| Simplifying Your Life, A Gift to Yourself Simply
slowing down can avoid stress-related conditions, and give us
back some of the time and energy we need to focus on life.
March is the beginning of spring and an excellent time to
look at simplifying your life. Most of us are leading
fast-paced, stressful lives that can lead to health related
problems.
There is a connection between stress and high blood pressure,
heart disease and tension related conditions such as insomnia,
anxiety, nervousness and chronic fatigue. Studies have shown a
connection between long, stressful workdays with little sleep
and an increased risk of heart attack in men.
Slowing down can help avoid some of these outcomes. Start
today with one of the tips listed below.
- Make quiet time a priority each day. Try meditation,
prayer or just sitting quietly.
- De-clutter your life. Clean out your closets and drawers
– donate no longer needed items to charity or throw them
away.
- Get rid of junk mail the day it arrives.
- Try turning off your cell phone or pager to give
yourself a break.
- Ask for help at home and at work. Practice delegating
tasks to others.
- Turn off the TV.
- Re-visit your New Year’s resolutions and re-focus your
efforts.
- Take a nature break. Walk in the woods or spend an
afternoon at a local park or lake.
- Get moving everyday. Consider adding an extra day to
your exercise schedule.
- Just say “No”! Focus your time and energy on people and
activities that are important to you.
- Use vacation days to rejuvenate yourself. Take a “Mental
Health Day.”
- Decide what is truly important to you. Ask yourself:
“Does this really matter to me?”
- Spend time with family and friends.
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