Solutions for Tackling Little Things of Life That Stress You Out

Little stresses can feel like crushing hands hovering over your head.

We all have stress in our lives that affects us.  Sometimes,  the reason for our tension can be major such as finding out that you, a family member or another loved one has a serious disease or die.  Then again, you can lose your job or find out that your husband or wife is cheating on you or that your child is on drugs.  Worrying about how to solve serious problems is one thing, but allowing the smaller annoyances of life too constantly crush your spirit is simply wrong.  Let me share some ways to solve some of the most common problems that can really get on your nerves.

Reason One (Yes or No) and the Fix for This Avoidable Stress

Here’s a good example that I’m sure probably happened to you as well.  You plan to hold a dinner or bought tickets for an event that only this friend would care to see with you to hosting a garage sale together.  The friend immediately accepts but cancels out at the last minute.  Falling ill is understandable and one thing.  However, it is irritating when you later find out that this friend just didn’t really want to go or feel like rummaging through their stuff to price items for the sale.  Just as annoying is finding out that the same friend forgot about the plans in the first place when it should have been on their calender.

Instead of letting this little annoyance bother you, here is the fix.  Give this person an easy out when before you issue the request or invitation.  For instance, you can say, “I want to hold a garage sale.  Would you like to share the advertising costs with me and we can sell together?  If you don’t want to do this, this is fine but I wanted to ask.”  Asking in this fashion doesn’t put pressure on that person to accept because you asked.  You are allowing the person an option without letting him to feel trapped into accepting.  At the same time, you find out earlier how the friend feels about your request. 

Reason Two (Rudeness) and the Solution

Another little stress of life is dealing with rude complainers wherever you encounter them.  The post office is a good example.  The branch that I go to often has one counter person and typically is crowded.  People in line will complain how there should be more clerks to wait on them, but the staff has been reduced due to budget cuts.  However, when the inconvenience affects them in their daily life, the solution for the complainers is simply to make loud, snarky comments to others and degrade whoever happens to be behind the counter.  

The solution for this is go to the post office ahead of everyone else to be the first in line, go to another post office or mail through a different service, or stop complaining because this is the new reality due to the budget of the post office.   No one likes to wait, but everyone deserves to be treated with respect and kindness.  The important thing to remember is that person behind the counter is the same as you, despite what position or amount of money that you have.  

Then again, maybe you notice that sales clerks sometimes can disappear when you want to check out at a store or when you need help asking about a certain item.  Waiting and searching through aisles looking for a body that could wait on you or answer questions can be frustrating.  After you march through every section of that store and are about to leave, then finally someone appears.  You, of course, have the urge to strangle the person, especially more so when the clerk later makes a mistake with your receipt or fails to know anything about what you need.

Sales clerks do work in shifts.  Perhaps, the time you chose to shop was between shifts.  Maybe shopping at that store a little later in the day would help with more people on the floor.  If this solution didn’t resolve the issue, then you might want to shop at another store that has more clerks to serve you.  

If your sales clerk made a mistake or may have given you with a slightly off-color remark, understand they are human too that also could have been going through a personal problem.  Of course, our problems are supposed to be left at home.  Nonetheless, there are times we all need to be understanding of each other because maybe that clerk was belittled by the customer before you for not being fast enough, etc.   

If you don’t appreciate the tone or what this clerk was implying, it  never hurts to ask if you offended him or her for some reason.  In all likelihood, the sales clerk will catch himself and apologize for that behavior.

If this behavior happens repeatedly by the same clerk, then the solution is going to his superior.  Otherwise, relax and give the poor clerk a break.  We all have bad days.  I’m sure that even you aren’t totally pleasant 24 hours a day, seven days a week, nonstop.  At least, I’m not.  

Reason Three (Automated Customer Service) and the Solution

Something that really infuriates me is automated customer service.  Have you ever noticed how many lines that you need to wait for until the one you need to press finally is announced?  Better yet, after you do get connected through that automated line, then you get this computer voice saying how very important that your call is, but there are at 20 or so people ahead of you waiting for the next available representative.  You are left either to wait and listen to some horrible music that can get on your nerves, repeating itself through occasional interruptions by the computer voice saying “your call is very important to us, but please continue waiting and the next available representative will be with you shortly,” or allowing a call back later.  My favorite is after a set number of minutes that automated call simply disconnects you or says our lines are too busy please call back later.

The solution for automated customer service calls is bringing back the humans.  We crave human contact, not machine contact.  Therefore, there is a great website that understands the need called get2humans.com.  This website has many companies listed there with the right person to contact and how to get past the automation. 

Reason Four (Noisy Home) and the Solution

Maybe your little stress is a noisy home when you desperately need some peace and quiet.   Imagine the television blaring and your family argues over what was discussed on a political show, defending their views.  As that heated debate is going on, loud music could be filtering through the hallway from another room.  Not to be drown out is the excited sound of children fighting about toys, adding to the chorus. 

Instead of wanting to scream and run away, you can run to your bathroom for some shower solitude.  Allow the shower to offer that peace and quiet while you relax in that soothing warm water and muffle the other sounds.  The time in your shower or your bath can be one of the best times to recoup in a stressful day.  Use it to your advantage.

Reason Five (You’re Talking But No One Listens) and the Solution

When others in your household have something important to say then you listen because it is the right, polite thing to do.   Yet, this rule doesn’t always apply when it comes to you, which can cause resentment and anger.   However, there is something useful that can give you more control over the situation.
Do not raise your voice, but call a family meeting.  Tell the husband and the kids that no one is going anywhere or turning on their computer, television, etc. until you tell them what you need to for next five minutes or so because you need their attention.  Speak slowly and directly to exert your authority until they understand you mean business.  Make it clear that you expect the same amount of their attention as you give them.

The Ultimate Solution (Looking at Little Stresses and Seeing Them for What They Really Are is Liberating)

The point is that life is hard enough without adding the little annoyances to what is already stressful enough in our lives.  Learning to see really why we got upset over some of those little things and analyzing them in a new way to see how petty they really are can free us from the extra pain weighing us down.

Do you have any thoughts?  If so, tell me how you handle those little daily stresses.

Why Is the World So Full of Anger and Hatred These Days?

A bullet can't solve a problem.  

It seems almost every day you turn on the news and see a shooting or another hideous murder such as one family member killing another?  The sad part is unspeakable crimes keep occurring each year. Yet, have you ever asked yourself what is happening to suddenly bring out so much hatred and anger in people?

I am no psychologist or psychiatrist.  However, I do have my own theories about why this unfortunate change can be occurring in our society.  Look at the world we live in. 

People Are Under More Pressure Than Ever

Anymore, you need two paychecks just to survive whereas in the old days one paycheck would be enough to keep a family housed, fed, and clothed.  Today, women have the same amount of stress as men in the old days, but most likely more with juggling household work and tending the family.  Of course, this same working woman has to look good with enough energy left for her guy.  This is one kind of frustrating pressure that can change attitudes of people.

Wages are another reason to fuel the anger.  Have you noticed that the prices of groceries, clothes, utilities, taxes, transportation, etc. go up too fast to keep up?

 Ask yourself why the big shots at the top, despite bad performance like what happened with the banking industry to corporate executives that may have lost your private data get big bonuses?  On the other hand, the regular worker is lucky if a yearly bonus will still be given, an IRA won’t be touched to worrying about the safety of their health insurance and retirement.

Regardless of where you work or what your position may be, employers these days may pile more to your workload without any additional compensation.  Perhaps, you are now doing the job of someone that was recently let go.  You may have the option of leaving, but in reality jobs aren’t plentiful in your field so you stay on.  Resentment at this unfair treatment can only build.  After all, you are a worthy employee that deserves respect and consideration for what you bring to that position.  Therefore, this also may contribute to some causes of this anger.

Speaking of the workplace, how would you feel as a boss suddenly being forced to train your replacement?  The replacement was hired because the employer could get away with paying him far below your salary since the replacement was not even a citizen.  

Disney World let go employees in favor of hiring lower-wage people with H1B visas. Don’t you get a charge out of the companies always saying they need to bring in all these replacements with H1B visas because there’s not enough skilled workers to fill those same positions?  How is working at Disney World quality for specialized skills maybe operating rides, reception desks, etc.?  The real reason is corporate greed.  This is another reason that many people can become more angry.

Technology Adds to Anger 

If it’s not another worker to replace you, then it’s a machine.  Have you noticed how the stores where you shop, especially grocery stores are starting to encourage self-checkouts instead of hiring a cashier?  I think that is horrible.  I always like to go to a cashier because everyone deserves to have a job.  A machine does not need to support anyone.  For example, I went to the grocery store and noticed only two cashiers and all the other aisles were self-checkout.  This frustrated me, not to mention those other people that had to give up their hours or cashier job completely to a machine.

People are wound so tight anymore that if you accidently bump into another at a bus stop, apologies aren’t enough.  I was nearly stabbed by a woman after apologizing when I tried to catch a bus a few years ago.  How sad is that when someone feels it is easier to physically hurt another person than accept a sincere apology?  

Another one that is happening too often is road rage.  One summer morning I had my car loaded with stuff to take to our local flea to set up.  It was very early, still not all light yet, when I was driving up this winding road.  A mother raccoon crossed to the other side and her three babies were left on the other.  Anyway, I didn’t want to run them over.  Instead, I slowed down to let them pass, but behind me this car speeded up to pass me.  If another car came down this narrow road, I wouldn’t be writing this for you today.  The funny thing was this crazy man that gave me the finger and shouted obscenities didn’t get to his destination any sooner because he landed up at the same light that I was.  What makes people resort to foul language and gestures to finding joy in perhaps running over those baby raccoons?  Perhaps, he was late for his job, which spurred that hatred that was broiling within him.

Families Spend Less Time Together 

How about all those “dreamers” and families they want to tear apart?  Where are compassion and the hearts of people?  I can’t imagine being raised here since you were a child and have to return to a country where you may not speak the language or have any real connection to.  I can understand frustration and anger at the thought of an uncertain future.  Those that want to send these people back probably believe so many new jobs will open up once they’re gone.  Is that really what will happen or just an excuse?

These things don’t help our society and this anger is just at home.  Throw in what is happening around the world and who might nuke the other first  is another reason for dimming the light out of people’s hearts to blacken them with anger and despair. 
  
People are walking around on eggshells and can crack at any minute just on these domestic and world issues.  Unfortunately, adults are not the only ones affected.  Frustrated parents often can miss signs in their children like what may have led to the mass shooting yesterday in Florida.

Experts blame yesterday’s school murders on mental illness.  Yet, the weapon was purchased legally by a 19-year-old man.  How do you recognize mental illness before such a sale?

More control of selling guns is important.  If you need registration for your car and insurance, then it should be mandatory, not just in 36 states, but in all states.

I wonder how many times are we going to have to see mass killings before anything is done?  We need to protect everyone.  More police and more mental health professionals cannot be the answers.  Change has to come deeper for this to be effective.

How do you feel about what is going on with the world?  

Some Thoughts on How to Get More Happiness From Life

Redirecting stress and channeling it differently can improve the quality of your life.

Most people are stressed almost to their breaking points these days with everything that is happening in their lives and the world.  Some of what is going on is out of the average person’s control.  However, we are the ones that have control of our daily lives. Therefore, we can either let stress dictate how we live each day and confine us to our misery or view life differently.

Start by pinpointing the source of your tension. Of course, there will be problems beyond your control such as finding yourself or a loved one stricken with an incurable disease, injured in an accident, a victim of murder, etc.  

Yet, there are lots of other ones that can consume us from things like an unreasonable boss.  Perhaps, he or she makes you work those last few extra minutes by taking one more call, despite your computer system is in the process of shutting down.  This unfair action could cause you to miss your bus or be caught in rush hour.  A possible solution is seeing if your boss will allow you to start earlier to avoid that rush hour traffic hassle.  

Juggling schedules to take a child to the dentist, doctor or to a school activity by always being the one designated as the official driver for your children can lead to stress, not to mention resentment.  Demand some consideration by taking turns with your spouse can be wonderful for you and the entire family in general with more bonding.

Those are only two common examples, but ones that can spoil our lives.  

Another prime example of how we let stress to negatively affect us is through little things.  Think of your average day at home.  Perhaps, your child left their toys scattered on the floor instead of back in their toy box.  Yelling at their crime only solves to raise your blood pressure.  Of course, you can have dad scold them but you keep the tension and increase his as well.  Then again, you could try simply sweeping the toys off to the corner or box them up and threaten to give them away.   Instead, release only one toy at a time until the children understand if it is not back in the toy box they will not get another toy returned.

You also might want to read my earlier post on stress-busting techniques.  Stress is a killer if we let it continue to dominant our lives.  Learning to ease up on ourselves and the way we deal with stressful situations can be improved upon.  It may take practice to see a brighter side to what is going on and handling our anxiety, but it is a more productive emotion than the negative impact of stress.

Some Simple Calming Ways to Stay Focused When Stressed

This beauty is redirecting her stress instead of concentrating on it.

The reality is stress is a part of life.  Regardless of how well adjusted you may be, but everyone is subject to experiencing this emotion at times.  The challenge is not letting it dictate our lives, but instead channeling that energy elsewhere.  Below are some a few helpful methods that could make all the difference for smoother sailing for your mental well-being during those rough times.

Why Multitasking Could Possibly Take a Toll on Your Health!

When life becomes overwhelming, you need a strategy. Hopefully, this post will help.

Let’s face it, but our lives are nothing like our mothers.  A generation ago, more women than not were homemakers.  Today, most women work outside of the home either following their dream of a successful career or just to make ends meet with a second income to help support the family. With so much on our plates, our daily lives can often run like a circus with us juggling many tasks at once.

How to Improve Your Odds of Getting a Better Night’s Sleep!

Your bedroom should be free of distractions so you can concentrate on sleep.

We all experience those occasional nights when you simply can’t fall asleep. Sometimes, you can blame this condition on stress.  Other times, you can over stimulate your mind by working too hard into the night and carrying those thoughts with you to bed.  Then again, drinking too much of any beverage, especially coffee with all of its caffeine can keep your mind alert besides body active during your extra trips to the bathroom. If sleeplessness happens to you more than you like, I have some suggestions that will help the problem.

Some Great Stress-Busting Tricks to Nip Stress in the Bud!

When she is happy, her smile can light up a room.  However beautiful as she may be, her eyes hide nothing and tell another story.

Regardless of what you do, where you live, how rich or poor, or who you are, there is one thing each of us has in common–-some form of stress in our lives.  The problems may differ, but rest assured no one is immune.  After all, life is full of twists and turns to make it a never-ending challenge.   The real trick to living is learning how to manage that daily stress to better cope with the ups and downs. Though you may be skeptical, there are simple ways that you can help yourself de-stress through it all.

Before you allow that stressful situation to consume you, try redirecting your energy into a physical activity. Exercising your body, instead of your mind will help the brain to release that rush of mood-elevating endorphins for help in feeling better.  Scrub, vacuum, dance, take a walk, yoga, aerobics or get on your treadmill if you want.  The important thing is to do whatever exercise for at least fifteen minutes to give those positive endorphins a chance to kick in.  

One Herb That Can Help Keep You Sane Through All the Holiday Chaos

Lavender can be your best friend for both the mind and body.

Probably about now you might be doing some last minute shopping, baking, cleaning or still wrapping gifts as you prepare for the holidays.  Perhaps, you’re even having out-of-town family and friends on their way to stay with you.  As much as you look forward to all that celebrating ahead, you also might find all the activities and rushing to get everything done on time can leave you extra tired and stressed.  You may think there is nothing much you can do, but there is something that helps restore your mood and body--lavender.

The lavender that I am referring to is not an artificial lavender aroma from a pretty scent, but the power of the real herb.  There are quite a few proven studies on the effects of lavender on the nervous system for calming, improving concentration, brightening your outlook to relaxing you enough to bring on sleep.  

Of course, you might be tempted just to burn a natural lavender aromatherapy candle that is made from its essential oil.  Though helpful, if you want to get all you can from lavender then you are better served using lavender essential oil and applying it to your wrist.  

Unlike many essential oils that need to be diluted first with a carrier oil, this is safe to apply directly to your skin.  Direct skin contact of lavender essential oil has also been shown substantially reduce blood pressure, the heart rate and its temperature.

So before you get tied up in knots this holiday season, think of yourself and those you love by looking into buying some lavender essential oil for your total well-being.     

Pamper Yourself With My Soothing Homemade Milk Bath Recipe!

Milk is a healthy drink for your body and a wonderful help for your skin.

Milk has plenty of value when consumed as a beverage.  After all, it has nine essential nutrients that include protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, D, B-12, niacin, riboflavin, and phosphorus to fuel and repair the body. But, milk can also do a body good from the outside as a fabulous way to soothe and effectively moisturize dry skin.

The lactic acid in milk helps exfoliate and clean as you soak while its fat and protein are what makes the skin supple and silky.  

At the same time, this wonderful recipe that I want to share will help relieve itching, which can be especially a problem for many during colder weather.  

Yet, my recipe also has an aromatherapy benefit.  Soaking in this milk bath after a stressful day can also help with relaxation since it contains lavender essential oil.    

I do hope you try this because it does the trick for improving both the condition of your skin and mental state!

My Soothing Milk Bath Recipe

1 cup of powdered milk
½ cup of Epsom salts
3/4 tablespoon of baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch
4 drops of lavender essential oil

Milk all the ingredients together before adding to your tub for a leisurely soak.

Review: L’Occitane en Provence’s Aromachologie Revitalizing Body Scrub & Relaxing Massage Body Oil

Disclaimer: This post is based on a free product provided by a company as a press sample so that I may offer my own opinion, which may be the same or differ from yours.

Aromachologie Revitalizing Body Scrub

After an immediate family member was rushed suddenly to the hospital, I was stressed and exhausted, especially more so once that loved one’s condition suffered further complications from the medications once admitted.  

I was going back and forth to the hospital.  Trying to care for the rest of the family and hold myself together wasn’t exactly easy when the doctors don’t have answers and your loved one’s condition only gets worse instead of improving. I wasn’t sleeping all that well or thinking about the blog, if the truth is known, but when I was preparing for my bath one of those nights, I saw those L’Occitane en Provence's Aromachologie products I set aside. 

I grabbed the Aromachologie Revitalizating Body Scrub and ran my bath.  This sugar scrub has a delicate lavender herbal scent with an uplifting note of rosemary that keeps the fragrance sweet but more therapeutic for the way it affects your senses with its essential oils as you exfoliate.

Though unwinding in a leisurely bath with this scrub soothed as it smoothed, I loved the Relaxing Massage Body Oil even more with its with sweet almond oil, rosemary and lavender essential oils because it somehow did more. Once I finished rubbing a bit of this satiny feeling oil into my skin and spraying some of this calming lavender fragrance on my pillow, I felt tired and ready to close my eyes instead of lying there preoccupied with my worrisome thoughts as I had been.   

Relaxing Massage Body Oil

This review for L’Occitane en Provence’s two Aromacologie skin care products couldn’t have arrived at a more opportune time for yours truly to test them.  Though I hope you won’t need to use them for the same reason that I did, I do recommend the Aromachologie Revitalizating Body Scrub ($34) and Relaxing Massage Body Oil ($34) for helping put you more at ease.  

Need Help Improving Your Sleeping Habits?

Sometimes, falling asleep can be difficult.  Some of us experience sleepless nights on a frequent basis, which can affect our health, mood, and relationships.  However, there are methods to improve your chances for more nights of restful sleep.

Start preparing for bed at least twenty minutes ahead of time with a scheduled nightly ritual.  Get a warm bath to soothe away your tensions and relax tired muscles or retreat somewhere quiet for a bit of reading for a pleasant distraction from reality.

Consider what you need to do the next day by making a list before crawling into bed.  Keeping track of important tasks will help stop you from lying awake worrying about what errands you can't forget.

Before you actually are about to slip into bed, you should close the blinds or drapes to keep out  the light.  Next, turn down the heat because sleeping in a dark room between 68 and 72  degrees are the best temperatures for sleeping!

Try My Homemade Insomnia Relief Cocktail for Those Bad Nights!

Instead of turning to pills for those times when sleep seems impossible, I have found a juicer can often work much better.  You can release a bounty of natural healing power just by using the  fresh vegetables and fruits, which are concentrated and delivered instantly.

If you do have a juicer, then I suggest washing some celery and throwing a bunch in for a glass a relief.  Being high in magnesium, this one vegetable will help you relax.  In addition, celery has vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and essential amino acids.

Try not to add to many of the leaves or your drink will be too bitter.  You can always save those leaves for a pot of soup, casserole, hamburger, turkey burgers, bean patties, etc.

Make enough only to drink at once.  Storing a fresh juice in the refrigerator can cause a loss of the vitamins and minerals that you need for your body.

A raw celery drink is also great for calming effects when too stressed out.  The stems are full of B1, B2, and B6 to help with anxiety.

However, if you have kidney problems, an overabundance of celery is not advised.

Make Your Own Herbal Sleep Potion Potpourri!

We all have restless nights and end up staring at the bedroom ceiling instead of getting sleep.  However, I have discovered a wonderful natural aid to help you drift off with a peaceful state of mind with this wonderful homemade recipe.

What I found especially helpful is making a sleep potion potpourri sachet bag to keep near your pillow.  This beneficial aroma has the power to soothe you when stressed, somehow, as you breathe it in.

This is a wonderful potpourri to make and save for those awful nights when sleep seems impossible. 


Herbal Sleep Potion Potpourri

3 cups of spearmint
3 cups of rose leaves
1 cup of whole cloves
1 ounce of orris root (fixative)

Dry the mint (leaves and also stems) and the rose leaves on a screen in a warm place so the air can circulate properly.  You can also resort to drying them on a sheet of newspaper in a warm spot.

When this is dry, mix with cloves and the orris root.  Put in a glass jar and cover tightly with a lid for a few weeks, stirring occasionally. 

You can just open when needed or make some sachet bags to keep handy.

This is a wonderful potpourri to make and save for those awful nights.

How Saying Thank You Can Radically Change Your Mind Set for the Better!

Thank you is a powerful word that can change your world.

You may read the title of this post and laugh at how two simple words could possibly change the way you think or feel.  But, I assure you that there is great power behind that particular set of words once you take the time to remember to thank.

If you are in doubt, I dare you the next time the occasion comes up to say thank you and watch how a smile appears on the recipient's face when you remember to acknowledge their kindness through those two words.  Smiles are contagious.  You, too, will smile while feeling uplifted and suddenly happier in return.

Try to write thank-you notes and e-mails to those that do something nice for you.  Remember that saying what goes around, comes around?  Taking that minute to remember another's kindness toward you will do wonders for positively changing that person's day but also for yourself as well. 

Good things do happen to good people is a true statement because you will find in practicing saying thank you that you attract more positive people, things, and events into your life.

Even when you need to make an effort to say thank you when stressed or angry, do yourself a favor and try to remember uttering those two words aloud.  If no one did anything that needs your thanks right then, what is in your life that you are thankful for?  Look deeply past your problem or situation and in front of a mirror say thank you for what you have--your family, a wife, a husband, the children, your health, a job, perhaps?  Things always can be worst.  But, you are lucky because you have those people and things in your life!  The actual realization and practice of speaking those two words can turn bad negative thoughts into happy positive ones before you know it.

Do something out of the ordinary to help yourself today and call or write someone that last did something nice for you that you never got around to thanking.  I guarantee you that if you practice this rule of incorporating thank you into your life that it will change both your mind set and life for the better!

What You're Risking if You Don't Get Enough Sleep

Sometimes, getting enough sleep can seem like a luxury.  However, skimping on sleep can adversely effect your health in ways you may not know.

For starters, you can gain weight when you miss sleep because your hormones that control your appetite change flow and will increase your hunger.  In this sleep deprived state, you're more prone to grabbing foods high in fat and calories to satisfy yourself. 

Without enough sleep you can also be more at risk for heart disease.  Studies have shown that women who get on an average of less than five hours of sleep each night are seriously increasing their odds of developing hypertension, which can lead to heart disease.  Without adequate sleep, the body produces enough stress hormones and other substances to build inflammation to set the stage for heart disease and stroke.

Skimping on the normal hours of sleep you need can also help you develop diabetes.  Regularly sleeping fewer than five hours a night gives you two-and-a-half times higher chance of getting diabetes than someone that sleeps a normal seven to eight hours a night.   The reason diabetes can occur is because you need deep sleep to regulate blood-sugar levels.

Another negative health impact of insufficient sleep is you will become more irritable and unable to handle your emotions very well.  This happens because part of your brain that controls reasoning becomes deactivated due to a lack of sleep.

Lastly, you will get sick more.  You need normal hours of sleep because cytokines, chemicals that help the immune system, are released to fight off disease and infection.  Being sleep deficient can lead to more infections and even affect how your body produces antibodies after a vaccination.   According to the research, sleep starved people often only produce half the flu antibodies compared to a regular sleeper.

How to Move on From Life's Problems

Life often throws us surprises.  Some are happy and others are sad, either way we are affected daily.  However, it is how we handle those bumps in the road that can either mold us into stronger individuals or crush our hopes and dreams if we can't find our way.

Regardless of being rich or poor, every person has their own unique set of problems to cope with.  No one wants problems, but we all have them.   Fear and worry drains your energy.  Those negative emotions can trap you for years if you allow it to take over your thoughts.

The real test of moving on is to learn how to be optimistic instead of letting the problem stay with you.

Some problems can force you to look differently at your life. Try to start asking yourself what if questions.  What if this setback is a wake-up call?   It can bring out new talents that you may never have thought were within you.  The problem can also open the door to the next chapter in your life. You just need to learn how to embrace each change and adapt. 

Think of life as a game, a video game to be more precise.  You need to master one level of the game or you cannot advance.  Problems test your strength and force change.  You can struggle in the same place and stay where you are or eventually see the solution.   

However, you need to play the game first to win because the challenges always keep coming while the stakes  keep getting higher!  You just need to sharpen your skills with practice.

Some Tips to Save You Time Waiting in Lines!

With our tight schedules, time is something precious.  None of us likes to waste extra time  standing in long lines if we can avoid it.  There are some tips that may help save you the hassle.

When you need to do your banking, you might think of skipping that visit near lunch hours, especially in business districts.  Another thing you should keep in mind is that paychecks usually get deposited the first and 15th of the month.

Instead, you would find it wiser to stop by your bank midmorning or midafternoon during the middle of the week for the fastest service.

Have you hunted for advertised sales at a department store during your lunch hour or on the weekends and found nothing left?  I know I have wasted more than my share of time searching needlessly until I found a better way.

Instead, your best bet would be to stop in one hour after the store opens if possible or around 3:00 to 4:00 P.M.   Another tactic would be checking the store the night before the big sale an hour before closing as the retail staff prepares to set up for the sale.  Sometimes you can buy items ahead of time.

You need to go to one of the home centers.  However, you should plan your visit around lunchtime to midafternoon instead of mornings when contractors come for their supplies.

Post office lines can take forever if you show up at the wrong time.  The worst times to go to the post office are lunch hours, upon opening and about an hour before closing. 

The best time probably to go the post office is midmorning and midafternoons.

None of these suggestions are guarantees only best bets to hopefully save you more time so you can read my blog!

Learn to Beat Stress From Robbing You of Sleep!

Holding a pillow over his head won't help this stressed man sleep.

How many times have you gone to bed only to stare up at the ceiling due to one thought that stayed lodged in your head? 

If only people came with a switch that we could turn on and off at will, then that stress of the day would grant us that needed escape into sleep.  

Sadly there is no magic switch, but there are a few helpful insomnia cures that you should try. 

Things You Should Not Be Doing Before Bedtime

You should stay away from the computer will only stimulate your brain to keep you up.   

Do not read in bed and reserve your bedroom solely for sleep.  Eventually your subconscious will pick up on this and equate the bedroom with sleep.

Too many your beverages, especially coffee, tea or any caffeine related drink is bad and  interpret your sleep.

Teddy bear comfort won't get this beauty sleeping.

Avoid alcohol because it will only temporarily make you sleepy until it soon wakes up again from its effect on altering normal sleep patterns.

Don't keep staring at the ceiling, clock, or another spot in your bedroom waiting to feel sleepy longer than 15 minutes before giving up for now to go read or listen to music in another room.

Say no to using a part of your bedroom as on office, which can only get your brain thinking and restless.

Never rely on habitually using sleeping pills that can lead to dependence or affect how you function the next day.

The Place Where Your Bed Is Located Matters

If your bed is against a wall, put your legs up against it for support.  

Put pressure on the heel of one foot while massaging the inside portion of your other ankle below the anklebone.  

This action of elevating your legs and massaging will help you drift off to sleep.

Things That Can Help Usher in Sleep

Try a warm bath with aromatherapy from adding essential oils such as lavender or rose is one idea.

Finally, you can also try a spoon of honey.  Honey is broken down in your body in the same fashion as table sugar, which produces serotonin, the chemical that induces sleep.  This may explain the reason why the old folk medicine cure of a cup of hot milk with a spoon of honey became popular!

Improve Your Mood Through Food!

Your choices of foods do make a difference in regulating your brain chemistry.  If you know the right foods to pick during a stressful day, you can help yourself fight that anxiety and the depression that come with it better. 

These specific foods have ingredients known to help improve your mood.  Try eating more oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits because the vitamin C can help.  Nuts are another food you should reach for due to the vitamin E, arginine (an amino acid) and magnesium.  Leafy green vegetables are excellent because they're loaded with folic acid.  Salmon has DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid).  Dried cherries are a great source of potassium, magnesium and vitamin C.

Something as simple as food can make that needed difference.  So why not try it the next time you're having a bad day?

Three Simple Techniques to Handle Stress!

This beauty is trying to manage her stress.

All people have stress to one degree or another.  But it's the way you deal with it that complicates your life.  Yet, there are some people that know how to manage stress better than others because they rely on three helpful techniques.

For starters, write everything down that is troubling you and concentrate on the one thing that bothers you the most.  Concentrate on changing that problem first.  Working on one problem at a time instead of losing your focus will enable you to channel your negative energy more productively.  After all, taking one baby step toward correcting your problem is better than sinking down into those awful problems pulling you down.

Another way to help yourself is to do something you know will take your mind off that consuming problem even for a little while.  Go out for a walk, visit friends, play with your kids, pet, or read a book so you can relax and give your mind a needed break. 

Last of all, make a list of tasks in order of importance.  If you have a plan and follow through, you'll feel less rushed and overwhelmed.  The more you finish, the more you'll feel those stress levels go down. 

But remember, you don't have to be perfect.  Allow yourself to let go and relax.  After all, life is a roller coaster of highs and lows.  Just settle in your seat and enjoy the ride!