Reduce Stress
Live A More Rewarding Life

Are you looking for ways to reduce stress in your life, so you can get on with living?  Is stress consuming too much of your time and energy, acting as a barrier that prevents you from accomplishing your dreams?  Many people find that stress levels begin to increase over time as more responsibilities and obligations are added to daily routines.  What is the solution?  Try these suggestions and choose those that can fit with your lifestyle. Then you can get on with living a rewarding, productive and meaningful life.

Make a Written Check List.

A written checklist identifying what you need to do each day is an effective way to keep you focused and on track.  Key advice for success-be realistic.  Not only is it helpful to list those tasks and appointments that are scheduled, but also identifying which of the items on the list are more important.  The list can be developed at the end of the day so that as you close out one day you are preparing for the next.

Build a list that allows for modifications as the unexpected arises.  You may find that at the end of each day you want to look at your list and include all of the things you accomplished that were not on your original list.  Feelings of accomplishment help to reduce stress and build a sense of worth. 

After a week of list building and accomplishment listing you may find patterns emerge. Are you trying to do too much in a day?  Are you being unrealistic in how many tasks you can complete each day? Used wisely, lists can be helpful in keeping you targeted to your work without having to keep all of the many assignments in your brain. 

Do One Thing at a Time.

Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that multitasking saves time.  Not necessarily so. If you are monitoring work, kids and household activities, keeping track of everything can become overwhelming.  Trying to accomplish several things at once leads to distractions. If you are working from home, it is tempting to start some laundry or clean up the kitchen as a quick break from your computer work.  But the starts and stops can sabatoge your train of thought and actually cause you to spend more time getting back on track with a work project. 

To help handle complex projects effectively, divide it into smaller sub-projects so that you can accomplish these portions, one at a time, and feel a sense of accomplishment as you move forward.  These sub-projects can be listed on your "to do" list and you can more easily monitor your progress.  Staying focused on one task at a time will also produce higher quality work.

Build in "Me" Time.

You can reduce stress in your life and enjoy the benefits of good health by taking a break from your work  a few times each day to stretch, re-focus and recharge.  As you plan daily tasks, build in time to recharge.  Include some physical exercise.  It may be extreme down hill racing or relaxing yoga. Either way, your body needs to stretch and move. If the weather is nice, take a nice walk and enjoy some quiet time alone.  Eliminating built-up tension will make you  feel rejuvenated as you return to your work.

Plan ahead when you can and take one step at a time.  Focusing on one thing at a time will keep you from being distracted as you move forward.  Taking care of yourself  with healthy eating and exercise will provide you will a sense of well being about who you are and where you are going.  Enjoy your journey.

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Relaxation Techniques to Reduce Stress

The Wheel of Life

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