De-stressing...

I have had some really really good things happen to me this past week, and some not-so-good things. A few days ago at work, we had a training about living an overall healthy life. This particular morning was a bad morning, to say the very least. I was grumpy, nauseated, stressed and really just wanting to go home and crawl into bed for the rest of the day…really down in the dumps, I guess you could say. So I went to this meeting and was really excited about what we learned. So I am going to share because I am trying to (and have been) apply(ing) the things I learned into my life.

• Good ways to handle stress:
• Identify the stressors…check, check, and check
• Develop an action plan
• Practice patience
• Practice Positive thinking/ Be Optimistic...being optimistic is something that I try hard to be in my life, but, as imperfect humans, I think looking at the negative is our inborn response. We have to learn how to make the bad things into good things…Hard, but it can be done.
• Be aware of negative thoughts
• Put it into perspective
• Try reframing
• Count your blessings…I have so many good things in my life, it is almost unreal. Good friends who care deeply about me, a wonderful family, a job!, etc, etc, etc
• Forgive and let go
• Savor the good times
• Pursue simple pleasures
• Be kind
• Take care of yourself
• Exercise, sleep, eat well
• LAUGH!!!!....laughing is one of my favorite things to in the entire world. If you can make me laugh, you will be my instant friend. It makes everything bad in your life go away, at least temporarily. Marjorie Pay Hinckley said, “'The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh” …or laugh so hard, you cry
• Relax
• Participate in pleasurable activities
• Practice relaxation techniques
• Give yourself time