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STRESS MANAGEMENT for Living, Teaching, & Parenting

Stress Management

The True Measure of Wealth

On August 30, 2018 / Stress Management

Although having enough money to satisfy basic needs is critical to not having stress, sufficient financial resources are not the key to wealth.

Realize that wealth and money are actually two different things. Many people believe that making more money creates wealth. And a person can devote time to make more money. However, it’s impossible to create more time, which is why I think of wealth as the creation of discretionary time.

Time is the Real Wealth

We all have 24 hours in the day, and that’s it. Money is just a means to an end. Riches are not wealth. A bank account is not a lifestyle.

In reality, what you choose to do, how much time to engage in … >>>

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Relieve Stress with Reflective Questions

On August 23, 2018 / Stress Management

You can learn how to relieve stress with reflective questions. Simply put, reflective questions relieve stress. The reasons are twofold: (1) Just asking redirects your thinking which, in turn, changes your feelings, and (2) you realize that you have options—that you need not feel like a victim.

Reflective questions carry additional attributes aside from relieving stress because they place you in command. That, by itself, reduces tension, anxiety, and stress. Asking yourself reflective questions can relieve stress by also defusing frustrating situations and promoting responsible thinking.

Even if there seems to be a pause as you formulate a question, that’s okay because you are engaged in the process of thinking. Of course, thinking is the first step to have reflective … >>>

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One Tip to Deal with Stress

On August 16, 2018 / Stress Management

When you deal with stress, do you often feel overwhelmed? Does it seem like there are so many things to focus on that you can’t move forward toward anything? This tip will help you regain control when you need it.

Let’s start with a short story to help put this in perspective: There was once a navy jet pilot who was terrified at first when landing his aircraft on the deck of an aircraft carrier. “Everything was in motion,” he said. “The ship was tossing up and down, the waves were moving, the airplane was moving, and trying to get it all to move together seemed impossible.”

An old pro gave the young pilot some advice that solved the problem … >>>

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Use Education to Reduce Stress

On August 9, 2018 / Stress Management

If you want to reduce stress, remember Albert Einstein’s quote: “Education is what you have left over after you have forgotten everything you have learned in school.” What does this quote have to do with reducing stress? Well, when you focus on true education, rather than fact memorization, you can reduce stress.

Realize that learning is not simply the acquisition of facts. This is a powerful insight to always remember.

Education, or learning, is always renewable because learning should never end until life ends. You always have the option of looking at any new learning as a positive experience. You also have the choice to engage in the activity (remembering that with the risk comes the reward), and to reflect … >>>

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Eliminate Driver Stress and Road Rage

On August 2, 2018 / Stress Management

Have you ever witnessed road rage in action? Have you been the perpetrator of road rage on another? Driving is certainly stressful. It’s no wonder why road rage is common. In fact, driving a car is probably one of life’s biggest stress-inducing activities.

This tip will help reduce stress while driving and help you keep road rage under control.

Many recent scientific studies have shown that congested traffic conditions can heighten stress levels in drivers. The longer the distance one has to drive, the more dramatic can be the level of a person’s stress. And when stress levels rise while driving, road rage can easily occur.

When experiencing stress, you may be affected totally—not only in your body but also … >>>

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The Secret to Stress-Free Risk Assessment

On July 26, 2018 / Stress Management

Risk assessment is a part of life. Does taking a risk stress you out?

Well, stress no more… this next tip will make risk assessment easy and have you reaping the rewards of risk taking.

Any time you engage in an activity you are taking a risk. This is how we all live our lives. From getting out of bed in the morning and not losing your balance so you don’t fall, to crossing the street and hoping a car doesn’t hit you, life is filled with risks.

Even relationships involve taking risks. If you commit to someone, the risk is that the relationship won’t be mutually advantageous.

Now, keeping in mind that we are always making choices—and thereby taking … >>>

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Being a Perfectionist Causes Stress

On July 19, 2018 / Stress Management

To be a perfectionist—to live your life to perfection—sounds just about perfect, doesn’t it?

Don’t be fooled. This tip will have you realize why aiming for perfection is flawed and what you can do about it.

Perfection is a goal that you should not strive to achieve because it can prompt a crippling condition, anxiety, and overly critical self-evaluation.

Realize that while excellence can be reached, perfectionism cannot. Striving to be a perfectionist—for flawlessness—and setting excessively high standards is a burden no one should carry.

Being a Perfectionist Harms Youth

For many young people in particular, a focus on perfection has opened pathways to live with the idea that they have to be perfect for people to accept them. This … >>>

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Unlock the Power of Your Subconscious Mind

On July 5, 2018 / Stress Management

You can and should unlock the power of your subconscious mind, because your subconscious mind is a powerful thing. Henry Ford, the American captain of industry, business magnate, and founder of the Ford Motor Company, once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”

What he meant was, whether you expect to succeed or expect to fail, your expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies.

How is this possible? Is the human mind really that powerful?

When you expect failure, you communicate your expectations to your subconscious mind. Your brain accepts the notion and prompts your mindset as if you will fail. You actually program yourself in a negative way to do the things that will lead … >>>

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Stop Problem Solving for Others

On June 21, 2018 / Stress Management

The more problem solving you do for others, the more stress you’ll feel. When you stop focusing on solving everyone else’s problems, you’ll feel happier and more productive.

You may know the term “monkey on your back,” which refers to some problem or challenge that needs to be addressed. But what happens when someone want to hand you their monkey?

This tip is about what to do when someone wants to unload their monkey on you.

When we do things for people that they can do for themselves, we deprive them of the opportunity to learn, grow, and become more self-sufficient.

Here is a technique I used as an elementary, middle, and high school principal and as a district director … >>>

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Conquering Fear Reduces Stress

On June 7, 2018 / Stress Management

Conquering fear is indeed possible. Doing so is important, because fear and negativity go hand-in-hand. In fact, fear is often a by-product of negative thoughts. Unfortunately, we have an innate capacity for fear.

Well, fear not. This tip will enable you to face your fears head-on. And this is the best way for conquering fear once and for all!

In 1919 psychologist John B. Watson conducted a controversial experiment to see whether fear could be learned.

A young boy he named “Little Albert” was shown different creatures, including a rat. At first, Albert showed no fear of the rat.

Then Watson paired the exposure with a harsh sound that scared the little boy. Soon, Little Albert would react with fear … >>>

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How to Overcome Anxiety

On May 31, 2018 / Stress Management

Do you suffer from an anxiety disorder? If you do, you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. They affect 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.

You may not know exactly why you feel anxiety, but when you do, you probably think something bad is about to happen. Today’s tip will help put your anxiety at ease and reduce your stress greatly!

Since anxiety is not a healthy emotion and is difficult to ignore, the trick is to manage it and put it to your use, rather than trying to ignore it.

The first step is to acknowledge anxiety—since you cannot initially … >>>

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The Art of Happiness

On May 23, 2018 / Stress Management

Most people strive for a state of happiness, but the fact is that staying unhappy is all too easy. It even comes naturally to some people. Here is a tip that is sure to turn your frown upside-down and invite happiness into your life.

If you are in a funk, it is natural to be unhappy. Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, “People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

But when you are in this state and do nothing about it, you are taking the easy way out. Is this in your own best interest? Of course not. When you’re unhappy or feeling sad, it is a shame to take the easy way out.

You can take … >>>

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Anger Management 101

On May 10, 2018 / Stress Management

Anger management is an important skill to master these days. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with an emotional person? If you have, you probably realized it was an act of futility. This stress management tip will help you take the sting out of such future conflicts and be a master at anger management.

Regardless of the person’s age or why they are upset, when an emotionally charged person is seeing red, is angry, or is overly obstinate, trying to reason with them is fruitless.

The smart approach to diffuse the situation is to take a break. Therefore, suggest it. Set a time to return. It can be as short as two minutes. It’s as simple as saying, … >>>

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Fill Your Mind with Positive Thoughts

On April 26, 2018 / Stress Management

To keep your stress level down, it’s important to fill your brain with positive thoughts. Why? Because the brain is like a sponge. It soaks up whatever is near. If positive thoughts dominate your day, your brain will soak that up. Likewise, if negativity dominates your thoughts, your brain will soak that up too.

Getting rid of the negativity isn’t always easy. Think about this: The ghosts of what we erase on a computer remain deep within the system, electronically etched into the hard drive. Similarly, what goes into the human mind can remain to contaminate it or to enrich it.

Let’s go back to the sponge analogy. If you soak a sponge in dirty water and squeeze it, dirty … >>>

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How to Reduce Anxiety

On April 19, 2018 / Stress Management

When you eliminate your assumptions, you greatly reduce anxiety. Although assumptions are necessary, they are often the cause of needless stress and anxiety. When you understand how assumptions influence your feelings, you will enter a new stage of stress management.

For example, let’s say that you learn that you will have a meeting with your supervisor later in the day. You can assume the meeting will be discouraging, or you can assume it will be encouraging. If you assume you will be discouraged after the meeting, and you are not, you will have fretted for nothing. With the opposite assumption, if you believe the meeting will bring you good news and it does not, you will be disappointed. No matter … >>>

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Relieve Stress in the Midst of Failure

On April 12, 2018 / Stress Management

People often ask me how to relieve stress, especially when they are facing a failure of some sort. I usually ask them some basic questions to determine their attitude toward stress. Some common questions are: Does the phrase “Failure is NOT an option” stress you out? Is failure really a bad thing? Does failing at something reflect negatively on you? Can failure actually be a good thing? These are just a few of the many questions.

Fortunately, this stress management tip won’t fail you, and you really will learn how to relieve stress during failure!

First, realize that failure is NOT a negative. In fact, it is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that … >>>

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A Time Management Strategy to Reduce Stress

On April 5, 2018 / Effectiveness, Stress Management

When it comes to time management, knowing the difference between what is urgent versus what is important is essential. Why? Because there is a marked difference between what is urgent and what is important. If you focus on the wrong one, or if you are continually diverting your attention between the two, chances are that your stress level will rise.

Think of it this way: An urgent task may not be very important in the long run; however, an urgent task may demand immediate attention. In contrast to something urgent, an important task is something that moves you toward your goal. Where do you think you should focus your attention for optimal time management and lower stress?

Before you answer … >>>

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