James E. Porter, a blogger at Huffington Post has some fresh ideas for lowering your stress levels. Here’s what he has to say….
Stop rushing. We rush around everywhere we go. We’re almost addicted to it. Try spending one day where you don’t rush anywhere. Get up earlier than you need to. Allow extra time for doing everything. Enjoy JUST ONE DAY at a leisurely pace – even if it’s your day off – and see how absolutely delicious it feels to stop and chat wherever you feel like it, or to drive sanely between destinations, or to pause when the feeling moves you and literally stop and smell the roses.
Arrive early. In attempting to arrive places on time, we’re often late because we don’t build in extra time for traffic jams, accidents and other inevitable delays. When you plan to arrive early, you not only allow for these unforeseen circumstances, but your travel time becomes infinitely more enjoyable because you’re not spending the entire trip stressing about being late.
Go to bed earlier and DON’T watch the nighttime news. The news if full of stories that are designed to catch your attention by making you feel anxious about crime, or rising prices, or storms headed your way. This is not good for your serenity and is antithetical to feeling sleepy. Turn off the TV and go to bed an hour earlier – or read something inspirational or meditate and think about everything you have to be grateful for. You’ll sleep easier for it.
Get organized. Disorganization can make you “crazy”. Always losing things, working from a messy desk and feeling bad about your messy house will take its toll on your sanity. Spend at least one day month simply organizing your life.
Remember, all changes begins with awareness of what it is you want to change. When you decide what it is you want to change, or the new habit you want to add in, start small. Make one change at a time and practice it for weeks, if not months, before adding in additional layers of change. That way, you will ensure your eventual success. And even if you experience a setback, remember that setbacks are a part of the process. Get right back on that bucking horse named CHANGE and keep riding until you reach the finish line where you will not be the least bit tempted to go back to your old ways.
huffposthealth.com
October 7, 2015