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Top 10 Ways You Can Have Stress Free Holidays

Posted by admin on December 1, 2011 None comments
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Manage Stress During The Holidays: 10 Tips For Instant Results

Part 1
As the holiday season descends upon us, many of us are already getting out our decorations, planning holiday visits and organizing our shopping lists. There are endless lists to make and endless errands to run, not to mention the many arrivals of out of town relatives. The holidays are that one time of year when everyone deals with managing stress in a vast myriad of ways, but this year, you can choose something new and different and thus, get thru the holidays stress free!


Here Are 10 Ways You Can Manage Stress Effectively at the Holidays:

1. Do something nice for yourself!

Chances are, you will be quite busy doing a lot of nice things for others, so don’t forget to place yourself on that list too! Cuddling and affection are known to reduce the blood pressure and calm the mind, so hold someone in your arms, or your pet for at least 3 minutes so you can get the stress relieving, calming benefits. Luckily, even hugging trees is beneficial and it relieves stress, so ’tis the season to remember to hug everyone and everything!
Result: Your approach will be more serene and intuitive.

2. Don’t let the holiday blues get you down.

Understand that the holiday blues are normal and everyone goes through them.
Some people are in the blues because of all of the family obligations they will have while others are in the blues because they have no family or are too far. Wherever you look, people have their down moments during the holidays, so realize that you’re not the only one feeling that way and decide to take action to lift your blues. Take a long walk in the fresh air of a park or do some journaling about things you like in your life, then you can apply some laughter therapy. Realize it’s ok to get down, but you don’t want to stay down and taking action will help you.
Result: You will connect with the world around you instead of feeling different from others.

3. Do regular check-ins with yourself to evaluate how you’re doing.

If you’re starting to feel stressed, that’s the time to stop before it gets to be too much. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you need a break, then take it. Remember way #1 and be good to yourself. Go get a massage or take a hot bath. The winter gives us less contact with natural sunlight and this can lead to a sluggish feeling, so remember to nuture yourself by getting as much natural sunlight during the day as you can. Let positive self-talk help you by saying to yourself “I’m commited to having a serene holiday season this year!”
Result: You will stay dedicated to your inner intentions.

4. Keep it simple.

You might tend to do too much during the holiday season, so it’s a good time to ask yourself if everything you always do during the holidays is really necessary. As a society, many times we get so caught up in getting the right gifts, cooking the right food, and having the right decorations that we forget the true meaning of the holiday season. If you keep it simple, it’s easier to align yourself with the essence of the holidays and thereby, cultivate ideas that are in harmony with the true simplicity of the holiday season, which makes managing stress during the holidays a lot easier.
Result: You will see what’s really important and gain deeper perspective.

5. Make a firm decision.

If you decide right now, here, today, that you will not stress over whatever you have stressed over at past holiday seasons, chances are, you won’t. Many times, it takes making a conscious decision about what your holiday season really means to you, then sticking with it. This can also be applied to the things you feel you “have to do”. If you feel you have to do something undesireable, then ask yourself if the world would end if you didn’t do it. Chances are, it might only create some waves in the sea, but “smooth seas don’t make skillful sailors”. If you practice managing stress well during your holidays, know that you’ll have that extra ability for other matters during the year, as well.
Result: You will gain inner courage, strength and peace by eliminating unnecessary stress.

Tell us which practice you will commit to in the comments section and you’ll see that by just commenting on your commitment, you will (even unconsciously) honor your decision as opportunities to implement your commitment will “coincidentally” appear. At least that’s what’s happened with me on countless occasions! One thing is for sure, life always shows the areas to be improved upon until I take action and improve them, so I hope you get these results, too!

Stay tuned because coming up, we have Part 2 of this series!

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How To Overcome Procrastination: The Only 5 Letter Word You Need

Posted by admin on November 23, 2011 20 comments
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Stop Procrastination Now: The Only 5 Letter Word You Need

We all know how defeating procrastination can feel. Just the idea that there is something that we nag ourselves to do, but somehow, never make up our minds to actually do, is not such a great feeling. How many times have you set out to make a New Year’s Resolution or start a new diet on a set day, only to arrive at that date and find the many routines of your life taking over? Whether it’s cleaning out your attic, sending your proposal to a prospective client, organizing a new carpool for your kids, or finishing your thesis, there are always things to do and therefore, always things to procrastinate doing. Managing stress in a time like this may seem like a never ending balancing act.

In many cases, it’s also a good idea to look at why you are procastinating a certain thing. Maybe it’s not so important to you afterall, maybe you’re overwhelmed by the amount of time and energy it requires, maybe you’re afraid of the changes involved in completing that action. We will cover more on these types of fears in an upcoming post, but for now, let’s look at what you can do to end your procrastination today.

Here is: The Single 5 Letter Word You Need To Overcome Procrastination:

FOCUS

or actually,

F.O.C.U.S.

Here’s why the second version will end your procrastination today:

Focus sounds pretty simple, and in essence, it really is. But I’ve tried many times to apply just the word focus and it didn’t always work out so well, so I’d like to share with you a system that exists within that word. This system greatly enhanced my motivation surrounding the daunting task that I would procrastinate, and it also helped the outcome of that dauntiing task. At Laughs Heal, we like acronyms (see s.m.a.r.t., the 5 day challenge) because acronyms make things easier to remember, so here’s the system in its acronymic form:

F: F is for finalize. Here you want to start with the final end result. Why? Because that is the picture that will fuel your motivation. Then you will want to prioritize your finalized pictures. This will show you the macro planning for the tasks you used to procrastinate, what you would like to see changed, and why it’s so important to do it. It will also help you to see why procrastination used to win out in the past. For example, if it’s something like cleaning out your attic or basement, first concentrate on that finalized picture of a clean, neat, well-organized attic or basement and how good that makes you feel. Look for some added benefit that finalized picture gives you. For example, will it relieve stress when you go to look for things? If it’s the diet, will it improve your physical health and mental/emotional self-esteem? In order to really overcome procrastination, it’s important for you to determine if the task is really something you want and need, or not. If the task is something you don’t truly want or need, then it’s not a question of procrastination, and the finalization will give you that clarity, so finalize your finished project to see what is really important. You can get lots of great tips on how to organize by checking out this website: Life Organizers

O: O is for objectives. This is your micro planning, your road map to accomplishing the task. Once you have finalized what kind of priority it is and it’s real importance in your life, your micro planning is where you set out to plan how you would get it done. You might try using creative visualization to better understand your micro planning points in determining how many hours, days, weeks, etc. the entire project will take Referring to the s.m.a.r.t. 5 day challenge, you understood how important it is to be realisitc about the time factor. I work with deadlines all the time and in a busy day, I can relate to the difficulty in trying to carve out some “extra time” for accomplishing new tasks. It might mean managing your time more efficiently. Look for ways to carve out some extra time. If you have too many paper documents, try eliminating that with: TextBridge Pro 11 is the simple and fast way to convert paper into editable electronic documents!

C: C is for that 4 letter foul word removal. If you really want to apply the F and the O, then the word can’t needs to vanish from your vocabulary. If your intention is to stop procrastination, then this is a good time to concentrate on all you can do to get your task done and drop the rest. This is important for managing stress, as well. The 4 letter foul word only defeats your purpose and that can leave you feeling frustrated, so listen to the way you talk and listen to the way you think. Whenever you hear that 4 letter word come out of your mouth or sneak into your thoughts, just pause and nip it in the bud by changing it to an I Can statement.

U: U is for YOU, of course! You can also think of it as the way you plan to “untie” yourself from your previous routines and thought patterns so that you can see where you can implement the F, O, and C. Your objective to eliminate this nagging thing you’ve been procrastinating comes first! It might mean keeping yourself free of negative situations where the 4 letter foul word tends to slip out. It might mean foregoing a few nights of your favorite prime-time tv show, or missing Saturday’s game with the fellas. But the feeling of accomplishment and enhanced self-esteem you get once you tackle your procrastination head on and win, is well worth it!

S: S is for Self-Talk. You can fuel your winning over procrastination by keeping yourself geared up with positive self-talk! You need to be your own best friend at a time like this because you are literally moving mountains within yourself! You need all of the encouragement you can get, so start by encouraging yourself. Commit strongly to this practice and you will see it not only get your procrastinated tasks completed, but it will also help you to achieve in other areas of your life, as well. This is a very effective tool for managing stress, which is inevitable whenever you set out to do a task you’ve previously procrastinated. If it were such an easy, stress free task, maybe you wouldn’t have procrastinated, right?

Try this new one word, 5 letter system for overcoming procrastination, and you can begin by sharing the one thing you commit to accomplishing by writing it in the comments section below. We love to hear from you, so please remember to come back and let us know how it went!

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How’s This For A Stress Relieving Bath?!

Posted by admin on October 14, 2011 13 comments
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emWave2 by HeartMath LLC

As many of you know, we write about how laughter therapy helps relieve stress and alot of other well known problems which we all deal with on a regular basis.

Now I’d like to share with you one of the best relaxation techniques that I’ve ever tried which is a good old fashioned steaming hot bath, but not your everyday bath, mind you.

No, this type of bathing experience is more like a ritual as I much prefer to “set the mood” for a real break-time to indulge in this ancient pleasure. If you’d like to try this, remember that it’s not supposed to be one of those in the tub and out in 10 minutes kind of experience. So, you are probably asking what do I mean by “set the scene” and how does this bathing ritual differ from the regular routine?

It all starts with setting aside 1 hour for your special “eliminate stress for you time”! Turn the phone off (all of them), close your pc or mac, send everyone to the other side of the house and let no distractions keep you from focusing on this special ritual.

How This New Experience Begins
Now, to begin with, we have to get our supplies together.

If I really want to get the most out of my bathing experience and really take away all of the stress of the day, I need to set a few things into motion first, so the first thing I’m going to do is turn on my towel heater. These days, there are so many good towel heaters readily available, so no home should be without one and if planning a relaxing bath is my objective, then I certainly wouldn’t want to get get out of a nice hot bath to then wrap myself up in a cold towel! Here are a some of the best towel heaters available and easily accessible today:


 

 

 

One of the things I like about these types is that they don’t require any mounting onto walls, so it’s easy to just plug it in and there you go, it works! I even got one for my sister, who loves the fact that they are so mobile, they can go in any bathroom/room in the home!

Then I stack my softest, most plush and luxurious towels all over the towel warmer so that once I plug it in, they will all be wrapped in warmth! This way I am sure to step out of my tub into more relaxing heat and warmth…..particularly comforting when it’s freezing outside.

Ultra Soft 6 piece Towel set Lilac by Cotton Craft – 100% Pure Luxury 650 gram Cotton with a Rayon band – Contains 2 Oversized and Large Bath Towels 30×54, 2 Hand Towels 16×28 and 2 Wash Cloths 12×12

Next, I like to get my candles ready and place them around my tub and all thruought my bathroom. Any candle works, but I particularly like the aromatherapy candles because of the added benefits! Don’t you notice some special kind of feeling whenever there are lit candles all around? Whether at a nic restaurant or a holiday celebration, candles always have and always will do something extra special for “setting a scene”. They wisk you into another dimension of feeling and with this type of bathing experience, those are the types of tools that really make a big difference!

Aromatherapy Candles- Lavender, Lemongrass & Orange, Cinnamon Spice- made with 100% pure essential oils – 72 hr. total burn time

Next on my list is to pull out my scents for the bathwater! One I like at this time is: because it’s made with wild-indigo flower and smells absolutely divinely delicious! Molton Brown has long been a distinguished creator of exquisitely made products. I first discovered them while traveling, as the hotel had their products in the room, but when I found out that I could get these uniquely blended products delivered to my door, I knew I had found a winner! Everytime I use thier products, I’m reminded of that great vacation, and since they’ve got something for everyone, my whole family loves them!

One thing I’ve started doing lately, which really adds to the experience of making this an uncommon ritual, is to open something special, just for the occasion. If you lead an extremely busy lifetyle with tons of obbligations and responsibilities, then you know it isn’t always so easy to find that 1 solid hour in a day, week or even month! So when you do set aside that special time, why not go all out to really make it something extraordinary? That’s why lately, I’ve adored opening a special box of perfumed door tassles! I hang them everywhere in my bathroom when “setting the scene” for my stress relieving bath, and they really do alot to not only perfume the entire area, but also create a nice decoration as I step into my ritual! (OK, I have to admit…..I particularly like this type of tassle room freshener because they have the most beautiful boxes, so it’s an extra delight to open something pretty and useful that is packaged pretty, too!)

Of course, to perfectly “set the scene”, you might like to try the idea of using special and decorative soaps because that really adds alot to transforming this into a special ritual, as well! To get everything else especially prepared…..and then use the regular soap in the dish, just isn’t going to give you that special feeling, trust me. I found these while shopping for a friend’s wedding last year, and have been hooked every since! When I get this little box of goodies out, I feel special and like I’m indulging in an enchanting experience! Try it, you’ll see what I mean….

Plus, you can find many other uses for these extremely elegant soaps. Even if you display them to softly scent a room, they look great! Imagine your guests when they go to the guest bathroom and see these?! You can peel off a petal to lather between your hands, now how special is that? For your stress relieving bath, you can sprinkle a handful of petals into your warm bath water and they will dissolve and foam to create a soothing, fragrant bath. I love these boxes because each set comes with 27 elegant soap roses, which is three boxes of 9 each and they are all tied with delicate white satin ribbons, again adding to the exquisite feeling you get from turning bath this into a special ritual.

Meanwhile, as the water is running, I’m undoubtedly preparing some good herbal tea to sip on while I’m in the tub. Lately I’ve really discovered the difference some herbal tea can make as it calms your mind, body and soul. Plus, it’s also good for you, so even more reason to drink herbal tea. A dear friend gave me this beautiful herbal teapot set that is perfect for these occasions and when entertaining, they go over great with guests, too! They are beautiful sets:


 

Alot of medical evidence has proven the benefits of green tea and I always grap a pack of of green tea from the grocery store, but for these “special relaxation moments”, I don’t want to use my “everyday” type of tea. If you really want this stress relieving bath to be different, then it’s a good idea to use different things, which is a rule of thumb I’ve discovered while trying the various relaxation methods. So for this special bathing experience, I prefer to indulge in the finest of the green teas I’ve ever tasted:
And yes, you can really taste the difference that the jasmine flowers make! When these arrive, so nicely packaged, I feel like I’ve given myself a nice gift!

And for sure, I will have some nice jasmine chocolates next to my hot brewing herbal tea as every little detail is there to turn this from a regular, ordinary bath into a luxurious, relaxing, stress relieving bathing experience:

Now the only things left for me to do, or for you to try in case you like this journey into a special relaxing bathing experience, is to dim the lights, light the candles and prepare the music! Lately I like listening to alot of zen music during my relaxing bathing experience, but there have been times that I’ve listened to jazz or classical, as well. If you’d like to try some zen relaxation to help this bathing experience to truly relax you, then I will recommend:
Zen and the Art of Relaxation
You can’t go wrong with this choice.

And there you have it! A wonderful way to turn an ordinary, everyday routine into a ritual of relaxation tranquility and peace. By setting the right tone for something as simple as bathing, you can transform your bathing experience and gain endless benefits. Once coming out of that steamy bath, you will surely feel new! So try this step by step guide to really “set the scene” with all of the little details so that you can really see and feel the difference it makes in your routine of life duties. Try setting a date for yourself, just for you. If taking that 1 solid, sacred hour out of a busy week seems not so doable, then try finding 1 hour in a month’s time for this special experience. It’s worth it and so are you, so set that date and let us know how it went!

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Essential Oils For Stress Relief

Posted by admin on August 15, 2011 2 comments
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CAN ESSENTIAL OILS HELP YOU TO RELIEVE STRESS TODAY?
CERTAINLY!

 


Let Essential Oils Help You To Relax
Relaxation needs to be an important part of every daily regimen. Most people focus on daily work schedules, responsibilities at home, taking care of their children, and the personal obbligations for daily living. If you want stress relief, then relaxation should always have a part of your day, however most people tend to forget the importance of relaxation and rest. Resting the mind and body helps renew energy levels and brings back the balance of mind, body and soul.

You can try essential oils which also induce a mindful state of calm which will help you forget of the day’s stressful events or what daily chores are needed for the next day. Relaxation does not necessarily mean taking a nap. Relaxation includes meditation and drawing your mind away from the stress and into a completely peaceful state. A state of total relaxation will soothe your whole body and effectively reduce the tiring effects of stress and fatigue.

Most of us have a busy and hectic lives. Essential oils for relaxation can help you relax and stay calm during hard times that would otherwise cause you to lose control from high levels of stress. They can be used at the end of the day and also at specific intervals during the day to help relieve you of stress and calm your nerves.

You can also use essential oils in aromatherapy within your office. Although the goal for relaxation methods is to give you a feeling of calm and create a sense of peace, they will not make you feel tired. Using essential oils in the office will give you peace throughout the day and help you maintain your temper during moments of intense stress. Used in the office, the oils will calm your mind during the work day so that you do not feel overwhelmed by stress or deadlines.

There are several essential oils that can help you relax in your home or in the office. Essential oils such as ylang ylang, chamomile, and neroli will help you relax throughout the day without making you tired. Each have their own unique effects, but when they are used together they are a powerful aromatherapy to ultimately make you feel at peace.


Ylang Ylang is an extremely potent essential oil that is sensual and relaxing. The balancing effects from the exotic aroma leaves your whole body and spirit feeling relaxed. It is also a romantic aroma and it is perfect for date night or cuddling up with a loved one at night.

Chamomile Maroc is probably one of the most popular soothing aromas. This essential oil soothes your mind while relaxing your body. It will help you combat the irritability and anger that can happen from a day of high levels of stress. If you are a person who has a hard time withholding strong emotions such as anger, chamomile is a great essential oil to help you calm your anger.

Neroli has a combination of relaxation effects that restore your level of peace while rejuvenating your overall energy and body strength. This essential oil is distilled from blossoms of the bitter orange tree. It is an exotic plant that has deep effects on the emotional aspects of your mind. The fragrance can restore your mind to lower levels of stress and disperse the anger left in your body. Irritability will be lessened when this essential oil is used within the office.

All of these oils will help you throughout your day even if used individually. Used together and they will remove the heavy emotional effects of stress and tension. Removing the negative effects of the day can help you maintain your balance, and it is a major factor of dealing with anger management. You will find yourself more productive, and used regularly, you will have a better, more friendly attitude. Use these essential oils in combination with other stress relieving oils and you will find your whole presence to be more positive.

Aquis Exfoliating Towels and Cloths, Plus Eco Tools Sponges and Loofah’s for great skin at Touch of Europe

Here are some other tools you from which you can obtain great benefits:
(view the slideshow, placing your mouse over pictures you would like more information on, then click on the one you like most.)

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AROMATHERAPY: MAKE YOUR HANDS SOFTER THAN SILK!

Posted by admin on August 10, 2011 2 comments
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Paraffin Wax Treatment For Soft Silky Hands!

You will need:

*1 block paraffin wax (about 4 oz)
*an ounce of oil
*20 drops of essential oil… lavender is rather nice
*a few drops of olive oil ( you will use this to coat your hands)
*a casserole dish that you have greased with oil before hand
*plastic sandwich bags

Melt the paraffin, the ounce of oil, the scented oil in a double
boiler. Be sure to use a double boiler for safety purposes.

Very carefully pour the wax into the dish and wait until a skin has
formed on the top of the wax. When this happens, the temperature
should be about right for submerging your hands.

**But before you do, be sure to test the wax for comfort in case the wax is still a
little too warm for your liking. Testing a little on your wrist is a good idea.

Then get your hands ready by washing them and then pat them dry with paper towel.
Smooth on the olive oil and be sure to cover every inch of your hands and fingers.
Dip each hand into the wax repeatedly until you have several layers of wax built up on
your hands. Have someone help you put on the sandwich bags onto each
hand and then relax for about 30 minutes.

For added benefit, place a bath towel over your hands as you wait. This is a perfect time to
listen to some soothing music!

Now comes the time to remove the wax… simply peel it away.
Start at the wrist area and pull it down. It should come off in large sections.
Give yourself a little hand massage and you are done!
You now have silky soft hands!

Of course, if you’re not much for the do-it-yourself method, you can always try: SpaSensials Moisturizing & Deep-Conditioning Hand Treatment, 6 Pouches, (Pack of 2) as this too, will give you the silky soft hands you desire!

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