Unfortunately, there are many times in our lives when stress creeps in and causes great angst. Life is busy and work, kids, school and responsibilities can seem overwhelming at times. Do you feel stress getting you down? Here are some tips to help deal with stress and its after-effects.

Stress has become a major cause of anxiety and panic attacks. If not dealt with, it can have an incapacitating effect on your life. More often than not, most people with A-type personalities are prime candidates for stress induced symptoms. The perfectionism they seek in everything they do never quite measures up to their expectations. This is not a perfect world; and it's time those who live in it realize they aren't perfect either.

Most people deal with stress in different ways; either they ignore the initial problem which caused it; retreat within themselves, or fall apart. However, those who recognize the signs nip it in the bud before it completely takes over. Using simple exercises can relieve the onset of stress.

For example: While sitting at your desk at work, breathing exercises can bring you back to a calm state. Going outside for some fresh air also helps.

Walking or running for 20 minutes can release endorphins which relieve stress. Listening to classical music lowers the blood pressure, and brings calm within.

Sometimes, however, stress reveals itself in other ways. Lightheadedness, an inability to focus, feelings of pressure and palpitations are all symptoms of stress. Moreover, continued stress can produce anxiety, panic, and the fright or flight syndrome. Here is one such case of how stress can simply overwhelm and, in some cases, debilitate. A secretary was called into her administrator's office, which was quite large and comfortable. As she was taking dictation, she suddenly found it hard to breathe; began to lose focus; and a queasy feeling in her stomach ensued. She could no longer concentrate on his voice, and ran out of the room.

Unbeknownst to her, she had just experienced an anxiety attack brought on by stress. However, while there was nothing stressful going on at the time, she later identified the cause. An unpleasant thought had entered her mind while she was taking dictation, causing fear to take over forcing her to flee the office.

Upon further examination, it was determined the stress in her home life simply became too much, and filtered its way in to her work day.

If stress is getting you down, examine the cause. Determine the origin, and discuss it with a professional or a loved one. Stress, if not acted upon, can cause serious health problems.

Extreme Self Care can be your shinning light, it can show you how to create a life free of stress and anxiety. Extreme Self Care requires connecting with yourself on a DAILY basis, deciding what you need and then following through to make it happen. Following through is the hardest part of our whole lives. We really can't accomplish anything without it. But darn aren't the rewards nice when we can.

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When we look at a certain object, a painting for example - we won't be able to appreciate what's in it, what is painted and what else goes with it if the painting is just an inch away from our face. But if we try to take it a little further, we'll have a clearer vision of the whole art work.

We reach a point in our life when we are ready for change and a whole bunch of information that will help us unlock our self improvement power. Until then, something can be staring us right under our nose but we don't see it. The only time we think of unlocking our self improvement power is when everything got worst. Take the frog principle for example -

Try placing Frog A in a pot of boiling water. What happens? He twerps! He jumps off! Why? Because he is not able to tolerate sudden change in his environment - the water's temperature. Then try Frog B: place him in a luke warm water, then turn the gas stove on. Wait til the water reaches a certain boiling point. Frog B then thinks "Ooh... it's a bit warm in here".

People are like Frog B in general. Today, Anna thinks Carl hates her. Tomorrow, Patrick walks up to her and told her he hates her. Anna stays the same and doesn't mind her what her friends says. The next day, she learned that Kim and John also abhors her. Anna doesn't realize at once the importance and the need for self improvement until the entire community hates her.

We learn our lessons when we experience pain. We finally see the warning signs and signals when things get rough and tough. When do we realize that we need to change diets? When none of our jeans and shirts would fit us. When do we stop eating candies and chocolates? When all of our teeth has fallen off. When do we realize that we need to stop smoking? When our lungs have gone bad. When do we pray and ask for help? When we realize that we're gonna die tomorrow.

The only time most of us ever learn about unlocking our self improvement power is when the whole world is crashing and falling apart. We think and feel this way because it is not easy to change. But change becomes more painful when we ignore it.

Change will happen, like it or hate it. At one point or another, we are all going to experience different turning points in our life - and we are all going to eventually unlock our self improvement power not because the world says so, not because our friends are nagging us, but because we realized its for our own good.
Happy people don't just accept change, they embrace it. Now, you don't have to feel a tremendous heat before realizing the need for self improvement. Unlocking your self improvement power means unlocking yourself up in the cage of thought that "its just the way I am". It is such a poor excuse for people who fear and resist change. Most of us program our minds like computers.

Jen repeatedly tells everyone that she doesn't have the guts to be around groups of people. She heard her mom, her dad, her sister, her teacher tell the same things about her to other people. Over the years, that is what Jen believes. She believes its her story. And what happens? Every time a great crowd would troop over their house, in school, and in the community - she tends to step back, shy away and lock herself up in a room. Jen didn't only believed in her story, she lived it.

Jen has to realize that she is not what she is in her story. Instead of having her story post around her face for everyone to remember, she has to have the spirit and show people "I am an important person and I should be treated accordingly!"

Self improvement may not be everybody's favorite word, but if we look at things in a different point of view, we might have greater chances of enjoying the whole process instead of counting the days until we are fully improved. Three sessions in a week at the gym would result to a healthier life, reading books instead of looking at porns will shape up a more profound knowledge, going out with friends and peers will help you take a step back from work and unwind. And just when you are enjoying the whole process of unlocking your self improvement power, you'll realize that you're beginning to take things light and become happy.

When you've got a case of the blues it can be difficult to see an easy way out of them. By nature, emotions tend to feed off of each other. You might start with a mild sense of sadness when you first wake up in the morning, only to find yourself spiraling down into a full-blown case of doldrums as the day progresses.

Before you know it, you're focusing in on every possible worst-case scenario, putting a negative spin on everything people say to you, and otherwise spreading misery wherever you go.

Avoiding this chronic state of unhappiness can be as simple as taking action to lift your spirits before you start the downhill slide!

Here are 3 easy ways to do that:

Choose your attitude.

When you first wake up in the morning, remind yourself that the quality of your day is entirely up to you! Sure, unexpected events could happen, but even those can be kept in perspective by choosing the way you want to react to them. One little thing does not have the power to ruin your whole day unless you grant it that power.

Make a little checklist for yourself, and place it where you will see it when you first wake up. At the top of the list, write this statement: "Today I choose to feel __________." Below that, make a list of possible ways you can feel. Try adjectives like happy, carefree, peaceful, purposeful, confident, relaxed, serene, easygoing, loving, patient, kind, and so on.

Before you get started on your morning routine, read down the list and choose an adjective to describe the mood you want to keep all day long. Then keep reminding yourself of the choice you made if you feel yourself slipping occasionally throughout the day!

Start the day with positive input.

Just like consciously choosing your mood, you can choose to feed your mind uplifting material before it has a chance to absorb anything negative. Keep a stack of inspirational or motivational books by your bedside. First thing in the morning pick one up and open to a page randomly. Read the passage your eyes fall upon first, and take a few moments to reflect on how it pertains to your life.

You can also make this a more interactive exercise by journaling your thoughts and feelings about the passage you just read, or about anything else on your mind.

Step away from the emotions.

Volatile emotions can interfere with your ability to think logically and keep your cool. If you find yourself heating up emotionally when you'd be better off staying calm, remove yourself from the situation for a few minutes so you can detach from your emotions slightly. Use positive self-talk to bring yourself back to a neutral place: "Okay, I'm getting a little upset about this, so I'm going to take a few deep breaths and get very calm and detached from the outcome of this situation." Imagine taking a few mental steps back so you can see the situation clearly, and you should be able to engage your logical mind more easily.

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Life can often turn into an endless procession of mundane obligations if we're not careful. Besides the never-ending household chores, we consistently carry the burden of work duties, family responsibilities, personal goals, and commitments to our community, neighbors and friends.With all of these burdens resting on our shoulders day after day, it's no wonder we end up feeling like we're stuck in a rut of tedious repetition. Fortunately, adding more fun to our daily lives can be as simple as mixing things up from time to time.

Here are 3 simple ways to bring a greater element of fun into your life:

Make time for recreation.You may think you are too busy to make time for fun and relaxation - but if you are that busy you NEED it more than anyone does! You don't have to devote endless hours to recreation in order to benefit from it. Simply set aside some time once or twice a week to relax and recharge.

You can spend time with your family members, watch a movie or disappear into a good book, take a soothing bubble bath, or even go for a walk in a local park. The activities themselves don't really matter. The important thing is to give yourself permission to relax and let go of stress for awhile.

Follow your passions.When was the last time you did something you loved just because you wanted to do it? Many of us push our passions aside while we tend to other, "more important" duties. However, indulging your passions on a regular basis can make even the most mundane chores seem more rewarding.

Begin making time to engage deeply with your passions. Whether you take a few classes in topics that inspire you, set up a mini-studio in your basement or network with others who share the same interests, you will be lending a greater element of fun to all areas of your life.

Find the humor in every situation.A good sense of humor can make even the darkest situation seem bearable. If you want to make your life more enjoyable, make a point of laughing as often as possible! Seek out humorous material that tickles your funny bone. Read joke books, watch comedies on television, or hang a favorite cartoon clipping in your workspace.

At the same time, try to find something funny about every situation you experience. Almost always, you'll be able to see the lighter side. Learn to laugh at yourself - not in a cruel way, but in a good-natured way. Help others to laugh at themselves also. The more you can focus on the lighter side of each situation, the more fun you will have.

These may be simple suggestions, but do not be fooled - they hold great power! When you do these things on a regular basis, you find yourself feeling lighter, freer and happier all the time, not just while you're actively engaged in fun activities. And a light mood can make any obligation seem less burdensome!

Dictionary Definitions extreme: ultimate point to which an action or thought is carried out simplicity freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort

Extreme Self Care Definitions extreme simplicity: The easiest most effortless actions to move you to your ultimate goals.

So exactly what are the simple and most effortless actions that will lead to your ultimate goals?
First, Daily habits, these are very easy and only take 5-30 minutes each day. They get us in touch with our true authentic selves; they allow us to find our souls passions and paths.

Second, Stress Elimination, for many of us we are so caught up in the daily stress of work and life that we do not feel capable of a spare minute let alone a moment of peace and quiet. The small quiet voice can not be heard until we sit still in silence.

Third, Spiritual well being, even if you are not a spiritual person, you must take care of your spirit, participating in meaningful activities that speak to your values and passions, allows us to stand in our own light.

'There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.'
- Edith Wharton

Fourth, Extreme Pleasure, we all need something to look forward to, what do you consider extreme pleasure? Me, I think of a hotel room with a Jacuzzi tub, with candles and great music all to myself. Oh don't forget the triple chocolate cake order from room service.

Fifth, Support System, you don't need to move through this alone, creating support systems around you will make the transition easier. A coach can help you clarify your end goal and assist you with staying focused as you move toward the goal. A coach will hold your vision for you while you make the changes required.

Responsibility Take the following information on this page to heart; this can change your life and help you become more balanced and more successful than you could ever dream. It is so simple and yet such a profound idea to help you.

Are you ready for this secret?

Treat every daily action as if this was your last day on earth.

Clarify What You Want

Let us begin with some important questions that deserve some thought to begin this journey. For a moment, sit quietly with pen and paper and do some relaxing breaths to become present and grounded. Use the following questions as a general guide to get your creative juices flowing toward dreaming about the life you REALLY want.

Allow yourself to really get caught up in this fantasy life you are creating through this process and soak up the feelings and energy of your answers. Always speak and write in the present tense as if it has already been achieved.

Let's begin
1. What would you be, do and have if you knew you could not fail?
2. What would it feel like to live your life on your terms, and what would those terms be?
3. What is important to you?
4. What are you thankful for?
5. What do you do for fun and to relax?
6. Who are your mentors?
7. What knowledge do you have that others seek?
8. What kind of goals do you have, and why?
9. What have you already achieved?
10. What is the perfect career/business you have created for yourself?