DON'T STRESS OUT

Everybody wants to reach complete happiness in life. Still, in order to achieve this goal you must face one of your biggest enemies - STRESS. So many sleepless nights I spent analyzing the reasons why I did or didn't say something, why I reacted so emotionally, why I got upset. Does it sound familiar when I mention that such nights were accompanied by fatigue, anxiety, moodiness, and so on? Many years had passed before I found ways to cope with stress. The secret is this – Don't let stress manipulate your life, you are the one who should take control over stress.

Try and see whether some of the suggestions below work for you:

1. Gradually, I've learned to recognize stressors which threaten my environment. This recognition is crucial because, quite often, we're not aware of all the possible stressful situations which tend to provoke a strong reaction.

2. I adopted the assertiveness skill, a skill that enables us to fight for our rights, ensuring our thoughts and feelings are taken into account, without affecting other people's rights. Today, I'm able to ask, request, demand...until I achieve all that “belongs” to me.

3. Due to efficient organization and careful time management, I became quite successful in avoiding tense situations. I settle all my bills on time, I don't spend too much money, I don't rush, I try to avoid delays and unnecessary conflicts...I simply take things as they come.

4. Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to avoid some of the stressors. But even then, we can prevent our mind and body from being alarmed and manage to regain control. The most effective techniques are deep breathing or looking the other way, thinking about pleasant things. These two methods proved their efficiency in preventing sharp reactions.

5. Sometimes, these techniques aren't as useful as we expect them to be, giving way to anger which should be expressed in a healthy way, in the right place, and at the right time. The suppression of anger and keeping all the negative emotions inside can cause mental disorders such as depression or anxiety. On the other hand, the uncontrolled raging in public is completely inappropriate and partly responsible for the growing social problems in the family, at work, and in traffic...I find running "100 miles per hour" to be the best cure for anger.

6. I've learned just how important it is to “recharge your batteries” and start afresh. All the activities that you enjoy doing strengthen your immunity, increase your energy level and strengthen your confidence so that both your mind and body can easily deal with the upcoming stress.


7. After enjoying the benefits of B-complex, GABA, L-Theanine, 5-HTP, magnesium and Valeriana, I strongly recommend these supplements which are of great help for mitigating the effects of stress.

This was my anti-stress concept. Try not to stress out and make a personal plan which can help you fight off stress. And remember: less stress for for a better life!

CRAVING SOLUTION

CRAVING SOLUTION

Food is more than just fuel for our cells. Quality of life is directly associated with the quality and amount of food we eat. The simplest recipe for a happier, healthier longer life is calorie restriction combined with optimal nutrition. When you consume more nutritive calories, Mother Nature will control your weight.

It's widely known that food affects your mood. For example, chocolate and refined foods stimulate the secretion of brain substances such as dopamine and serotonin (“the hormones of happiness”), which lead to the feeling of satisfaction. But this pleasure is not always useful…after a certain period of time the need for “satisfaction producers” increases (similar to heroin and cocaine addiction). While the pleasure they're producing becomes less intensive, you are gaining more and more weight. Food is not a cure for sadness, insomnia, or loneliness. Food can't solve problems…it can only make them bigger. It nurtures your hunger not your appetite!

We all eat too much, and we take in many more calories than our body requires. Very often we eat when we are not hungry, and we eat when we are in an emotional state. Research shows that excessive food intake can cause diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart attack, senility, and inflammation. It also shortens our average life span. Do you need more arguments to start eating wiser?

We feel hungry only when our body needs more energy, while the on the other hand, appetite is the desire for food. It is a psychological reaction – a conditioned response to food. Sometimes just thinking about your favorite food will evoke your appetite.

One of the best instruments for appetite control is food.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast. That way your appetite will be controlled better throughout the day
2. Eliminate processed food from your diet…it only contains empty calories which enhance your appetite. Choose nutritive calories instead.
3. Choose complex, slow burning carbohydrates.
4. Add protein to every meal.
5. Try to eat every day at the same time so you train your appetite hormones -- ghrelin and leptin.
6. Try supplements such as Chromium Picolinate, CLA, diet fibers, resveratrol, calcium, magnesium and vitamins B6 and B12.

And don’t forget, better control of your appetite - better control of your life.

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS

A successful communication can't be measured by number of words you utter or write. And usually, with too many words we say too little. One of my personal commandments is to significantly improve my communication skills. Meaning, trying to reduce a number of conflicts, disagreements, arguments, frustrations and all the other consequences of poor communication that tend to make my life bitter. And believe me, this is possible if you devote just a bit of attention to these skills - how to communicate, how to avoid your common mistakes and so on.

Earlier in life, I was much more critical not only of my own, but of other people's actions as well. Gradually, I began to judge and criticize less, and accept and understand myself and people around me more, which made me feel better.

As a result of our constant need to say something, to express ourselves, we talk all the time, but no one listens. Facebook is a typical example of how people can hit the roof when discussing certain topics - they get into endless arguments, they quarrel, insult each other. But saying everything that's on our mind, doesn't make our life easier. On the contrary.

Where do we usually make mistakes?

1. We do not listen enough - In most cases, our urge to answer and state our personal opinion doesn't allow us to concentrate on what the other person is saying.

2. Hastiness - We're usually in such a hurry to respond (at least I am), before we even form a clear message in our minds. Most often, we articulate the first thing that comes to our mind... This proves to be a bad idea, cause most of the times we do that, only the wrong words come out of our mouth.

3. Misconception about honesty - Successful communication involves honesty, but not at any price. Think about what you're going to say, cause not everything should be revealed to others. Think about what kind of effect your words may produce. One of the secrets of successful communication is maintaining the harmony between thoughts, words and actions.

4. Lack of intent to understand - Don't close your mind, be open to accept diversity.

5. Too many emotions - Emotions, especially the really intense ones, hamper communication, primarily when it comes to controversial issues. Keep in mind that emotions usually do not allow us to rationally consider a certain dilemma and often create a problem where it doesn't even exist.

There are innumerable opportunities for improving your communication skills. Pay attention to how you communicate and where you commonly make mistakes. Successful communication makes it possible to understand each other better and live a carefree life. Learn to listen. Most people talk too much and listen too little. I'll remind you that God gave us one mouth and two ears. Prepare yourself to accept diversity, try to understand, don't rush to give an answer, don't bother so much if you disagree with someone. Agree to disagree - this is the best solution.

DON'T STRESS OUT

Everybody wants to reach a complete happiness in life. Still, in order to achieve this goal, you must face one of your biggest enemies - stress. So many sleepless nights I spent analyzing the reasons why I did or didn't say something, why I reacted so emotionally, why I got upset... Does it sound familiar when I mention that such nights were accompanied by fatigue, anxiety, moodiness, and so on? Many years had passed before I found ways to cope with stress. The secret is this-don't let stress manipulate your life, you are the ones who should take control over stress.

Try and see whether some of these things work for you:

1. Gradually, I've learned to recognize stressors which threaten from my environment. This recognition is crucial cause, quite often, you're not aware of all the possible stressful situations which tend to provoke your strong reaction.

2. I adopted the assertiveness skill, a skill that enables us to fight for our rights, ensuring our thoughts and feelings are taken into account, without affecting other people's rights. Today, I'm able to ask, request, demand... till I achieve all that “belongs” to me.

3. Due to efficient organization and careful time management, I became quite successful in avoiding tense situations. I settle all my bills on time, I don't spend too much money, I don't rush, I try to avoid delays and unnecessary conflicts... I simply take things as they come.

4. Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to avoid some of the stressors. But even then, we can prevent our mind and body from being alarmed and manage to regain control. The most effective techniques are deep breathing or looking the other way, thinking about pleasant things. These two methods proved their efficiency in preventing our sharp reactions.

5. Sometimes, these techniques aren't as useful as we expect them to be. And then, we give way to anger, which should be expressed in a healthy way, in the right place at the right time. The suppression of anger and keeping all the negative emotions inside can cause mental disorders such as depression or anxiety. On the other hand, the uncontrolled raging in public is completely inappropriate and partly responsible for the growing social problems in the family, at work, in traffic... I find running "100 miles per hour" the best cure for anger.

6. I've learned just how important is to “recharge your batteries” and start afresh. All the activities that you enjoy doing strengthen your immunity, increase your energy level and strengthen your confidence so that both your mind and body can easily deal with the upcoming stress.

7. After enjoying the benefits of B-complex, GABA, L-Theanine, 5-HTP, magnesium and Valeriana, I can strongly recommend these supplements which are of great help for mitigating the effects of stress.

This was my anti-stress concept. Try not to stress out and and make a personal plan which would help you fight off stress. Remember: the less stress, the better life!

GET RID OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

Automatic negative thoughts – “ATN” are the most common cause of dissatisfaction with life and the most serious obstacles when trying to achieve happiness. The following are examples of thoughts that belong to this group: "All or Nothing" (if I don't have it all, I have nothing); "Always" (when thoughts such as: always, never, everyone, no one, every time, and everything prevail in your mind); “Focusing on the Negative" and "Thinking with your Heart" (if you feel down, then your life seems dark); “Making Predictions” (when you predict things will go bad, convinced that these predictions are most certainly bound to happen); and, "Reading Other People's Thoughts " (she didn't call, so she's certainly mad at me)...

People who are their own biggest critics, pessimists, and people unable to cope with stress are utterly unhappy. They do not feel good about themselves, thinking they're overweight, unattractive, miserable…nothing is ever going right in their life and everyone is always working against them...

If you feel good about yourself and believe you are a beautiful person who deserves the best life has to offer, good things are bound to happen. These should be your thoughts and words: "I am a beautiful, kind person; good luck is on my side; and, I know I'll succeed...”

Believe in yourself. Don't hesitate to try new things and don't be afraid of making mistakes. Michael Jordan once said: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed 26 times. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Life is unpredictable. Not every day is beautiful. But this doesn't mean that we should give up and stop trying to make each day worthwhile. Sometimes it takes only a few seconds for an otherwise bad day to become good or even perfect (and vice versa).

START EVERY DAY WITH POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND HOPE THAT IT WILL BE ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY IN YOUR LIFE!

LET OUR CHILDREN TEACH US!

In order to achieve quality of life, you need to leave some room for fun. You should bear in mind that entertainment is an important aspect of wellbeing. Trying to deal with everyday affairs, most of us simply forget this aspect of life. How many of us actually know how to do that and how often are we ready to let everything go and just have fun? How well do you know yourself? What are the things that make you happy and that you feel comfortable doing?

I recently spent a wonderful family weekend at Universal Studios in Orlando. When you cross the gates of this amusement park, you enter a world of fantasy and fun. In addition to spending time on water slides and riding a rollercoaster, you have an amazing opportunity to be taken through a completely realistic simulation of Hogwarts by young wizard Harry Potter himself and his friends. There's also a true adrenalin ride through The Mummy Returns as well as the hilarious ride with the Simpsons. I must admit, I haven't had so much fun since childhood.

The whole time there, I silently wished the fun we were having would last as long as possible. When you're having such a good time with your loved ones, time ceases to exist. You don't even notice the time passing by, as you're only aware of the happiness you're experiencing. You don't see the difference in ages on all those radiant faces. Watching my mother and my daughters having the time of their lives, I realized how much we can learn about the "good" life from our children.

1. Children live every moment of their lives, while adults are too preoccupied with the past, and too worried about the future.

2. Children know exactly what they like and they truly enjoy doing such things, whether it be playing a violin or splashing through the puddles. Adults tend to forget the importance of an actual pleasure and its necessity in our everyday lives. Instead of fulfilling life with satisfaction, we tend to fulfill it with obligations.

3. Children believe in miracles, dreams and fairy tales.

And believe me, it's all possible and attainable.