Wednesday 25 May 2016

Stress Management And The Power Of Colors


Association of Stress and Colors

Stress has become interwoven into people's lives that most have accepted it as a natural part of life. Meanwhile, for some others, it has become somewhat of an epidemic. There are several reasons why people develop stress and while you cannot control where it is coming from, you can always exhibit proper stress management techniques to combat their effects in your life.

Recent research studies have shown the link between personality traits and impact of stress in one's life. This has prompted researchers to look into what other factors could affect the way people view stress in their life. A new color system is just one of the results to this ongoing research effort. But how true is it that color can actually impact your ability to cope with stress more effectively?

Color Therapy

The idea of using color as a stress management technique is indeed new and offers a more interesting approach in battling stress in one's life. Indeed, the little choices of color that must would refer to as trivial can actually impact your ability to handle or cope with stress.

This is not just a myth since this claim has been well supported with scientific evidence and study. Color therapy though is not yet officially accepted as a legitimate approach to stress management but is still largely considered as a complementary or alternative approach to healing. One reason for this is that colors affect your five basic senses to deliver a holistic impact to one's health condition. Therefore, you need to choose the colors you surround yourself with thoroughly to facilitate in enjoying stress relief results.

Calming Effects of Color

Different colors have been known to produce an overall calming effect due to its ability to elicit psychological and emotional responses in the body. There are several colors there are but for this purpose, you will learn about the impact of basic colors when it comes to your personal stress management efforts:

*Red – This color creates a stimulating and exciting effect into your system, which is therefore not recommended if you are looking to achieve effective stress management. However, it is ideal for awakening if you had recently suffered from an emotional slump.

*Blue – This color is known to create a calming and soothing effect such that it is ideal for use in stress management. Surround yourself with this color to facilitate in creating a cooling and calming effect to both mind and body.

*Green – This color inspires a restful experience such that it is really effective in overcoming anxiety as you can enjoy more emotional harmony.

*Yellow – This color inspires a cheerful and sunny attitude, such that it is recommended for stress relief due to its ability to put you into a positive state.

*White – This color symbolizes clarity, and that is a particular quality that you need to have or develop in times of stress.

*Orange – This one too, like red, is not ideal for relieving stress and must therefore be avoided. On the other hand, it helps to provide a burst of energy whenever you are feeling down.

Final Recommendations

Now that you know what the different meanings of color is, you can now make a better choice about which colors to surround yourself with (and which colors to avoid) if you want to enjoy benefits of proper stress management. Whether it be in your choice of clothes, or in the prevailing colors of your surroundings, it is important to know that you can now have control over these elements and use them to your advantage.

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How To Overcome Challenges Of Stress Management


If you've been dealing with stress, then you might have realized that overcoming it is easier said than done. But what is it about stress that make it such elusive? Take the time to learn about the challenges that one often meets when adapting stress management efforts so you can be stress-free in less time.

Stress as Fact of Life

Whether you choose to accept it or not, stress is an inevitable part of life. Stress lurks at every corner of the society – at home, in the workplace, at school, and even in your personal relationships. The effect of stress could also take on many different forms, such as physical, mental, or emotional. Indeed, stress is something that people from all walks of life have in come. In fact, even young kids do suffer from stress, too!

Since stress has become intertwined with one's daily life, it becomes more important to manage it. But aside from identifying the cause of stress, your ability to identify the challenges to beating out stress is also an important step to living a healthier, stress-free life.

Lazarus' Model of Stress

A common model used to understand and explain how stress works is the Lazarus model of stress. In this model, he describes thoroughly the methodology of stress. According to him, stress occurs during situations wherein you have completely exhausted your resources, or is depleting in supply, since you were offering it to meet an outside demand. Over time, your own resources have been completely exhausted and there is no more left for you to use or offer.

This particular model is very reminiscent of stress caused in the workplace or one's approach toward work in general. Stress, in this case, becomes an effect instead of the cause of the problem. Your body prompts you to look for alternative ways to provide that resource but if you cannot address that situation clearly, then you could go on a downward spiral. Lack of knowledge about stress and its cause is therefore the first and most common obstacle in any stress management regimen.

Stress Affect Each Person Differently

Another common reason why people often fail to overcome stress is that it has different manifestations from one person to another. This makes it very difficult to diagnose stress, or even identify what is causing it in the first place. There is no current standard or one-size-fits-all approach to describing how stress affects an individual and recommended approach to cure it. Each person adapts a unique stress management approach, while often it requires a combination of more than one technique at once to produce effective results.

Symptoms of Stress

The symptoms of stress are also proving to be an obstacle in one's stress management efforts. There are literally hundreds of different symptoms, most of which are too common that it is often associated with some other illnesses or condition. As a result, people dismiss it as having been caused by stress and relate them to some other condition. In the end, what happens is that the symptom is addressed but not stress as the main cause of the problem.

So, if you want a truly effective stress management approach, then it is important to learn what these obstacles are and how you can overcome them.

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Surefire Ways For Better Stress Management On Your Own


Some people have this false misconception that stress is a condition beyond their grasp or control. As a result, they fail to employ proper stress management techniques when in fact there are a lot of ways for you to control it instead of the other way around.

Struggling with stress? Here are some effective ways you can use to finally win over your battle with it.

Identifying Symptoms of Stress

When it comes to stress management, self-help is just as effective. But you cannot take steps to combatting signs of stress if you cannot recognize the symptoms for this condition. Hence, you must start by identifying the symptoms of stress. Some of the most common ones include the following:

• Muscle pain or tension
• Headaches
• Sweating and dizziness
• Bowel problems
• Nausea
• Tensed feeling all over your body
• Feeling of irritability
• Memory failure
• Insomnia

In addition to the above symptoms, one could also develop severe problems resulting from stress such as asthma, high blood pressure, and other problems of the heart.

Stress Management Methods

Your ability to manage stress could make the difference in your life. It would also enable you to overcome the physical, emotional, and mental impact of too much stress and worry in life. It is not enough that you come to identify the symptoms of stress. You need to act on it and make an effort to correct them!

Below are practical stress management methods you can employ.

Problem Identification and Finding Solution

In any problem, you need to start by identifying the source of the problem. Without this knowledge, there is no way for you to identify the best solution. According to experts, identifying the problem means half of the battle is won. It enables you to regain control over the situation and better understand your condition.

Avoiding Source of Stress

Once you have identified the main source of your stress, your best approach is to avoid them or steer clear off them. For example, if a certain type of environment or being around a particular group of people is causing you stress or making you feel unhealthy, then it would be best for you to take them out of the equation in your life. Instead, re-focus your attention toward something more useful and substantial while drawing out positive vibes out of it.

Control Your Emotions

Learn how to take charge over your feelings. Identification of the source of stress will enable you to achieve this. You need to inspire yourself to think only positive thoughts and constantly reassure yourself that it is you who is in control of your emotions and avoid it from overpowering you instead. You can divert your problems into other more significant activities, such as engaging in sports, hobbies, or going on a vacation. There is no reason to dwell on things that is causing you to harbor ill or negative feelings.

Live Healthy!

The most obvious yet challenging step towards stress management is to adapt a healthy lifestyle. How do you do this? You need to start with your body. Since this is the first one affected by stress, you need to begin with taking care of your body. Make sure that you are well rested such that you can enable your mind and body to rejuvenate itself. Avoid drinking or smoking since these are unhealthy solutions to stress; in fact, it will only make things worse!

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Stress Management Strategies At Home - Dont Complicate It


There is a common misconception that stress can only be found in the workplace and that it is automatically gone while you are at home. This is not always true since you still need to observe proper stress management strategies to ensure that you feel relaxed, mentally and physically, in your own home.

There are certainly lots of aspects involved when acquiring stress at home, as well as several things you can do about it.

Identify the Source of Stress

You cannot expect proper stress management if you cannot pinpoint the reason behind why you are feeling stressed out. For some people, their home serve as a comfortable abode wherein they can relax and leave behind whatever is nagging them, whether it be concerns at school or in the workplace. However, this is not always the case since a lot of factors could contribute to the buildup of stress that one experiences.

One of the most common sources of stress at home concerns the financial aspect in the family. Managing your finances at home can be extremely stressful, while also making sure that you can fulfill the demands of your family. The stress that goes with caring for your kids or doing the household chores can also add up to that stress you are experiencing.

Common Signs of Stress

The initial step to stress management at home is to identify when you are stressed. When you are in that situation, it is often difficult to identify that and take the necessary measure to reverse its effects. Below are the signs you should take note of:

• Inexplainable fatigue
• Insomnia
• Weight loss or gain
• High blood pressure
• Anxiety
• Constant headaches
• Depression

Relaxation

As soon as you notice any of the above signs manifest, then you need to take a break for a while. Do some deep breathing to relax your tensed muscles. You can lie down in bed such that your body will be able to rest and feel rejuvenated. If it makes you comfortable, you can also listen to a soothing music. Or take a pampering bath just to release that tension that is building up inside you.

Go on a Vacation

The most common form of relaxation for anyone dealing with tremendous amount of stress is to have a vacation. This is a great way to take your mind off the things that are causing you to feel stressed. If possible, go to a place that is peaceful and enable you to reflect. It does not have to be expensive, especially if financial problems are causing stress at home. Try doing something that will take you out from that stressful situation and enjoy each moment.

Develop a Hobby

Taking up a hobby is a productive way to deal with stress. To gain effective results, go for positive kind of hobbies such as arts and crafts, gardening, and even sports. Hobbies are not only good for stress management but they are also a great way to keep you active. Before you know it, you can even make a business idea out of your hobby to start earning from it at home.

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Managing Stress In A Relationship


Handling Relationship Stress

Stress management is part and parcel of growing in a relationship. This is an inevitable part of any relationship such that you need to learn how to effectively overcome them and enjoy the companionship of your partner.

There are several causes of stress in a relationship, regardless of what type of relationship might that be. The difficulty of this undertaking is even more complicated knowing that an individual is engaged in different relationships at one time. Relationship could be with your family, siblings, parents, friends or acquaintances, officemates, and your partner.

Below are some stress management tips you need to learn about if you wanted to develop healthier relationships with these people in your life.

Analyze the Cause

The most important step in dealing with stress in a relationship is to analyze the cause. Some people might not even be aware of relationship stress since it is overshadowed by some other pressures in life. You must therefore accept and acknowledge the presence of stress before you can do something about it.

Do not put off solving problems that are causing stress in your relationship. This will only make the problem worse. Recognizing stress will enable you to identify a solution.

Talk With Your Partner

Another effective step towards stress management in a relationship is to talk it out with the person/s concerned. Constant communication will enable you to get rid of stress that you encounter on a day to day basis. In some cases, stress in a relationship is not directly rooted from it but only comes as an effect of some other sources of stress, such as in the workplace or school. Unless you talk it out, you will only make the person you're in that relationship with feel guilty or doubt themselves.

Attitude Changes

Once you trace the cause of stress and you have opened up about it to your partner, you can never make the necessary changes to your attitude or the way you deal with things that concern you both.

If you feel like a certain attitude of yours is the root of stress or problems within the relationship, then work on changing them. Only you can control your own behavior; hence, you need to take the initiative to do so. For example, if you tend to be a nagger towards your husband or boyfriend, then why not consider listening to what they have to say first instead of saying harsh responses to them. In the case of parent-children tension, why not consider changing how you approach your relationship? Parents can start by befriending their kids instead of scolding them often and inspiring rebellious behaviors.

Developing a Fresh Perspective in a Relationship

Dealing with a hectic schedule and lifestyle can take its toll on both your mind and body. So, you need to stop for a while and reconsider your priorities to have a change of perspective. When you are too busy, you often forget about some other important things in life, such as your relationship with your family or partner. They tend to become your last priority, when in fact they should be on top.

Remember all of the above considerations to facilitate an effective stress management approach in your relationships.

How To Begin A Personal Development Plan


Recreate your life with a personal development plan. Devising a solid map to improving your life requires taking an honest look at your life. If you wish to re-invent yourself, each area of your life must be dissected .Knowing what it is you wish to change is how to begin the process. You must have a focus for learning a new set of behaviors. Think about where you are now and where you see yourself upon completing a goal. A goal is like a finish line, you run forward for the accomplishment. You aim for the prize.

Setting goals is top priority in a personal development plan. It requires a specific and clear intention followed by action. Once you have established your goal, it should be followed with consistent behaviors which are conducive to reaching that goal. How do you learn new behaviors? By educating yourself. Seeking knowledge on your specific area of focus is crucial for replacing old behaviors or habits with new ones. Plenty of resources exist today for self-help. On any level, you can find information to teach you how to identify problem areas in your life. If in the process you find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated or just plain stuck, consider using a life coach.

Life coaches are a wonderful resource for success with a personal development plan. They can provide a strong support system. They have knowledge of self-improvement tools and skills to teach them to you. A life coach will give you positive feedback and encourage you to persevere. Not everyone can do it alone, that is why life coaches exist. There is a lot to be said about someone cheering you on as go for it. They can help monitor your successes and setbacks.

Whether or not you choose to use a life coach or go it alone, be sure to zero in on your strengths. It is easy to fall prey to loss of confidence from not focusing on strengths. Learn new skills to complement your strengths and confidence. It is amazing how learning affects over-all well being.

When you create your personal development plan, realize magic doesn’t happen overnight. It is becoming conscious of your world and how you operate within it. Daily you must make choices that benefit your goals. By doing so, eventually the prize does appear. You must also realize that personal development is a life choice. Some people appear content to meander in their world, oblivious to needed changes. However, life is meant for change. If you do the same things over and over, you will get the same results. Self improvement in life settings and circumstances should always be considered relevant and necessary.

You can recreate your life with a good personal development plan. Self-assessment of problem areas of your life is the first step. Set realistic goals. Choose actions and behaviors which benefit the goals. Maintain a positive support system. And most of all, applaud yourself for wanting something different for your life.

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Best Way To Find a Top Personal Development Coach


A personal development coach is a great asset to the person who really wants to work on their personal development skills. The personal development coach can help you to recognize aspects of yourself that you have never noticed before. The personal development coach can also help you to set goals and overcome obstacles using resources that you may not have been aware of previously.

But how do you find the best personal development coach for you? There are many ways that you can find a personal development coach. You can simply search the internet using your typical search engines, or you can search directories that are made available specifically for personal development. Finding just any personal development coach is actually pretty easy with these tools.

But you don't want to find just any personal development coach. You want to find the best personal development coach for you and your needs. This will take a little bit more time and effort, but will be well worth it as you see the difference in your results. There are many things that you should take into consideration when trying to find the best personal development coach for you and your needs.

The first thing that you will want to keep in mind when looking for a personal development coach is accreditation. There are many people out there calling themselves personal development coaches without having the training necessary to do so. This is an unregulated profession, so it is very easy for someone to take their own experiences and use them to sound professional and train others. While this experience is important and enables you to relate to the coach, the best personal development coach will also have a degree or some other type of certification that lets you know that they are qualified to be your personal development coach.

The next thing that you will want to look for when finding a personal development coach is specialization. Many coaches are trained in the general skills relating to personal development. However, the best personal development coach will be thoroughly trained on one specific aspect of personal development. This specialization might be in business planning, social skills, time management, managing others, professional or career development, or other personal development issues.

You should also look for a personal development coach that you can get along with. Taking a trial run or initial meeting will allow you to determine if you can actually work with and learn from the coach that you have found. If the coach you find is not willing to do this, then you probably need to find another coach. You will not be able to get anywhere if you are more focused on how much you dislike your coach than you are on your personal development.

Finally, you will want to consider price. The cost of a personal development coach will be based on several factors: amount of experience, type of certification or accreditation, specialty, and coaching schedule. If you are unsure how much coaching you can afford, the best thing to do is to call around and ask what the cheapest plan is with that coach. Sometimes you can convince a personal development coach to work with you on payments, or to lower the phone time and up the email time in your coaching plan to limit costs.

A personal development coach is a great asset to the person who really wants to work on their personal development skills. The personal development coach can help you to recognize aspects of yourself that you have never noticed before. The personal development coach can also help you to set goals and overcome obstacles using resources that you may not have been aware of previously.

But how do you find the best personal development coach for you? There are many ways that you can find a personal development coach. You can simply search the internet using your typical search engines, or you can search directories that are made available specifically for personal development. Finding just any personal development coach is actually pretty easy with these tools.

But you don't want to find just any personal development coach. You want to find the best personal development coach for you and your needs. This will take a little bit more time and effort, but will be well worth it as you see the difference in your results. There are many things that you should take into consideration when trying to find the best personal development coach for you and your needs.

The first thing that you will want to keep in mind when looking for a personal development coach is accreditation. There are many people out there calling themselves personal development coaches without having the training necessary to do so. This is an unregulated profession, so it is very easy for someone to take their own experiences and use them to sound professional and train others. While this experience is important and enables you to relate to the coach, the best personal development coach will also have a degree or some other type of certification that lets you know that they are qualified to be your personal development coach.

The next thing that you will want to look for when finding a personal development coach is specialization. Many coaches are trained in the general skills relating to personal development. However, the best personal development coach will be thoroughly trained on one specific aspect of personal development. This specialization might be in business planning, social skills, time management, managing others, professional or career development, or other personal development issues.

You should also look for a personal development coach that you can get along with. Taking a trial run or initial meeting will allow you to determine if you can actually work with and learn from the coach that you have found. If the coach you find is not willing to do this, then you probably need to find another coach. You will not be able to get anywhere if you are more focused on how much you dislike your coach than you are on your personal development.

Finally, you will want to consider price. The cost of a personal development coach will be based on several factors: amount of experience, type of certification or accreditation, specialty, and coaching schedule. If you are unsure how much coaching you can afford, the best thing to do is to call around and ask what the cheapest plan is with that coach. Sometimes you can convince a personal development coach to work with you on payments, or to lower the phone time and up the email time in your coaching plan to limit costs.

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