15 Things You Can Start Doing Today To Be Happier

Image: g1wallz.com

Albert Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
results. Well, doing the same things everyday but with a slightly different approach is actually the key to happiness. Start bringing those changes in your attitude towards life and you’ll see how simple it is to be happy.

Here are 15 significant attitudes that help you become happier in life.

1. Gratitude
Appreciate what you have and value it. Try counting your positives and be grateful for all the good things and people in your life. Stop complaining and be thankful for what you already have and you’ll soon start feeling happy.

2. Stop Labeling
Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.

3. Optimism
Treat failure as an opportunity to learn a new and better lesson from life, and that’s the trick to manufacture optimism in life. Never give up trying because that’s an indication that something better is in store. Once you start harbouring an optimistic attitude towards life, success will automatically follow.

4. Release The Past
The past you are now longing for — the past that you are now dreaming about — was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now. Work on this by practicing with simple tasks every day. For example, when you cut the grass, just think about the grass and nothing else. When you’re washing the dishing, immerse your full presence in dish washing. Eventually, your life will revolve around your day today, not yesterday.

5. Avoid comparison
Nothing is as awful as comparing yourself to someone else. If you think you’re better that the other person, you’re letting yourself regale in an unhealthy sense of superiority. If you demean yourself in front of others, it means all your hard work and progress has been in vain. While social comparisons are unhealthy, self-improvement is effective.

6. Kindness
There’s a scientific reason behind every act of kindness that you do. Helping someone selflessly releases serotonin in your brain (Serotonin is the hormone that controls your mood) and hence makes you feel good about yourself almost instantly. Try doing one act of kindness everyday to flush out the toxins of depression from your system.

7. Stop Using Excuses
Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses — excuses that most of the time are not even real. We sabotage ourselves beyond belief. If you find yourself making excuses, ask yourself why you are creating the excuse in the first place?

8. Nurture Relationships
Relationships keep us alive and kicking. In fact, according to research studies loneliness doubles people’s mortality rates. A circle of good friends, loving family members and cheerful colleagues are a reminder that you have people who care about you. There’s nothing like having someone who you can share your experiences with. So nurture these relationships and say goodbye to a lonesome existence.

9. Forgiveness
Hatred is a negative feeling and harbouring it will have nothing but negative effects on your well-being. Stop thinking about the hateful emotion/person and let it go. Forgive if needed, take things lightly and let it not affect your system.

10. Avoid Impressing Others
Success may have nothing to do with how much money you have or how many cars you have, but how you choose to live a life of abundance which comes in many forms, many of which have nothing to do with material things. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

11. Commit To Your Goals
If you have a goal, work towards it. Anything is achievable if you put your heart into it. Wholehearted dedication and diligence can bring extraordinary results and consequentially add to your happiness. It is very easy to lose vision for what we truly want in life, but it is your dedication towards your goals above and beyond all obstacles that will make the difference.

12. Care For Your body
Love yourself and love your body! Your physical condition has a direct connection with your well-being. A fit body and healthy mind is reflective of happiness. Start working towards the health of your physical, mental and emotional energy by caring for your body.

13. Believe
Connect to a higher power. You’re probably already doing this with or without knowing. Just a quick meditation or prayer is easy. If you have the time, join a local prayer group, visit a meditation center, or simply spend some time alone in nature. People who believe in a deity are generally happier than those who don’t. Sometimes all you need to be happier is a little faith!

14. Dream
Imagination fires motivation. Create a dream board and dream up something new you wish to experience. It could be finding a new lover, climbing a mountain, learning calligraphy, or going back to college. Dreams motivate, inspire and expand our sense of self. They also make us happy because they give our lives a sense of purpose. Happy people usually love what what they do, and if they don’t, they love who they are. Dreams remind us who we are.

15. Give
Cultivate a habit of sharing with others — your money, knowledge, service, wisdom, care, love. Find a person who shares a lot with others, and you will find a happy person. In giving, you always receive more. Not only do you get pleasure from giving, you give someone else pleasure. Giving has many unexpected benefits from attracting more happiness into your life, to inspiring others, and changing the lives of those you touch. In the end the whole world is made into a better place. Ask, “how can I serve?” Pay it forward. Give freely.

Source: RealFarmacy.com via Prevent Disease

Some Simple Tips for Living a Satisfying Life

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Life has taught me that success, abundance, prosperity, peace, and happiness are all created through exercising a planned routine. To create a happy and prosperous life, we need some instructions, or rules, for living.

Image: HpLyrikz.com

Rule 1: Spread love. In order to produce great achievements, we have to take great risks. The greater the required achievement, the greater the personal risk involved. The greater the love we show and give, the greater the vulnerability, but the greater the return.

Rule 2: Learn from life. We have to learn from the lessons in life. When we do lose, as we all will from time to time, we should lose gracefully and learn from the lesson that life has taught us through the experience, turning it into a positive to build on.

Rule 3: Show respect. We need to respect others as we respect ourselves. Above all we should respect ourselves and show that respect. In today's society, there seems to be a great lack of self-respect. Just look at the way people behave and dress.

Rule 4: Be responsible. We need to take full responsibility for all our actions. Always do things for the right reason and from a position of love for your fellow man. Remember that anything done for the greater good will always succeed.

Rule 5: Be ethical. Live a life that is honorable and ethical. Especially in today's world, there seem to be a lot of questions about ethics and deceit. It is very important to stay true and honest to the fundamental rules of ethics and fairness.

Rule 6: Admit fallibility. Remember to take immediate action when you realize you have made a mistake. It is very important that you admit when you have made a mistake and that you take immediate steps to correct the mistake. It is a sign of maturity and of courage to own up to your own fallibility.

Rule 7: Show forgiveness. Do not let little things interfere or destroy a great relationship. Whether in your personal life or in business, relationships are precious and should not be taken lightly, so when minor disagreements occur, do not let these destroy the relationship. Show forgiveness, and move on.

Rule 8: Allow change. Be open to change, but do not compromise on your values and ethics. Through change we grow and learn. Too often, however, people tend to change for opportunistic reasons and are willing to forego all that is good and valuable for immediate gratification or greed.

Rule 9: Learn to listen. There are times when it is better to be silent than to speak. Too often, we feel the need to say our piece, but there are many situations in life where it is better to be quiet and listen It is through listening that we learn the other person's point of view and get a better understanding of the situation under consideration. This could be a hard rule to master for some of us.

Rule 10: Create abundance. Create a loving and harmonious atmosphere in the home. When we create an atmosphere of love, we create the foundation for happiness, abundance, and prosperity. Remember that it is through giving that we receive the greatest joy and rewards.

Rule 11: Practice quiet reflection. Spend some time alone at least once a day. This is the time you can spend to meditate and reflect on the happenings of the day. This is your opportunity to recharge and to connect with your inner self. Here you will create the foundation for your abundance and prosperity.

Rule 12: Give of yourself. Remember that in any relationship your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. In other words, it is in the giving of yourself without any attachments or expectations that you receive the greatest satisfaction and rewards.

These twelve simple rules will create a life experience that you will gladly look back on. They have certainly helped me in reaching my life and business goals. It will take time to learn and practice these rules faithfully, but the time spent will surely pay benefits in your life's journey. Always have unwavering faith in what you set out to do, as long as it is done for the right reasons and within the universal rules of ethics.

About the Author:

This article was written by Andreas Stark, MSc, contributing author to "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life: Volume 2." Andreas is a consultant, entrepreneur, and teacher. He and his wife Regina have an independent energy consulting business that specializes in earth sciences and in teaching and training. Andreas has written many educational course manuals for the energy industry as well as for postsecondary education. His article above is one of 101 great chapters that can be found in "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life: Volume 2." This powerful compilation book -- with John Gray, Jack Canfield, Richard Carlson, Bob Proctor, Alan Cohen, and countless other experts -- contains 101 chapters of proven advice on how to improve your life

Source: oawhealth.com

Gardening Proven To Help Overcome Depression

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By Dr. Mercola

Every year, some 230 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled, making them one of the most-prescribed drugs in the United States.

Despite this, the incidence of all forms of depression is now at 10 percent, according to 2012 statistics, and the number of Americans diagnosed with depression increases by about 20 percent per year.

Such statistics are a strong indication that what we’re doing is simply not working, and that instead, these drugs are contributing to other serious health problems. Fortunately, there are other, safer, more effective ways to address depression—including something as simple as spending more time outdoors.

Gardeners Are Happier than Most Others

According to a recent survey for Gardeners World magazine3, 80 percent of gardeners reported being “happy” and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners.

Gardening Can Help Beat Depression

And the more time spent in the garden, the higher their satisfaction scores—87 percent of those who tend to their gardens for more than six hours a week report feeling happy, compared to those spending less time in their gardens.

Monty Don4, a TV presenter and garden writer, attributes the well-being of gardeners to the “recharging” you get from sticking your hands in the soil and spending time outdoors in nature.

I can personally confirm this as over the past year I have started a major interest in high performance agriculture and biodynamic gardening, and have been busy applying it to my edible and ornamental landscape. I hope to soon teach all that I have learned.

Interestingly, fitness researchers have also found that when you exercise outdoors, you exercise harder but perceive it as being easier than when exercising indoors, which can have significant health benefits.

This feeling of well-being can have more far-reaching implications for your physical health too. According to recent research from Johns Hopkins5, having a cheerful temperament can significantly reduce your odds of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. According to lead author Lisa R. Yanek, M.P.H., an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine6:

“If you are by nature a cheerful person and look on the bright side of things, you are more likely to be protected from cardiac events. A happier temperament has an actual effect on disease and you may be healthier as a result.”

What the Research Says About Exercise and ‘Ecotherapy’ for Depression

Three years ago, I interviewed medical journalist and Pulitzer Prize nominee Robert Whitaker about his extensive research and knowledge of psychiatric drugs and alternative treatments for depression. He mentioned an interesting study conducted by Duke University in the late 1990’s, which divided depressed patients into three treatment groups:

        Exercise only
        Exercise plus antidepressant
        Antidepressant drug only

After six weeks, the drug-only group was doing slightly better than the other two groups. However, after 10 months of follow-up, it was the exercise-only group that had the highest remission and stay-well rate. According to Whitaker, some countries are taking these types of research findings very seriously, and are starting to base their treatments on the evidence at hand.

The UK, for example, does not routinely recommend antidepressants as the first line of therapy for mild to moderate depression anymore, and doctors there can write out a prescription to see an exercise counselor instead under the “exercise on prescription programme7.”

Part of the exercise can be tending to an outdoor garden, taking nature walks, or repairing trails or clearing park areas—as discussed in the BBC video above. According to Dr. Alan Cohen, a British general practitioner with a special interest in mental health8:

“[W]hen people get depressed or anxious, they often feel they’re not in control of their lives. Exercise gives them back control of their bodies and this is often the first step to feeling in control of other events.”

Within the first few years of the introduction of this so-called “Green Gym” or “Ecotherapy9” program in 2007, the rate of British doctors prescribing exercise for depression increased from about four percent to about 25 percent.

Studies on exercise as a treatment for depression also show there’s a strong correlation between improved mood and aerobic capacity. So there’s a growing acceptance that the mind-body connection is very real, and that maintaining good physical health can significantly lower your risk of developing depression in the first place. According to a 2009 report on Ecotherapy by the British Depressionalliance.org10:

“94 percent of people taking part in a MIND survey commented that green exercise activities had benefited their mental health; and 100 percent of volunteers interviewed during an outdoor conservation project agreed that participation benefited their mental health, boosted self-esteem and improved confidence. Furthermore, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence asserts that for ‘patients with depression… structured and supervised exercise can be an effective intervention that has a clinically significant impact on depressive symptoms.’”

Ready, Set, Garden!

Aside from increasing your sense of well-being, keeping a garden can also improve your health by providing you with fresher, uncontaminated food, and cutting your grocery bill. And you don’t need vast amounts of space either. You don’t even have to have a backyard. Apartment dwellers can even create a well-stocked edible garden.

There are tons of creative solutions that will allow you to make the most of even the tiniest space, and engaging your own creativity to solve space limitations can be part of your therapy. You can also start growing sprouts which is rapidly rewarding as, unlike gardens, in about one week you will have food that you can harvest and eat.

In her book The Edible Balcony, Alex Mitchell details how to grow fresh produce in small spaces. Filled with beautiful color photographs throughout, the book helps you determine what might work best for you, depending on your space and location, and guides you through the design basics of a bountiful small-space garden. For example, those who live in a high-rise apartment will undoubtedly have to contend with more wind than those who live on the bottom floor. There are solutions for virtually every problem, and in this case, wind-tolerant plants can be used, or you could construct some sort of protective screening.

You can use virtually every square foot of your space, including your lateral space. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs. And instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard, and chiles, for example. Just start small, and as you get the hang of it, add another container of something else. Before you know it, large portions of your meals could come straight from your own edible garden.

To learn more, please see my previous article on creating edible gardens in small spaces. I garden both outdoors and indoors. As I mentioned previously, sprouts are one of my favorite tight-space crops, as they provide so much nutrition, which is another critical factor for beating the blues and they give you far more immediate feedback than growing a garden.

Reposted from realfarmacy.com

Source: mercola.com

Connecting With Nature Boosts Creativity and Health

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"I've been arguing for a while that connection to nature should be thought of as a human right," Richard Louv told the crowd assembled in the courtyard of National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Louv was there to inspire the staff about the benefits of spending time outdoors.

Louv, the author of the bestsellers Last Child in the Woods (2005) and The Nature Principle (2011)-coined the term "nature-deficit disorder" to describe the loss of connection children increasingly feel with the natural world. Nature-deficit disorder is not a clinically recognized condition, he explains, but rather a term to evoke a loss of communion with other living things. Nevertheless, he argues, nature-deficit disorder affects "health, spiritual well-being, and many other areas, including [people's] ability to feel ultimately alive." (See "The Nature-Deficit Disorder and How It Is Impacting Our Natural World.")

The causes of the disorder include loss of open space, increasingly busy schedules, an emphasis on team sports over individualized play and exploration, competition from electronic media, and what Louv and others call a "culture of fear," in which people are afraid to visit natural areas or even go outside due to heavy media coverage of violent events.

To dive deeper into Louv's ideas, National Geographic sat down with him for a few questions.

It has been a few years since you published Last Child in the Woods in 2005. What has changed since then?

Quite a bit. I wrote another book, called The Nature Principle, extending the idea [of nature-deficit disorder] to adults. That's because I kept hearing from adults, who said, "It affects us too." At the time there were a lot of great people doing great work around nature, but in the media that issue was nowhere near the stove, let alone the front burner.

I didn't know it would have the impact it has. I never claim Last Child in the Woods started anything, but it proved to be a very useful tool, and things took off. Today, if you look at childrenandnature.org [the website of the Children & Nature Network, a group Louv founded], you'll see all kinds of good news from all over the country, and it's increasingly international. Nature preschools are beginning to take off. There are 112 regional, provincial, or state campaigns in the U.S. and Canada that are working on getting kids outdoors, many of which didn't exist before.

It doesn't seem to matter what someone's politics or religion is, they want to tell me about the treehouse they had as a kid, if they are old enough—for the younger people that is less likely to be true. This is the only issue I've seen that brings people together, because nobody wants to be in the last generation where it's considered normal for kids to go outdoors.

This week you spoke at an event with Sally Jewell, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, at the Center for American Progress in Washington, on the importance of getting children and adults outside. How did that go?

Sally Jewell is a former head of REI, and she is one of the people who stepped forward when Last Child came out. She took an REI daypack filled with copies of the book, went to the White House, and handed them out to staff and the president.

She will be the third Secretary of the Interior in a row to be fully committed to this issue. The first was Dirk Kempthorne, a conservative Republican under President [George W.] Bush, who was very committed to this. So was Ken Salazar [under Obama], and now Sally, who probably has the most experience with this issue. [Tuesday's] event illustrates that this issue is growing.

Can you share some specific examples of how a connection to nature improved someone's life?

[National Geographic Emerging Explorer] Juan Martinez is one example. He grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where he was headed for gangs and trouble. A principal told him he'd have to go to detention or join the eco club. He thought the club sounded like a bunch of nerds, but he joined. He resented it at first, but then had an assignment to grow something.

He had seen his mother break up concrete behind their house to grow chilis to eat. So he grew a jalapeno chili plant and took it home to show her that he could nurture life too. That plant, and later an eco club trip to the Grand Tetons, changed his life. He is now an environmentalist and head of the Natural Leaders Network, which is part of the Children &  Nature Network. He is also a National Geographic explorer and has spoken at the White House twice.

So nature can transform your life. He found not only nature, he found people through nature. He reconnected to South Central in a new way. (See video of Juan Martinez.)

How can city dwellers connect with nature?

As of 2008 more people lived in cities than the countryside. That marked a huge moment in human history, and it means one of two things: Either the human connection to nature will continue to fade, or it means the beginning of a new kind of city.

One way is through "biophilic design" [nature-inspired design], which is the incorporation of nature where we live, work, learn, and play, not only as something we drive an hour to visit. Not only parks, but also in the way we design our neighborhoods, our backyards, and our buildings.

I believe cities can become engines of biodiversity. It starts with planting a lot of native plants, which revive the food chain and bring back butterfly and bird migration routes.

The word "sustainability" is problematic, because to most people it means stasis, survival, and energy efficiency. We have to do those things, but that only goes so far in igniting the imagination. Increasingly, I talk about a "nature-rich society," a different way to look at the future that is not just about survival, but about something much better.

How do we get to a greener future?

I visited the Martin Luther King memorial yesterday. King demonstrated and said that any movement will fail if it can't paint a picture of a world people will want to go to. That world has to be more than energy efficient, it must be a better civilization.

I think we're in a cultural depression. The number one young adult literature genre today is something called dystopic fiction, which portrays a post-apocalyptic world in which vampires aren't even having a good time. I have a theory that most Americans carry images of the far future that look a lot likeBlade Runner and Mad Max. If those are the dominating images, and we don't have a balancing set of images of a great future, then we better be careful what we imagine.

You have written about the impacts of "nature time" on problems like anxiety, depression, ADD, and obesity. How important is that?

If you look at a new body of research on depression, ADD, physical health, child obesity, and the epidemic of inactivity, nature is a good antidote to all of that. I didn't coin it, but I like the phrase "sitting is the new smoking," because new evidence shows that sitting long hours every day can have serious health risks similar to those caused by smoking.

Researchers at the University of Illinois are investigating whether time in the woods could be used to supplement treatment of ADD. A study at the University of Kansas found that young people who backpacked for three days showed higher creativity and cognitive abilities. People in hospitals who can see a natural landscape have been shown to get better faster.

As an antidote, we need to figure out ways to increase nature time even as technology increases. It has to be a conscious decision.

Speaking of technology, how much are "screens" like TV, the Internet, video games, and smartphones to blame for keeping kids indoors?

I always resist demonizing technology and video games, specifically, partly because when people write about this issue they go immediately to that. But then they ignore these other things, like "stranger danger" [Louv has argued that sensationalist media has made parents fearful of letting children go outside] and bad urban design, the fact that our education system needs a lot of work, the fact that we are canceling recess and field trips—there are a lot of other reasons out there.

Having said that, there's no doubt that electronics have something to do with this. The Kaiser Foundation found that kids spend 53 hours a week plugged in to some kind of electronic medium, and I imagine that's true of adults too. I have an iPhone and iPad, I spend a lot of time with screens, but I think the more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need as a balancing agent.

How can parents know if their kids might suffer from nature-deficit disorder? Are there warning signs?

I don't think this is something that can be reduced to individual symptoms in individual children. I've always felt it was a more generalized issue, a disorder of society that has implications for all of us.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Sources: Higher Health

Nat Geo News

Scientifically-Supported Ways To Boost Happiness

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Some people are naturally happy. You probably know one, or maybe you are one. These people are quick to smile or offer the “bright side” when encountered with a friend who needs a boost. Minor setbacks are seen by this crew as just that—minor, rather than the serious life-changers that otherwise unhappy people experience. And while there is no true scientific formula for achieving happiness, there are indeed ways to be more happy more often, according to science.

Unfortunately, it seems that an astronomical number of Americans are lacking feelings of bliss and enjoyment. Instead, 21 million people (an underestimated figure, no doubt) suffer from depression, which is caused by everything from financial issues to a lack of love. And many individuals suffering from depression or sadness are on prescription drugs which are most often accompanied by more side-effects than benefits. While it’s hard to convince someone on depression medication that they may be able to reverse their situation completely naturally, it is possible.

5 Scientifically-Supported Ways to Boost Happiness

Here are a few research-backed strategies for increasing happiness in your own life:

·         1. Stop Eating Processed Foods and Fast Food- A study published in Public Health Nutrition found that those who consume fast food are 51% more likely to be depressed than those who abstain from unhealthy and processed foods. It was also found that the same held true for those eating baked goods and junk food. The abstract concludes with: “Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption may have a detrimental effect on depression risk.”·         

         2. Sleep - Not only does quality sleep boost your chance of making healthful food choices, it helps improve your overall mood. You’ve probably experienced this first-hand, but if you’re not convinced, the Science Channel explains how your body increases stress hormone production when you aren’t well-rested. The magic number is different for everyone, but aim for around 7 hours each night.

·         3. Develop Healthy Personal Relationships - In this age of technology, you would think our over-connectedness would bolster our moods. You’d be wrong. Life satisfaction has actually fallen with the increase in “connectivity,” leading to the belief that nothing is a substitute for real (face-to-face, not Facebook) friendships.

·         4. Meditate - Several studies have indicated the positive link between meditation and mental health. When we are depressed, we are “consumed by negative preoccupations, thoughts and worries,” explains researcher Catherine Kerr. Meditation helps temper that. Mindfulness meditation can cut the recurrence of depression by up to 50%, a significant rate for a half-hour of your time.

·         5. Go Outside - Not only has vitamin D (sunshine vitamin) deficiency been linked to depression, studies have found that something as simple as a walk in the park can dramatically improve your mood and reduce depression symptoms.

Source: http://naturalsociety.com

19 Stress Busting Techniques

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"Stress is the trash of modern life - we all generate it but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life."- Danzae Pace We've all fallen victim to workplace stress at one time or another. And some of us probably even called in sick because of a stress-related illness. Turns out that anxiety, stress and neurotic disorder cases are involved in the highest amount of long-term work loss, according to the Center for Disease Control. >More than half of workers report working under stress, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey. This comes as no surprise, we are all too familiar with growing job dissatisfaction, heavy workloads, poor work/life balance and no mandatory vacation time. So arm yourself with these stress-busters and survive stress at work.

1. Throw your head back and shout loudly.

Shout and screaming is a great way to let go of all that pent-up tension that causes stress. Rather than risk being carted off to the asylum by shouting in the streets, let off some steam cheering on your local sport team, or heading to a sports bar. The added social contact will help you unwind even quicker.

2. Shake off jitters.

Speakers tense up in front of audiences because they fixate on how their limbs are moving. Their knees would shake, their voices would tremble, their thoughts would become jumbled… you know the rest. Warm up the link between the brain and body, however, and you'll stay more fluid. Shake out your arms and legs and make a motorboat sound (in private) with your mouth.

3. Recognize what you can and cannot change.

If you work in the stock market, you're going to be stressed that won't change. But if you make yourself crazy rushing for that 6:35 PM bus, simply get the next bus and save yourself some grief.

4. Break it down.

You're not Superman or Wonder Woman so don't act like one. Setting unrealistic goals only dooms you to failure, which fuels your stress levels. Try splitting a larger, seemingly insurmountable goal into smaller, more reachable targets. It’s far less stressful to aim to write three paragraphs before lunch than it is to complete a whole report by the end of the day.

Make to-do lists and tick of your accomplishments. This will make you feel less stressed as you will see how much you have already achieved and make you realize that no task is insurmountable.

5. Don't micromanage, delegate.

Again, don't try to be the hero. Effective managers delegate and don't micromanage. Prioritize your tasks to focus on the important ones. If you have subordinates, delegate responsibilities to them as much as possible. At home, hire someone to help with household chores or get your spouse and children to pitch in.

6. Play with your balls.

Stress balls that is. The act of squeezing a stress ball or a hand exerciser tenses the muscles in both your hand and your arm. Holding the ball for a second or two and then releasing it relaxes the muscle, causing the tension to leave your arm and hand, thereby relieving stress.

7. Keep cool under fire.

High-stress situations force us to bounce our attention between our inner thoughts - 'Oops, I'm screwed' and the task at hand. That rapid shifting makes everything feel like it's speeding up. Force yourself to focus by taking the time to jot down your plan what's wrong, and how will I fix it? – before you act.

8. Keep a golf ball or empty bottle.

Keep them for quick massages to relieve arch strain or foot cramps. This can be extremely soothing whether you work on your feet or at a desk. Foot massages are known to relieve tension, mental and physical stress, fatigue and headaches.

9. Brush it off.

If you can, paint your work space with calming colours such as soft blue. Research shows that exposure to shades of blue can lower blood pressure, improve sleep and reduce pain perception. In contrast, exposure to red light has the opposite effect, raising blood pressure and feelings of stress as it triggers release of adrenalin.

10. Reduce your distractions.

Your workspace should keep you motivated, not provide hot spots for daydreaming. Dress up your desk with items that keep you focused and place photos out of your direct and peripheral lines of sight. The effective use of space can not only increase your concentration but also reduce insomnia and stress.

11. Leave your work at work.

While we all want to appear the model employee, there is more chance of appearing so if you are not a sleep-deprived wreck, muttering in the corner. Aim to create a calm atmosphere at home by leaving your work worries behind, and try not to bring home any extra work, even if that means having to get to the office a bit earlier the next morning.

12. Be realistic.

Much of stress is self-induced from setting yourself ridiculously tight deadlines or by procrastinating. That work report will always take you twice as long as you had time-budgeted for once you factor in proof-reading, tea breaks, and the other ‘little things' like eating and sleeping. Take one thing at a time. Learn to prioritize urgent tasks and allot yourself enough time to complete your tasks, therefore reducing stress before it even starts.

13. Smiling is good, laughing is even better.

Nat King Cole had it right when he sang: Smile though your heart is aching. 'The brain cannot easily hold contrary emotional states simultaneously' so if you want to feel more smiley, then smile more. But if smiling is good, laughing is even better. A good belly laugh exercises your abdominal muscles and gets fresh air into your lungs. Think of it an internal workout.

14. Communicate.

It can be hard to do, but next time you have an issue with someone get it off your chest. Let your colleagues or manager know about it. They are human too, and don’t always see themselves for who they really are in the workplace. A friendly conversation expressing your emotions can do a world of good and can make things a whole lot better around the office. It won’t stop the overtime, it won’t increase the paycheck, and it won’t completely stop the griping. It can, however, make a job more enjoyable, build self-esteem, and engender a more positive attitude.

15. Take a break and walk away.

Or try to distance yourself from what is making you stressed. Counting to 10 will help you to move away from the situation mentally as well as giving you 10 valuable seconds to re-think the screaming-fit you were about to unleash on your unsuspecting co-workers.

16. Get organized.

You got up late and now have five minutes to leave the house. One of your shoes is in a tangle of bedclothes, the other in the cupboard under the stairs, and your brief case is no-where to be seen. Sound like you? Being organized will cut morning stress in half. Get into the habit of leaving your shoes, jacket and brief case by the front door and picking out what you want to wear the night before.

Make a list of everything you need to remember in the morning and set your alarm five minutes earlier, even if this means you just spend those five minutes in bed contemplating the day ahead.

17. Eat Nemo.

Australian researchers have discovered that eating oily fish such as salmon and sardines can help lower stress levels. This is because oily fish are jam-packed full of omega-3 fatty acids which help your nervous system to function properly and reduce the affects of hostility and aggression.

Most fish are also filled with stress-fighting vitamin B12 which plays a role in the production of serotonin; nature's Prozac.

18. Don't be afraid to take vacations.

Too much to do at work? Add another task to your list: take a vacation and relax. People can't operate at full throttle on the job day after day. When you do get away, leave your work cell phone and BlackBerry at home. You need to recharge so you can be at your peak when you get back to work.

19. Ask for help.

Look for signs that you're getting burned out. If you routinely zone out on the job, think that none of your work matters, or consistently dread going to work, it's time to get some help. So consider seeing a therapist or a career coach for guidance tailored to your own needs.

These tips for managing stress will help you change your actions and your outlook. Best wishes as you implement these ideas. Live a great stress-free life.

Source : Dave Sommers, Healthy Holistic Living

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