The Best Medicine For Stress ( A Daily Dose Of Gratitude)
There is one sure fire medicine that cures all difficulty and opens the way for your greatest good. It allows you to sleep well at night, wake up refreshed and filled with enthusiasm. Obstacles evaporate and wonderful possibilities appear. This medicine is abundantly available, has no side effects, can be taken in large or small doses regularly. You need no one to prescribe it and the more you take, the sweeter it is. The medicine is a good dose of gratitude, taken daily, at least three times a day.
For example, if you are having difficulty in your relationships, a strong dose of gratitude will help a lot. Depression and thankfulness cannot exist in the same mind at the same time. When you are continually aware of the good you are receiving, complaints, resentments and demands become a thing of the past.
As we go through our day it is easy to focus upon what is wrong - when things do not go our way, we become upset, criticize others, demand what we want and sometimes even start to push others around.
Very few stop right where they are and begin to think of what is going right, what they have to appreciate and then offering thanks. But the very best medicine for stress is a grateful mind. Here are some simple steps to take a dose of gratitude today.
Step 1: When stressed, immediately stop and see what is going right today.
The more stress we feel, the more we find things wrong. We can nip this at the bud and begin to consciously look and see what is good about the day. By taking your attention off the negativity, you are taking the energy and power away from it. As you change your focus you change your life.
Step 2: Give thanks
Make a list of each person in your life you have to thank for something. Then, stop, take a few minutes, call one person and offer thanks. Offering thanks is powerful. We forget about ourselves and think of the other. Not only is it uplifting to be in touch with them again, but the fact that we've focused upon giving to them and offered thanks to them, will turn your day around. (And theirs as well).
Step 3: See a problem person in a new way.
Usually, when we are stressed, we feel some person is causing to it. Find something valuable about the person who is bothering you. Remember the times they helped you, or cared for you. Think of ways they've made a contribution. Realize that your upset belongs to you, it is not necessarily because of them. Let them be who they are. Realize they are doing the best they can.
Cc/author/2005
This article is based upon Dr. Brenda Shoshanna's new book Living By Zen (Timeless Truths for Everyday Life), http://www.livingbyzen.com Dr. Shoshanna is a psychologist, therapist in practice for over 25 years, a speaker, author and long term Zen practitioner. Her work integrates Zen and everyday life. The relationship expert on i.village.com, she is the author of She is also the author of Zen Miracles (Finding Peace In An Insane World), Zen And The Art Of Falling In Love, (Simon and Schuster) and many other books. She can be contacted at topspeaker@yahoo.com. Personal website is http://www.brendashoshanna.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Northfield Storm Water Prevention Seminar May 22 Wilmette Life These seminars will give residents the opportunity to ask experts on storm water engineering, landscaping, gardening and more about ways to minimize storm water damage to their property as well as provide “how-to” tips to home owners. |
Army pledge support to DepEd's Brigada Eskwela Philippine Information Agency The troopers will extend services like masonry, carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical, landscaping/gardening, and ordinary labor (cleaning). The 8th Infantry believes that education is one of the solutions to our security problem and will help ... |
Myers Park home to nation's largest Earth-Kind research program Celina Record The Earth-Kind Environmental Stewardship Program is an American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)-recognized educational program focused on protecting the environment and conserving natural resources through research-based landscaping, gardening ... |
 Oman Daily Observer | Largest sewage treatment plant Oman Daily Observer The quality of treated water produced at Al Ansab STP is so good that it can be used for various purposes such as irrigation, beautification, landscaping, gardening, cleaning, toilet flushing and other industrial requirements. |
 North Shore Times | Better Homes and Gardens' presenter Jason Hodges to create Australian Garden ... North Shore Times Mr Hodges started his landscaping gardening maintenance business, Greenart Gardens 20 years ago with a ute from his parents' Willoughby home. “I find the north shore to be one of the most appreciative communities in Australia for general space and ... |
Home and Garden Show Bayshore Broadcasting News Centre The 29th annual Port Elgin Rotary Home and Garden Show has about 80 vendors at the Plex and takes place from 10 AM to 4 PM today (SAT) and tomorrow (SUN). Both shows feature landscaping, gardening and home renovation businesses. |
Stress Management: The Power of a Day
I learned a valuable lesson recently. A short while ago, my mentor coach made this powerful request of me.
Why Stress Management Programmes Don't Work
Why Stress Management programmes don't work?It seems that every week there's yet another report telling us how serious the problem of Stress is becoming - how many working days are lost (anything between 6.5 million and 90 million days depending on whose report you read), how much it costs industry, what percentage of workers experience Stress, and so on.
Stress Management: How to Avoid the Ruts and Holes of Life
Have you ever noticed how we keep falling into the same holes and ruts in life? We know something doesn't work and yet we keep doing the same things over and over again.Have you ever wondered why we do this? And more importantly, how do we stop doing it, how do we stop "digging"? And how do we get out?As I've studied and searched over the years for ways to help people get the changes they want, quickly, gently and effectively, I've stumbled across a poem that seems to capture well the process of change.
An ADD Case Study: When the Pace Picks Up, Learn to Slow Down
The fall season signals a shift in most people's minds. The summer is coming to a close, and it's back to school, work, and the other things that we haven't put as much effort into since Memorial Day.
Balancing Acts: Keeping Work and Life in Equilibrium
In the fast-paced world that we live in today, it seems as though it's hard to find enough time to do everything that needs to be done. Days at work are long, but too often don't seem to be long enough? we bring home what we can't finish and end up creating highly stressful situations for those around us.
Worry: Is It Worthwhile Work or a Waste of Time?
As tools for change are discussed, one tool - that you might not have thought of - attains a unique status. That tool is WORRYING.
Strategies for Eliminating and Managing Stress
To combat modern day stressors, you need to realize that things are going to go the way they are going to go, so you may as well just relax. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to practice extreme self-care which means putting your own needs first.
Are You Leap-Frogging from Vacation to Vacation? Try Lily-Padding...
It's summertime and chances are you can remember a summer vacation when life moved at a slower pace. It felt so good to just enjoy the days and nights.
Stress Reduction Tips for Parents
The best way to reduce your stress is to really know what it IS, that is making you stressed! So sit down for a minute and think about last year. You can look at a calendar to remind yourself of events, or appointments.
Manage Stress and Fear: Visit The Secret Garden!
Recently I completed some new workshop engagements in addition to my coaching and week-long programs. I am very grateful for the opportunity to stretch and learn but am also acutely aware of the stress I am feeling taking on this new work.
Squeeze To Relax!
This heading may seem like a contradiction in terms. How on earth is squeezing anything going to allow for relaxation to occur? Surely it will generate more tension, won't it?Well, not necessarily.
Stress Mangement and Mastery: How to Defeat Sunday Night Syndrome
Picture the following scene:It's Sunday evening, the weekend is winding down and you're beginning to think about the work week ahead. What are your feelings?Do you find yourself excited and challenged, looking forward to another week of doing something you love? The most fortunate among us get to feel that way on a regular basis.
Stress Managment and Mastery: Break the Rules!
Of all the sources of stress in our lives, faulty emotional rules are one of the most debilitating. These faulty emotional rules are typically ingrained during childhood and become a part of how we live.
When Dreams Get Shattered: Picking Up the Pieces
"Smash!" It was a sunny autumn Saturday. My cousins and I were playing baseball in my aunt's back yard.
Stress Management: Ditch Thinking or Destination Thinking
Imagine driving down the road. You are driving with a great amount of anticipation, on your way to an important destination, a place you have always wanted to go.
Stress Management: 9 Universal Laws for Problem Solving
1. The Law of GiftsRichard Bach, author of "Illusions" says "There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in it's hands.
Stress Management and Mastery: How to Handle Change
Q. I have just recently come to recognize that I don't handle change very well, although my husband and friends have told me that for years.
Stress Relief - A Backyard Hot Tub Is Your Answer
We all know what it's like coming home from a busy day and needing some fast relaxation and stress relief. Many people choose to reach for that quick drink; but why not soak your stresses away? One of the best ways you can sit outside and enjoy the backyard is to install a hot tub and let the water bring relief from stresses and strains of the day.
Calming The Voice of Stress
But how can this happen to someone?Let's concentrate on how these illnesses affect the way we value the self. Of all of the destructive patterns of behavior these illnesses cause, the way a sufferer talks to the self is the fuel that maintains their illness.
Keeping You Stress Free!
We function at our best when we are free from stress, relaxed, confident and focused. Feeling the adrenalin flow and achieving a deadline by the skin of our teeth may be exhilarating in the short term but as a way of life can be detrimental to both health and happiness.
