to get Unstuck in 6 minutes!

Do you ever get stuck in your head?

1. DRAW a massive circle and call it your "circle of concern".

2. Write all of the things on your mind on the outside of your circle and set a timer for 6 minutes as you do.

3. Draw a smaller circle inside of it and rewrite only the things that are within your own control...

4. Cross out everything else....

That smaller circle is your 'Circle of Influence'.

People who are highly strung, tend to procrastinate only because they bring their attention to stuff that is without their control. 

Successful individuals train their thoughts on the smaller range of things that;

A) Align to their paths in Life.

b)They have control over.

Try this exercise out and thank me later for the massive relief it gives you!