A Week to Better Stress Management

Get a grip on your stress by tackling one portion of it each day for a week. Then when you have it under control, see how good you feel and how much better your life is. The seven things to do, one on each day of the week, are:

1. Acknowledge your own particular stress and note that it is good. Be proud of where you are in life and that you do have things to deal with, issues to tackle. You could have nothing going on, and things could be a lot worse. So begin by being grateful and acknowledge where you are in life.

2. Avoid negative stress inducers. Stress can be contagious and you already have enough to deal with, so avoid new stress and stress-inducing people, places, things, etc. like the plague. Example: you don't need to be in a bar-room brawl, so avoid hanging out in bars. It's really that simple.

3. Learn from success. Let successful people, situations, projects, companies, etc. influence you, your thoughts and behaviors. Imitating is a form of flattery, so stop trying to re-invent the wheel and follow simple advice and wisdom of others who've already been there, done that successfully. This means they've already dealt with main stressors there. Learn from them!

4. Slow down your body and mind. Plant your feet firmly on the ground or floor. And take deep, slow, long breaths – exhale that way, too, and stop living in rush mode.

5, Stop worrying – and start living. That's a title of a best seller for a reason. Get the book, read it and follow the advice. Do it!

6. Learn what can trip your trigger and learn how to handle this so you don't stress so much. Example: if heavy traffic and your spouse driving combined can cause a vein to pop, avoid rush hour, avoid riding in a car with your spouse during heavy traffic or put your seat back, close your eyes, and plug in to your iPod or handheld to take your mind off the drive.

7. Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, exercise each day and get plenty or sleep.

Follow these steps for a week and see how you feel. When you're feeling better, mentally and physically from stress, go back to step 3 above and give back to others by writing about your successes, your tips that work, etc. That is step 8 – a peek ahead!

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