Self Improvement and Stress

Modern man lives under the most incredible stress ever, and having to deal with this permanent enemy really does not help in being able to live a healthy lifestyle and much less does it contribute to our self improvement. We are all tired of being bombarded with all kinds of ideas and suggestions on how to get rid of our stress, but there is really no general rule to do that and there is certainly no one way to do this.

First of all, we have to identify what is it that produces the most stress in our life. Is it work? Is it our relationship or the children's behaviors? Is it the financial situation? Do we feel frustrated because we have not been able to achieve our goals at this time in our lives?

In order to concentrate on our self-improvement, we need to have the energy to do so, and stress really takes care of draining us from it, so we have to take care of stress first in order for us to continue our journey.

Something that is also of the utmost importance is our defining what self improvement means to us, since the concept does not imply the same thing to everyone. Are you considering self-improvement something having to do with an educational title or diploma? Can it be you define it as getting married and having the family you always dreamed of? Does it have to do with acquiring richness or getting to own your own company and being the boss? Is it, on the other hand, something having to do with your spirituality?

As you can see, although the above are only a few examples. self-improvement needs to be clearly defined for you before you can start trying to achieve it. It has nothing to do with what others do with the concept. When you identify yours, it becomes easier to try and save the energy you need for that and therefore, start trying to fight stress.

Are you the kind of conventional person that follows what others do because "it is the right thing to do"? Does that make you feel well or does it leave you with a sense of emptiness? Not feeling free is the most stressful experience for a human being, so sit and think about this. There are times when getting rid of these chains and all the stress they imply is the first step in our road to self improvement.

Going to places you do not want to go, doing things you do not want to do and trying so hard sometimes you forget why you are even trying and live considering you have to please everybody is a sure way to sentence yourself to self-imprisonment.

Self improvement is what you came to this planet to do, but with happiness, not stress and suffering, so make it a point at this stage of your life to analyze and define what you want to make out of it.

The author is a Doctor in Clinical Psychology, running a site and a blog related to self improvement. For more information about self improvement and self improvement, pay them a visit.

Original article

Stress Management: How Will You Respond When The Pressure Is On?

"It is not the same to talk of bulls as to be in the bullring." (Spanish Proverb) It is not the same to talk about stress management techniques as it is to test them when we are under pressure.

Stress Management works well when we have a definite plan and apply it daily. However, there are times when we get into unexpected situations, or when we face situations that are more intense than we thought they would be.

These times of unusual stress tell us how well our stress management practice works under pressure. Here is a personal example. I recently made a trip to speak for a large national association. I left prepared to give a good talk. The seminar went fine. Nearly everything else went wrong. Miami airport was shut down because of rain for two hours. Our flight was three hours late. Our luggage got lost for a day. The car rental company gave us the wrong directions to the hotel. The list kept growing. We weren't looking for problems. They found us!

On this trip, I had more opportunities in a 36 hour period to "practice what I preach" than in any other month of my life. How did I do under pressure? I'd give myself a "B" and that surprised me. I thought I could easily handle whatever came along. Normally, I do, but the sheer number of foul ups and frustrations on this trip showed me both my strengths and weaknesses. It showed me where I was very proficient in managing problems. And it showed me where I needed more work.

Repetitive frustration experiences were my biggest challenge. I had to remind myself consciously that most of what had happened was beyond my control and beyond the control of the person trying to help me. I slipped in and out of being angry or feeling aggressive. Neither emotion was functional under the circumstances. I returned from that trip committed to relook at all my personal stress management practices.

Here are five suggestions for you to consider that should help you meet the challenge of the unexpected.

1) Have a specific stress management and relaxation training program. Practice your techniques every day. Allow relaxation to become a natural habit.

2) List the events or situations that have caused you excess stress in the past. Honestly assess how you have performed under pressure in the past. What were your biggest challenges? Where and when did you perform well? Knowing your strengths and working to remove your weaknesses begins with honest self appraisal.

3) Have self confidence that you can handle whatever comes along. Realize that everything probably won't go perfectly. However, if you've set up and practiced stress management techniques regularly, they won't let you down under pressure if you remember to use them correctly.

4) If you lose your temper or become upset, focus on your breathing to regain control. Remember, your breath follows your awareness, and your awareness follows your breath. If you're angry, breathe deeply with your diaphragm. If you become depressed, try to breathe more with your chest and faster than normal. Not hyper ventilation, just a few extra times a minute. Also try to remove yourself from the situation for a minute or two while you regain your composure.

5) Keep reminding yourself, "This, too, shall pass." If a situation feels unbearable or unending, try to think of when it will be over. Focus on a positive time after the present challenge passes. The sun will rise tomorrow. The seasons will change on schedule. Life does go on.

Prepare yourself now for times of unusual pressure by practicing your stress management techniques today. Then, when you really need them, they will be there to help you through the tough times too.

Timothy J. O'Brien, MS, is the author and voice of a two-CD set titled Achieving the Dynamic Balance at http://hyperstress.com/achieving-the-dynamic-balance/. For more information, or more FREE informative articles, please visit Tim's performance improvement blog at http://hyperstress.com/.

Original article

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

I realised as I got into bed at 12:30 am that I've been slacking on my bedtime.

Yes, I'm a night owl so my natural tendency is to work late because my brain is most awake then.

However, I work full-time so I don't have the luxury of totally living in tune with my body clock.

I used to have a rule about my bedtime and, to be honest, it still exists. I'm just not following it all that well.

I like to be sleeping by 12 so I need to be in bed by 11 since I read for an hour every night - bliss!

And here's my rule - computer off by 10:30.

I found I'd be getting to bed at least 30 minutes later when I didn't enforce my computer rule because I forgot about tidying the desk, doing my bedtime routine, etc.

So my question to you is this - are you getting enough sleep?

Most adults don't get enough sleep and we're all functioning (or not) at below-par levels of productivity and simply, life enjoyment.

Sleep helps our bodies to work better, helps us with weight loss when we're trying to lose weight and of course, helps us rest and recharge from day to day.

I need 7 hours of good sleep a night. On the weekends I get an extra hour and sometimes even an afternoon nap with my two-year-old twins.

Do you know how much sleep you need?

The other day Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project, wrote a post asking about bedtimes.

She said something interesting in that once you set a bedtime (we now know mine is 11 or 12, depending how you look at it), if you ignore that bedtime, you're then consciously choosing to do what you were doing instead of going to bed.

I love it!

So here's a coaching challenge for you:

- What is your wake-up time?

- Work back at least 7 hours. That is the time you have to be asleep by.

- How long do you need before falling asleep? Subtract the amount of hours.

- Also subtract time for your bedtime routine - face, teeth, reading, etc.

- For the next week, set an alarm or reminder in your phone or computer that says "go to bed".

- Keep track of your productivity the following day as you start getting enough sleep.

Marcia Francois is a time management coach and speaker who inspires busy women to break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and take purposeful and focussed action so they have the time and freedom to live life to the full. Visit http://purposefultimemanagement.com/ for your free Time Management Purpose Pack.

Original article