How Exercise Can Help You Avoid Stress and Improve Your Life

For many of us, the idea of exercising is more stressful than just about anything else. It has become a joke for many people to imply that going to the gym is an impossible task and that they are simply content with their inactive lifestyles. While this can be fair, it is also dangerous and mentally destructive to remain too stagnant. Physical activity is one of the key ingredients in creating a healthy and stable life. There is a reason why people dread exercise; many people are caught up in cycles of depression and self-destructive behavior and habits that often prevent them from making any improvements in their lives. 

 

However, breaking through that depression is incredibly important. All of us deserve to live comfortably and stress free lives. However, when you are actively avoiding the tasks that will physically prevent you from being overwhelmed by stress and negative feelings and a sense of shame or low self-worth, whatever stress you might feel on average will be compounded. 

 

We can all agree that it is important to stay healthy. And that being an active person, within your capabilities, is crucial. We even encourage the elderly and disabled to engage in range of motion exercises. Not because we want them to feel foolish, but because it truly improves their quality of life and can lower the stresses that they may experience on a daily basis. 

 

If you’re the type of person who can enjoy the merits of exercising then you may already understand how powerful its benefits can be. Not only does exercise help your brain to produce feel good chemicals that can be natural preventatives for depression, but knowing that you are taking care of yourself is a great way to get rid of stress you may never have realized was there. Not only that, but being able to say you are taking steps to be the best self you can possibly be is a great way to find confidence within yourself and understand more about the things that you value most.

 

Exercising may not be for everybody, but it is beneficial for everyone. There are exercises that everyone can do. If you find yourself having knee trouble, consider looking into low impact exercises that will help you to improve your muscles and stay fit with the situation you must deal with.

 

Overall, staying fit has been cited as one of the cheapest cures for depression. While we can’t call it a cure officially, it is safe to say that it absolutely doesn’t hurt. Just be sure to be kind and forgiving of your body and of yourself when you are starting out. We all have different levels of performance that can and do improve over time. Be patient and treat yourself with love, as this is the most crucial step to take in living a stress-free life! 

 

Retreating from Social Media to Reduce Stress

Going dark on social media seems sometimes like the person doing it is punishing those around them for being a distraction or for disagreeing with what they do. However, it is actually healthy to disconnect every once in a while, and allow yourself to fully experience the range of your surroundings without having technology distracting you from the world around you.

 

To unplug can be a very rehabilitating experience. We are sometimes so consumed by our negative situations that we are unable to focus on the things that matter most to us. When that becomes an issue, one of the best ways to resolve it is to allow ourselves the opportunity to disengage from raining sources without feeling obligated to give more to others than we are able to do comfortably.

 

Social media can often be a draining experience for us. We are forced to compare our lives to the lives of other people who may have had more opportunities and who have accumulated more wealth. However, studies have proven that there is no faster way to low self-esteem than to compare ourselves to other people. 

 

It is a mentally, emotionally, and physically draining experience. We envy those around us even if we try to tell ourselves that we are happy for their success. And in fact, the fastest way to reduce stress can be to actually accept that everybody leads different lives and has different opportunities and try to find some genuine peace in knowing this. If you can do your best to be happy for other people and their successes rather than comparing their lives to the ways you feel you are failing or have failed, then this will reduce a huge burden of stress from your shoulders. 

 

Sometimes, it can also just be refreshing to be away from social media drama. People are constantly putting their opinions out there for the world to see, inviting and sometimes even provoking heated conversations about controversial topics. Politics, religion, and other personal issues can be flaunted and trumpeted, causing major stress for people who are simply hoping to catch up with the people in their lives they may have lost touch with. 

 

We can be reminded of all the things that we wish we had and that we are aspiring toward. It is discouraging at times to find yourself caught in a cycle of wishing for more than what is currently possible, or assuming that other people in your life are better off than you are or may ever be. But that is a trap that is perpetuated by social media, where everybody puts their best faces forward and is selective about the details they put online. Then again, some people put all their dirty laundry out there, and that can be stressful too!

 

In either case, avoiding social media for a few days can be a great way to recharge and limiting your time on these networks can be a good trick to keep in mind for those days you need to destress and recharge!

 

How to Turn Your Stressors into Success

One of the fatal flaws of the human race is a woeful lack of self-reflection. Many people haven’t stopped to think about how true it is that to know thyself is the source of true power. Instead, we too often go from day to day without the knowledge of the things that are most stressful to us, causing us to suffer from a severe disadvantage. We are pawns that can be so easily controlled by our emotions. The chains that tie us to our failures are often right in our own hands. Our minds and feelings can work against us. We are our own worst enemies. 

 

That being said, we can easily begin to help ourselves to learn how to deal with stressful situations and people. If we are our own worst enemies, we can also learn how to be our own heroes as well. If we learn how to cope with our issues and become better people as a whole, then it can be easy to see that our best bet in life is to learn the ins and outs of our own personalities if we are going to succeed.

 

For example, it can be difficult to succeed if we don’t know the things that we are vulnerable to. Some people will seek out these vulnerabilities and use them against us as a way to maintain power and control over a situation that we are involved in. if you do not want to be controlled then the easiest way to figure out how to avoid it is to know everything about yourself. Don’t advertise your emotions to others. Simply learn who you are and how you are affected by the situations that you find yourself in. 

 

Put on a poker face so to speak and learn what hurts you the most. Learn about the things that make you the angriest. Learn about how you react to provoking emotional stimuli. Learn how you can control these fatal flaws so that you are not constantly at the mercy of your emotional self. And if you are already there, then more power to you. 

 

The less affected you are by outside stimuli, the easier it is going to be for you to achieve your goals and dreams. And the less likely you are going to suffer from needless additional stress. If you can learn how to look away from situations that might otherwise stick in your gullet and cause you to feel irritation and stress, then you are going to have a major advantage. 

 

We can all benefit from knowing how to keep ourselves in check emotionally and otherwise, so learn who you are and you will be that much closer to becoming the successful person you want to be!

 

How to Come Together With Your Friends and Family to Reduce Stress and Improve Your Success

Some of the most miserable people in the world are the loneliest. Everyone can agree that human beings are socially driven people. It can be extremely difficult to feel good without a strong support system and the knowledge that people out there are going to care about your well-being and offer you assistance if you should ever need it.

 

We can all probably remember a time when we were struggling and it was only through the support or friendship of someone else that we were able to find our way out of that difficult situation. Our instincts are usually to help each other out of binds and try to build things together. Most of us would like to coexist peacefully with one another, despite our differences. However, there are also some people out there who would rather leave us high and dry than accept the ways we may differ from them. These are generally not the best people to include in your support system, as they can exhibit toxic behaviors that can cause us to question ourselves and second guess our worth as a means of manipulation.

 

Rather, consider the people in your life who are always willing to give you a fair chance. People who are supportive and confident in your abilities. People who won’t put you down for their own satisfaction or because you don’t always line up with their ideals.

It can be defeating to get your support from someone who may or may not withdraw it at any time. The ups and downs of toxic relationships have a huge impact on our lives. We do have the power to avoid them, however. And in recognizing a toxic relationship before it gets too far, we are providing ourselves with the security of knowing that we should never base our sense of self-worth based on anything that someone else says. Especially a toxic person. 

 

However, that isn’t to say that there is no benefit in having a good support network. Knowing that you have truly trustworthy people in your life is so important. If you are able to have friends and family members who truly want to see you succeed, being able to surround yourself with them is a powerful and uplifting experience. Telling them about your ups and downs will always help, and you will get several new perspectives on difficult situations that may open your eyes to new opportunities you may have otherwise missed.

 

Never overlook the power of the people who care about you most! Sometimes a listening ear is all you need to turn a bad and stressful day into the beginning of a new perspective that could change your life forever! 

 

The Power of Taking a Break

Sometimes life can get overwhelming and we find ourselves overcome by the stresses of knowing all that we have left to do. When we are motivated to make great changes but we find that there is a lot of work to be done, it can cause us to sometimes stall out and freeze. The stress we feel from our lofty goals can be a huge obstacle and actually cause us to stop making progress. 

 

It is almost as if our brains are focusing too much of our processing power in one place and they begin to get burnt out. Especially if we are not breaking our goals down into smaller pieces that are actually more manageable seeming and realistic to accomplish. When we are overloading ourselves with the countless tasks that we need in order to achieve the specific goals we have in mind, then it can actually be counterproductive.

 

Instead of letting your brain burn itself out, there is power in being able to take a break. Don’t get this confused with giving yourself the excuse to shut down and stop accomplishing anything at all. Rather, acknowledge to yourself that you need to take a time out for some self-care and allow yourself the opportunity to relax and recharge for your next project. 

 

Most of us don’t realize just how many different types of stimuli we are attempting to process at any given time. Because of this, it can be easy to fall into bouts of stress that we may not even notice we are dealing with. that is why, if you are beginning to feel a little bit frazzled, you will benefit greatly from taking a little bit of time for yourself. 

 

We are always working on something. Some people even theorize that when we are dreaming, it is the brain’s attempts at problem solving and processing the information we are dealing with during our waking lives. It’s important to allow ourselves chances to relax throughout the day and try not to guilt trip ourselves for needing some down time. Sure, you could be using every single waking second of your day to work toward accomplishing your goals, but ultimately that can cause us to slow down our productivity and reach burn out that much faster. 

 

If you want to maintain a high level of quality to your work, you would benefit from allowing yourself to clear your mind from time to time and enjoy yourself. We all need a chance to refresh our morale and unwind a little bit if we are going to perform at the best of our abilities. Instead of feeling like you are not getting anything done, try to remember that to do things at your highest level, you will benefit greatly from learning how to pace yourself and take the time you need to stop and smell the roses!

 

Avoiding Too Much of a Good Thing

One issue some of us may face is overworking our bodies. While it is true that staying active and getting regular exercise is incredibly important, there is also a dark side to getting too much activity. Sometimes becoming addicted to exercise, movement, and activity can actually put extra stress on your body and mind. This can be especially true if you find a sense of validation from trying to work toward a specific body image.

 

Stress from attempting to accomplish these types of goals can cause a lot of stressors, not only in our minds but physically as well once that drive goes into action. Most people fail to realize that there is such a thing as overdoing it with their physical exertion. If you aren’t visibly injuring yourself, then it may seem like there is no problem at all in exercising your heart out.

 

Unfortunately, the things that we are experiencing in our bodies are often invisible. We do not get signs and symptoms of serious issues until it is too late, and constantly exercising releases stress hormones into the brain. It is important to make sure that you are not overloading your body with this type of stress, as it can ultimately be problematic for your heart and sometimes even your mood. Make sure that you are giving yourself a reasonable amount of rest so that your muscles can repair themselves and you are able to do things in a healthy way. 

 

It is always important not to put yourself to extremes in any situation. While there can always be room for improvement, there is also a lot to be said for enjoying things in moderation. You can still maintain a healthy lifestyle. Just do your best not to obsess about it and if possible, keep in mind the fact that your physical fitness is not a total reflection of your worth. It is okay to take things easy once in a while and still find value in yourself. 

 

While it is always important to stay active, everything that we do takes a toll on us. Constantly putting yourself through stressors that can easily be avoided is dangerous. Consider all of the stories you may have heard about people who are shocked by a loved one who is in peak physical condition having heart attacks or other health issues that we are often thought exercise is meant to avoid. It is possible those people are guilty of overdoing it with their exercise regimen.

 

The purpose of this article isn’t to discourage you from exercise. Being active is a vital part of living a healthy life. However, make sure that you are being active in a safe way, because too much of a good thing can easily turn into a bad one, no matter what it is!

 

Avoiding Processed Foods as a Stress Reduction Technique

Many people may not realize that when we eat, our levels of cortisol will rise. This is an occurrence that is relatively important; it helps our bodies to sort out the good things from the bad so that we know what we can use and which nutrients to absorb. Unfortunately, this is something that can actually be very bad for us when we are not consuming a proper amount of healthy foods.

 

When we eat processed foods, the levels of stress in our bodies will rise. It is dangerous because our cortisol levels will rise exponentially through the consumption of unhealthy and processed foods. It is important to try and remain conscious of the effects of each of the choices that we make. By consuming foods that will cause our stress levels to rise, whether we are aware of it or not, we are subjecting ourselves to major health issues, not only physically, but potentially emotionally. 

 

Have you ever been in a bad mood without really fully understanding why that is? Did you ever notice that you are feeling poorly and then examine the food choices you have made and realize that it is possibly related to your food choices?

 

Another thing to look out for are food sensitivities. If you have any sensitivities to foods, or food allergies, these things can cause your body to release stress hormones as your immune system is activated in an attempt to fight off the problem. This can leave you feeling moody and irritable, and cause inflammation in your body that you may not be aware of because it is not always physically apparent.

 

When our bodies are under duress, our moods tend to take a hit. Our bodies are very sensitive and more often than not, irritability and mood swings are often indicative of serious physical problems. If you look at the symptoms for many diseases, irritability and mood swings are often early warning signs. Our bodies know when something is off, and when our brains are producing an overabundance of stress hormones, it is a sign that we should be paying attention.

 

Do your best to grocery shop in a smart way. Make meal plans that include fresh and healthy food options. Rather than going through every aisle in the grocery store right away, consider simply going around the outside and purchasing a majority of fresh foods before heading into the processed food aisles. It is much easier to make healthy choices if you are prepared ahead of time!

 

While processed foods may seem like a convenient choice, consider the future. It may cost you much more than that to try to reverse the damage that these types of foods can cause the body, while prevention is as easy as making better choices. When they say that one ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, they aren’t joking! Avoid stressing your body out with processed foods and enjoy a healthier lifestyle today!

 

How Passion at Work Helps You Get Ahead

A recent study has discovered 88% of people are unhappy in their job. The other 12% experience joy and passion for what they do.

 

Are you in this 12%?

 

If not, you’re not alone. Sadly, a lack of passion does more than make the day drag. When you’re not enthusiastic about what you do, you’re simply not going to be as productive or even as successful at what you do compared to the individual who gets excited about their job. 

 

Don’t believe it? Consider these ideas on how passion at work will help you get ahead.

 

Passionate People Focus

You can’t help but be intrigued by the things you’re passionate about. You can’t wait to dive in and see what makes things tick. This kind of focus enables you to see all the moving parts easily. It also keeps you more on task, and less likely to allow interruption as you hate to be pulled away from what you love. 

 

Passionate People Experience Less Stress

 

When you’re passionate, you’re just more relaxed overall. Why would you be stressing about doing something you love? Instead, you’re more likely to feel the satisfaction of doing what you love as you get stuff done. 

 

Passionate People are Creative

 

When you love what you do, you can’t wait to learn more about it. This interest in your work makes you more knowledgeable and more likely to notice things. This leads to more creativity in the course of your day.

 

Passionate People Get More Done

 

Passion is what wakes up a competitive spirit. You can’t wait to get things done just to see what comes next. All these things mean you’re putting out more work, and are much more likely to finish tasks over someone who isn’t passionate.

 

Passionate People Do Better

 

When you’re passionate, you’re going to be more interested in the details and will push more to ‘get it right’ just because you can. Being passionate means that you’re doing a better quality of work, which is, in turn, noticed by those around you. Hey, think about it. When promotion time comes, who would you rather move up, someone who hates their job and drags through the day or someone enthusiastic, quick to action, and gets the work done?

 

Passionate People Have Fun

 

Work doesn’t have to be drudgery. When you’re passionate, you’re interested in what you do. This interest makes the day just go faster. 

 

Passionate People Hate to Go Home at the End of the Day

 

This one should sort of speak for itself. When you find yourself wanting to stay and keep going with what you’re doing, you’re definitely in the right place doing the right thing. 

 

3 Irrational Reasons Why We Don’t Negotiate

Why is it so hard to ask for what we want?

 

We see other people do it all the time. Someone else gets a better deal on a car or really nails that raise. Life looks good for everyone else, while we’re the ones who seem to be going nowhere fast.

 

Why is this? Is everyone else just better at negotiating?

 

The reality is, if you’re not getting what you want, you’re probably not asking. In fact, about 2/3 of the population will not negotiate in a given situation, though it’s not for the reason you think. It isn’t opportunity holding you back, it’s fear. But can we truly be blamed? Fear can be a powerful motivator.

 

Let’s look at some of the irrational reasons why we don’t negotiate.

 

“I might be rejected.”

 

No one likes to hear “no.” In fact, it’s such a strong dislike, people will go way out of their way to avoid this kind of response. It’s why people break out in a cold sweat when they think about proposing to their special someone or would rather do just about anything to avoid asking for a favor. In the world of negotiation, this can be especially daunting because a ‘no’ here means you don’t get what you’re angling for. How do you get past this? Tell yourself it’s okay to hear ‘no.’ You won’t get what you want if you don’t ask, so you’ve got nothing to lose. 

 

“What will they think of me?”

 

Afraid you’re going to look bad if you ask? Our image is everything. Not wanting to look miserly or too much like you’re taking unfair advantage are reasonable worries. On the other hand, we tend to be our own harshest critics. Will the other person really look at you differently for asking? A salesman isn’t going to think twice about your asking, and your boss may respect you more for having the guts to ask. In the end, the more important question is, what will you think of you if you don’t ask?

 

“What if I screw this up?”

 

Nothing makes us kick ourselves more than the idea of losing an opportunity. On the other hand, if you don’t ask, you might be missing out on an even better opportunity. 

 

While these fears are irrational, there is some truth to the idea you need to think before you speak. Paying attention to who you’re dealing with should give you a feel for when to throw caution to the wind. In the end, even a missed opportunity isn’t the end of the world. There are always new things around the corner. Don’t let fear rule your life. You’re really braver than you think.