Confession Really Is One of the Best Stress Management Strategies

Stress is a gruelling and common problem and as a result, people are continuously searching for ways to reduce their stress levels. We are always being asked to recommend stress management strategies and techniques. Every time our answer is the same; confession.

Recent research backs-up the age-old adage that confession is good for the soul. However, before you rush to your local church to confess let us consider what this means.

Talking about the soul takes us to a metaphysical minefield. So we're saying that confession is good for your state of mind.

However, whilst unburdening yourself of all the truths you have been dying to spill may indeed be good for you, I must advise a hint of caution. Many a political career has been ruined by uncontrolled encounters with the truth! Also, if you find yourself under police questioning, it is probably best to stick to the truth; though you may wish to see a lawyer first, especially if you happen to be a politician...

If I'm not advising complete confessions, what am I on about? It's all about getting your hopes, fears and worries out into the open.

Opening up is a difficult step for many people as they have to admit two big things:

1. There is a problem.
2. They should do something about it.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't even get to stage one. They hope the problem will disappear so that they won't have to deal with it. Sometimes they bottle it inside, hoping they can sort it out. But this often ends badly.

Once we have admitted these two things, we must try and frame them. Setting a problem out so another can understand it is a great way to focus our minds on a particular problem. If a problem is plainly set out a solution can be easier to find.

Next comes the question of who gets the unburdening...

Top of the tree are the psychiatrists. Being the most qualified they are the most expensive. That reminds me of an old joke...
"I went to the psychiatrist because I was slightly cracked and now I am completely broke!"

Then we have the counsellors. You can happily bend their ear for a modest fee whilst you air your problems. Non professionals can include family or friends, though a note of caution here, you could drive them away.

I find that the best tools you can use to unburden your stress are a pen and some paper. I use a stress journal by writing down all the things that stress me out. Rather than a shrink jotting notes at an extortionate hourly fee, I do it myself.

Here's how you do it:

Sit down somewhere comfortable with some paper and a pen. Make sure you have a few sheets of paper - you do not want to run out when in full flow. Also use a sturdy ballpoint pen rather than a fountain pen or pencil. It might get a little heated and you want it to last the session.

Write everything down that is playing on your mind or 'stressing you out'. If you have had a lousy day say so. Nobody is going to see what you have written, so let rip! Don't worry about spelling and grammar. It's not an essay so nobody is going to mark it.

If the thoughts come quicker than you can write, speed up your writing rather than slow the downloading of stress. Use abbreviations, scrawl and scribble away!

If people have caused you grief, stress or annoyance say so. Call them every name under the sun if it will help you unload.

When you've finished don't read what you have written, that's dwelling on the past. Just tear it all up and throw it in the bin. Think of it as ripping your stress to shreds. Scrunch it up into a tight ball and then throw it and your stress away. You'll be amazed how good you will feel.

It may sound mad but it does work - try it.

Lol (Laurence) Cohen is the founder and guiding light of the Picture of Health Clubs.

He has been helping to promote the Picture of Health Clubs message to unwind body and mind through their book and blog, which you can view here: http://www.pictureofhealthclubs.com/blog

Check out their book 'Are You a Physical Wreck or a Mental Washout? Or Both!' here: http://amzn.to/12s6GYC

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurence_Cohen

Beat Stress, Live Life in the Goldilocks Zone

When it comes to aspects of life such as health, fitness and dieting, I like to think that I'm with Goldilocks.

That's not me saying that I like to be like the juvenile delinquent from the children's story. You know the one who creeps into some law-abiding country folk's house (the 3 bears') then commits the act of theft (eats the porridge) and criminal damage (breaks baby bear's chair). Rather I'm talking about the fact that I'm living in the Goldilocks Zone.

The Goldilocks Zone is just another name given to the Circumstellar Habitable Zone (probably because it's a lot easier to remember!). The Circumstellar Habitable Zone is the zone around the Sun where human life can exist and thankfully, the Earth is within it. Outside this zone, temperatures are so low that it would be impossible for human life to exist. Basically, it's not too hot; it's not too cold; it's just right. If you cannot see the link to Goldilocks, look it up, or ask a 4-year-old!

Whilst we have no control over the orbit of the Earth, we can apply the Goldilocks principle to other areas of our life. For example, when I think of my kitchen, it is not as sterile as an operating theatre, nor is it as dirty as the city dump; it's just right. The same goes for my house when it comes to clutter. It is not as empty as a Zen monk's cell, nor is it as cluttered as a hoarder's house; it's just right.

In reality, most of us live in the Goldilocks Zone, the mean between two extremes. But then this is not a new radical idea of living.

The Philosopher Aristotle wrote about it in his book, the Nicomachean Ethics. He did not use the term Goldilocks but complex Greek philosophical terms. (Well, he was a complex Greek Philosopher!). One term he used for the Goldilocks Zone is virtue - we have all heard of that.

One of the virtues Aristotle cites is bravery. Bravery lies between cowardice - where you run away in terror - and recklessness - where you have no concern for your own safety. Bravery is feeling the fear but still doing the deed. In other words: not too cowardly, not too rash; just right.

Finding the place that's 'just right' for you is the art of living. This is certainly true when it comes to health and fitness. Whether you are a keep-fit fanatic or a couch potato, you will profit if you can find your Goldilocks Zone. Finding the Goldilocks Zone can help you when planning easy diets to follow, exercises or your fitness regime.

It takes time and effort to find your Goldilocks Zone. Just like a plumb line we swing from extreme to extreme until we find the point of rest, where it's just right.

Naturally as we progress through life, the point of where it's 'just right' changes. What was right for us in our twenties does not fit in our forties. Especially with hairstyles, for example, a constant re-assessment is called for. It is worth it, however.

Lol (Laurence) Cohen is the founder and guiding light of the Picture of Health Clubs.

He has been helping to promote the Picture of Health Clubs message to unwind body and mind through their book and blog, which you can view here: http://www.pictureofhealthclubs.com/blog

Check out their book 'Are You a Physical Wreck or a Mental Washout? Or Both!' here: http://amzn.to/12s6GYC

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurence_Cohen

Take Your Siesta

Ah the siesta. When you think about the siesta it may bring to mind conjectures of the old Spanish way of life. Matadores gracefully bowing as roses rain down upon them, victorious over the raging bull that now lay defeated in the sand; a Mediterranean beachscape where you lay basking in the amber and violet rays of the setting sun as you enjoy the fruity accents of a cold sangria; or the buttery smell of freshly baked artisanal bread teasing your sense of smell as you stroll down a busy Barcelona avenue. Because of the hustle and bustle of the modern American way of life, the siesta is a concept that seems as far away as Spain itself. It is a notion that most Americans would find difficult to believe is still being practiced today. But, surprise, it is alive and well. The siesta, in one form or another, is a necessary part of the daily routine of a large number of the world population and we are missing out on the many benefits that it offers to our health and productivity as a country.

The siesta, as it is known today, is a rest period in the middle of the day where one takes a break, enjoys lunch, and has a nap before returning to work, generally lasting around 2 hours. It was made popular in Spain where the population would take that time to escape the hottest parts of the day and recharge for the evening to come. But it has roots much deeper than that, reaching back to the beginnings of Islam where an afternoon nap was law because of the health benefits. Even the Romans had an afternoon rest with a nap and, though it wasn't a law, it certainly was commonplace and not considered a luxury.

And even though siesta is a Spanish word, it is a practice enjoyed by the peoples of a variety of countries. It is most widely practiced in the Mediterranean world, countries close to Spain that share similar culture and climate, but when the Spanish settlers came west, they brought more than just Christianity and the plague. Lots of our Latin American counterparts practice the siesta, our border mate Mexico among them. A form of the siesta is practiced in cultures from Serbian to Taiwanese, countries from Slovenia to China. That's right. Even that tireless workhorse of a country China takes a siesta. In Japan many companies even have nap rooms! And it's no wonder why.

Studies and experiments have shown for a century that more hours working does not necessarily mean more production. And that taking breaks in your day to reset your brain actually increases productivity. John Trougakos, Assistant Management Professor at The University of Toronto Scarborough and The Rotman School of Management stated that "mental concentration is similar to a muscle. It becomes fatigued after sustained use and needs a rest period before it can recover". So sitting at your desk and staring at that spreadsheet longer isn't going to get that expense report finished any faster. Your best bet is to take a break from it and come back to it later.

The same is true for putting in longer hours. It has been demonstrated as far back as the beginning of the 20th century by the great Henry Ford. Mr. Ford conducted experiments in his factories that would give him the most production for the least amount of hours. Originally his workers worked 60 hour weeks in the form of six, ten hour work days per week. After tweaking it a bit he settled on a forty hour week, drawing the following conclusion: "Now we know from our experience in changing from six to five days and back again that we can get at least as great production in five days as we can in six... Just as the eight hour day opened our way to prosperity, so the five day week will open our way still to greater prosperity". There is only so much time a person can spend on one task before the quality and speed of the work start to decline.

So why do we think the opposite and work ourselves to death when it has been proven to be pointless? It certainly isn't because it makes our lives better. American divorce rates are up to 50%, American satisfaction with our jobs is only 45% (lowest rate ever recorded), and obesity in children and adults is at an all-time high. Our kids are slated to be the first generation that isn't expected to outlive the previous one. Does that seem like a good reward for working hard to you?

Americans work so much that, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, we are the only advanced nation to have no federally mandated paid vacation days. The only one. Most European countries get on average 25-28 paid vacation days per year. Australians enjoy 20. Mexican law ensures that they enjoy 16, and China (here they are again) get 10! We work more than the Chinese. How does that sit with you? We work so much that we have even managed to outwork ourselves.

Juliet Schor, author of the book "The Overworked American", concluded way back in 1990, that Americans worked an average of nearly one month more per year than in 1970. And that was in 1990. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows a rising trend in number of hours worked per week that has only recently tapered off.

So what is all of this break skipping and vacation surrendering getting us besides bigger t-shirts? More money? And why do we think we need more money? We certainly aren't using it for vacation. As a matter of fact, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index which surveys 1,000 people per day, more money does not mean more happiness. Infact, their research shows that a yearly household income of $75,000 is just the right amount of money needed to be happy. Households earning less than 75k reported lower levels of emotional well-being and those with more showed no significant increase. So sorry Puffy, it isn't really all about the benjamins.

So here we are spending all of our time working for better lives when it has been clearly demonstrated that we are going about it all wrong. Research shows that taking breaks in your day increases productivity during working hours period. The key to success is knowing to say when is enough. Taking that two hour siesta gives you time to do a lot of things that could improve your life, and in turn improve the quality of your work. Two hours would buy most of us enough time to eat a proper lunch, possibly go to the gym or take a walk outside, take a nap, or even spend the whole break socializing with friends. All of these are stress busting activities that can recharge our batteries for the work left in the afternoon. We consider ourselves the greatest nation in the world but we could learn a few things from the other kids in our neighborhood. So tomorrow, when the lunch whistle blows, find a comfy couch and settle in. Your siesta is about to begin.

For more articles about finding the good life visit http://www.thegoodlifeisoutthere.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_J_Lee