Everybody, no matter what they do or who they are, can benefit from a plan for the management of stress.  We have to face the facts, stress is part of our everyday life no matter if you are a powerful CEO or a stay at home parent.  Even elementary school kids, college students, nurses, lawyers, dentists, business owners, bartenders, and waitresses deal with different types of stress everyday.  The doctor who has to tell someone they have a terminal disease, or the fifth grader who has a history test, and the waitress who has to deal with unhappy customers is all part of their everyday life.  

There are different approaches you can incorporate into your stress management plan.  These could include physical exercise, a body massage, or even a nice hot bubble bath.  You might even consider doing some different techniques such as acupressure, acupuncture, hypnosis relaxation techniques, meditation or some other form of activity tailored to fit your individual need with a stress reduction program.  It’s important to incorporate some form of relaxation into your daily or weekly schedule.

Please keep in mind no matter who you are – yes, you can benefit from stress management and you will reap the benefits of a healthier you!

Keep lots of love in your heart and hug your family everyday and keep them close.

Blessings to you and yours.   Joyce Jacobsen

Running away or hiding from a life of stress are usually those who use alcohol or drugs to “escape”  or “avoid” their problems.  For example, the teenager who stays away from home, or someone who stays at work, are ones who are attempting to escape their problems.  Procrastination can be a form of anxiety and worry.  The “fear” of what will happen if you face the problem often leads to  “putting off the inevitable”.  This behavior can also contribute to stress for the mind rather than from the situation.

Even tho facing things head on can sometimes seem too difficult, it is definitely the healthiest way to handle the situation that would otherwise create anxiety, worry or fear  Getting the answers and addressing the problem instead of speculating or denying, or running away and hiding from them, is the only way you will be able to reduce the stress of these type of situations.

Take the anxiety and worry out of your life and save your health.

Joyce Jacobsen

You can begin your stress management plan by writing down some of the activities you enjoy participating in.  An example could be sitting in front of the fireplace curled up with a good book, taking your pet for a walk, strolling on the beach with your spouse, or maybe just soaking in the hot tub with a cup of hot cocoa.  You can include any hobbies you enjoy or maybe another option could include something you have dreamed of doing, but have never taken the time to do, or something you use to enjoy, but haven’t taken the time to do lately.  Make sure nothing on your list is related to work or to a different source of stress in your life.

Next make a list of at least 2 things you do you shouldn’t be doing, or things you can probably live without doing.  This list might include things like cooking a large meal after a busy day at work, bringing your work from the office home, doing laundry for your college teenager.  In other words this list are things that won’t cause the world to come to an end if you no longer do them.

Next make a list of at least 2 things you have put off doing you should have done already, like your taxes, or maybe some problem you haven’t wanted to deal with directly.  If you’ve been putting off calling your mother-in-law, or cleaning out that closet, put those things on your list.

These 3 lists you’ve just compiled will become a goal sheet to reduce your stress.  So now your stress management plan should look something like this:

- Each week spend at least 15 – 20 minutes doing one or two of the things you enjoy from list number one.
- From list number 2 eliminate at least 1 or 2 tasks of things you need to do by accomplishing those tasks.
- Next from list number 3 tackle at least 2 things you have been putting aside and finish each one.

Hang in there – you can do this!

Joyce Jacobsen

As life continues to escalate, the one thing we tell ourselves is we need more time. Have you heard someone say, “I don’t have time to exercise or to make a home cooked meal, let alone get everything else done”? Keeping stress out of your life doesn’t mean you have to have a rigid schedule. Sometimes you just need to take a break just to breathe, maybe reading your favorite book during lunch or just closing your eyes for a few moments and reflecting about a joyous occasion.

Life is about our perception of what is happening around us and to us. Life is about how we feel and what we say to ourselves. We have the ability to decide how we respond, behave, change or think about the stress in our life. Most of us are feeling overwhelmed, and are lacking the energy to deal with everyday life. You may even feel like a failure when it’s really just stress. Exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, relaxing, seeing friends, laughing a lot, and enjoying the work you do, can help to avoid stress.

Making a change could be what you need to save your life. Maybe changing the way you view your job to create some meaning with it, or just changing jobs. Working for yourself can give you the peace and freedom you may be looking to gain. Most people don’t mind working hard when it is their own business because they see becoming financially independent and enjoying what they do to help themselves and their family is a more rewarding and stress free life and at the same time they are helping others achieve what they need. Is stress controlling your life? Do you need to make a change?