Tag: anxiety

Alphabet Challenge – M

Management

Like this piece of beadwork we are unfinished – a work in progress. As each bead is painstakingly added to each row it gets closer to completion. Our lives are not without stumbling blocks that interrupt our path to completion.

I have a lot of hobbies and interests. Most people would say way too many. There is a reason for that. At 71 I am still a work-in-progress! I still have accomplishments and certainly my share of failures. I refuse to just “roll over and play dead”! Hobbies are my way of managing life’s stressor.

We are are all under a blanket of stressors these days. It is how you manage these stressors that can enhance or destroy your life. I choose to live my life as full as I can. Certainly there are things that impact my life that could depress me but I choose NOT to live my life that way.

Management of stress is vitally important because it can greatly affect your overall health. There will always be bumps in the road but it is up to you how you clear the path.

1. Identify the stressor and meet it head on – running from a situation is never the answer.

2. Make a list of possible solutions.

3. Seek help when needed. Accept the fact that there will be times when you need the assistance from others.

4. Take time for yourself, even if it is only ten minutes a day. You have put in the work now give yourself a reward.

Is that all there is to managing stress you ask? The bottom line is you have to find what works for you. Venture out of your comfort zone…take a class in something you have an interest in, go kayaking or just read a book.

Manage your stress and become a new improved YOU!

Have a great day. Don’t forget to like and share.

Alphabet Challenge – C

The word for today is calm. Anybody that knows me knows I am typically anything but calm. About twenty years ago I decided to train as a Doula. I received my certification after attending a workshop at the hospital in Chapel Hill, NC.

I worked in the Family Birth Center at our local hospital so becoming a Doula just seemed natural. The term “Doula” means working with women. It wasn’t the job I got paid to do but it was the one that satisfied me the most. I taught women a holistic approach to labor and delivery.

I could take a women that was hysterical and fighting labor and turn an otherwise risky labor into a beautiful and life-changing experience. Bringing a baby into the world through more calming techniques can improve the outcome for both Mom and Baby.

The techniques I learned also helped to calm my own issues with hyperactivity and anxiety. Here are just a few that you can do to be CALM.

1. Sit in a comfortable position (preferably the Lotus position) and with your eyes shut breathe in slowly to the count of 7 seconds and then release again to the count of 7 seconds, repeat 7 times. The number 7 is a spiritual number.

2. Try drinking herbal tea. Camomile tea is particularly good to induce sleep.

3. Visualization – close your eyes and think of a place that makes you calmer or it can even be a person.

4. Music has been proven to have a definite positive affect on the body. I not only am a musician but just generally enjoy music of different genres. Include music in your day even if it is only for five minutes.

These are just a few of the most calming techniques that can be used to improve your quality of life.

Thank you for being a part of my day. Don’t forget to forward this link to your friends. Have a wonderful day in the Lord.