Coping With and Relieving Stress

"He who makes, makes mistakes; he who makes nothing, makes no mistakes."
--Michaelangelo

"The worst thing in your life may contain seeds of the best. When you can see a crisis as an opportunity, your life becomes not easier, but more satisfying."
--Joe Kogel

50 SURE-FIRE, GUARANTEED, POSITIVELY SUCCESSFUL, ABSOLUTELY TRUE WAYS TO ELIMINATE OR LESSEN THE STRESS FROM YOUR LIFE:
1. Carve out a day for solitude
2. Begin and end the day with prayer, meditation, reflection
3. Keep it simple
4. Keep your house picked up
5. Don't over-schedule yourself
6. Strive for realistic deadlines
7. Never make a promise you can't keep
8. Allow an extra half hour for everything you do
9. Create quiet surroundings at home and at work (try classical music and gentle speaking)
10. Go to bed at 9:00 pm twice a week
11. Always carry something interesting to read
12. Breathe deeply and often
13. MOve--walk, dance, run, find a sport you enjoy
14. Drink pure water and lots of it
15. Eat only when hungry
16. If it's not delicious, don't eat it
17. BE instead of DO
18. Set aside one day a week for rest and renewal (If a day is out of the question, at least a large chunk of time one day a week)
19. Laugh more often
20. Luxuriate in your senses
21. Always opt for beauty
22. If you don't love it, live without it
23. Let Mother Nature nurture you
24. Don't answer the phone during dinner
25. Stop trying to please everyone
26. At least occasionally, please yourself
27. Stay away from negative people
28. Don't squander precious resources: time, creative energy, emotion
29. Nurture friendships
30. Don't be afraid of your passion
31. Approach problems as challenges
32. Honor your aspirations
33. Set achievable goals
34. Surrender expectations
35. Savor beauty
36. Create boundaries
37. For every "yes" let there be a "no"
38. Don't worry
39. Remember, happiness is a living emotion
40. Exchange security for serenity
41. Care for your soul
42. Cherish your dreams
43. Express love every day
44. Search for yourself until found
45. Be grateful and open your eyes to thte potential depth and breadth of your gratitude--express gratitude daily
46. Don't compare yourself, your possessions, your situation, your talents, your efforts, or ANYTHING to those around you
47. When Satan sticks a bad though in your mind, replace it with a good one
48. Ribbistrate! (An example of this: what Snoopy does when he's really excited, straight up in the air, flapping all four paws--hands and feet in your case--a thrilled wiggle that goes through your whole body)
49. Cultivate awe and wonder--become as little children
50. Live the gospel as purely as you can--all of it (don't rationalize or adopt "harmless" secret sins)
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