Simplify Your Life

02/17/2003

"Joy is but the sign that creative emotion is fulfilling its purpose.
– Charles Du Bos

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

In the online publication, Bottom Line Secrets (http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/), Richard Carlson, PhD, shares stress relieving ideas in "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: How to Simplify Your Life." Some of his ideas...

Give yourself an extra 10 minutes. Instead of always rushing, start out 10 minutes early instead of waiting until the last possible moment. You will find yourself with plenty of time to spare and less stressed out in the process.

Create a “selfish” ritual. When you have what you need in an emotional sense, you have plenty left over for others. Rituals can be as simple as squeezing exercise into your daily routine, browsing bookstores or having a quiet cup of coffee before work. The point is, it’s your time -- a special part of the day reserved just for you.

Speak softly. When you speak too quickly and with a loud voice, the energy you send out into the world is frantic and nervous. People around you will feel pressured and slightly agitated. Speak more softly and you may discover that you begin to feel calmer and less stressed. Next, you’ll discover that everyone around you will quickly start to quiet down, too.

Embrace change. Truth is, everything is in a constant state of change -- our bodies, homes, children. We can fight and resist change or surrender and embrace it. The problem with resistance is it’s a losing battle -- 100% of the time. When we try to resist the inevitable, we cause ourselves great pain and sorrow and miss out on a great deal of potential joy. When we embrace change, we open the door to a far more peaceful existence. Then life becomes more of an adventure and each step seems more special and important.

Don’t dramatize deadlines. A lot of deadline stress comes not from the deadlines themselves, but instead from the energy wasted thinking about them, wondering whether we’ll meet them, feeling sorry for ourselves and, perhaps most of all, commiserating with others about them. Working toward your goal without the interference of negative mental energy makes any job more manageable.

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