The Pains of Progress - Why Change is Hard

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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Marty Lobdell - Study Less Study Smart

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!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tony_Fahkry/837610



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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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