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Each of us is gifted with a different talent or skill. We all have the

substance in one way or the other to achieve our goals and dreams but
what we lack is the insight to recognize those talents within ourselves.
First step is to discover what you're really good at and then build on it.
It's too easy to take your talents for granted and assume everybody is as
good as you are. But this may not be the case. You may have your own
skill that can make you stand out. You have to have confidence in
yourself to become what you really are.
Self discovery and self assessment is essential in order to uncover your
true skills.
Many a times, when you see others living their dreams you envy them
but you forget you can live those dreams too and you are perfectly
capable to do so.
You may not be aware but you could be good at so many things like
telling jokes, playing sports, creativity, dancing, public speaking,
organizing parties etc. etc. Make a note of all the things you want to do
and can do and out of those what interests you the most. Try to build on
it and make it your strength.
Nothing comes easy in life but it sure is awarding it at the end of it all.
Once you have a list in hand, make time to indulge in these activities and
review them from time to time. You would be amazed to see the
progress you've made. That should be encouraging enough to pursue
your dreams further. This will not only boost your confidence but gain
you popularity too.
Getting feedback from others is a powerful tool too to get inspired and
move towards your goal. It can be a wonderful experience to receive
positive feedback from your friends, family and colleagues. It will also
make your r realize what you're good at and what all you can do to
uncover you talents.

SETTING GOALS

1. Thou Shall Be Decisive

Success is a choice. You must decide what you want, why you want it, and how
you plan to achieve it. No one else can, will, or should do that for you.

2. Thou Shall Stay Focused

A close relative to being decisive, but your ability to sustain your focus from
beginning to end determines the timing and condition of your outcomes.

3. Thou Shall Welcome Failure

The fundamental question is not whether you should accept failure. You have no
choice but to expect it as a temporary condition on the path way of progress.
Rather, the question is how to anticipate failure and redirect resources to grow
from the experience.

4. Thou Shall Write Down Thy Goals

Your mind while blessed with permanent memory is cursed with lousy recall.
People forget things. Avoid the temptation of being cute; Write down your goals.

5. Thou Shall Plan Thoroughly

Planning saves 10 to 1 in execution. Proper planning prevents poor performance.

6. Thou Shall Involve Others

Nobody goes through life alone. Establish your own "Personal Board of
Directors", people whose wisdom, knowledge and character you respect to help
you achieve your goals.

7. Thou Shall Take Purposeful Action

Success is not a spectator sport - achievement demands action. You cannot

expect to arrive at success without having made the trip.

8. Thou Shall Reward Thyself

Rewards work! Think of what you will give yourself as a result of your hard work,
focus and persistence - you deserve it!

9. Thou Shall Inspect What Thy Expect

The Shelf life of all plans is limited. No plan holds up against opposition.
Everything changes. Therefore inspect frequently and closely, it's an insurance

policy on your success.

10. Thou Shall Maintain Personal Integrity

Maintain your commitment to your commitment. Set your goals, promise yourself
that you will achieve them. Eliminate wiggle room and excuses. That's personal
integrity!

MAINTAINING FOCUS

1. Your Focus Needs to be Simple and Clear

Think transparent. What you are aiming for should be obvious. Ambiguity has no
place in your success.

2. Your Focus Needs to be Memorable

Your mind should be stimulated by the smallest of coincidences, even if you are not
thinking about your goals at the time.

3. Your Focus Needs to be Powerful

Power comes from clarity. The clearer you are about what you want, the more

personal power you develop and the more energized you are to achieve it.

4. Your Focus Needs an Enemy

At each moment you are moving either toward or away from your goals. In addition
to your desires, the things that move you away such as bad habits, competition, or
the threat of mediocrity are the enemies you need in order to keep you motivated to
do right or better.

5. Your Focus Needs Short and Long Term Objectives

Long-term focus and planning is more about understanding the consequences and
impact of short-term focus and decisions than about long term decisions
themselves. You need a healthy respect and understanding of the two.

6. Your Focus Will Not Appeal to Everybody

Successful is different to each individual. Don't be surprised if you receive

resistance to your goals. Better yet, expect it!

7. Your Focus Will Not Be Instantly Successful

Life is a process, not an event. Maintain reasonable expectations. Rome wasn't

built in a day, and they were using local talent.

8. Your Focus is Not a Product

The hand can not touch your focus, only your heart. Concentrate on the benefits
received, the feeling enjoyed. That's what matters most!

9. Your Focus Does Not Come Without a Price

Success requires many things, sacrifice is one of them. Be prepared do what you
have to do to achieve your goals.

10. Your Focus is Not Forever

Everything changes. There is a shelf life, even to your goals.

SELF DISCLOSURE

Psychologists have long known that self-disclosure is one of the hallmarks of

intimate relationships. Revealing your motives, intentions, goals, values, and
emotions, can increase liking and feelings of intimacy. There is considerable
evidence that leaders who disclose their authentic selves to followers can build
not only trust, but generate greater cooperation and teamwork as well. Yet
successful and strategic self-disclosure is a leadership competency that many

leaders have yet to acquire. Used incorrectly, or in the wrong corporate

environment, self-disclosure can backfire.
Witness BP CEO Tony Hayward, whose "apology" for the massive Gulf oil spill
focused on his own discomfort rather than that of those his company harmed. He
said, "There is no one who wants this over more than I do. I'd like my life back."
Hayward's display of self-disclosure certainly didn't do him or his company much
good.
In our own practice, we have seen executives whose need for approval led to
excessive self-revelation. In the case of a regional chairman of an internationallyrecognized service organization, his openness concerning office politics and
unconfirmed projects led to positive reactions in staff who felt trusted by receiving
"confidential" information, but concern from his board, who viewed his
oversharing as indicating lack of discipline. Ultimately, distrust of his confidences
led to his being passed over for an important international posting. In cases like
this, a little less self-disclosure would be in order.
Leaders have to walk a fine line when it comes to self-disclosure. Skillful selfdisclosers choose the substance and process of their revelations, including the
depth, breadth, and timing of disclosure, with the goal of furthering the collective
task rather than furthering personal agendas. Too much disclosure might be met
with revulsion, as in the case of a manager we worked with who joked about his
sexual prowess using baking metaphors during a senior leadership retreat, to the
horror of his listeners. Too little disclosure may result in follower feelings of
uncertainty and suspicion, with followers unable to trust someone who isn't open
about his or her own background.

Skilled leaders disclose information in ways that are authentic in that they can
reveal relevant information about the leader's thinking process, creating a shared
mental model that facilitates communication and improves task performance.
Perhaps most important, skillful self-disclosure can humanize the leader, creating
connections between the leader and followers that increase feelings of trust and
intimacy, and, in an organizational context, a readiness to work together
collaboratively to reach mutual task goals.
Texas Ranger President Nolan Ryan provided a successful example of selfdisclosure in his response to a young father's heartbreaking death while trying to
catch a foul ball. In his press conference, Ryan said "I certainly
understand...when I was younger and I went to the ballpark, my hope was to get
a foul ball. .... As a father and a grandfather, my heart goes out to that family." By
his words, Ryan was widely seen as empathetic, and was lauded for providing
dignity to the victim and his family.
Another successful example from our work is a hospital chief nursing officer
tasked with developing a reorganization plan to curtail costs. At the launch
meeting with her associate directors, the executive met with anger and concerns
over potential job losses. She was able to defuse the palpable tension and
anxiety in the room by relaying her own experience of being downsized early in
her career, and her vision of a reorganization that would cut costs but not people,
thus sparing others from her previous fate. Through her leadership, the team was
able to work together creatively over the next month to develop a plan that met
cost management targets and saved jobs.

These examples show that skillful self-disclosure can be learned, and pitfalls
avoided. It may take a little more than an instant to build a degree of intimacy, but
not too much more.

HOW TO BECOME MORE OPEN TO FEEDBACK

Openness to learn about yourself is essential if you are to grow and
develop. It is especially important if you hope to lead and influence others.
As a person of influence, you set the tone for the communication styles of
co-workers. If you are defensive or if you portray a know-it-all attitude,
that style will be contagious within the ranks.
To become more open to feedback, form these five habits:
1. Be ever aware of signals from others that answer the question, Whats it
like to be on the other side of me? We often judge others by their actions,
while we judge ourselves by our intentions. Despite our good intentions, we
often come across in ways that are offensive or unhelpful to others. When
this happens, shouldnt we want to know it so that we can change it?
2. Demonstrate an eagerness to learn about yourself by inviting feedback.
Some are afraid of what they will hear if they do this. However, managers
who not only conduct appraisals of employees, but also ask employees to
tell them how they can perform better enjoy greater respect. Team
members who ask co-workers or bosses how they can improve inspire
more cooperation and grace.
3. Realize that even unfairly negative criticism often contains a grain of
truth. It would be much more palatable if all feedback were delivered
constructively. However, we sometimes dont have that luxury. Even then,
we may be able to learn from what the person is saying. Though there may
have been some misperceptions or distortions, ask yourself, What can I
learn here about how my actions are perceived, and how can I improve my
communications or behavior so that I accomplish the goals more

effectively?
4. Fight the tendency to be defensive. This is a tough one. Defensiveness
can be expressed in words (e.g., You dont understand; or But) or in
nonverbal signals (e.g., angry facial expression; tight lips; or folded arms,
which, by the way, can mean other things like youre cold!). Its hard not to
show it when you dont like or dont agree with what you hear. Remember,
though, that if you keep an open mindset, which will show up in your
behavior, youre apt to learn something you can use to continue to grow.
5. Dont condemn yourself or let others condemn you. Its one thing to
focus on a specific behavior that can be improved. Its another to feel
generally ineffective or bad as a person. In the latter case, you may
become discouraged to the point that you dont feel like trying. You may
feel paralyzed, believing that its no use, that youre a hopeless case. This
is not true! Keep your focus on specific ways that you can sharpen your
skills and improve your habits. Specific, achievable goals are motivating.
A continuously-improving organization is made up of continuouslyimproving people. Lead the way by tuning in to feedback that allows you to
become better and better in your ability to relate to people and get the right
things done.
Tips:

1. Try to show your appreciation to the person providing

the feedback. They'll feel encouraged and believe it
or not, you do want to encourage feedback.
2. Even your manager or supervisor finds providing
feedback scary. They never know how the person
receiving feedback is going to react.
3. If you find yourself becoming defensive or hostile,
practice stress management techniques such as
taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

4. Focusing on understanding the feedback by

questioning and restating usually defuses any feelings
you have of hostility or anger.
5. If you really disagree, are angry or upset, and want
to dissuade the other person of their opinion, wait
until your emotions are under control to reopen the
discussion

Your Personal Vision- A Tool for Career Success

Organizational Vision
A while ago, many companies began to define their
organizations vision. The question that they asked was:
What do we want to be in the future? Along with this,
they crafted a mission statement, which says: What is it
that we do?
For those companies that successfully communicated
their vision and mission to all of the stakeholders, this
was a valuable methodology, and a powerful tool for
growth. Just as you would not want to ride a train without
knowing where it was going, employees and shareholders
want to have an idea of where their organization is going.
And of course management needs to know, work towards
and articulate their organizations vision.

Personal Vision
In todays often complex work world, employees can also
use this technique to develop their personal vision. Once
you have fully defined it, and it is a part of you, your
personal vision becomes a guide through the ups and
downs of your career. Your vision is your anchor as you
move through jobs, challenges and the changes that all of
us experience in our lives.

Comparing Your Personal Vision with Your Current Reality

brings you to the Gap between the two. Once you have
defined this gap, you can begin to consider what actions
you can take to close the gap. How can you achieve your
personal vision: more education, taking on more
challenges (or fewer challenges), changing positions,
etc.? While each of us is different, this process of closing
the gap works for everyone, and forms the basis of your
career plan.
I know what I want to do
Yes, many of us know what we want to do. My point is:
will your present path take you to what you want to be?
While this may seem like splitting hairs, there is a
difference. We do what we do on the way to where we
want to be..

There is a difference, and understanding this difference,

along with developing your personal vision, what you
want to be, is well worth the effort.
So, how do I develop my vision?
Remember, the big question here is: What do I want to
be? In 10 years, in 15 years? The answer to this lies in
many smaller questions that you can ask yourself. Some
of these are:
What in my work life gives me the most satisfaction?
What do I dislike about my work life?
Is this the same in my personal life?
Am I doing what I am doing because I should be doing
this?
Am I moving towards some goal, or goals?
How do I know if I am making progress towards this
goal?
What would I change about my work?
What things do I truly value about my work, myself?
.

There is an old saying: When you are up to your neck in

alligators, it is hard to remember that you came to drain
the swamp. Having a personal vision helps you keep in
focus just why you are doing what you are doing, and it
pulls you along to your goals.
Goals: How am I doing?
Along the way to achieving your vision, you should set
intermediate goals, and periodically review your situationhave you achieved your goals for this stage?
This is a way to measure your progress along the path,
and a signal that you may need to adjust your strategies.
Can my vision change?
Yes, it can. Life events frequently cause us to make
changes to, or re-define, our vision. But the same process
applies: what do I want to be, what is my current reality,
and how do I close the gap?
Some tips
When you think that you have your vision fairly well
defined, pass it by others whom you trust, and who know
you well. Ask for their feedback. Often, we dont reach
high enough, or give ourselves credit for being able to do
something. Your vision should be a stretch for you, but
reachable. An outside viewpoint can help you ensure that
you are on track.

Find out what your organizations vision is. Do you have a

sense of alignment with it? It is much easier to work and
succeed when you are going down the same track as your
company.

Balancing Work and Play

The attitudes we have toward life in general affect how we work and how we play. People who
place a high value on work often tie their identities and self-worth to their jobs. They may
balance work and leisure in their lives differently from those whose attitude toward work and
play are more casual. But whether or not work is the most essential element in our lives, most of
us will sooner or later discover the importance of balancing our work and our play.
Just as we are responsible for the quality of our work lives, we are equally responsible for the
quality of our leisure lives. We can begin to evaluate that quality by looking at what leisure
actually means to us, by understanding its significance to our lives, and by finding ways to create
leisure time in a fast, changing world.

The Meaning of Leisure

What is leisure? Although leisure time is sometimes defined as non-working time, this is not
entirely true. The many hours spent sleeping, eating and commuting to and from work may not
be working time but it doesn't seem much like leisure either.
Many of us define leisure time as the spare time we have left after we have done all the things
that have to be done. But everyone interprets what has to be done differently. If we have the

attitude that leisure time activities are important to us, we'll make time for them. We'll realize
that some of the "have to's" are not that important.
Any activity can be thought of as a leisure-time activity as long as we enjoy it. Refinishing
furniture is work to one person and a leisure activity to another. How we interpret the activities
we do is a matter of choice. If we take the attitude that having to do something makes it a chore,
and having a choice makes it leisure, we'll always see our work as a chore. But we could just as
easily choose to interpret what we have to do as a challenge or an opportunity. Then it won't
necessarily be a chore and may turn out to be something we enjoy. It may even be fun. It's the
attitude with which we approach an activity rather than the activity itself that makes it
leisure or enjoyable. It's all in our attitude.

Reasons for Making Leisure a Priority

Many of us are familiar with what child psychologists and experts say to parents about raising
children: "children need their playtime; it's important for their development and growth". Adults
need their playtime for that very same reason and for many others too.
Work can provide us with the opportunity to learn new skills, develop new friendships and
satisfy our interests. So can leisure. Needs and values that are not met at work may be realized or
compensated for through our interests and hobbies. Satisfying and stimulating leisure time can
make even an unchallenging job tolerable.
Many of the same beliefs and values we hold as important reasons for working are probably
some of the same values we need to have fulfilled when we're not working. For example, if you
value being creative, your skills can be used in your leisure time to:
design clothes for yourself and/or others
decorate your home
build your own furniture or patio deck
write music or poetry
If being the best is important to you, in your leisure you can:
participate in competitive sports or contests
perform with a choral, theatrical or musical group
And if you value improving yourself, you can:

take part-time day, evening or correspondence courses

participate in volunteer activities
We also need leisure as a time for renewing ourselves and building up our positives. Having
our three R's - rest, recreation and relaxation - often restores and reestablishes our positive
focus, giving us a refreshed outlook on things and a balanced perspective.
No matter how hard we try to separate our work lives from our home and family lives, they are
inseparable. What happens in one area inevitably spills over into the other. Our actions, thoughts
and feelings, our physical, psychological and spiritual well-being are all tied together in the one
whole person we are. That's why it's crucial for us to look after and balance our needs and values
both at work and away from it.
Just as our bodies, our vehicles and our homes need constant maintenance, so do our attitudes.
The amount of positives we have never remains the same; they are on-going, dynamic and ever
changing. Taking time out to recharge and rejuvenate ourselves ensures we always have a
healthy supply of positives.
As much as we may love our work, if we recognize that having a life beyond work is important
then we will not limit our choices or give up what matters most - whatever that may be. By
having involvements and interests outside work, we maintain our balance even during the most
stressful times.
Many adults have forgotten not only how good it feels to play but how important it is to play.
Playing or having leisure is not a stage or phase that we grow through; it's more permanent than
that; playing is for keeps because leisure adds so much to our everyday lives.

Stress Management
How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress

It may seem that theres nothing you can do about stress. The bills wont
stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your career and
family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control
than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that youre in control of
your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all
about taking charge: of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you
deal with problems
IN THIS ARTICLE:

Identify sources of stress

Look at how you cope with stress
Avoid unnecessary stress
Alter the situation

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life.
This isnt as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress arent always
obvious, and its all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors. Sure, you may know that youre constantly worried
about work deadlines. But maybe its your procrastination, rather than the
actual job demands, that leads to deadline stress.
To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude,
and excuses:

Do you explain away stress as temporary (I just have a million things

going on right now) even though you cant remember the last time you took
a breather?
Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (Things

are always crazy around here) or as a part of your personality (I have a lot
of nervous energy, thats all).
Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as
entirely normal and unexceptional?

Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining
it, your stress level will remain outside your control.

Start a stress journal

A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life and
the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it in
your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see patterns and
common themes. Write down:
What caused your stress (make a guess if youre unsure).
How you felt, both physically and emotionally.
How you acted in response.
What you did to make yourself feel better.

Look at how you currently cope with stress

Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life.
Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies
healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people
cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress

These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more
damage in the long run:

Smoking
Drinking too much

Using pills or drugs to relax

Sleeping too much

Overeating or undereating
Zoning out for hours in front of

the TV or computer
Withdrawing from friends, family,

Procrastinating
Filling up every minute of the

day to avoid facing problems

Taking out your stress on others

and activities

(lashing out, angry outbursts,

physical violence)

Learning healthier ways to manage stress

If your methods of coping with stress arent contributing to your greater
emotional and physical health, its time to find healthier ones. There are
many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all require
change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction. When
deciding which option to choose, its helpful to think of the four As: avoid,
alter, adapt, or accept.
Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no one size fits all
solution to managing it. No single method works for everyone or in every
situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on
what makes you feel calm and in control.

Dealing with Stressful Situations: The Four As

Change the situation:

Avoid the stressor.

Alter the stressor.

Change your reaction:

Adapt to the stressor.

Accept the stressor.

Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and its not healthy to avoid a situation that
needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of
stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

Learn how to say no Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in
your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when

youre close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a
surefire recipe for stress.
Avoid people who stress you out If someone consistently causes

stress in your life and you cant turn the relationship around, limit the amount
of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
Take control of your environment If the evening news makes you

anxious, turn the TV off. If traffics got you tense, take a longer but lesstraveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery
shopping online.
Avoid hot-button topics If you get upset over religion or politics, cross

them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same
subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when its
the topic of discussion.
Pare down your to-do list Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and
daily tasks. If youve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the
shoulds and the musts. Drop tasks that arent truly necessary to the
bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation

If you cant avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you
can do to change things so the problem doesnt present itself in the future.
Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your
daily life.

Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or

someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and

respectful way. If you dont voice your feelings, resentment will build and the
situation will likely remain the same.
Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their

behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a
little, youll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
Be more assertive. Dont take a backseat in your own life. Deal with

problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If youve
got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up
front that you only have five minutes to talk.
Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of
stress. When youre stretched too thin and running behind, its hard to stay

calm and focused. But if you plan ahead and make sure you dont overextend
yourself, you can alter the amount of stress youre under.

Stress management strategy #3: Adapt to the stressor

If you cant change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful
situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations
and attitude.

Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive

perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an

opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or
enjoy some alone time.
Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask

yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A
year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your
time and energy elsewhere.
Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable

stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set

reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with good
enough.
Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment
to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own
positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in
perspective.

Adjusting Your Attitude

How you think can have a profound effect on your emotional and physical
well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your
body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see
good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is
also true. Eliminate words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must."
These are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts.

Stress management strategy #4: Accept the things you cant change
Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You cant prevent or change
stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national
recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things
as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, its easier than
railing against a situation you cant change.

Dont try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond

our control particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing
out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you
choose to react to problems.
Look for the upside. As the saying goes, What doesnt kill us makes us

stronger. When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities

for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful
situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.
Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment

with a therapist. Expressing what youre going through can be very cathartic,
even if theres nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.
Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and
that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself
from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Stress management strategy #5: Make time for fun and relaxation
Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce
stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun
and relaxation, youll be in a better place to handle lifes stressors when they
inevitably come.

Healthy ways to relax and recharge

Go for a walk.
Spend time in nature.
Call a good friend.
Sweat out tension with a good
workout.

Savor a warm cup of coffee or

tea.
Play with a pet.
Work in your garden.
Get a massage.

Write in your journal.

Take a long bath.
Light scented candles.

Curl up with a good book.

Listen to music.
Watch a comedy.

Dont get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take
care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily

schedule. Dont allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take
a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your

life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of
stress.
Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that

bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your
bike.
Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself.
The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Stress management strategy #6: Adopt a healthy lifestyle

You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical
health.

Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and

preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise,
three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up
stress and tension.
Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope

with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with
breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced,
nutritious meals throughout the day.
Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar

provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the
amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, youll
feel more relaxed and youll sleep better.
Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or
drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only

temporary. Dont avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head
on and with a clear mind.
Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body.
Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think
irrationally.