Posts
1. Get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning. The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.
2. Don’t rely on your memory. Write down appointment times, when to pick up dry cleaning, etc.
3. Practice preventive maintenance. Your car, appliances, home or relationships will be less likely to break down/fall apart “at the worst possible moment”.
4. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.
5. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do Tamar, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
6. Plan ahead. Don’t let the gas tank get to low, don’t wait until your down to your last postage stamp to buy more, etc..
7. Don’t put up with something that doesn’t work right. If your alarm clock, wallet, windshield wipers-whatever-are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.
8. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get appointments. Plan to arrive at the airport one hour before domestic departures.
9. Be prepared to wait. A paperback book can make waiting in line almost enjoyable.
10. Always set up continency plans, “just in case”. (i.e., “if for some reason either of us is delayed, her is what we’ll do...”).
11. At times, relax your standards. This world will not end if the grass doesn’t mowed this weekend, if the laundry is cleaned on Sunday instead of Saturday, etc..
12. For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 to 50 or 100 blessings.
Count ‘ em!!!
13. Ask questions. Taking a few minutes to repeat back directions, what someone expects of you, etc.., can save hours.
14. Say No! Saying no to extra projects, social activities and invitations you know you don’t ha\ve the time or energy for takes practice, self respect and a belief that everyone, everyday needs quiet time to relax and to be alone.
15. Unplug your telephone. Want to take a long bath, sleep or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect. (The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil).
16. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
17. Make friends with nonworriers. Nothing can get you into the habit of worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.
18. Get enough sleep.
19. Create order out of chaos. Organize your home and workplace so that you always know exactly where things are. Put things away where they belong and you don’t have to go through he stress of losing things.
20. When feeling stressed, most people tend to breath in short, shallow breaths. When you breath like this, stale air is not expelled, oxidation of tissues is inadequate, and muscle tension usually results. Check your breathing throughout the day. If you find your stomach muscles are knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax your muscles and take several breaths.
21. Learn to live one day at a time.
22. Every day, do something you enjoy.
23. Talk it out. Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help you clear your mind of confusion so that you can concentrate on problem solving.
24. Do something for someone else.
25. Do something that will improve your appearance. Looking better can help you feel better.
26. Schedule a realistic day. Avoid the tendency to schedule back to back appointments.
27. Become more flexible. Some things are worth not doing perfectly and some issues are well to compromise upon.
28. Eliminate destructive self talk: “I’m too old to..”’ “I’m too fat...”’ etc.
29. Learn to delegate responsibility to capable others.
30. If an especially “unpleasant” task faces you, do it early in the day and get it over with. Then the rest of the day will be free of anxiety.
31. Take care of today’s as best as you can and yesterday’s and Tamar’s will take care of themselves.
32. Allow yourself time-everyday-for privacy, quiet, and introspection.
33. Do one thing at a time. When you are with someone, be with that person and no one else or nothing else.
34. Have a forgiving view of events and people. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world.
35. Have an optimistic view of the world. Believe that most people are doing the best that they can.
