7 Simple Steps to Banish Stress From Your Life Forever

BY Peter Economy @bizzwriter

Stress can be a killer--in more ways that one. Take some simple steps to kick stress out of your life once and for all.

While some let themselves get overwhelmed and shut down, others use stress to motivate and push them to greater heights. Without the proper stress management tools, it's easy to give in and find ourselves overcome by stress. By following these seven steps, you can banish stress from your life--once and for all.

1. Look at the big picture.
While you may be coming uncomfortably close to a deadline, your lack of progress is not your wife's or your children's faults, and probably not your coworkers' or employees' either. It's very important to remember what's most important in your life, and to be aware when you're blaming others for your problems and then taking it out on those closest to you. Sometimes we get so stressed that we blow up, which just causes more stress and drama in our lives.Try to keep things in proportion and you will see your stress level diminish daily.

2. Exercise.
Being active is healthy for the body and the mind. When you're feeling stressed, take a quick break and go for a walk outside your office. This short interruption will give you a fresh perspective while removing immediate sources of stress. And as an added benefit, the endorphins released in your brain from the physical activity will make you feel better and at peace.

3. Eat healthy.
Sugar crashes are a real thing, and with sugar hiding out in most every kind of processed food, it's extremely important to be aware of what you put in your body. Start out your mornings with a big, healthy breakfast--something along the lines of eggs and vegetables--and be sure to take breaks for lunch no matter how busy your day is. Keeping your brain fueled with healthy foods helps to keep stress from creeping up on you.

4. Keep track of progress.
Write down how much you've accomplished on a project. Keep track of your average progress and make a goal for when you can and will complete it. Through this process, you can truly see how much is left to be done and plan accordingly instead of feeling overwhelmed inside because you aren't sure how much is left to accomplish.

5. Stay organized.
Disorganization in any form causes the brain to feel stressed. Organize your work, your surroundings, and your activities in a way that gives you the most breathing room. If you are sitting in a room of clutter, your brain won't be able to focus on the task at hand. The more organized you are, the better you feel subconsciously. If you are feeling disorganized, spend 10 minutes a day on organizing different areas of your office and the work itself, and set a schedule for yourself.

6. Remain positive.
Don't let yourself hang onto negative thoughts that you won't accomplish whatever it is that you need to to do. Tell yourself that you can and will finish on time, get organized, and get healthy. Make a goal, write it down, and hold yourself accountable.

7. Make time for fun.
The old saying is work hard, play hard, but if you're focused on only work and set aside no time for fun, you will get stressed and burned out. Be happy, and spread some of that happiness around. Plan non-working vacations, get-togethers with your employees outside of your office, and fun-filled activities for everyone to participate in within your office.

How To Be Optimistic

Scientific research has come up with a long list of benefits to being optimistic. Here are just a few:

• Optimism is associated with better health and a longer life.
• Research has shown that practicing optimism and gratitude causes (not just correlates with) an increase in happiness.
• The army teaches soldiers to be optimistic because it makes them tougher and more persistent.
• Being socially optimistic — expecting people to like you — makes people like you more.
• Expecting a positive outcome from negotiations made groups more likely to come to a deal and to be happy with it.
• Optimists are luckier. Research shows by thinking positive they persevere and create more opportunities for themselves.
• Optimistic salespeople are more successful.

Click here for Eric Barker's excellent column.

A Heavenly Aroma

A Heavenly Aroma
By Michelle Medlock Adams

God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life. (Second Corinthians 2:15-16)

She breezed in and sat down in front of me at an Indiana University basketball game on that cold February night. She was an older woman, dressed in a navy business suit, with a red and white scarf tied stylishly around her neck.

Her silver hair was neatly tucked behind her ears in a classic bob–sort of like Doris Day–and her lipstick was a perfect IU crimson.

I would have guessed her to be in her early 60s...probably an IU professor. As she settled into her seat, a wonderful aroma filled the air. In fact, it broke through the smells of stale popcorn and overcooked hot dogs and filled my nostrils. I inhaled deeply and said, “Mmmm.”

“Do you smell that?” I whispered to my mother.

“Yes, it’s marvelous,” she answered.

There was no doubt. The wonderful aroma had wafted in with the classy lady in front of us. As the halftime buzzer sounded, I leaned forward and tapped the woman on her shoulder. I just had to know.

“Excuse me, Ma’am, you smell so wonderful...could you tell me what you’re wearing?”

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s called Krizia.”

I shared the information with my mother, and we both made a mental note to buy Krizia as our next perfume purchase. I wanted to smell just like the classy lady with the silver hair. I wanted that wonderful scent to become my "signature fragrance."

You know, the Bible says we are the aroma of Christ. When we enter a room, we should carry his fragrance with us. His aroma should be so pleasing on us that people will tap us on the shoulder and ask what we’re “wearing.”

With that opening, we can share Jesus Christ with every person who notices our Christ-like aroma.

Maybe your fragrance smells more like those overcooked weenies or the stale popcorn. If so, you just need a “smell makeover.” Ask God to replace your human smell with his divine fragrance, so that you will be a witness of his sweetness everywhere you go.

Ask the Lord to fill you up with his fragrant love so that it enters the room even before you do. He will. He doesn’t want his children to go around smelling stinky. After all, we are the aroma of Christ, and that’s even better than Krizia.

“Father, thank you for loving me, and thank you for filling me up with your love so that my signature fragrance becomes just like yours. I praise you, God, for providing openings that I might be able to share you and your love with others who cross my path. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.”

Posted originally on guideposts.org

10 Sure Signs You're in the Right Job

10 Sure Signs You're in the Right Job
By Peter Economy @bizzwriter

There are few things better in life than knowing you're in the right job or career--and few things worse than being stuck in the wrong one. Here's how to assess your current situation.

Click here to read the column.