Dr. Gundry Talks CORONAVIRUS And How To STAY HEALTHY! | Lewis Howes

5 Happiness Apps to Help With Anxiety

The Partridge Family sang, "Come On, Get Happy." But that's easier said than done right now in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Isolation and fear can make us struggle with our mental health. On top of that, stay-at-home orders can complicate getting help in more traditional ways.

But thanks to technology, apps are available to provide help with anxiety and depression at your fingertips. With that in mind, I'm sharing some happiness apps meant to help calm nerves and help you live a happier life, even during these difficult times.

Happify

A few years ago I tried the app Happify. It caught my attention. For one thing, the name is catchy. Plus, although I want to be happy, I'm also cheap at heart, and the basic version is absolutely free.

The idea behind this app is that all it takes is a few minutes a day and you'll be on the road to breaking free of negative thinking. You'll learn to cope with stress and develop positive life-changing habits with some fun exercises and games.

According to the app you can strengthen basic happiness skills like: savoring the moment, thanking those who matter, aspiring to meaningful goals, eliminating dead end thinking, empathizing with others, reducing stress and negative thoughts, and improving your relationships.

After you download the app and create an account, Happify will score your happiness based on a questionnaire. Then, the app provides you with a series of tracks that you can use to start living a healthy, stress-free life.

Next, you choose a "track" to get started. A caregiver for my mother at the time, I thought I'd start on the one for reducing stress and anxiety. My first assignment: list three things I'm grateful for - and the kicker that really helped me - explain why.

This app rates high on many lists of best happiness apps and I can see why.

Headspace

This is another app I've tried and love. Headspace provides tools and resources to help you stay mentally strong, reduce stress and anxiety, live healthier, breathe properly, sleep better, and have a happier life.

They offer a free two-week trial, after which you'll auto-enroll in their $69.99 a year plan. At the time of this writing, if you're unemployed, you can get a free year of Headspace Plus to help you get back on your feet.

I discovered this app while enrolled in Weight Watchers (WW), which offers it free as part of their program. I suffer from insomnia and their sleep meditation exercise helped me quiet my thoughts, breathe slower, and relax my body to ease me into sleep. I also used their "Take a moment to pause" exercise to help me stop for a few minutes when I felt stressed and refocus.

Calm is a similar app for sleep, meditation and relaxation to help you lower stress through guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, stretching exercises, and relaxing music. Calm offers a 7-day trial, but after that you'll be automatically enrolled in their $69.99 a year plan.

Real Life Change

The app Real Life Change is meant to be a portable life coach, designed to take your social interactions, moods, decisions, discoveries, and emotions that you experience each day and provide you with meaningful, actionable feedback to help you live a better and more mindful life.

The basic plan is free. This app is available only on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Track Your Happiness

Track Your Happiness is a free app used with your smartphone. You spend about 10 minutes answering questions, then you're contacted by e-mail or text - you choose how often you want the app to prompt you - and are asked to report what you're doing and how you're feeling.

A customized happiness report tracks your moods so you can learn what makes you happy, who makes you happy, and where you feel the happiest.

Super Better

Super Better has made building happiness a game with short easy activities you complete as you go on quests to build happiness-boosting skills like resilience.

Their site claims that millions have played SuperBetter to achieve goals and tackle challenges including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more. The Original Super Better is available for free.

Need more than an app? You may want to check out Talkspace which allows users to connect virtually with a licensed therapist. For $49 per week, you'll have private access to a therapist via text, audio or video chat, as often as daily or multiple times per day.

I'll let you make up your own minds. Find what works best for you and your life. There's many more apps available than the five I've listed. Who knows? A happiness app just might prove to be useful to you and provide feedback to brighten your day during these stressful times.

Julie A. Gorges is an award-winning author and journalist writing about life after 50. Her blog, BabyBoomerBliss.net, was selected as one of the top 50 baby boomer blogs to follow in 2019 by Feedspot. Her books, including her latest "Ten Secrets to Losing Weight After 50," are available on Amazon. To learn more about Julie, visit her author website at juliegorges.com.

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We Can Do This

As we all struggle with the medical, social and emotional implications of this pandemic, I wanted to reach out and share some thoughts that might be of some assistance in terms of coping and comfort.

First, you are not alone in this. It's easy to say, but not always easy to accept especially after a considerable period of time has passed. Trust me that at some point you are going to start to feel like you're the only one "suffering". In reality, you have an entire network of family, friends and even colleagues that are or will soon be feeling this way. Given the multiple facets of technology, we can more easily stay in touch with people than ever before. And while you might not be able to physically be there a phone call, text, email, Facebook shout-out can go a long way to helping yourself and someone else. So reach out and connect via technology. In addition to your normal circle of BFFs, I'm sure there is a long thought about friend or relative, former classmate, retired colleague or even a personal coach who would love to hear from you. The expression that misery likes company is currently on display in real terms. Staying in touch is the best way to validate that we're not alone.

Second, it's human nature to think about all that we have lost (even temporarily) rather than all that we have. This feeling will become increasingly acute as people are furloughed from their jobs, struggle financially and/or confront this disease on a personal level. It is now that we need to take stock of all our blessings no matter how large or small and be thankful of their existence. The saying that we never "realize what we had until it is gone" tends to ring true in situations like the one we are all facing. So I encourage you to take inventory of what you have, preserve and protect to the best of your ability and cherish each for what it has or will mean to you going forward. It will prove to be a source of great strength now and later down the road.

Third, you might have heard about the concept, Sphere of Control. In a nutshell, it talks about not wasting our resources around those things that are out of our control. Again, one of those concepts that is easy to understand but difficult to apply. Yet it is critical for all of us to keep focused on what we can control (attitudes, beliefs, interactions with others, precautionary steps, etc.) so as not to waste two of our most precious commodities... time and energy. Since we don't really know where this is all going, our immediate future is highly dependent on our ability to stay in the present and not get distracted and dragged down by things beyond our control.

Finally, I want to reiterate just how special we are to each other. We are a community of people who care. We can conquer this situation by sticking together, helping one another and being smart in our personal and professional interactions.

My best wishes for your health, safety and comfort going forward!

John J. Meggiolaro

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_Meggiolaro/324493



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How To Remain Motivated Despite Uncertainties

Uncertainty puts my motivation and confidence at risk. The absence of prescience is one of the most widely recognized antecedents of disappointment. Since I knew the issues that might emerge, I was in an incredible situation to get ready for these difficulties and stay away from them by and large.

It's your chance to be proactive. Make an extensive rundown of activity steps you will follow to maintain a strategic distance from potential issues later on, and leave time in your calendar to execute these activity steps. Look for outside assistance when you need it.

Being readied won't just limit your odds of disappointment, yet will spur you to continue endeavoring to accomplish what you want. What might you do if things turned out badly? Try not to concentrate on the undesirable outcomes. Rather, place your consideration of options that would, at last, additionally lead to satisfaction and fulfillment. Remember the ultimate objective is to keep a receptive outlook.

This is an incredible exercise that will temper your sentiment of uncertainty. You will have a sense of security and empowered. You'll realize that a deviation from your original plan isn't a disappointment at all. Rather, it's a chance to investigate an entirely different plan of conceivable outcomes.

Recollect that you have learned and developed as an individual due to life's unlimited surprises. A portion of those shocks will be lovely, and some won't. At last, you are who you are today because of your life experiences. In other words, certainty is a fantasy. This is a significant acknowledgment that will assist you with taking a gander at the future unafraid. Achievement is going from disappointments to disappointments without losing enthusiasm.

In spite of this emphasis on our hankering for conviction, uncertainty has untold force when persuading individuals. Vulnerability about positive results gives us sentiments of energy and delight. We're progressively propelled to arrive at objectives when the prize is dubious than when it's sure. It's even the situation if the dubious prize is more terrible than the specific one!

Vulnerability is awkward for everybody. Regardless of whether it's political unrest or a rearrangement at your organization, workers who are worried about their future are probably going to be When you structure desires, you're setting yourself up for disillusionment. You can direct your tomorrow, yet you can't control the specific result. In the event that you anticipate the most noticeably terrible, you'll likely feel too negative and shut disapproved to see and take advantage of lucky breaks. When you anticipate the best, you'll make a dream that is difficult to satisfy.

Rather than anticipating that the future should give you something explicit, focus around what you'll do to make what you need to experience.distracted and ineffective. The greater part of us feel overpowered, upset, and restless when confronted with uncertainty.

Vulnerability is the main sureness there is, and realizing how to live with instability is the main security. In any event, when you think you've twisted into a comfortable casing of consistency, anything could change instantly. The main steady in life is that it will include change, and attempt as you may to control the future, now and then everything you can do is believe that whatever occurs, you can adjust and make its best.

At the point when form expectations, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. You can manage your tomorrow, however you can't control the specific outcome.
When you anticipate the worst, you'll likely feel too negative and close-minded to see and take advantage of lucky breaks. In the event that you anticipate the best, you'll make a dream that is difficult to satisfy. Rather than anticipating that the future should give you something explicit, focus around what you'll do to make what you need to experience.

The most troublesome piece of vulnerability is the failure to plan and feel in charge. All things considered, it isn't the vulnerability that annoys me; it's my inclination to lose all sense of direction in my sentiments about it. Get certain about your adaptability and sustainability skills. It's increasingly about guaranteeing yourself that you can deal with any trouble that may come.

Use stress reduction methods preemptively. If you're managing vulnerability, you most likely have worry in your body, regardless of whether it's not at the bleeding edge of your musings right now. After some time, that body pressure influences pulse, glucose, muscle strain, cholesterol level, breathing rate, and each organ in your body.

Concentrate on what you can control.Oftentimes, we ignore the seemingly insignificant details we can do to make life simpler while fixating on the large things we can't do. Practice care. At the point when you fixate on a tomorrow you can't control, you're too bustling judging what hasn't occurred at this point to completely encounter what's going on the present moment. Rather than seeing and valuing the excellence at the time, you get caught in a dread driven idea cycle about the potential for inconvenience down the line.

While reflection is the most ideal approach, it isn't the main methodology. If at any time you think you've made a controllable, unsurprising life for yourself, it's just a hallucination. Nothing stays the same forever.

Uncertainty can keep you up all evening, fixating on approaches to shield yourself from anything that may turn out badly. But then again, it might inspire you to acknowledge, live at the moment, and grasp the experience of living.

What's coming tomorrow probably won't be simple. What's certain is that it will come and when it arrives, you'll react to it, gain from it, and move into another tomorrow brimming with unlimited prospects.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rosemarie_Sumalinog_Gonzales/1972656



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Why Intuition Will Become Our New Currency

Intuition Will Be The Strongest Currency

We are in the midst of an important change for all of humanity. In the past few months, the Coronavirus pandemic has affected our lives in unprecedented ways. We have been forced to reconsider how we interact with others and isolate ourselves in our own homes. There's still a lot to learn, but it's heart-warming to see nations working together to find a cure for the virus. Putting aside the political rhetoric, I believe humanity is on the precipice of expanding its consciousness. Have you noticed this sense of cooperation in your own country? Have you seen people help others such as the elderly, neighbours, friends and family?

There's a greater sense of collaboration that takes place when tragedy ensues. We awaken our kindred spirit to help others in altruistic ways. Mankind has been trading currency for as long as we can remember, which has contributed to modern civilisation and world economies. However, it has created greed and an uneven distribution of wealth. Money has created privileged people and under privileged societies. For this reason, I believe our intuition will become a form of currency in the post coronavirus world. What do I mean by this?

For those who have harnessed their intuition, they know it is a precious faculty. Our intuition is associated with the resonance of the soul and speaks in quiet whispers, instead of the loud voice of the ego. Therefore, as our consciousness awakens in the years ahead, our intuition will be the strongest currency amongst that shift. Intuition is like a GPS is to a car. If you've called upon your intuition, you will know it is reliable and the more we engage it, the greater it becomes. Can you relate to this? Have you used your intuition to make balanced decisions in your life? Did it work out in your favour?

Intuition Will Become Our Guiding Voice

Here's why intuition will be the strongest form of currency in the years ahead:

You cannot trade intuition.
Those who use it will benefit from it greatly.
Intuition is like your own fingerprint; each one unique.
It increases in power the more we use it.
It does not depreciate.
It cannot be lost or stolen.
It cannot be hacked.
It is reliable and accurate.
It has no agenda, unlike the ego.
What I'm suggesting is that our intuition will be a powerful super power right under our nose. Its uniqueness means we will make decisions exclusive to our lives, and the more we trust it, the better it works. Dr Catherine Wilkins echoes this sentiment in her book, Soul's Brain: The Neurology and Logic of Your Intuition: "Because of the unique nature of our neurology, our intuition will work differently from others, even though it's telling us about the same universe we all live in." The world will undoubtedly change for the better in the years ahead. I believe the shift in humanity's consciousness will give people back their power and intuition will become its guiding source. The power I'm talking about is one's authentic self and merging with our core being. I'm not talking about a spiritual apocalypse, but something simpler. It is about learning to trust ourselves, and the inherent power bequeathed to us by a benevolent universe. It will involve overcoming fear and a shift towards love, compassion and higher states of awareness.
This is not a prophetic glimpse into the future but based on my observations over the years, those with a strong intuition succeed in life. They trust their inherent power to make important decisions. I've witnessed this in my life, where my earlier choices were made by reason and logic alone. Nowadays, my intuition is a powerful ally which I call upon regularly. The key to awakening our intuition is to use it often and trust in the outcome. It requires having faith in our invested power and not second-guessing ourselves.

To live a balanced life, we ought to work harmoniously with our intuition. An awakening of consciousness refers to an expanded awareness of our thoughts. Knowing this, I'd like you to reflect on areas where you used intuition to make well-intentioned decisions. Think about how intuition communicates to you, unlike the forceful power of the ego. How can you better develop your intuition? Perhaps through your relationship with others? Your career, finances, health, etc? Put intuition to practice in the smallest ways and observe the outcome. Look for signs where intuition is calling you instead of reason and logic. It is when we awaken our inherent power, that intuition will become a guiding force in our life.

Do you want to lead a remarkable life? Are you committed to taking action despite your fears and doubts? If so, download your FREE copy of my eBook NAVIGATE LIFE right now, and start your amazing journey of greatness today!

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***How Habitual Stress Affects Our Body And Effective Ways To Beat It

***How Habitual Stress Affects Our Body And Effective Ways To Beat It

Stress is an emotional and physical response to external factors, and lessening stress is the secret to a longer, healthier, life. We know that stress isn't good for us, and we know that everyone experiences stress every day, but once we're aware of how long-lasting stress impacts our physical body, we realise that it's important to find ways to manage and reduce stress to remain healthy. It doesn't matter how old we are, or whether we're male or female, we're all exposed to numerous daily stressors and if our reactions to those stressors aren't dealt with and managed, the outcome on our physical health is often detrimental.

When we're stressed, the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are created to help us with the 'fight or flight' reaction to any potentially dangerous situations. This hormone creation is useful in the short term as it increases our heart rate enabling us to quickly escape from any potentially dangerous situations. When we're under stress or feeling anxious, our hormones change to help us to manage the stressful or anxiety-causing situation, enabling us to use the natural 'flight or fight' response, but when the stress is constant and long-term it's likely to have a negative influence on our health. These effects range from straightforward recurring problems such as tiredness and depression, to far more severe issues such as heart failure and cancer. Therefore it's vital to find effective ways of dealing with stress.

When stress becomes habitual or long-term, our body naturally responds and continues to send stress hormones into our system. When the stress hormones remain elevated for extended periods we start to see the long-term effects.

The body's stress hormone, cortisol, causes blood sugar to rise, resulting in an acidic blood state. Acidic blood results in many of today's common conditions: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, along with excess tummy fat. A low glycemic and high protein diet is beneficial to help us keep on top of the effects of stress.

Below are some useful ways to reduce stress:

• Wherever possible, remove yourself from the stressful situation and focus on your breathing for a few moments with the sole intention of calming your mind and body.
• If you're feeling stressed due to overwhelm, break your tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Look at your diet and eliminate sugar and caffeine:
• Eat oily fish – it contains a high quantity of B vitamins which is great to help you deal with stress. Salmon and tuna are excellent choices, and you should try to consume at least two portions per week.
• Drink plenty of water – it's very important to stay hydrated. Your cells need water to operate properly.
• Drink milk – a bowl of wholegrain cereal with reduced-fat milk every morning is a great way to keep one step ahead of stress as your day begins.
• Eat nuts – nuts are a great source of Vitamin B2 and E, together with magnesium and zinc. Nuts contain (generally) unsaturated fats.
• Eat oranges and kiwi fruits - these are high in vitamin C, which helps to control the release of free-radicals into your system.
• Exercise – this doesn't have to involve a gym membership. A good regular walk or swim will go a long way to reducing stress, especially if you can increase your heart rate as you exercise.
• Tai Chi – Tai Chi is a series of gentle, slow-moving, flowing body movements that help to reduce stress. Its origins are in fighting styles, but now it's used for soothing the thoughts, conditioning the body system and reducing stress.
• Yoga – well-known for its ability to calm the mind, and stretch and relax the body.
• Meditate or use self-hypnosis – this can either be done by yourself at home, or with the guidance of a professional. Only a few moments are needed to immediately feel the weight of the world being lifted from your shoulders.

Handling stress means being in control of your thoughts and feelings, schedule, surroundings, money etc, and the methods you use to deal with these things. It's impossible to avoid all daily stress triggers, but it's vital to deal with the stressors and make sure you take some time to relax each day. To overcome both short and long-term stress and the impact it has on our body, it's important to really have the intention to calm ourselves down and, wherever possible, remove ourselves from the stressful situation we're in.

Unfortunately, stress can too easily become habitual and subsequently impact our health. If we can reduce stress by changing our instant reaction to stressful situations, then our our physical and mental health will both improve significantly.

Author's Bio: 

If you'd like to try self-hypnosis to reduce stress, then I have an mp3 download available for you. It just takes 30 minutes or so to relax and listen to (preferably through headphones, if possible), and afterwards you'll feel relaxed, rested and in control. The download can be found at: http://www.lyndascrivener.com/stress-relief/

Feeling Anxious? Then 'Watch' the News!

The human nervous system hasn't changed very much over the last million years. Its purpose is to keep us safe and help us survive; that means looking out for threat and risks that might lead to our demise or cause us harm. Naturally, like other animals, this 'alert' nervous system is crucial to our survival and keeps us scanning for potential danger.

Humans have developed the cognitive ability to use words, language and analysis to make sense of and communicate risk to one another efficiently. Humans can convey these messages about threat or danger with convincing and rich emotional content to highlight their relevance and importance. This superior intellectual ability has allowed humans to prosper and survive by organising communities, achieving social tasks, collaborating and problem-solving.

While living in tribal groups and small communities, our ancestors relied upon this ability to communicate warnings and risks to members of the tribe or community. A danger at the waterhole, poisonous berries, a lurking predator or an invading tribe were all risks that posed an immediate and relevant threat to each member of that tribe. Our nervous system is primed to be alert to such urgent warnings, especially when high emotion is present to convey urgency. Those who failed to attend would face danger and threat to their survival.

Community leaders throughout history disseminated relevant and important information for survival - the Town Crier and Pastors at churches became trusted 'news' bearers delivering information about community illness and death such as the Plague. Humans have learnt to pay attention when an announcement is made and our nervous systems are primed to do so!

The New Era

A lot has changed in the world since the invention of television, telephones and computers. The world is not constrained by geographical borders and tribal word-of-mouth communication. The millennial world features expansive social media influences with 24-hour news broadcasts, news updates to every device, news from every corner of the world, breakfast news, morning news, midday news, afternoon news, early evening news, late night news, and even news updates between the news!

If you are feeling overwhelmed just by reading that, it's obvious what the actual content of all this news is doing to our nervous systems. Physical arousal and stress are triggered by our nervous system's response to announcements and news that goes straight back to our primal need to survive and not necessarily because there is an actual and present threat to our safety.

Understanding the science of this can help us manage our responses to the world's events and to make decisions about protecting our nervous system.

We are inundated with announcements and information that are neither relevant nor an immediate threat to us individually. In doing its job well, the nervous system innocently attends to irrelevant messages, believing all news must be relevant and require urgent attention. In fact, reacting to information regarding a five-car pile-up on an icy motorway on the other side of the world has no immediate survival benefit to us.

While broader lessons can be learnt from the general information, this information can be used and conveyed in more considered and less dramatic ways to improve our society and keep us safe. The way in which this information is conveyed in the news is much more likely to trigger unnecessary and involuntary stress responses.

Tips to Look After Yourself in this World of Frantic News

1. Limit your exposure to all news media - TV, radio, newspapers, social media.
2. Limit the number of news organisations you follow on social media and notifications you receive.
3. Observe and calm your response when you hear the 'news music' or 'breaking news' sound effects.
4. Keep an eye on how many stories are being fed to you throughout your day on electronic devices while you are trying to focus on work, socialising or other meaningful tasks.
5. Try to listen to less hyped and dramatic versions of the news.
6. Follow the local news that is likely to be more relevant to your daily life.
7. Be more aware of the emotional content of programs you watch and their impact on your mood, nervous system and thinking. Does it feel like more relevant information conveyed calmly and factually or does it feel more hyped, dramatic and irrelevant to your immediate world?

More resources about anxiety and stress management:

First Aid for Stress: https://www.brisbanecitypsychologist.com.au/first-aid-for-stress/

What to Do When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed: https://www.brisbanecitypsychologist.com.au/what-to-do-when-you-are-feeling-overwhelmed/

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cherie_Dalton/256515

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Six More Quick Tips to Reduce Stress

Stress affects us all in different ways at different times, to different degrees and for different reasons. It could be something relatively trivial or due to a more significant cause. Either way, it is important to try to reduce stress otherwise it can get out of control and affect your health. Here are six quick tips which can help to reduce and manage stress. I hope you find them useful.

Tip 1: Have a You Day

This may sound obvious - we all need some alone time for ourselves to try to get away from things for a while.

Life is tough enough with all the demands it places on us which in turn can cause stress as life gets on top of us.

Make a conscious effort to split yourself of some time for YOU.

No distractions, turn off the laptop, turn off the mobile - your you time is for YOU - nobody else.

Then do whatever you feel like doing that makes you feel happy and less stressed.

That might be reading a book, listening to your favourite music, generally chilling out.

Find the time to switch off for a while and you'll feel better for it.

Tip 2: Your Happy Place

Another quick stress reduction tip is when the going gets tough to imagine yourself in your happy place.

We've all got one (or perhaps more than one) - imagine you are there and how it makes you feel.

This is sometimes known as guided imagery and has been around for hundreds of years.

If you want to get in to it seriously there are guided imagery therapists and practitioners you could see.

Or you can buy up guided imagery books and CDs.

And of course there's good old YouTube for videos.

Guided imagery goes hand-in-hand with meditation which is another technique to help with stress reduction and management.

Tip 3: Clean and De-Clutter

A clean and tidy home (silly as it may sound) can help with stress reduction and management.

Sift through everything you have and identify what you do need/has value to you and what does not - be brutal - what can you live without.

Anything you can live without or no longer need you may be able to sell online or donate to charity.

Next clean the house - not necessarily all in one go (you can if you want to of course) - perhaps a room at a time.

Just the exercise involved in cleaning will stimulate hormones which help to make you feel good.

To help pass the time whilst you clean put on your favourite CD.

A clean and tidy home makes you feel better too doesn't it?

Tip 4: Digital De-Clutter

Now you have de-cluttered and cleaned the house, it's time to do the same for your digital life.

Emails, social media, the pressure for instant replies, more likes, more Twitter followers and keeping on top of all that can be stressful in itself - right?

So have a digital clean up and de-clutter.

Remove yourself from email lists you do not need to be on.

Turn off notifications, alters and similar which you do not need.

Set aside specific times of the day to check your emails instead of constantly (may not apply to work emails of course).

And turn everything off (or at least on silent) before bedtime because you don't need to be awoken throughout the night with emails pinging in and social media alters popping up.

Tip #5: Relaxing Sounds

This stress reduction tip ties in with the happy place tip we looked at earlier.

The right sort of sound can help you to relax and de-stress.

Just like closing your eyes and going to your happy place, listening to a relaxing sound for a while can have the same effect.

It might be bird song, waterfalls, gentle waves breaking, whale song and similar - whatever works for you.

Any number of relaxation sound CDs, streaming and downloads available everywhere.

Plug yourself in, listen, relax and feel the stress leave you.

Tip #6: Meditate

A spot of meditation can help tremendously with stress reduction and your state of mind in general.

This can be a simple as sitting down, clearing your mind and doing some repeated deep breathing.

In for four seconds to fill your lungs, hold, breathe out slowly and repeat for a few minutes.

Not unlike being in your happy place we touched on earlier.

If you fancy getting in to meditation and you have a smartphone there are any number of meditation apps to download.

And of course any number of books, videos etc.

In addition to helping reduce stress, meditation can help with anxiety depression and high blood pressure.

Start now. Take some action. One step at a time. Do not procrastinate

There is no right or wrong order in which to try these stress reduction tips. See which work for you.

You may be interested to explore stress reduction techniques further in more depth. To do that, here is a video course containing nine stress reduction action plan s. It is available on Skillshare and you can access it today by clicking here.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Andy_Machin/16946

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Finding YOUR Courage in 2020

If you want to make big moves in 2020, you have to take risks. But taking risks isn't easy, and it puts most people in uncharted territory. Uncharted territory can, in turn, often feel dangerous and cumbersome. The human mind loves familiarity, as familiarity usually means safety in some form as well as access to resources. This love of familiarity is literally hardwired into our brains from childhood. During our evolution, those who could remember where water holes and predators were located, well, they had a better day!

Tossing all of this familiarity aside and deciding to take risks and think outside the box can be very difficult and feel scary. Yet, it is critical that you realize that this is exactly what you may need to do to reach whatever goals you have set for yourself. Taking bold and decisive action at the right moment in time may be what separates you from the fulfilling life you want and living a life that is less than what you dream. Oddly enough, walking away from the security of the known and into the insecurity of the unknown is likely what you'll need to do to achieve your goals and/or happiness.

Risks are not "one-size fits all" affairs. If you are not accustomed to taking any risks at all, then even a small risk may seem huge. Keep this fact in mind as you move forward. You need to first think about what the risk is you are contemplating and then measure that risk against reality. Will your business or livelihood go "down the drain" if you fail? Or is the risk in question a minor or medium risk move? Understanding the difference can go a long way towards helping you decide just how cautious you need to be. The greater the potential downside of failure, the greater your preparation must be, period!

Finding the courage to take risks and think outside the box often comes down to motivation. If you want or need more courage to take the steps you need to take to be happy, then step back and think about what motivates you. Fully understanding what it is that motivates you will help you get the courage that you need. You can use these motivating factors to help you zero in and stay focused during times of weakness.

In many situations, the consequences of not taking bold action are so unpleasant especially over the long haul that you are left with no option other than to act. If you can't imagine not taking bold action and changing the course of your life, then you should have all the motivation and thus all the courage you need. So don't be afraid to think big in 2020. Then go ahead and plan meticulously to make the most of your out of the box thinking.

Dr. Madeline Ann Lewis is the President/CEO of the Executive Women's Success Institute, an award-winning author, speaker and creator of the online course "Crack the Career Code: How to Lead With Confidence, Charisma, and Credibility." Contact Dr. Lewis through the website: https://www.exwsi.com or E-mail her at info@exwsi.com.

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The Secret of Happiness - Wisdom of the Ages and Modern Sages On How to Achieve Happiness

What is the secret of happiness? While we may say "to each his own," we can also draw from the wisdom of the ages, and modern sages, to find some of the timeless principles of happiness. With that in mind, the most effective way I've found to improve happiness is to own your happiness and grow happiness right under your feet. And the beauty is, you can start your happiness journey from wherever you are.

10 Ways to Achieve Happiness

Here are 10 ways to help you on your happiness journey:

Drive from Happiness. Ultimately, happiness is a decision to drive from. One you flip this switch, you actually set the stage to find excuses to be happy instead of excuses why you are not.

Count what counts. Sometimes it's the little things that count the most. Don't let the good stuff pass you by, simply because you didn't notice. A simple way to do this is end your day by thinking of three of your favorite highlights of the day.

Focus on what's right, not on what's wrong. If you tend to walk into a situation, asking yourself, "What's wrong with this picture?", then challenge yourself to start asking, "What's right with this picture?"

Don't dwell on things. Dwelling is disempowering. To empower yourself, find a new way to look at the picture, and find some simple actions you can take. Action increases your power and momentum, and it's a way to break out of self-defeating patterns, and find new happiness habits.

Have a short-term view, AND a long-term view. You may not be happy in the moment, but will you be happy in the long-run? This is a fulfillment question. Sometimes the best you can do, is all you can do, and that's one way to make the most of any situation.

Model the best. Find people in your life that have that sparkle in their eyes, and that skip in their step. What comes naturally to them, may not come naturally for you. Get curious, and find out what makes them tick and how they deal with common scenarios. Get curious, and you'll find many people like to share what they are good at, including happiness... and it's contagious.

Spend more time in your values. First you have to get clear on what you value. For example, maybe you really value freedom, or maybe it's adventure, or maybe it's time. Spend more time in what you value, and you will start to improve your happiness. You don't always have to change "What" you do. Sometimes, you can just change "How" you do it. For example, if you like to learn then find a way on the job to learn a little more about what you do, as you do it.

Eliminate or embrace the stuff that holds you back. Sometimes that means accepting things as they are. Sometimes it means, not accepting it and directly addressing it or finding a way to make the most of it. If there is something that significantly holds back your happiness, then face it, and make it a project. Sometimes the best way to increase happiness is to reduce the things that sour our life.

Set your own happiness bar. We don't all walk around as rays of sunshine, blue skies, rainbows, and unicorns. The trick is to find what happiness means for you, and be OK with that bar, rather than beat yourself up if it seems like somebody else has a higher happiness capacity than you. That just might be their temperament. Instead of go against, the grain, work with what you have, and always remember that happiness is a personal thing.

Make it a skill. If you think of happiness as a skill, then you can continue to add to your bag of tricks, and get better over time. You can draw from books, people, and quotes to build an arsenal of happiness tools that you can use for any scenario. And, like any skill, you'll get better with practice. Additionally, if you have setbacks, always remember that happiness is a process, and you'll grow your skills, as you expand your happiness capacity and capabilities.
Have a Short-Term View and the Long-Term View on Happiness

Perhaps, one of the greatest insights of our modern times on happiness is that happiness should be addressed by two questions:

How happy are you?
How happy are you with your life?
The first question is about how happy are you in the current moment. The second question is more about fulfillment. While you may not find happiness in your moment to moment experience, you may be able to turn your challenges into opportunities and work on personal fulfillment and meaning. In this way, you write your story forward, and you can shape happiness for the long run.

Russell Bertrand on the Secret of Happiness

My friend, Dr.Michael, shared with me his thoughts on what Bertrand Russell believes about the secret of happiness. It went like this... "Bertrand Russell believes that unhappiness is largely due to a mistaken view of the world, that happiness is a basic human right - something to be pursued. He concludes that happiness lies in a personality" neither divided against itself nor pitted against the world' and the ability to swim with the 'stream of life'."

Wisdom of the Ages on the Secret of Happiness

To round out your perspective on happiness, you can draw from the wisdom of the ages, and modern day sages. You don't have to climb a mountain and ask a guru about the secret of happiness (although that could be fun.) Instead, you can gain deep insights from some of the various happiness quotes that help us find the secret of happiness. Here are some quotes that help us understand what truly is the secret of happiness:

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli
"Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves." - Helen Keller
"To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content." - Confucius
Find Your Way Forward

At the end of the day, the best you can do is drive from who you want to be and what experiences you want to create. You can use this rule, in all that you do, as a guideline to help you shape your way forward, and find meaning and happiness in whatever adventures life may throw your way.

J.D. Meier shares principles, patterns, and practices for happiness at Sources of Insight.com. There you will also find a more extensive collection of happiness quotes at a glance.

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The ONE Thing Successful People Do on a Daily Basis - How Highly Success...

Why Those Who Are Most Responsive To Change, Will Always Thrive

Go With The Natural Flow Of Events

What are you resisting right now in your life? Is it the sudden change of circumstances in relation to the Coronavirus? Is it something you're missing out on, such as being in contact with loved ones, a friend, work colleagues or others? What negative emotions are you experiencing as a result? Is it anger, frustration, anxiety, fear or something else? How are you responding to them?

I realise I'm asking a lot of questions but it's important we understand what is the cause of our emotions. Now, granted, you might say I'm angry and frustrated being isolated from others against my will. And you wouldn't be wrong to feel this way, however what is the fundamental reason behind it? You see, the emotions you're experiencing may not only be attributed to separation. There could be something deeper beneath the surface that warrants your investigation. It is my experience, working with individuals over the years, that those who are most responsive to change always thrive.

These are people who are psychologically flexible and embrace what life throws at them. It doesn't mean they like what is happening. And I'm not suggesting you like what is taking place either because that would be remiss of me. What I am inviting you to do, is accept your current conditions to the best of your ability and make the most of it. Is this something you're willing to give your attention to? Could you entertain the idea that you needn't like your current circumstances but stop resisting it?

Resistance is futile because ultimately reality trumps our struggles and emotions. And who says life ought to meet our expectations of how things should unfold? Life is a self-sustaining system, operating with its own natural laws. We must learn to abide by them because we are a drop in an ocean of a vast cosmic intelligence, working tirelessly to maintain order. But sometimes, what we initially experience is chaos expanding to create order. It makes it easier if we stop fighting what is happening and go with the natural flow of events. This is what is meant by being grateful. It's the idea of looking for hidden gems contained within unexpected events.

Life Is Not Personal

Assuredly, what we give our attention to becomes our focal point. So, if you direct your attention to unpleasant circumstances, you will find evidence of it (confirmation bias) and call it into your experience. But this comes at a cost to your well-being, which is paramount to your mental and physical health. Responding to change affirmatively means that even though circumstances are not as we like them to be, we can turn misfortune into triumph. It means looking for the silver lining in every experience, even if we have to look hard, there will always be a positive lesson.

Listen, life is unfair. When we were protected by our parents or guardians as youngsters, we may have assumed life was fair. But we mature and discover through heartbreak, setbacks and disappointments, life is anything but fair. This is because life is not personal. Read that again and mark it somewhere on your computer or smartphone. Life is not personal. You are part of life's ecosystem and when you cooperate and collaborate with this energetic force, circumstances will benefit you.

So, back to my earlier questions about what you're resisting right now. How can you take that experience and find a hidden treasure amongst it? Could you give yourself the gift of sitting with your negative emotions, to explore what is at the heart of your resistance? I assure you, this practice alone, can change your life more than you realise.

It will empower you to control your emotions and understand their underlying motive. You needn't struggle with life because doing so means resisting the gifts it brings. Those gifts will seldom come in the form you hope for. They are often disguised as: hardship, pain, struggle and disappointment and requires we face them with optimism instead resistance. I often asked myself: Why do some people struggle with change while others take it in their stride? Why don't these people let their experiences get them down? What do they know that others don't?

I'm not convinced that successful people are any wiser or more intelligent than the rest of us. I'm certain however, they have experienced heartache, suffering and misfortunes to know that hardships don't come to disturb our peace, but to anchor us in our resilience and sharpen the saw of our character. That is why those who are most responsive to change will thrive because they move with their circumstances and make the most of it. So, give that gift to yourself right now. Give yourself the gift of sitting with your emotions for 30 minutes, to explore what is really going on beneath the surface. Give yourself the gift of unlocking your true wisdom. It is only then you will realise that thriving isn't a state of mind but a way of being in the world.

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