How Stress is Slowly Killing You (And How to Avoid it)

Let me guess…
You clicked on this article because your guilty conscience is telling you that you stress too much.
And you’re worried that all this time, you’ve been causing damage to your body (without even realizing it!)
Well, it’s no secret anymore. Chances are, it’s true. Stress is a killer and at its very least, it will lower your immune system and make you more prone to serious illnesses.
But…there’s some great news!
You can do something about it. You can live a healthy, balanced and happy life and you can avoid the nasty effects of stress.
To help you do that, I’ll be sharing with you 13 highly effective ways to drastically lower the stress in your life as well as ways to restore your body of stress related damage.
But first, find out how stress is one of the leading causing of death.

Stress is designed to protect us…not kill us!

Stress is actually designed to protect us. Also known as the fight or flight reflex, stress is our body’s way of protecting us from danger or predators.
When in danger, hormones, adrenaline and the stress hormone ‘Cortisol’ flood your blood stream which gives you more energy, makes you more alert and helps you to better deal with the situation.
Imagine you are being chased by a scary bear whose only intention is to fill his hungry stomach. Well, it’s that same stress response that will hopefully push you to make it out of there alive!
By now, you are probably wondering how stress can also kill you.

The shocking truth about stress

Surprisingly, that same fight or flight reflex that we experience in times of danger is also triggered every time we experience stress in our day to day lives.
Perhaps for you, your stress response is being triggered by work, financial or family related stress.
Whatever it may be, the problem with these ongoing stressful situations is that our bodies literally become accustomed to functioning at a highly stressed level.
This causes irreversible damage to our cardiovascular network such as our heart and blood vessels.
This is how stress can kill you.
First of all, stress speeds up the aging process in your body, particularly your blood vessels. As we stress, our blood pressure hits the roof. High blood pressure damages cells in the artery walls making them thick and stiff.
This restricts blood flow and our heart is forced to work harder to pump blood throughout our body. The more we stress, the more we damage our blood vessels.
As a result, you can experience:

• A heart attack as blood struggles to get to the heart
• A stroke, as high blood pressure can cause blood vessels to burst

Did you know that stress increases the risk of heart disease by 40%, a heart attack by 25% and a stroke by 50%?
Pretty shocking isn’t it?
But wait, stress can also cause your brain to shrink!  Extreme stress events reduce the amount of grey matter in our brain, mostly in the areas related to our emotions and psychological functions. Not only does this shrink your brain, it can also lead to psychiatric problems.
Stress can also cause;

• The immune system to shut down
• A reduce in white blood cells, and
• An increased susceptibility to disease

Believe it or not, but stress is the basic cause of 60% of all illness and disease. Three out of four people who visit the doctor are there because of stress related illnesses.
By now, I imagine that you are feeling determined to lower the amount of stress in your life.
Am I right?
And you’re probably thinking “wouldn’t it be great if the perfect guide to lowering stress could just be handed to me?”
Well, you’re in luck!
Below are 13 extremely effective ways to dramatically reduce stress in your life and to restore your body from stress related damage.

The only guide to tackling stress you’ll ever need

Step 1: Eliminate daily influences

1. Change your lifestyle

This is potentially the most important step in reducing your stress levels. The main reason that we are constantly stressed is because of our busy, competitive and overly productive lifestyles.
Think about the things that cause you stress and try to eliminate them.
Are you working too hard? Are you trying to multitask and be more productive? Multitasking is actually less effective than doing things more mindfully.
Other things you might try to eliminate are;

• Getting stuck in traffic (this is a big stressor)
• Being late for things
• Overwhelming yourself with too many tasks or goals
• Leaving things to the last minute
• Time constraints in the workplace

The power is in your court. Do you want to be extremely productive but feel stressed out on a daily basis, or rather do less, have more time for yourself and live a more relaxed and healthier life?

2.  Consume less caffeine

Caffeine literally puts your body in a state of stress. As your body adsorbs caffeine, you get a big adrenaline boost, your heart pumps faster, your blood pressure rises and the level of ‘cortisol’ (the stress hormone) can also increase.

 3. Eat less sugar and fatty foods

Sugar and fatty foods can increase blood clotting, blood pressure and can stimulate high levels of stress hormones in the blood stream.

4. Control your thoughts

Constant negative thoughts and worrying will higher your stress levels. We have approximately 50,000 thoughts per day. Just imagine, if only 10% of those thoughts were negative, that’s 5,000 negative thoughts a day!

5. Get enough sleep

Having too little sleep will cause you to feel naturally more stressed. Not only will your body have to work harder to complete its daily functions, you will be fatigued and less able to cope and deal with whatever gets thrown your way. And then you’ll probably want to drink more coffee too!!

Step 2: Take advantage of these natural stress relievers

 6.  Oxytocin

Oxytocin, also known as the cuddle hormone is believed to help reduce the stress response. It relaxes your blood vessels and helps to restore your heart from stress related damage.
How can you produce oxytocin? Well, it is released during positive social interaction and while caring for others so all you need to do is spend more time with others.

7.  Exercise

Exercise is a great stress reliever. When exercising, your body produces endorphins which makes you feel happy and reduces anxiety.

8. Playing with children and pets

Studies show that people who play with children and pets are dramatically less stressed.

 9. Laughing

Did you know that laughing is actually a form of therapy?
That’s because laughing has such a powerful influence over how happy and relaxed we feel. Not only does laughing lighten our load mentally, it causes changes in the body to take place including the release of endorphins, causing us to feel more positive.

 10. Meditation, yoga & breathing exercises

Simply put, stress is something that causes tension and strain. Yoga, meditation and breathing exercises are all proven ways of releasing stress and tension mentally and physically.
Yoga, meditation and focusing on your breathing helps you to feel in touch with yourself, clear your mind and resist getting wrapped up in your thoughts and the drama in your life.

11. Fill your nutritional gap

Consume more essential fatty acids and vitamin B and C. Essential fatty acids help to produce the hormones that help your body deal with stress. Vitamin B helps to ease stress by supporting the stress response and vitamin C feeds the adrenal tissues in your body.

12.  Take a two minute vacation

Close your eyes and take a two minute vacation in your head. Think about and imagine your favorite place for example. This will help you to take a step back from whatever stress you are experiencing and feel more rested.

13.  Take a real vacation

Now days, people literally work their life away. Life becomes about work and money. To stress less, it’s important to live a balanced life. Taking vacations from your busy life is necessary to lower your stress levels.
However you choose to relieve stress in your life, the important thing is that you take action!
Stress really is a killer, and at its least, it will cause irreversible damage to your body.
You may have to do a little shuffling in your life to lower the amount of stress you experience, but it will be well worth it.  Not only will you be healthier, you’ll be a lot happier too.
So I challenge you to take control from today onward. Don’t give into the temptations of a super productive lifestyle where your stress levels constantly hit the roof.
Rather, make the choice every day to put your health and happiness first by giving your body time to relax and restore itself.
Make the choice to live a healthy, balanced and stress free life.

Source: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/stress-slowly-killing-avoid/#E1jM2TidTYwCwj3U.99

5 Habits That The Super Successful Have Before Sunrise

There’s something about the morning that makes it so special… maybe it’s the promise of a new day.

Maybe it’s the chill in the air, the darkness in the sky, or the uncommon silence.

Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure. The morning is a make or break moment for your day, and the problem is, you probably don’t even realize it.

If you were to go through history, and pick apart the routines of the most wildly successful people, you’ll quickly realize that the vast majority of them all have one thing in common.

They have very specific morning habits that set them up for a successful day.

And the good news, you have the ability to create those exact same habits. And hopefully, find similar success. So let’s explore the five habits successful people practice before sunrise.

Habit #1: Journaling

Journaling is something that’s been around for over 11 centuries. The only way something sticks around for that long is if it’s serving a purpose.

Countless super successful, entrepreneurs, politicians and celebrities have talked about their extensive use of journaling. And there’s a reason why it’s so popular among the uber successful.

Journaling gives you the opportunity to clarify your thoughts. When you feel overwhelmed by your emotions and feel that your mind is moving at a thousand miles an hour, in a thousand different directions, the journal gives clarity.

And once you have clarity, you act with more precision and take more meaningful action.

Habit #2: Exercise

Barack Obama has stated on several occasions how important his morning exercise is, often times waking up with his wife at 4:30am to squeeze in a workout.

Regardless of your political affiliation, I think we can both agree that becoming President of the United States qualifies you as somewhat of a success.

Exercising in the morning gives you the energy boost you need to not only make it through the day, but to do it in the most productive way possible. It’s been proven that exercise increases both your focus and cognitive performance for any difficult task you might face during the day.

With a beefed up brain (and biceps) you’ll have an unfair advantage of whatever obstacles are sent your way.

Habit #3: Identify Your “Big Wins” For the Day

Being busy doesn’t equal being productive. But unfortunately, so many people mistake having a full calendar with doing things that actually matter.

How many times have you laid down at night, exhausted from all the stuff you did, but still feeling unfulfilled because none of the “stuff” you did was important? You just woke up, and started working without any real plan of what you should be working on.

When you wake up in the morning, before you do anything else, you need to figure out WHAT it is you should be doing. What are the three to four things, that if you got done, would provide the most value in your life? What few things would move the needle the most?

The trick is, you have to answer this question on a consistent basis.

That’s what separates the successful from the average.

Habit #4: Rising Early

Does it still count as a morning habit if it happens at 11:59am? To get the most out of the other habits on this list, you have to get them done early. Before the rest of the world starts begging for your attention, asking you to read this, watch that, like this, tweet that.

Getting an early start to your day gives you a chance to calibrate your day and perform the other habits that will set up the rest of your day.

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, is also known for waking up at 4:30am to just get enjoy a little quiet time alone. It’s a time he uses to recharge his batteries and clear his mind.

Like I said, there’s something magical about the morning.

Habit #5: Meditation

You probably already know all about the benefits that meditation brings; reduced stress, increased self-awareness, regulates emotions, regulates attention, strengthens willpower, etc.

If you could focus in on just one of those benefits at the beginning of your day, you’ll dramatically increase your chances for having a day where you get important things done and overcome big obstacles, all while keeping a cool, calm, mental focus.

Source: http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/5-habits-that-the-super-successful-have-before-sunrise

10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence

Source: http://fgw-photography.deviantart.com/art/Lion-Salzburg-III-418777362

Self confidence is the difference between feeling unstoppable and feeling scared out of your wits. Your perception of yourself has an enormous impact on how others perceive you. Perception is reality — the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.
Although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. By using these 10 strategies you can get the mental edge you need to reach your potential.

Build Self Confidence

1. Dress Sharp

Although clothes don’t make the man, they certainly affect the way he feels about himself. No one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. In most cases, significant improvements can be made by bathing and shaving frequently, wearing clean clothes, and being cognizant of the latest styles.
This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items. In long run this decreases spending because expensive clothes wear out less easily and stay in style longer than cheap clothes. Buying less also helps reduce the clutter in your closet.

2. Walk Faster

One of the easiest ways to tell how a person feels about herself is to examine her walk. Is it slow? tired? painful? Or is it energetic and purposeful? People with confidence walk quickly. They have places to go, people to see, and important work to do. Even if you aren’t in a hurry, you can increase your self confidence by putting some pep in your step. Walking 25% faster will make to you look and feel more important.

3. Good Posture

Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. You’ll make a positive impression on others and instantly feel more alert and empowered.

4. Personal Commercial

One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a great speaker are few and far between. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial. Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. Then recite it in front of the mirror aloud (or inside your head if you prefer) whenever you need a confidence boost.

5. Gratitude

When you focus too much on what you want, the mind creates reasons why you can’t have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude. Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. Recall your past successes, unique skills, loving relationships, and positive momentum. You’ll be amazed how much you have going for you and motivated to take that next step towards success.

6. Compliment other people

When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. To break this cycle of negativity, get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you. In the process, you’ll become well liked and build self confidence. By looking for the best in others, you indirectly bring out the best in yourself.

7. Sit in the front row

In schools, offices, and public assemblies around the world, people constantly strive to sit at the back of the room. Most people prefer the back because they’re afraid of being noticed. This reflects a lack of self confidence. By deciding to sit in the front row, you can get over this irrational fear and build your self confidence. You’ll also be more visible to the important people talking from the front of the room.

8. Speak up

During group discussions many people never speak up because they’re afraid that people will judge them for saying something stupid. This fear isn’t really justified. Generally, people are much more accepting than we imagine. In fact most people are dealing with the exact same fears. By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.

9. Work out

Along the same lines as personal appearance, physical fitness has a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape, you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic. By working out, you improve your physcial appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive. Having the discipline to work out not only makes you feel better, it creates positive momentum that you can build on the rest of the day.

10. Focus on contribution

Too often we get caught up in our own desires. We focus too much on ourselves and not enough on the needs of other people. If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution you’re making to the rest of the world, you won’t worry as much about you own flaws. This will increase self confidence and allow you to contribute with maximum efficiency. The more you contribute to the world the more you’ll be rewarded with personal success and recognition.

Source: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-ways-to-instantly-build-self-confidence

If You Want To Be Wealthy, You Need To Know This

Do you want to be wealthy? I'm going to share something with you today that you really need to understand - on a gut level - before you can make it happen.
Even if you learn all there is to know about money (how to make it, save it, invest it), if your relationships with others - or yourself - are dysfunctional, you'll never reach your full abundance potential.
In the past, I used to bitch, moan and complain (aka commiserate) with certain people because it seemed to bring us closer together. Misery likes company, so I feigned misery so these people would like me. I didn't want to make anyone feel jealous or envious either, so I talked myself down. It seemed so PC (politically correct). I learned the hard way that this didn't do anyone any favor. I curbed this behavior... and I grew wealthy and happy. I hear from these individuals now only when something difficult is occurring in my life. But when I'm all smiles and gratitude, I don't hear a peep from them. Similarly, a reader suggested recently that I make some people feel depressed by expressing my satisfaction, gratitude and happiness. He/she thinks that I should express more humility instead. I know that my blog's traffic might increase if I discussed the mess my latest bookkeeper made of our financial records, the hit our retirement accounts have taken during this economic downturn, the exhaustion I felt during our recent move, or the disturbing mystery behind my still missing sister-in-law.  We all know that bad news sells. The media is full of tragedy, fear and despair because it works to increase circulation and readership. But I don't want to write about bad things, even if it would drive my blog's traffic to new heights. Sure, bad news sells, but I don't have anything to sell. If I focused on hardships, I'd feel like a car wreck on the side of the highway - the type that drivers can't help but slow down to gawk at (even though we know it's what causes the horrendous traffic jam).  I'd be attracting negative thoughts into my mind, and people that choose to focus on negativity into my life. I write to express myself, and to share the steps I take to live a fuller, richer, happier life. By doing so, I actively practice my intentions and keep aligned on what is important to me. It brings a higher caliber of relationships into my life, and it gives me the strength to deal with the occasional curve ball thrown my way. 

Here are some things I've learned by attending the University of Hard Knocks:
We become the company we keep.  Like attracts like. Be negative and you'll attract negativity; be positive and you will attract positive relationships into your life.
Limit your exposure to toxic people.  We all have them - friends, family or co-workers - that seem hell-bent on bringing us down to their level.  Immunize yourself from their poison by maintaining healthy personal boundaries. Don't be a martyr, learn to say no. Be a positive role model instead. Perhaps you'll inspire them (when they are personally ready) by modeling a different, healthier attitude.
Envy and jealousy will get you exactly what you don't want.  Acknowledge these feelings, then release them and let go. Compare yourself not to others, but only to your best self.
Don't be pressured into humility.  Definitions of humble include:
     - cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
     - low or inferior in station or quality
     - marked by meekness or modesty
These definitions don't fit with a healthy, positive self-esteem.
Choose to use different language. The language you use directs your actions and therefore the path your life takes.
Limit your exposure to mass media. Pull the plug on bad news. Be selective - record uplifting, humorous and educational programs and keep the boob-tube turned off otherwise.
Focus on the bright side of life. I promise - there is always a bright side! What you think about is what you will get. Practice this skill by keeping a gratitude journal.
Stop looking in the rear view mirror.  Live your life from this day forward. 

Source: http://millionairemommynextdoor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/if-you-want-to-be-wealthy-you-need-to.html

Unusual Ways to Fit In Your Daily Workout

As busy entrepreneurs, sticking to a fitness routine is always a challenge. Missing one workout quickly turns into two and before you know it, it’s been a week since you’ve done a sit-up. Beverley Hills-based personal trainer, Gunnar Peterson, says while an hour-long workout at the gym with a trainer is ideal, squeezing in even two minutes of exercise a few times a day is better than skipping your workout entirely. For these short bursts of activity, he recommends doing small movements that attack specific muscle groups. “There’s blood rushing to those working muscles so they feel a little tighter, mentally you feel better about yourself and you’re going to carry yourself better,” says Peterson. Here, Peterson offers his suggestions for fitting in a workout anytime, anywhere. 

In the elevator. 

While taking the stairs instead of an elevator to get your heart rate up is a great way to squeeze some cardiovascular fitness into your day, it’s not ideal if you’re running to a meeting and don’t want to break a sweat. Instead, Peterson says standing with your back against the elevator wall and dropping down to a 90 degree sitting position for the duration of the ride to engage your quadriceps, glutes and core to make use of your ride time. 

In the washroom. 

While washing your hands, make use of the time at the sink by resting your forearms on the counter and doing single leg squats. Lift one leg off the ground and bend into a squat position with the other leg, making sure to keep the knee from going too far over the toes.  Do 10 squats on each leg while lathering and rinsing your hands.

At your desk. 

Who says you need to lie on the floor and do sit-ups to work your abs? Peterson says ab vacuums can work your abs even while sitting in a meeting. Draw your abdominals in, pulling the naval towards the spine. Hold for a count of three and release. Ab vacuums target the transversus abdominis – the deep abdominal muscle that supports your posture and aids in stability.

If you want to make the most out of your desk time, try some leg raises. Sitting back in your chair, bring your legs up and lower them without allowing your feet to touch the floor. Start with sets of 12 to 15 and build up to sets of 20. This targets the lower part of the abdominal wall, close to where the belt buckle is. For an arm workout, scoot your bottom forward so it comes off the chair, hold onto the chair and lower your body for tricep dips.

In the car. 

Take advantage of your commute by sneaking in some ab work, doing your ab vacuums. For an arm workout, try isometric contractions. Holding the steering wheel with your hands at the bottom of the wheel, flex your biceps and hold for a few seconds while you wait for the stop light to change, or change your grip to 10 and 2 and flex your triceps.

In the airport.

Business trips can wreak havoc on your workout schedule. Squeeze in some cardio by walking the airport concourse. Many airports are now equipped with walking paths, yoga rooms or even full-service gyms, allowing travellers to sneak in a workout on the fly. 

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235587