Stress Less And Live More

 By: Wendy Lubell

Having a life that is stress free may seem impossible yet we can take clear steps to reduce our stress. Sometimes it is good to take inventory of your life: business, family, personal, interpersonal, extracurricular, spiritual and see where we feel strong and where we need improvement. Below is a survey for you to gauge your reactions to certain situation and feelings in your life. Use the survey as a starting point to access your true potential.

On a scale of 1 –5 please rate the following – 1 never, 2 rarely, 3 sometimes, 4 most of the time, 5 all of the time

1. I wake up tired in the morning
2. I do not sleep through the night
3. I do not have enough time to complete my tasks each day
4. I suffer from tight muscles, headaches, back or neck pain
5. I have a hard time concentrating
6. I feel lousy when I do not work out hard enough
7. I feel lousy when I do not exercise
8. I drink caffeine to keep me awake or give me energy
9. I wish I had a better sex life
10. I often feel like I have to take on more responsibility then I should
11. I have a hard time saying NO
12. I get impatient in traffic or waiting in lines

Did any of the answers surprise you? Think about why or why not…

How can you make some of your answers a 1 or 2? Is it possible?

What’s the best thing you did for yourself this week? How did it make you feel – both mentally and physically?

Five Easy Tips To Lower Your Rating to a 1 or 2

• Get plenty of rest (four hours does not cut it for most of us)
• Create a “rule of seven” solution sheet – write down your problem and come up with at least seven ways to solve it (this will stretch your mind and offer creative solutions)
• Practice deep breathing by taking slow, controlled belly breaths before stressful situations
• Retell your stressful story like it was from a certain movie genre (i.e. you got into a fight with your boss – share it with a friend like a soap opera or science fiction movie)
• Laugh more often (Have you ever wondered why children laugh more than adults?)

Stress doesn’t have to make your life a mess. By creating a solid foundation for physical and mental well being you can stress less and live more.