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by Kathy Paauw Organizing & Productivity Consultant Certified Personal & Professional Coach |
Paauwer
Tools is a Monthly Ezine |
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Finding
Peace Within
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April is Stress Awareness Month. Reducing stress and feeling at peace isn't easy during these times. In addition to the everyday pressures of juggling work and family obligations, we worry about such things as the effects of war, the threat of terrorism, the downturn in our economy, and the rising costs of healthcare…to name a few. There are so many competing issues that tug at our ability to feel at peace, especially when we feel like we have so little control over our circumstances. Although some things are beyond your control, you have control over one very important area of your life – taking care of yourself. I offer some tips to help you tend to the four essential areas of human need -- physical, mental, spiritual, and social. Taking care of yourself will help you feel more in control and will help you reduce stress and feel more at peace.
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Tend
to your physical well-being.
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Make time to eat properly, exercise, and rest. Exercise clears your mind and returns the body to a more healthful state. But you don't need to spend hours at a gym to gain the benefits of exercise; even a 10-minute daily walk can decrease anxiety. Besides providing a break in your daily routine, exercise gets blood circulating, boosts your mood, eases tension, and promotes more restful sleep. Exercise is a healthy way of getting rid of excess energy your body has no use for. Exercise also decreases the risk of coronary artery disease – the #1 cause of death in the United States today. One of the best ways to change your emotion is to get in motion. It’s harder to stay depressed when you fully engage your body. The next time you feel down, try changing your physiology: hold your chin up, put your shoulders back, breathe deeply, smile, and get in motion! If you don’t believe me, try it! If you feel challenged by the idea of taking care of yourself, read Will You be YOUR Valentine – Practicing Self-Care. |
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Choose
how you focus your mental energy.
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"Happiness,
like unhappiness, is a proactive choice." Give yourself a "news break." Control the amount of time you and your family spend reading about and watching the unprecedented “live” war-related or terrorist-related news coverage. It's okay to turn off the TV or radio and allow yourself to focus on more pleasant things. Try looking at the humorous side of life and you’ll shift your thinking away from focusing on what you don’t want. Laughter initiates the release of beta-endorphins -- those same natural relaxants that are released during exercise. Endorphins make you feel good and protect the immune system by decreasing cortisol, an immune system suppressor. Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, tells us that we each have a wide range of concern -- our health, our children, problems at work, the national debt, nuclear war. As we look at those things within our Circle of Concern, it becomes apparent that there are some things which we have no real control over and others that we can do something about. We could identify those concerns for which we can do something about by circumscribing them within a smaller Circle of Influence. To reduce stress, focus your thoughts on your Circle of Influence and avoid spending time in your Circle of Concern. Determine which of these two circles represents the focus of most of your time and energy, and you’ll discover much about the degree of your proactivity. Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their Circle of Influence to increase. Reactive people, on the other hand, focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern. They focus on the weakness of other people, the problems in the environment, and circumstances over which they have no control. Their focus results in blaming and accusing attitudes, reactive language, and increased feelings of victimization. The negative energy generated by that focus, combined with neglect in areas they could do something about, causes their Circle of Influence to shrink. We cannot change the experiences or events in our lives, but we can change our response, which changes the outcome for us. Remember this powerful equation: E (event) + R (response) = O (outcome) To read more about how to refocus your thoughts, read Independence Day -- Free Your Mind.
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Take
time to feed your soul.
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Take time for meditation. During this time, spend some time flooding yourself with feelings of gratitude. Think about everything and everyone in your life that you are grateful for. People who have everything but are not grateful feel unfulfilled, fearful, and stressed. People who seemingly have nothing can be happy because they are so grateful. When you are grateful, you are rich. When you are ungrateful, you are poor. Give yourself the gift of gratitude. Take time for prayer and release your fears to God. Dozens of studies have shown that individuals who pray regularly stay healthier and live longer than those who rarely or never do. Some scientists speculate that prayer may foster a state of peace and calm that could lead to beneficial changes in the cardiovascular and immune systems. Take time to do
things that nourish and rejuvenate you, such as taking a relaxing bath,
going for a walk, reading a book, listening to music that inspires you,
or spending time doing a favorite hobby. Caring
for yourself and having some fun will help you stay balanced and enable
you to better deal with stressful times. Taking a few minutes
for yourself won't solve the problems, but a break will give you a chance
to feel calmer and find clarity as you refocus your thoughts. |
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Connect
with those you care about.
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“A
friend is a gift you give yourself.” Have you ever wondered why things always seem better after you talk to a good friend? Well, it turns out that friendship is as good for your health as it is for your spirit. Researchers have found that having good friends helps lower blood pressure, relieve anxiety, and may even help you live longer. Many experts list friendship as the key factor in getting through stressful times. Connecting with people provides social support and strengthens resilience. And don’t overlook the power of man’s best friend – a dog (or a cat). Read The Power of Friendship for a more in-depth look at this part of your life. You may not have control
over what goes on around you, but you do have control over what goes on
within you and how you choose to respond to events and people in your
life. If you have not been tending to your physical, mental, spiritual
and social needs, you can change that starting today. Take out
your calendar and schedule time to nurture all four of these areas of
your life, and get ready for the transformation that will take place.
If you need assistance building important but not urgent activities into
your weekly rountine -- such as self-care or relationship-building --
check out my teleclass
series offered in May. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Contents for Past Issues
Copyright © 2003 Kathy Paauw, All Rights Reserved. |
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