WHAT SUPPORTS THE DISCOVERY OF INNER PEACE?

RELEASE STRESS

CHOOSE TO REVITALIZE AND ENERGIZE YOURSELF

Scan through these suggestions and see which ones you can commit to integrate into your life now and create a change in your stress levels.

  1. Become knowledgeable about stress
    • Understand the process and effects of stress.
    • Identify your major sources of stress.
    • Anticipate stressful periods and plan for them.
    • Develop a repertoire of successful stress management techniques and practice them.
    • Learn to identify the opportunities for personal growth inherent in periods of stress.
    • Find the level of stress that is best for you, remembering that both insufficient and excessive stress are potentially harrmful.

  2. Take a systematic approach to Problem Solving
    • Define your problem/challenge specifically, delving beyond symptoms. Divide it into manageable components that can be dealt with easily.
    • Gather sufficient information about the problem/challenge to put it in perspective.
    • Discover why the problem/challenge exists for you.
    • Review your experience with the present situation or similar ones.
    • Develop and evaluate a set of alternative courses of action.
    • Select a course of action and proceed with it, now.

  3. Come to terms with your Feelings
    • Differentiate between your thoughts and your feelings.
    • Do not suppress your feelings; acknowledge them to yourself and when appropriate share them with people you trust.
    • Accept your feelings without judgement, using unconditional love and forgiveness.
    • Learn to be flexible and adaptive.
    • Honestly appraise your personal liabilities.

  4. Develop effective behavioral skills
    • Do not use the word "can't" when you actually mean "won't" (for example, I can't stop smoking).
    • When you have determined what needs to be done with your life, act on your decisions.
    • Use free time productively.
    • Be assertive.
    • Manage conflicts openly and directly.
    • Avoid blaming others for situtations.
    • Provide positive feedback to others.
    • Learn to say "NO."
    • Deal with problems as soon as they appear; if you procrastinate, they are likely to intensify.
    • Evalute the reality of your expectations, avoiding both the grandiose and the catastrophic.
    • Learn to let go of stressful situations and TAKE BREAKS.
    • Refrain from all gossip which can create inaccuracies.
    • Be aware of docudramas and how you create them.
    • Release victimology and accept responsibility for the part you play in co-dependent, dysfunctional relationships.
    • Commit to mindful breath with consciousness (see: Mindfulness)

  5. Establish and maintain a strong support network
    • Ask for direct help and be receptive to it when it is offered.
    • Develop empathy for others.
    • Make an honest assessment of your needs for support and your satisfaction with the support you presently receive.
    • List six people with whom you would like to improve your relationship and in each case identify one step you will take toward such improvement.
    • Rid yourself of dead or damaging relationships.
    • Maintain high quality relationships both on and off the job.
    • Tell the members of your support network that you value the relationship shared with them.

  6. Develop a life style that will buffer against the effects of stress
    • Regularly practice some form of each of these exercises:Vigorous, Stretching and Recreational
    • Engage regularly in some form of systematic relaxation.
    • Use alcohol in moderation or not at all.
    • Do not use tobacco.
    • Obtain sufficient rest on a regular basis.
    • Maintain your recommended weight.
    • Eat a balanced diet.
    • Avoid caffeine.
    • Avoid foods high in sugar, salt, white flour, saturated fats and chemicals. Read labels.
    • Plan your use of time on both a daily and a long term basis.
    • Seek out variety and change of pace.
    • Take total responsibility for your life.
    • Maintain an optimistic attitude.
    • Find health care professionals educated in wholistic wellness and nutrition.
    • Do not dwell on unimportant matters.

  7. Plan and execute successful life style changes
    • Expect to succeed.
    • Approach projects one step at a time.
    • Keep projects you change small and manageable.
    • Practice each change rigorously for 21 days, then decide whether to continue with it.
    • Celebrate your success and reward yourself

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO COPE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH STRESS

         You Can Develop Self-Understanding:

  1. Listen to the voice of your body.
  2. Make a list of your present goals.
  3. Write a diary or a journal and become your own inner therapist.
  4. Analyze your successes.
  5. Get feedback from others on how they see you.
  6. Make use of the helping professions.
  7. Keep track of your "stress quotient".
  8. Find out what is controllable in your life and what isn't.
  9. Be honest with yourself.

    10. You Can Improve Your Mind:

  10. Read about stress and human growth.
  11. Learn about stress (example, use cassette tapes)
  12. Be sensitive to all dimensions of life
  13. Take a course.
  14. Go to the public library.
  15. Think about great ideas. Have an idea file.
  16. Clear your mind.

    17. You Can Develop Healthy Attitudes:

  17. Develop the attitude of gratitude.
  18. Think positively.
  19. Learn to accept what you cannot change.
  20. Learn to love yourself.
  21. Don't be afraid of failure or "miss-takes"
  22. Practice living in the present moment.
  23. Get friendly with leisure.

    24. You Can Control Your Emotions:

  24. Come to terms with your feelings.
  25. Practice self-expression.
  26. Work off your anger constructively.
  27. Face your fears.
  28. Take a systematic approach to problem solving (See "Problem Solving" above)

    29. You Can Strengthen your Body:

  29. Learn to relax
  30. Get proper rest
  31. Get regular vigorous exercise.
  32. Eat a nutritionally balanced diet with lots of raw food.
  33. Lose weight.
  34. Control all your input.
  35. Dress the way that feels right.
  36. Practice good posture
  37. Utilize physical checkups.

    38. You Can Improve Your Personal Relationships:

  38. Seek out good friend.
  39. Share yourself with significant others.
  40. Contact new people.
  41. Do something for others.
  42. Take charge of getting involved.
  43. Give the other person a break.
  44. Don't criticize and blame others.
  45. Give in occasionally.
  46. Make clear choices.
  47. Face painful questions directly.

    48. You Can Lift Your Spirit:

  48. Work toward deepening your life.
  49. Keep things in proper perspective.
  50. Don't do wrong.
  51. Learn to let go.
  52. Allot time for daily meditation.
  53. Find your own spiritual path and follow it.
  54. Encourage your gentleness.
  55. Learn to play again.
  56. Laugh and get your endorphins moving.

    57. You Can Control Your Job

  57. Remember, no job is tense.
  58. Focus on one thing at a time.
  59. Don't try to be perfect. Seek excellence.
  60. Define the purpose of work.
  61. Take some time off.
  62. Take a nap at work.
  63. Redefine your job.
  64. Quit.

    65. You Can Improve Your Environment:

  65. Find your own sense of security.
  66. Spend time in a new environment.
  67. Change residences.
  68. Rearrange and redecorate your home.
  69. Cut down excessive noise.
  70. Control the TV set.
  71. Get organized. No clutter. No packrat
  72. Consider Feng Shui

    73. You Can Live A Healthy Life Style:

  73. Be yourself.
  74. Arrange to have variety in your life
  75. Take one thing at a time.
  76. Don't let things drift.
  77. Plan for maximum comfort.
  78. earn to vary your pace.
  79. Set up desirable futures.
  80. Take time to be alone.
  81. Plan relaxed vacations.
  82. Practice relaxed driving.
  83. Develop a hobby.
  84. Develop your own list of coping skills.

Is any one of these answers just right for you? Perhaps one, or a combination of coping ideas will stimulate ideas for you; might suggest for you some way you can begin to shake yourself up, shake up your habits, shake yourself out of the dumps.

Now is the time for you to begin formulating a plan that will AID you in being more creative in managing your stress; that will lead you to a greater sense of freedom and joy in your life for INNER PEACE..

CREATE your plan. CHOOSE the changes you want to make. Both the challenge and the rewards are yours.

EXERCISE TO GET YOUR STARTED:

  1. I could better avoid or ease the impact of stress if I would START.......
  2. I could better avoid or ease the impact of stress if I could STOP.......
  3. My most effective ways of avoiding or easing the impact of stress are........