Tag Archives: stressed out

Learning The Art Of Stress Reduction

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By Lawrence Pointer

Stress is very much the disease of the 21st century, affecting well over 100 million people in the US alone. Some people may not even realize that they suffer from stress and they struggle on through their daily lives regardless to the fact they feel below par, that they are under performing, and that they are heading for potentially serious health problems. Managing your stress reduction has never been more crucial, and it is now easier than you may imagine!

The fact of the matter is that the lifestyle that most of us adopt these days are conducive to generating stress. Many of us live life to the maximum, working hard and playing hard. Our lives are organized around credit and the credit squeeze has affected many of us quite badly. The economic downturn, which is in itself a direct result of the credit squeeze, has caused many millions to lose their livelihoods, as many businesses have either been forced into liquidation or forced to cut their staff. This of course generates even more stress as people struggle to pay their mortgages and try to make ends meet. It’s therefore small wonder that so many people lived stressed existences today.

Just take a few minutes out of your no doubt busy schedule to stop and see if you relate to any of these stress symptoms.

>Experiencing problems going to sleep and staying asleep

>Lack of motivation

>Lack of focus and concentration

>Feelings of lethargy

>Feelings of depression

>Short tempered

>Feeling generally unwell

>Being overweight

>High blood pressure

>Panic attacks

>Diabetes

If you can relate to any of the above you need to seriously consider stress reduction in some shape or form. All of these symptoms can be directly related to stress, and some of them, (high blood pressure and diabetes) can even kill you.

Stress is a major medical problem. It is very real, and more and more, doctors are recognizing and diagnosing it as a result. If you can associate with all or any of the above symptoms, it is very likely that they are stress induced, and the best way to deal with them is by joining a stress reduction program.

A good stress reduction program will firstly help you to accept that you are stressed out, and will further help you to identify the root cause of that stress. In some instances, once the causes are recognized, it may be possible to eliminate them altogether. However, in many instances, it is not possible to eliminate them entirely, and this is where managing the resultant stress becomes critical.

Unchecked, stress can, and will make you irritable; make you fat; increase tension in your neck and back; make you depressed, heighten your chances of having a stroke or heart attack, and developing Alzheimer’s and cancer. It is just not worth it. You owe it not only to yourself, but those around to too, (especially your loved ones), to deal with the problem for once and for all. Find a suitable stress reduction program and get on it before the damage becomes irreparable.

There are plenty of programs on the web, but see if you can find one that is written by someone who has personally been through the grinder and has been totally stressed out themselves. It is essential. How else can they understand the seemingly overwhelming problems you face?

The programs are out there, you may have to spend a little time and money which will be well spent and any investment in this most crucial self improvement will start to pay dividends within weeks. Stress reduction and it’s management really is the quickest way for you to discover a healthier and happier life.

Stress is a silent KILLER! By utilizing the very latest in stress reduction techniques you can learn to conquer this silent deadly menace FOREVER!! Watch this FREE video to discover what everyone is talking about here ==>> http://www.totalbliss-stress-reduction.com

The Main Reason Why People Quit

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1191576_colors_abstract1Why do so many people quit diet or exercise programs after a few weeks or days? Have they lost their desire? Have they become unmotivated? I say the answer is no.

If you asked someone who quit a program if they still wanted to feel healthier, look youthful and be attractive, my bet is that they would definitely say that they did. I mean, if they wanted something badly a few weeks ago, I don’t think that this wish suddenly went away.

No; a decrease in motivation is not what causes most people to quit. I believe that the desire is always there, but that it eventually gets overwhelmed by all the aggravation – all the annoying stuff that comes along with the new lifestyle – until they can’t take any more. In the first few days, they haven’t yet had to deal with much aggravation, and so their desire is unimpeded. This is why health clubs are always full of new members in January.

But unfortunately, there is just so much annoying stuff out there – and so many types of it – that for many people, the desire just hasn’t got a chance of outweighing it in the long term. I don’t think it’s worth even trying.

I think a better option is to keep the amount of aggravation as low as possible. This, I believe, is where we should concentrate our efforts. Not on artificially pumping ourselves full of “motivation!”

Let me give you just one example, which is simply getting to the gym in the first place. Usually when people say things like, “I haven’t got the time to exercise”, it really means that they haven’t got the time to spend driving to the gym, battling traffic, hunting for parking and driving back again.

This is a fair point. Even if we had unlimited time, it just doesn’t make sense to me to spend an hour or more on travelling, just for a 45-minute workout. The answer, obvious as it may sound, is to choose your gym based primarily on proximity and ease of transport.

Even though this does sound trivial, you’d be surprised how many people don’t do this. They may join a gym that’s far away because it’s the most modern, or has the best equipment, or simply because they want to train where their friends train.

Don’t you make that mistake. Choose a gym that you can get to easily and quickly – one that won’t involve your being stuck in a car getting angry and stressed out.

And don’t let yourself be led by price. Don’t make the mistake of joining a gym that’s far away and a nightmare to get to just in order to save some money on membership. It’s usually a false economy anyway; if you never get any use from the gym then it is very expensive, no matter how little it costs.

If you don’t have any gyms you can use, you can train in your garage, with just a couple of dumbbells and a bench. Some of my own best results have come from garage training.

I believe it’s important to make your new lifestyle as easy and low maintenance as possible. So always be on the lookout for anything that will remove a source of aggravation, no matter how small. You see, you need to be lazy if you want to succeed.

“Huh? How can you succeed at anything by being lazy?”

Good question. It’s not that I’m against working hard; it’s simply that I believe in saving that hard work for your training.

My view is that you have limited amounts of time, patience and energy, and I want you to spend those on things that are going to give you results.

Remember, it’s very easy, especially in the modern world, to constantly be “busy”, but never actually achieve anything. Aim to do only those things that will really help you succeed; the rest is just a distraction.

Dr. Nick Hallale is the author of “A Stomach Like a Greek Statue,” an e-book containing all the secrets to getting a perfect flat stomach. Get his free tips now by visiting http://www.Apollo-Program.com/FlatStomachBook

Attention Adults with ADD: What To Do When Hyperfocus Works Against You

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1174626_bee_31Adults with ADD are both blessed and cursed with the ability to hyperfocus.
Hyperfocus is a unique ability that we have to focus
so intensely that the rest of the world temporarily disappears. It’s the the opposite of boredom. Instead of having difficulty concentrating or getting started, the hyperfocused ADDer has trouble shifting focus away from the interesting subject at hand.

Hyperfocus can be a really good thing. If you’re highly interested in what you’re concentrating on, then the ability to hyperfocus is an asset. It can help you get through a difficult task, like a report for work or a household problem that needs to be fixed. It can also help tremendously during creative periods in which your juices are flowing and you’re having fun writing, painting, crafting, or expressing yourself in an artistic outlet.

This positive hyperfocus is what I call being in the flow. You enjoy what you’re doing–whether it’s work, problem-solving, or being creative. You’re productive and you enjoy not only what you’re doing, but also the fact that you’re making progress. Your thoughts and actions are flowing.

However, hyperfocus can also be a bad thing. Adults with ADD often go into hyperfocus mode when a stressful problem or situation presents itself, and the inability to tear yourself away results in more stress. This can happen when writing a paper for school, trying to solve a problem at work, attempting to fix a broken gadget, or even surfing the Internet.

Negative hyperfocus is what I call being in the stick. It’s really about an inability to shift focus, and the frustration that results. You want to finish a task or make progress but your frustration in the situation has you feeling unable to move on. You become determined to do what you set out to do at any cost. (Perfectionism often causes negative hyperfocus.)

In this state, you keep telling yourself, “Just two more minutes. I’ve got to get this.” But it’s never just two more minutes. Your thoughts and actions are stuck. You don’t feel good about making progress. You feel compelled to finish what you set out to do at all costs–including losing sleep, skipping meals, and compromising your mental health.

In short, positive hyperfocus feels good and makes you happy. Negative hyperfocus feels bad and makes you stressed.

Negative hyperfocus is very difficult to break out of. It takes a lot of awareness and a healthy dose of rationalizing self-talk. Forcing yourself (yes, forcing yourself) to get unstuck by stopping and de-stressing is essential to breaking the pattern.

It helps to remember that in that stressed out and frantic state, the things you actually accomplish are often inferior to what you would accomplish in a relaxed state. Operating from a calm and centered place is sure to produce better results than operating from a stressed and frantic place.

So the next time you find yourself hyperfocusing, stop and check in with yourself to determine if you’re fantastically flowing, or stressfully sticking.

Ask yourself: Do I feel good about what I’m accomplishing, or am I just stressed out? If the answer is “I’m just stressed,” then take a step to break the pattern. Walk away.

Copyright © 2009 Jennifer Koretsky

Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management Group, Inc. and the author of the new book Odd One Out: The Maverick’s Guide to Adult ADD. Jennifer and her team work with ADD adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life in order to help them simplify, focus, and succeed. For free resources and information on adult ADD, visit http://www.ADDmanagement.com .