Reduce Holidays Stress Simple Tips!

1. Change Your Mindset:- 
Of course, the holidays are a special time of year meant to celebrate friends and family, but we're not talking about a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence here. Christmas may come but once a year, but it comes every single year without fail. If you're too busy to participate in every party or family tradition this year, don't worry. There's always next year! This same kind of thinking can also help you make healthierdecisions when it comes to holiday eating. Yes, your aunt's gingerbread cookies are delicious, but you can enjoy a couple every year instead of feeling like you have to eat the whole tin all at once. Sweet talk her into giving you the recipe, and, even if you never get around the baking them, you'll know that you can have your favorite treat anytime you want.

2. Practice the Power of No:-
The word no is extremely powerful and liberating. It's tempting to say yes to every invitation and every opportunity to volunteer during the holidays. But you'll enjoy the parties and other events more if you pick and choose the ones that are closest to your heart. There's no need to lie or to explain why you can't participate. Simply say, "I'm sorry. I already have plans for that time." Whether your plan is to make time for exercise or simply to get some needed rest, don't feel obligated to take on more than you can. This can be quite challenging, though. Force yourself to practice saying no in small ways. For example, try politely refusing a cookie from a well-meaning coworker.

3. Simplify Your Celebration:-
Holiday traditions are wonderful and help create lasting family memories, but there's no reason why you can't choose to create new traditions that better fit your current lifestyle. Do you really need to cook a meal for your entire extended family? Instead, could you roast the turkey or make another main course and ask everyone else to bring a side dish or dessert? Do you really need to buymultiple gifts for everyone? Instead, could the adults in the family draw names to create a smaller gift exchange and save other gift giving for children? 

4. Focus on Others:- 

Instead of getting wrapped up in gift giving, baking and other holiday obligations, find a way to give back to your community this year. You might choose to volunteer at a toy drive for underprivileged children or help out at a local food bank. Instead of fightingcrowds at the mall, you could be doing good for others and for yourself. There are many benefits to giving back for your own health and well-being.

5. Choose a Charity Gift.:-
Another great way to avoid the mall or hours of online shopping is to give charity gift cards to friends and family. You can buy cards and certificates from sites like Tis Best, Just Give and Network for Good that allow the recipient to donate the money to the non-profit of their choice. That way you and your family can feel good about supporting causes that are important toeach one of you.

6. Don't Skip Your Regular Workouts:-
It's easy to find extra time in your schedule by cutting back on gym visits or afternoon walks, but because exercise is such an effective form of stress relief, all you'll be buying yourself is exhaustion and added worry. By the same token, don't try to beat holiday eating by ramping up your workouts to unrealistic levels. Instead, enjoy holiday treats in moderation and focus on sustainable fitness goals. If you want to add some extra calorie burn to your regular cardio (in a short amount of time), try some high-intensityinterval training.

7. Boost Your Immune System:-
There's nothing more stressful during the holidays than coming down with a cold or the flu. To protect yourself during the winter months, make sure you're getting ample fruit and vegetables in your diet, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep and washing your hands regularly. And get a flu shot to protect yourself from the most common strains of the flu virus.

8. Be Flexible:-
Instead of trying to pack multiple family celebrations into a single day or weekend, create your own schedule for festive gatherings when it's more convenient for everyone. For example, if you celebrate Thanksgiving with one side of your family, invite the other side over a few days later to celebrate leftovers day. Everyone can bring leftovers or a new dish to share. You can eat up all the extra food while it's still good and spend time with the people you love in a less formal setting than a sit-down dinner.

9. Take a Day Off:-
Rather than trying to fit all your holiday errands in on the weekend, use one of the vacation days you were saving for the holidays for some stress-free mid-week shopping. The mall will be less crowded and you'll be able to zip through all the tasks on your list. And you'll also get more done on that day you're alone in the office without any interruptions from coworkers. Not being greeted by an overflowing email inbox on January 2 will be a huge stress reliever, too.

10. Get Out of Town:-
 Need a fool-proof excuse for skipping out on holiday obligations? Book a vacation. It can be just you and your significant other, or you can bring your immediate family along. Use the money you would have spent on gifts to fund your trip and accumulate memories instead of stuff. Who knows, maybe winter travel is a new family tradition that you can pass on to the next generation--the gift of a totally stress-freeholiday season!

11. Take a Deep Breath:- 
 If you find yourself feeling too stressed out and overwhelmed to even consider any of the suggestions above, pause for five minutes and take a few cleansing breaths. Then get a piece of paper and write down all the tasks that are swirling around in your head and driving your crazy. Consult a calendar and allot specific time periods to spend on each item on your list. Once you have a plan in place, you can focus on checking off tasks instead of worrying about how to juggle everything. (Discover 10 simple ways to de-stress in five minutes or less.)

Healthy Life Style!

Here are healthy lifestyle tips you can incorporate into your daily life to promote your health and well-being. Some are tips that you should implement on a daily basis and others are minor changes you can make to your life to foster healthy living.

1:-Daily exercise is one of the most important healthy lifestyle tips. Exercise on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes per day. Brisk walk, aerobics, or just any kind of bodily movement can do wonders for your health.

2:-You should sleep 6 to 8 hours per day. This will help your body to replenish itself and gives your body time to rebuild its cells. Lack of sleep make you feel tired and affect your eating habits. Adequate sleep is essential for your overall health and well-being.

3:-Eat a well-balanced diet. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Avoid foods that are processed and reduce your intake of foods that are high in fat, sodium and sugar.

4:-Maintaining a healthy weight will help you look better and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

5:-Have a positive outlook. People who are positive tend to have better health and success in life then those who are negative thinkers.

6:-Maintain a balanced lifestyle. There should be a balance between your work time and your leisure time. Remind yourself, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.”

7:-Stop smoking. It is harmful to your health. It can cause heart disease, lungs cancer, and premature aging.

8:-Meditation can help reduce stress, because it helps quiet your mind. Even if you just meditate 15 minutes per day, the result will amaze you.

9:-Reduce your intake of alcohol.

10:-Surround yourself with friends and family members who are supportive. 

11:-Manage stress by doing meditation, breathing exercises, listening to music, etc. Stress, left not managed, can lead to tension and pain in your body and threaten your health and well-being.

12:-Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to help you with the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and the elimination of toxins from your body.

13:-Take daily vitamins, mineral and herbal supplements to maintain your overall health or deal with your specific health problems.

14:-Find things to laugh about on a daily basis. Laughter releases endorphins, boost your immune system, increases blood flow and relaxes your body.

15:-Spending 5 to 10 minutes per day to practice deep breathing can improve your overall health. Deep breathing reduces stress, relaxes your muscles, improve your oxygen intake and delivery to all your organs and stimulate your lymphatic system.

16:-Avoid your exposure to toxins like pesticides, molds, fungus and heavy metals like lead, mercury, aluminum, etc.

17:-Eat complex carbohydrates and avoid simple carbohydrates like white bread, sugar, white rice, etc.

18:-Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables, if possible, to avoid getting exposed to pesticides.

19:-Life is too short so you should follow your bliss. People who are happy and have a fulfilled life tend to be healthier and live longer.

20:-Avoid people who talk about illnesses.

21:-Get outside and spend your time in the open air daily, if possible. Exposing yourself to fresh air and sunshine on a daily basis is beneficial to your health.

22:-Be appreciative of your life, your health and whatever you have. Gratitude is good for your soul as well as your health.

23:-Choose happiness and health. Make it your dominant intention to focus on things that make your life healthy and happy.

24:-See yourself healthy and happy in your mind’s eyes.

25:-Forgive yourself and others. Bearing grudges is bad for your health and well-being.

26:-Remind yourself that it is natural for you to be healthy. Health is your natural state, not sickness.

27:-Have a raw food diet day, a day where eat only unprocessed and uncooked foods, once or twice a month. This way you give your body a break from all the food additives and preservatives. Make sure that you consume only organic foods.

28:-Try alternative medicine like acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology, etc.

29:-Practice yoga. It’s good for both your body and mind.

30:-Fasting once in a while is a good way to detox your body and gives your digestive system some time off.

31:-Do not worry. Worry will not help you solve your problem and it is not good for your health. Worry is the main causes of many physical ailments that send people to hospitals. Remember that most of the things that you worry about will probably never happen anyway.

32:-Expect to be healthy and do not expect to be sick.

33:-Accept yourself, your capability and your shortcomings.

Benefits of Smiling and Laughing!

1. Neurotransmitters called endorphins are released when you smile.

These are triggered by the movements of the muscles in your face, which is interpreted by your brain, which in turn releases these chemicals. Endorphins are responsible for making us feel happy, and they also help lower stress levels. Faking a smile or laugh works as well as the real thing—the brain doesn’t differentiate between real or fake as it interprets the positioning of the facial muscles in the same way. This is known as the facial feedback hypothesis. The more we stimulate our brain to release this chemical the more often we feel happier and relaxed.

2. Endorphins make us feel happier and less stressed.

They also act as the body’s natural pain killers. For sufferers of chronic pain, laughing and smiling can be very effective in pain management, as can laughing off the pain when you bump an elbow or fall over.

3. While the release of endorphins is increased, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced.

Cortisol is more active when we feel stressed or anxious and contributes to the unpleasant feelings we experience, and by lowering it we can reduce these negative feelings.

4. Laughing expands the lungs, stretches the muscles in the body and stimulates homeostasis.

This exercises the body, replenishing the cells from a lungful of oxygen and gaining all the benefits of exercising the body.

5. A good laugh can be an effective way to release emotions.

A good laugh can help you release emotions, especially those emotions that you might bottle up inside. Everything looks that little bit better after a good laugh and life can be seen from a more positive perspective. Smiling and laughing have positive socialimplications as well.

6. Smiling is an attractive expression, which is more likely to draw people to you rather than push them away.

Smiling makes you appear more approachable. Interaction with others is easier and more enjoyable when smiles and laughs are shared, and these behaviours are contagious, making others feel better too, and make you a more appealing and attractive person to be around. This in turn will have a positive effect on your well-being.

7. A happy, positive expression will serve you well in life.

This is particularly  true for challenging situations such as job interviews: a smiling, relaxed persona indicates confidence and an ability to cope well in stressful situations. This will also be of benefit in your career, building healthy relationships with colleagues and being seen in a favourable light by your employers.

How to Smile and Laugh More Often tricks:-

There are simple ways to bring more smiling and laughing into your day:

1:-Smile and laugh regularly. As mentioned, your brain does not know the difference between a fake or real smile, and by doing so more often you will feel better, and become more likely to smile and laugh more spontaneously.

2:-Watch funny films, TV, and theater shows. This is a excellent way to inject some instant humor into your life. By avoiding negative programs and news broadcasts, you can also balance make your viewing more positive and lighthearted, with more opportunity for a chuckle or two.

3:-Spend time with friends and family that make you feel happy. Surrounding yourself with happy, fun-loving, optimistic people will bring out your happy side, and their behaviour will rub off on you as you subconsciously mimic their behavioural patterns.

4:-Find things to smile and laugh about. Once you start consciously looking at all the things that are funny and uplifting, you will be more aware of them, in tune with them, and more ready to engage in a spontaneous smile or laugh.

Happy Marrige trick!

 Psychotherapist who specializes in couples therapy, believes that relationships don’t require hard work. They do require “attention and intention.”

1:- Greet your partner lovingly in the morning:-

When you first see your spouse, instead of having a negative or even neutral interaction, greet them with a positive statement, Bush said. It could be anything from “I’m glad to wake up beside you” to “I’m so happy to be married to you,” she said. The key is to be positive and loving.

2:-Send a sweet text:-

Use modern-day technology to stay connected throughout the day by sending your spouse a playful, flirtatious or sweet text, Bush said. Write anything from “I miss you” to “I can’t wait to see you tonight,” she said.

3:-Reunite with a hug:-

Often people will reunite and it’s unconsciously thoughtless, Bush said. For instance, partners might focus more on checking the mail or criticizing, such as “Why didn’t you cook dinner?” or “Why didn’t you take out the trash?”

Instead, any time you reunite with your partner, “have an intentional hug that lasts 20 seconds.” This is actually longer than the average hug, and it’s “long enough for oxytocin, the bonding hormone, to be released.”

4:- Touch your partner at mealtime:-

When you’re eating dinner together, make it a point to touch your partner. You might touch their hand or arm, or your legs might touch, she said.

5:-Compliment your partner at the end of the day:-

Many marriages, Bush said, suffer from chronic under-appreciation. Partners don’t feel appreciated, and they, too, don’t show their appreciation, she said. The relationship becomes clouded by a “sense of lack and taking each other for granted.”

She suggested couples end the day by thanking each other for one small act they did that day. It could be anything from “Thanks for picking up the dry cleaning” to “Thanks for making dinner” to “Thanks for hanging out with my family.”

Not only does your partner feel appreciated after your compliment, but “you start to train yourself to look for the good. You focus your attention on the things they do, not just what they don’t do.”

6:-Express your needs from a place of vulnerability:-

Often people will criticize as a way of describing their needs, Bush said. So instead of a request, it comes You’re always on the computer.

Instead, try: “I’d like to spend some time with you. Could you spend some time with me?” This invites a dialogue between partners, she said.

7:- Feel each other’s breath:-

This might sound like a strange practice, but it’s a powerful way to enhance your intimacy. Put your hands on each other’s chest or belly and feel your partner’s breathing, Bush said. Synch your breath together for one minute. Some couples also look into each other’s eyes.
Some days you probably won’t feel like showing appreciation or being affectionate. You might be in a miserable mood or downright exhausted. But try it anyway.

If you do a loving behavior, you start to feel more loving,” Bush said. She likened it to feeling depressed. You don’t want to do the things that will make you feel better. And, yet, when you do the things that make you feel better, you feel better.

Also, keep in mind that time with your spouse is finite. People don’t realize that their relationship can end because of a divorce or death, Bush said. She works with many grieving spouses, who would “give anything for one more hug and kiss.

Simple Muscle Tension Release your Mind And Body!

Stress simply distracts the body from healing itself.  Don’t let stress be the number one focus for your mind and body.
1: Part your lips slightly:-
The simple act of parting your lips ever so slightly can create an amazing release for your jaw, neck and throat area.  When you part your lips its very difficult to grind teeth, clench your jaw or purse your lips.  In fact, if you are anything  like me you won’t realize how much stress you hold in your jaw area until you part your lips slightly and feel the difference.

2:  Relax your shoulders:-
Tight tense shoulders generally bunch up around your ears, restrict the flow of blood to your brain, round your shoulders and even sink your chest.Un-hunch your shoulders, spread your collar bones, lift your chest and relax your neck and jaw.  Now, feel the difference.

3:  Draw a figure eight into your palm:-
Distract yourself from stressing and shift your thinking by tracing a figure -eight onto the palm of your hand.  It’s bliss.Another lovely place to draw the figure is around your eyes.Very soothing and relaxing for your whole face.

4:  Grab your ears:- 
Pinch your ear lobes between your thumb and index finger. Holding a firmish grip allow the weight of your arms to pull your ears down.  If you are holding lots of tension in this area you will notice instant relief as pressure is released from your head, your neck lengthens,  your shoulders relax and you feel lots more space in this area of your body.

5:  Face yoga – stick out your tongue:- 
 Lions pose is great for releasing tension and frustration held in your face and upper body area.  You literally stick out your tongue as far as it will go and then roar like a lion.  Releases oodles of frustration, tension and stress.  If roaring like a lion is not your thing then pretend you are Gene Simmons from Kiss.

6:  Remember to breathe:- 
When stressed we often hold our breath which traps tension in our muscles and body.  Remember to breath. When the breath is unsteady, everything is unsteady.If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.

7:  Chew your food longer:-
Yes, its true.  Chewing your food is a natural relaxant.A natural de-stressor is to chew your vegetables.  It releases four times more serotonin.Serotonin is often known as the molecule of happiness.

8:  Spend longer on your exhale:- 
Your inhale stimulates and your exhale relaxes.   Use your next exhale to release tension and put a healthy distance between you and whatever is stressing you out.

9:  Rest on your  yoga bolster:-
 If you have the luxury of resting on your yoga bolster for a few moments – then do it.   Laying down and lowering your head triggers relaxation in your body.  If you don’t have a yoga bolster then 2 or 3 blankets rolled together are perfect for you to rest in a restorative yoga pose such as, supported childs pose.

10:  Chant Om:- 
Chanting “Om” creates vibrations inside your mouth that are similar to striking a gong.  It’s great for releasing tension in the face, neck and upper body. Chanting om (aum)  is refreshing and brings a light quality to your being.  I find it a wonderful relaxer.

11:  3 rounds of alternate nostril breathing:- 
This has to be one of my favourites and I have to say works every time for me.   Alternate nostril breathing relaxes your whole body.  It soothes your nervous system, calms an agitated mind, your emotions and relaxes stressed breathing.

12: Belly breathing for instant relief:-
Do you hold stress in your stomach area like me ?  Then use your breath to dissolve any tightness and tension.Place your hands on your belly and feel the rise and fall of your tummy with each inhale and exhale.  Continue until you feel it soften, open up and relax.  Ah! now doesn’t that feel better.  It’s impossible for a soft relaxed tummy to hold tension.

Ways to overcome Negative Thinking!

We have also come up with 4 tips to help you overcome negative thinking and increase your positive outlook on the work that you do.

1:- Become Conscious of the Things that go Through Your Mind:-

Don’t become alarmed over the number of negative thoughts that are running through your head. If it happens and you notice it, then let it go and avoid talking about it aloud to colleagues, friends and managers. As well, think of the ways in which you can change your negative thoughts into something positive.
For example, you can change “I am not getting any sales today” thought into “The sales environment is challenging but I am up for it.” Give it a try!
2:- Change the Way you Feel:-

This is the most difficult part of the process. To unfreeze the feelings you want replaced and refreeze the new ones, begin by visualizing the outcome(s) you desire. The outcome must be real and measurable and something that you can achieve in a decent period of time.
3:- Take Affirmative Action:-

If no action is taken, change will never take place. Actively go about your day and apply what you have learned every time there is an opportunity. It will be difficult to do so at beginning, but if you have the perseverance and the strength, you will be able to over come your negative thinking.
4:-Surround Yourself with Positive People:-

Call upon a friend or colleague who you know could give you constructive, yet positive feedback. When you’re stuck in a negative spiral, talk to people who can put things into perspective and won’t feed your negative thoughts. Two negatives, don’t always make a positive

Loneliness deal Important tips!

Have you ever been lonely in a crowd? Have you ever been perfectly content all alone? Me too. And I have also suffered from loneliness:-

Loneliness is a complex mental and emotional phenomenon that has at its base a powerful emotion that has survival value for children. All of us have experienced some degree of abandonment, if only for a short time, and remember the painful and scary feeling that goes along with it.

Whenever we are reminded of this feeling or anticipate it in the future, we get a twinge of abandonment distress that we experience as loneliness. This can happen among a crowd of friends or even after making love. It can be pretty confusing and can put you off your game if you don’t know what’s going on.

Here are some tipsfor recognizing loneliness for what it is and dealing with it in the healthiest ways.

1. Realize that loneliness is a feeling, not a fact:- 
 When you are feeling lonely, it is because something has triggered a memory of that feeling, not because you are in fact, isolated and alone. The brain is designed to pay attention to pain and danger, and that includes painful scary feelings; therefore loneliness gets our attention.

But then the brain tries to make sense of the feeling. Why am I feeling this way? Is it because nobody loves me? Because I am a loser? Because they are all mean? Theories about why you are feeling lonely can become confused with facts. Then it becomes a bigger problem so just realize that you are having this feeling and accept it without over reacting.

2. Reach out because loneliness is painful and can confuse you into thinking that you are a loser, an outcast:-
You might react by withdrawing into yourself, your thoughts, and your lonely feelings and this is not helpful. At its best, anticipation of loneliness might motivate us to reach out and cultivate friendships, which is the healthiest thing to do if you are sad and alone. When you are a child, and your sadness causes you to cry, you may evoke a comforting response from others.

3. Notice your self deflating thoughts:- 
We often create self centered stories to explain our feelings when we are young, it is not unusual for children to assume that there is something wrong with them if they are not happy. If they are lonely and sad, children may assume other people don’t like them when this is rarely the case.

Victims of bullying may well have fans and friends, but they often aren’t aware of it because the shame and loneliness get more attention. Habitual assumptions about social status continue into adulthood and if you are looking for evidence that the world sucks, you can always find it.

4. Make a plan to fight the mental and emotional habits of loneliness:- 
If you realize you are dealing with an emotional habit, you can make a plan to deal with loneliness. Since healthy interaction with friends is good, make some effort to reach out to others, to initiate conversation and face time even when your loneliness and depression are telling you not to. Yes, it is work, but it is worthwhile, just like exercising is worthwhile even when you are feeling tired or lazy.

5. Focus on the needs and feelings of others, the less attention on your lonely thoughts and feelings:-
I can walk down the street thinking about myself, my loneliness and the hopelessness of it all, staring at the sidewalk and sighing to myself. Or I can walk down the street grateful for the diversity of people I get to share the sidewalk with, silently wishing them good health and good fortune, and smiling at each person I meet. The latter is more fun, even though I sometimes have to remind myself to do it on purpose.

6. Find others like you:- 
Now days there are more tools than ever before to find out where the knitters, hikers or kite boarders are congregating so that you can get together with those who share your interests. This makes it much easier to identify groups with which you will have something in common, a natural basis for beginning a friendship.

7. Always show up when meeting up with others:- 
 You don’t have to run for president of the knitters society at your first meeting. But you do have to show up. I have been telling others to practiceyoga for 20 years and promising I would do it myself for just as long, but except for the occasional coincidental yoga offering at a retreat, I didn’t take the trouble of finding a class I could attend regularly until a month ago. Now I am enjoying it and it wasn’t that hard. I have put a reminder in my phone to resign from the procrastinator’s society.

8. Be curious, but don’t expect perfection or applause:- 
Each time you show up is an experiment, a micro adventure in social bonding. If you are curious about and interested in others, they will be attracted to you because you are giving them attention. So you will get attention in return. Curiosity about others also takes your focus away from those painful feelings that tend to make you hide and sulk.

9. Kindness goes a long way:-
You have the power to offer loving kindness and generosity of spirit to all you come into contact with. It isn’t instinctual to be kind to strangers or people who scare you.

10. Be persistent even if a particular group does seem to be a dead end for you, try another:- 
If you are persistent, challenging the assumptions and feelings that tell you to give up and resign yourself to a life of loneliness, and showing up and being curiousand kind to others and more and more groups, the odds are in your favor.

More from Your Tango: Why You Should Never Stop Looking For Love

And once you have a friend or two, nourish those friendships with time and attention. Don’t be too cautious about whether you are giving more than you are getting at first. If you make more friends and some of them are takers, you can choose to spend more time with the friends who reward your friendship.