Taking Your Life Back

Lately, have you found yourself saying, or thinking, any of the following?: I'm just not myself anymore.... I can't keep up with everything! I'm so tired.... I want to feel normal again..... I don't care....it doesn't matter..... There just isn't enough time.... The more statements you recognize yourself in, the more stress is at work in your life. If you want to reclaim your life, know that it can be done. What's more, it really won't take that long to see real results, IF you begin stress-management today, follow through with it tomorrow and stick with it for the days thereafter. Imagine that you have 50 pounds to lose. Sitting around and focusing on the problem isn't going to do you a bit of good, and it certainly won't make any of the 50 pounds disappear. What would? Action, you say? Well, you're almost there! It would take permanent action to lose the weight. This is where most people fail when trying to lose weight - their action is only temporary. When they don't see results fast enough, or when they t/hink they've "arrived," they quit. Then, the pounds creep back up and are harder than ever to deal with. The same holds true for stress. Think of it as extra weight. It's every bit as burdensome, every bit as unhealthy, and makes its victim every bit as unhappy....maybe even more so. Fortunately for those who are at its mercy, stress reacts well to permanent action and will leave, allowing happiness and normalcy to reign once more. However, just like extra weight, if you choose a temporary solution.....it'll come back with a vengeance. Below are a few guidelines for managing stress. Remember, the trick lies in consistency. Don't think that stress management is something you can do every now and again. It's all about adopting a new lifestyle. Basically, the one you have right now isn't good for your psyche and it wants a new one. So, if you revert back to the unsatisfactory one, it'll balk once more. Cut back at least a little on caffeine. I know it's hard, and I'm not suggesting anything drastic. But caffeine affects the central nervous system and, at least while we're trying to calm it, cut back some. You and your body will adapt. Get more quality sleep. BY quality sleep, I mean the kind that comes at night, in a comfy bed, with the lights off. Turn your mind off along with the lights and float away. The body, as well as the mind, reap so many benefits from sleep. I believe that if we all realized just how much this was true, we'd all turn in at 10:00 each night. Don't be above asking for help when help is needed. If you have your hands more than full, at work or at home, don't nag and certainly don't yell, but ask for help from those around you. Most people are more than glad to help and often are waiting to do so. Most just wait for the request rather than taking the initiative. Find something that you enjoy and enjoy it. It may be as simple as buying a new magazine or getting a burger, or it may require a trip to the movies or the mall. It doesn't matter, just make it a habit to treat yourself several times a week to a mental party. Ironic: It sounds perfectly reasonable and necessary to us for school children to get a recess each day, after all, they'd climb the walls without a break, right? Well, so do adults! Grab a notebook and prepare to write! On the first page, write down the things that are causing you to feel stress. Be as specific as possible. Now, on the second page, write down the things from page 1 that you can actually control. For example, if a cluttered kitchen is causing stress, write "Clean the refrigerator," "Mop the floor," "Reorganize the cabinets..." Do this with each of the controllable stress producers. As for the ones you can't control - like disliking your son's girlfriend - strike them out. If they're out of your control, you have no choice but to put them out of your mind. You're only hurting yourself by focusing on these, so stop! Now look at your list on page two. What you've written here is actually your prescription for taking stress out of your life. Look back at page1, that's the disease. Now turn over to page 2. What you have before you is the remedy! Now use the rest of the notebook to chart your progress. Going back to our example of the kitchen, at the top of a page you'd write Kitchen. Below, you'd write each task that needed to be done. Upon completion, put a checkmark along with the date. Then, if you're really on the ball, write down the date you believe this task will need to be performed again. Once you have a game plan, life is so much easier! Eat right. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and proteins. Good sources of protein are peanut butter, chicken, or tuna salad. Also, get plenty of whole-grains, such as wheat breads and wheat crackers. Have a little down time each day. Think of it as unwinding. Whether it's a warm bubble bath or watching ESPN, just take a little time daily to take a deep breath, let it out and intentionally relax every muscle in your body. As with everything in life, you'll get back what you put in, so please stick with it. You deserve to have the happiest life you possible can. Don't let stress ruin another precious moment.