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There are numerous situations that cause stress and pressure. We usually think of causes of pressure as being negative, such as a rocky relationship or an exhausting work schedule. However, anything which puts high demands on you or forces you to adjust can cause pressure and/or stress.

Causes of pressure can include positive events such as purchasing a house, receiving a promotion, getting married or going to college. Pressure can also be self-generated; for example, when you have pessimistic thoughts about life.

What causes pressure in your life  depends, at least in part, on your perception of it. If you see it as pressure-producing, it is.  If you see the same situation as one that can be easily managed, it can. Below are 5 common causes of pressure.

1. Money

Financial trouble is a common cause of pressure. Rent, not being able to make ends meet, or credit card debt can put a serious amount of pressure on a person. In this society, where a lot of emphasis is on what you have and what you can afford, financial pressure is something that almost everyone can relate to.

2. Relationships

Arguments with a parent, child or a spouse can increase stress. When you live together, the pressure may feel compounded. Issues among members of family or relatives, even if you are not directly involved, can cause additional pressure.

3. Procrastination

Everybody procrastinates for different reasons. However, in many situations, you might find yourself despairing because you feel overwhelmed or scared of what needs to be done. This can develop frustration, stress, and unnecessary pressure. Instead of tackling a thought-provoking project in stages, you might find yourself trying to do an entire project at once.  Then, because this approach Read more

As was stated in the last blog post, the Pressure Paradox is  the experience in which the more important a deadline or goal is, the more pressure and stress it can put on you — and/or you can put on yourself — to get it done.

How to Beat the Pressure Paradox

Here are 4 keys to beating the Pressure Paradox:

The first key is to allow yourself to relax even in the face of an important deadline or huge goal. Take a few deep breaths and clear your mind to use to get you started!  Then, take a few more deep breaths when you become overly distracted with self-criticism — slow down, let go of the pressure, and breathe.

The second key is to guide your self-talk.  Tell yourself, affirmatively, that you’re doing fine.  Ignore the destructive voice in your head that chronicle a long, awful list of disastrous possible-outcomes.  Ignore the negative thoughts that, otherwise, cause you to worry.  These forces of anxiety and self-criticism are depleting your overall mental resources.  They, actually, constitute self-fulfilling prophecies that make you less likely to succeed.

The third key to use when the heat is on is to distract yourself. Take 5 minutes and play a simple mental game. Count backwards from 100, or sing a song. Anything you can do to take yourself out of the mental loop of self-criticism and doubt is a good thing.  Try counting paperclips! It’s not the activity that matters, Read more

Stress and Pressure

We all have to deal with stress and pressure at work and at home. Whether it’s

• meeting a goal for the day or
• sticking to a deadline or
• getting to an appointment on time

pressure can be a constant part of your life. One of the things that you might notice about working under pressure — especially if you are one of those who don’t handle stress well — is the more important a deadline is, the more pressure it can put on you to get it done.

The Pressure Paradox

Even the most-experienced, most-able people are more likely to fail under pressure.  This can be true, even when their performance is otherwise top-notch. This is called the Pressure Paradox.  It is a fact of life that can plague you when you have to perform under pressure. The Pressure Paradox is mostly a problem-of-the-mind.  It comes from overthinking when you’re close to a goal or deadline.

The Pressure Paradox is driven, fundamentally, by stress and pressure. The more important a goal is, the more you really want to do a good job with it.

The more important a goal is, the more probable it is that you change your normal approach to the job.  In other words, rather than relaxing and letting yourself Read more

Stress is a physiological response of the body due to external stimuli. Much of dealing with stress is a mental exercise, determining where the stress comes from and then making healthy and productive reactions second nature.

But what many people neglect to consider when they are trying to deal with overwhelming amounts of stress is the way in which they care for their bodies. Stress is a natural response, and if you are working with a healthy body to start off with, your response to stress will be much better and more productive than if you are living an unhealthy lifestyle.

To this end, be sure to consider the way in which you live your life on a physical level when you think about your mental ability to deal with problems. Staying fit and eating right can make a bigger difference than you’d ever considered. With this in mind, consider these tips when trying to change your lifestyle for the better and deal with stress.

1. Get enough sleep. Your mother wasn’t lying when she was talking about beauty sleep! In this case, though, the beauty is definitely more than skin deep – getting enough of it fuels your mind as well Read more

Trees purify the air we breathe and enchant us with their beauty. Many religions refer to a tree of wisdom or a tree of life. We speak of a family tree to describe our relationship with our loved ones.

Enjoy this meditation inspired by woodlands. All you need to get started is a quiet spot and a comfortable sitting position.

Observe your breath for a few minutes and then begin to reflect…

1. Picture a growing tree. Maybe you have a tree in your backyard that spreads out wide and reaches towards the sky. Maybe you’ve seen giant elms that seem to branch out forever.

Take several more slow, deep breaths …

2. Go to where you hesitate. Let your mind travel to a point where you’ve been holding yourself back. Ask yourself how you could benefit by volunteering at a charity you care about or learning a new sport.

Continue breathing deeply and slowly …

3. Muster up your courage. Trees would look a lot less impressive if they settled for being bare trunks because they only felt comfortable growing in one direction. Read more

Trees play a major role in our life, literally and symbolically. Considering how much we depend on them, it’s natural to welcome them into our meditation practice.

Enjoy this meditation inspired by woodlands. All you need to get started is a quiet spot and a comfortable sitting position.

Observe your breath for a 3 – 4 minutes and then begin to reflect…

1. If possible, sit with your back against the trunk of a tree. If this is not possible, imagine that you are seated, firmly supported, leaning against your favorite tree. Press down gently, relaxing into the surface beneath you. Let yourself sink into the earth as though there was a faint pressure pushing down on your shoulders and your body was growing heavier. Make any adjustments you need until you feel firmly planted.

Continue breathing deeply and slowly … Read more

As I pointed out in our last post …

The opportunity to turn chaos into relative calm is within reach.

Here are a couple more simple, yet effective, organization tips.  Using them can assist you to experience a turnaround from chaos to calm:

1. Take inventory of all the things you need to get done. You’ve already established that everything else is “noise.” Now, take a moment to rank the to-do list in terms of importance.

• Always do first things first. The things that are most important need to be at the top of the list.

• You’ll find that this approach helps you to calmly focus on one thing at a time. Knowing that you’ve made time for each item is important. It allows you to relax while doing each one instead of feeling anxious about something getting left behind.

• Try to complete each item before moving to the other. Choosing to abandon this strategy can easily result in the chaos returning!

2. Ask for help. This is perhaps the easiest way to turn chaos into calming balance. Sure, you want to do it all yourself. But maybe that’s an unrealistic desire. Look around. Ask those trustworthy people around you to lend a hand.

Read more

Does it sometimes feel like everything is in disarray? Regardless of how hard you try, you just aren’t able to eliminate the chaos. In your mind, you’re probably thinking that just too much is happening at once.

However, have you stopped to consider an alternate explanation for the chaos? Maybe it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of things happening. Instead, it may simply be due to how you organize your time.

The opportunity to turn chaos into relative calm is within reach.  With these simple, yet effective, organization tips, you’ll be able to experience a complete turnaround:

1. Allow yourself time to breathe. It’s easy to get overwhelmed! And especially if you aren’t able to squeeze breathing time into your schedule. Breathing time refers to those moments you get to re-collect yourself.
2. Focus on productivity. It’s easy to be distracted by the noise around you. And sometimes it’s that noise that gives you the feeling of chaos. Instead of giving everything your attention, try to focus on the things that matter.

Read more

Do you find it true that your emotions really take a knock when your heart is aching? Sometimes it feels like the day of healing is a million miles away. A painful time can take a while to be purged from your system.

It’s definitely healthy to experience a range of emotions. However, it’s unwise to have the negative ones consume your existence. You’re better off working towards healing the hurt. That way, you can start to experience joy and happiness again.

Emotional healing is possible if you work at repairing the source of the hurt. As you’ll see, this may mean making some tough decisions.  Here are some tips to get the healing underway:

1. Remove negative influences from your life. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realize something important. Some of the negative influences may very well be the people closest to you! It’s going to be a challenge separating from them. But your emotional health is more important that maintaining those relationships.
2. Accept responsibility for your actions. It may be difficult to look in the mirror, Yet, deep down, you often recognize that they were your actions that resulted in the hurt you feel. But it’s difficult to accept the part you played

• Take responsibility for your own actions that contributed to the hurt;
• Be willing to forgive yourself … and move on!

3. Live according to your moral compass. You likely have a set of morals to live by. And while you know they exist, you may sometimes avoid them when making decisions. Abandoning morals is the easiest way to make missteps in life.

Read more

“If only I could find a way to bounce back on trying days.”  Have you ever found yourself wishing this?  There’s so much beauty in the world — it’d be a shame to let your state of mind prevent you from enjoying it all.

It’s time to make a positive change!  Believe it or not, all the power to make that change is within you!

Here are 3 approaches to use to help your gloomy days take a turn for the better:

1. Reaffirm yourself. Lots of things in life can leave you feeling discouraged. But by no means is discouragement supposed to consume your existence! In fact, you owe it to yourself to live an inspired life. And one of the best ways to do that is to keep your self-image intact.

• Each morning, write a list of three things that you’re grateful for. Those are the things you endeavor to keep a part of your life.

• At the same time, write a list of accomplishments you’re proud of. Reflecting on your accomplishments can help boost you into a positive state of mind. Focusing on your accomplishments can make you smile when you think about them. Allowing yourself to smile regularly can certainly help to turn your grey skies blue.

2. Conquer a physical challenge. A lot of times, a challenging physical exploit can help you appreciate life. It also helps you to recognize your inner strengths. When you realize just how strong you are, it’s easier to conquer a discouraging day.

Read more

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