By: Marie-Louise Small
Make these ten simple stress relievers part of your life for calm, confident living.
1. Think positively. Break the habit of putting yourself and everything else down. When you catch yourself thinking negatively, stop it.
2. Learn to see problems as challenges that can be overcome. Remember: you always have options.
3. Never say never again. Everything is possible.
4. If you make a mistake, don’t dwell on it. Learn what you can from it and move on.
5. Cut big problems down to size. Think of one thing you can do today to improve a situation. Focus all your energy on achieving it.
6. Look for at least one reason a day to laugh. Research shows laughter releases feel-good chemicals in the brain.
7. Spend at least a minute every day contemplating all the things you have in your life to be grateful for.
8. Ask yourself empowering questions. In the midst of a crisis, for example, don’t ask why you got into this mess; ask how can you improve it.
9. Do what you can to minimise stressful situations. If you face a mad rush in the mornings, for example, get up earlier, have your clothes and paperwork ready.
10. Tackle challenges head-on. Procrastination only delays things, it doesn’t solve them.
