Who doesn’t want to reduce stress, right?

Who doesn’t want to reduce stress, right? (And I’m talking the bad kind – not the good stuff, like you just got a $100K bonus.) The topic comes up often when meeting with clients so I decided this month to focus my Year of 50 on the Top 50 Ways to Reduce Stress:

1. Prune your schedule
2. Start the day with a balanced breakfast
3. Avoid skipping meals
4. Moderate alcohol intake
5. Spend time on a creative endeavor
6. Dance
7. Look for the positive
8. Exercise – choose something you enjoy
9. Stretching
10. Go for a walk – with a friend is even better
11. Use calming essential oils
12. Reduce caffeine intake
13. Journal
14. Focus on gratitude
15. Spend time with those you love
16. Laugh
17. Start saying “no”
18. Yoga
19. Meditation
20. Deep breathing
21. Take mini breaks throughout your workday
22. Take one day off each week for rest and rejuvenation (if necessary, start with a half-day)
23. Surround yourself with positive people
24. Avoid comparisons
25. Spend time in nature

Photo by Sharon Wright on Unsplash
Photo by Sharon Wright on Unsplash

26. Learn to stop procrastinating
27. Reach out for support
28. Do a body scan, relaxing each body part as you go
29. Take a mindfulness course
30. Play games
31. Sex
32. Soothing music
33. Play with your pet
34. Protect your sleep
35. Take a nap
36. Consider biofeedback
37. Prayer
38. Regular massage
39. Read a book for enjoyment
40. Visit a Naturopathic Doctor for a personalized supplementation approach
41. Be present
42. Avoid dwelling on the past
43. Avoid anxiety about the future
44. Guided visualization
45. Hug and cuddle
46. Learn self-hypnosis
47. Identify difficult people in your life and strategize ways to communicate with them
48. If communication isn’t fruitful, limit exposure to difficult people
49. Simplify your surroundings
50. Chew gum – some studies show it helps (and better than eating when you’re not hungry)

Easy, right? In theory, yes. But it requires mindfulness, taking the time to stop and notice what you’re experiencing and seek a way through that keeps you healthy, sane and feeling good. Experiment with several of these to see what really connects with your true needs.

May you cultivate greater ease and well-being.

Top 50 Ways to Reduce Stress

Who doesn’t want to reduce stress, right? (And I’m talking the bad kind – not the good stuff, like you just got a $100K bonus.) The topic comes up often when meeting with clients so I decided this month to focus my Year of 50 on the Top 50 Ways to Reduce Stress:

1. Prune your schedule
2. Avoid added sugars, especially first thing in the morning
3. Avoid skipping meals
4. Moderate alcohol intake
5. Spend time on a creative endeavor
6. Dance
7. Look for the positive
8. Exercise – choose something you enjoy
9. Stretching
10. Go for a walk – with a friend is even better
11. Use calming essential oils
12. Reduce caffeine intake
13. Journal
14. Focus on gratitude
15. Spend time with those you love
16. Laugh
17. Start saying “no”
18. Yoga
19. Meditation
20. Deep breathing
21. Take mini breaks throughout your workday
22. Take one day off each week for rest and rejuvenation (if necessary, start with a half-day)
23. Surround yourself with positive people
24. Avoid comparisons
25. Spend time in nature

Top 50 Ways to Reduce Stress. (And I’m talking the bad kind – not the good stuff, like you just got a $100K bonus.)
Photo by Sharon Wright on Unsplash

26. Learn to stop procrastinating
27. Reach out for support
28. Do a body scan, relaxing each body part as you go
29. Take a mindfulness course
30. Play games
31. Sex
32. Soothing music
33. Play with your pet
34. Protect your sleep
35. Take a nap
36. Consider biofeedback
37. Prayer
38. Regular massage
39. Read a book for enjoyment
40. Visit a Naturopathic Doctor for a personalized supplementation approach
41. Be present
42. Avoid dwelling on the past
43. Avoid anxiety about the future
44. Guided visualization
45. Hug and cuddle
46. Learn self-hypnosis
47. Identify difficult people in your life and strategize ways to communicate with them
48. If communication isn’t fruitful, limit exposure to difficult people
49. Simplify your surroundings
50. Chew gum – some studies show it helps (and better than eating when you’re not hungry)

Easy, right? In theory, yes. But it requires mindfulness, taking the time to stop and notice what you’re experiencing and seek a way through that keeps you healthy, sane and feeling good. Experiment with several of these to see what really connects with your true needs.

May you cultivate greater ease and well-being.

Top 50 Ways to Stay Motivated

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash

Do you get caught up in the daily routine, finding it difficult to stay motivated? I mean, “how can I stay motivated with pages of to-do lists?”

This is one of the most common challenges my clients express, so this month I’m sharing my Top 50 ways to Stay Motivated. It’s not magic. It’s not something you “have or you don’t.” It’s something you can create to get and keep yourself on track!

    1. Hang with positive people
    2. Limit your time with negative people
    3. Better yet, shift conversations to the positive with those people
    4. Have motivating conversations
    5. Stop focusing on what’s not working
    6. Concentrate on your abilities, on what you can do
    7. Congratulate yourself for even the smallest achievements
    8. Talk about why you want to achieve your goals and keep your intention front and center
    9. Seek out the company of people you admire
    10. Watch a competition (one requiring dedication and focus, not a hot dog eating contest!)
    11. Write out your “why” and put it on your screensaver
    12. Break big goals into small, do-able actions
    13. Read a biography of someone inspiring
    14. Make a pact with a friend to have positive, problem-solving conversations
    15. Limit time spent wallowing (literally, set a timer)
    16. When discouraged, feel it then change your mental channel
    17. Remind yourself of prior successes and learn from them
    18. Celebrate your skills and talents
    19. Connect your skills and talents with working on your goals
    20. Take micro breaks in order to recharge and come back refreshed to the task
    21. Focus on what you can control. because that’s where your power is
    22. Let go of what you can’t, because it’s unhelpful
    23. Set out a reward for yourself (I did that last month and achieved my goals with 2 weeks to spare!)
    24. Schedule enjoyment for after a not-so-fun task (but one that gets you to your goal)
    25. Challenge the “have tos” and “shoulds”

      Ever get caught up in the daily routine, finding it difficult to stay motivated? I mean, "how can I stay motivated with pages of to-do lists?"
      Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash
    26. Reflect your personal empowerment by saying “I choose”
    27. Ask for help – if someone’s working with you it keeps you going, too
    28. When faced with temptation ask, “What do I want more than this?” (Thanks to Rob Bell for that question!)
    29. Make sure your goals are your goals, not your partner’s, parent’s or doctor’s
    30. Have a mantra or phrase for when things get tough and repeat it often
    31. Create a vision of what success looks like and read it daily
    32. Remind yourself of a time you’ve overcome obstacles in the past
    33. Ask your partner or a friend for specific support when you’re feeling down
    34. Don’t wait to “feel” motivation – create it yourself
    35. Identify multiple ways to experience success
    36. Mentor someone else – it keeps you accountable
    37. Schedule play time, then working on your goals becomes less of a chore
    38. Treat yourself well, like you deserve it (because, of course, you do)
    39. Meditate to start the day feeling centered
    40. Create a pleasing environment (home, work and car)
    41. Buy clothes you feel good in
    42. Volunteer and see how it makes you appreciate your life even more
    43. Look for opportunities to be grateful
    44. Read a daily inspirational quote (I use the Full Focus Planner)
    45. Ask others how they stay motivated and learn from them
    46. Identify multiple ways to achieve your goals so that you have options
    47. Be okay with less than perfect, because that’s the only real option
    48. Expect failure – because it happens – that way you’re not surprised and it doesn’t derail you
    49. When you fail, identify what it makes possible
    50. Be compassionate when you fail because self-flagellation is so unproductive!

 

As you employ these strategies you’ll notice crossover, that one breeds another and the next one.  Your behaviors become easier the more your practice, which is to say they become habits. The more you create habits that support you, the less effort required to actually achieve your goals.

Who doesn’t want that?!

8 Quick & Easy Ways to Kickstart Feeling Better and Getting Fit.

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