Thursday, November 19, 2009

Ordinary Things

You can take a break virtually anytime and anywhere. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in the chaos. Just stop or at least slow down and take 5 or 10 minutes out of your day - you'll be amazed how good you will feel and how much more you can accomplish by doing this.

Here are a few ways to quickly recharge your batteries:-

Go for a walk, maybe to the park for 5 minutes and really experience and enjoy nature. Give thanks for everything good in your life.


Discover Meditation

Monday, November 2, 2009

Stress Survey

Survey on over 4000 Job Seekers
Almost half of the respondents (46%) chose flexible working as the benefit they would most look for in their next job, with only 1 in 14 (7%) choosing gym membership and 1 in 10 (10%) opting for a company car;
A third of them would prefer the opportunity to work flexible hours rather than receive £1,000 more pay per year;
7 in 10 (68%) jobseekers would like the chance to work more flexibly when necessary;
8 in 10 (77%) parents with children under 6 said that work-life balance is an important factor in deciding whether to apply for a new job; and
six out of ten workers view work-life balance as an important factor in assessing a potential new job.
Less than 2 in 10 (18%) job-seekers would happily work much longer hours for more money
4 in 10 (43%) men chose flexible working as the benefit they would most look for in a new job, compared with just 13% who would look for company car and only 7% who would look for gym membership
45% of undergraduates or recent graduates would prefer flexibility in hours to a company car (14%) or gym membership (4%)
Nearly a quarter (24%) of managers/ directors said that work-life balance was an extremely important factor in deciding whether to apply for a new job
4 in 10 (37%) women chose flexible working over £1000 more pay per year, compared to 3 in 10 (27%) men

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Some Stress Causes

Environmental stresses
· Crowding and invasion of personal space
· Insufficient working and living space
· Noise
· Dirty or untidy conditions
· Pollution
· A badly organised or run down environment
Chemical and nutritional stresses
· Caffeine:
· Bursts of sugar from sweets or chocolate:
· Too much salt
· An unbalanced or unhealthy diet.
· If you are obese, this causes physical stress on your internal organs and emotional stress as your view of yourself declines.
Lifestyle and job stress
· physically unfit
· too much or too little work
· having to perform beyond your perceived abilities
· having to overcome unnecessary obstacles
· time pressures and deadlines
· keeping up with new developments
· changes in procedures and policies
· lack of relevant information, support and advice
· lack of clear objectives
· unclear expectations of your role from your boss or colleagues
· responsibility for people, budgets or equipment
· career development stress:
o under-promotion, frustration and boredom with current role
o over-promotion beyond abilities
o lack of a clear plan for career development
o lack of opportunity
o lack of job security

Stress from your organisation or your clients:
· pressures from your boss
· interference in your work
· demands from clients
· disruptions to work plans
· the telephone!

Personal and family stresses:
· financial problems
· relationship problems
· ill-health
· family changes such as birth, death, marriage or divorce.

Fatigue and Overwork

You can get into a vicious circle of stress, which causes you to hurry jobs and do them badly. This under-performance causes feelings of frustration and failure, which causes more stress, which causes more hurry and less success, and so on.

If you do not manage long term stress effectively, it can lead to long term fatigue, failure and one of the forms of physical or mental ill-health

Stress Solution

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Know where your're going

I've been on holidays from work over the last two weeks. I purposely did not organise my life over that time. It has been a lesson on a cause of stress.
Many times we can get stressed because we don't really know what we want to achieve. We engage in a purposeless manner. However, at a subconscious level we may have expectations. Drifting consciously may not satisfy this internal yearning. When we do this we can have "stress on tap".
So, knowing where you're going can be a great stress eliminator

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Keep doing the same!

Working with people who are in a state of need or support is always interesting. As a person on the staff, I find we generally present ourselves as people with the correct and best answer for the lives of those we "serve". For us that is a source of stress as addicts and homeless people never follow the straight line we always seem to offer them.
The other side of the equation is that when we look at the behaviour of our clients and seek answers to why they don't seem to respond to the "great work" we're doing, I think we find some enlightening learning for ourselves. Don't we do the same in many areas of our own lives?
I find it interesting to stand back, in a safe place, and put my own house in order before approaching others.
It's amazing how much weight this takes off my shoulders. So now, i have dedicated a time where I meditate daily.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Holding on to Stress

For some of us, Stress is a tool we conveniently hold on to for our own benefit. Many times it is just not convenient to let go!
Given this, there is a multitude of solutions we can purchase without ever having made the decision to really deal with the source of our stress. These give brief respite and if they are fashionable, we can talk with authority about them.
How do i know if I'm fooling myself? Simply watch your behaviour. It has always intrigued me around Christmas time (a time of huge partying in Ireland) when magazine articles and tv programmes begin to show women how to detox to fit the party dress - so that they can then get totally and utterly drunk. Does this not equate to self abuse?
Letting go of stress is an attitude change which affects every aspect of life

Friday, August 7, 2009

Mis-using the rational mind

Without doubt the logical thinking mind has it's place in what we do. Perhaps we westerners beleive that it has to be used in every occasion. Do we not end up using it in places where it doesn't really fit? For many years I used it as the only tool to deal with my emotions. It just didn't work. I became very good at living in my head, and, as a consequence, at frustrating many of my natural abilities

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Stress and Food

Many years ago I had an experience which changed my mind about the value of food as a stressor.

The centre where I was teaching had a very bright receptionist. She was a single mum with a four year old boy. She took him to work with her every day. He was a rascal (I'm using a very mild word for a real walking disaster !). He was constantly hyper. I actually thought that he was mentally retarded. It always surprised me that a woman who was so bright could have a child so utterly stupid and wild.

As I left for lunch one day I noticed that the child was having lunch. His diet was cola, crisps, and sweet cakes.

I asked her if she was having difficulty with the child. She informed that he never slept, he broke everything and could not concentrate. I further asked her if his lunch diet was a constant. She replied yes and added that he had a similar fare for breakfast. His dinner consisted of burger and chips.

I suggested that she change his diet to a more wholesome diet, that she eliminate sweet sugary products, that she replace colas, cakes with juices and fruit.

My next contract at her centre was three weeks later. As I entered the reception area I noticed a little boy peacefully drawing at a table in the corner. I asked her how things were with her son, she just smiled and pointed to the boy in the corner. She told me that there had been an amazing turn-around. He was sleeping, he was interested in learning. He was mixing better with his peers. she told me that he was "more loveable" - strong words for a mother!

We may be suffereing like the young boy by eating food that is too acidy. I changed to an alkaline based approach to eating - my energy soared, my sleep pattern bettered itself. I even lost weight ! Check out the alkaline diet

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Stress is a pattern

Part of the pattern of stress is that of being very serious. The stressed person sees the source of their stress as a very serious matter which demands that the listener respond in a similar fashion. How can this pattern be broken?
My son, a prison officer, was telling me of a riot he got caught up in and how his friend had been taken hostage. I totally mis-read his emotion as he was re-living the experience. At the same time I realised that he needed to break the intense emotion and begin to look at the situation from a different view-point. He has always considered me to be very bright but somewhat impractical. I used this to break the pattern. In the middle of his intense emotion, I told him how I had gone to put petrol in my moped and how I thought the engine had seized because smoke billowed from it as I tried to run the engine. I told him how I had contacted my mechanic who in turn took the moped away. I told him how the mechanic had called me the next day and informed me that the engine was ok but that I had simply put diesel in it instead of petrol. My son started laughing and confirmed his impression of me with some un-printable words.
I then asked him about the riot. Now the intense emotion was gone, he could speak about it more objectively, from a different view-point. If the intensity returned, I just had to say "moped" to create a pattern break

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

"Feeding" Peace

"I just can't get it out of mind" is a comment many of my clients offer me on a consistent basis. They continue to "feed" the thought, they continue to give it energy. Most will tell me as I ask them about "peaceful thoughts", that it doesn't feel right.
My clients are mostly recovering addicts who seem to have a very sensitive nature. So, when they tell me that it doesn't feel right or good, I know that the pain which accompanies that statement is a source of stress and unless it is sorted, could ultimately lead to relapse.
Those who have experimented in meditation are the ones who seem to be to overcome this obstacle with greatest ease. As a result they seem to be able to cope with many other stressful situations and become far more pro-active in all areas of life. They become aware that their stress strategy is a learned strategy so they can learn a new strategy. Meditation is the best place to "feed" this strategy for peace

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Long-Term effects

Some people get spectacular results very fast, others, like myself, become aware of the beneficial results over a period of time. I had even doubted any progress. So how do I know that I'm relaxing more, that I'm not reacting, that I'm achieving better result? The old latin saying "contra facta non sunt dicta" (There are no words against the facts) is my proof.
I started off keeping a daily diary. When I compared entries at the beginning of the period to those at the end of the period I noticed huge changes. This awareness led me to look at how I was no dealing with stressful situations. In a huge percentage of the situations I noticed that I was being so much more proactive and that my level of stress was now practically zero.
How did I achieve this? I used LifeFlow along with elements of the Linden method

Monday, June 22, 2009

Dealing with Stress "off stage"

I'm constantly intrigued by the number of stressful people claiming that they must begin dealing with their stress as soon as it surfaces. It sounds like going to war without training and expecting to be successful in a total alien situation!
Years ago I watched a film documentary on Manchester United. A certain David Beckham was just beginning his career at the club. After the team finished it's training stint, David appeared with a bag of balls and two small circular targets which he placed in top corners of the goal posts. He then spent the next hour "taking shots" at the targets from a variety positions and locations on the pitch.
In spite of the belief of the afore mentioned stressful people to the contrary, we CAN play at "taking shots" to conquer stress. It is really important to our success that we do it.
I have found meditation to be an effective medium where I can "take shots". LifeFlow brings me into the meditative state where I can perfect my shots again and just like David, it becomes a totally natural skill. I like LifeFlow because I can combine it with a huge variety of other holistic methodologies. It enhances the speed and effectiveness of these methodologies

Monday, June 15, 2009

Heavy Duty Stress

At work over the last few months, I have had to deal with people who are frightened by the intensity of their stressful experience. They are in that place where they begin to believe that they are mad, they begin to mix up natural occurrences with spirituality which frightens them even more. This has led me to search for answers and solutions. Along the way I found the Linden Method. The method claims huge success and bases its philosophy on the fact that this level of stress is a learned behaviour. It then seeks to tackle this learning and implement training for peace.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Getting Results

Many times I think we can approach methods to relax and be calm as goals in themselves. We can become lost in the rights and wrongs of how accurately we "copy" the directives of the guru. Really, they are only tools to facilitate living, to facilitate a more meaningful life. That's why I like using music designed for meditation as a tool. It is very easy to link into life and create deep change very quickly. I work on the basis that my imagination cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imaginary. Music can embrace all other methods to intensify their effectiveness.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Relapsed Alcoholic and Stress

Today at work, I listened to a relapsed drinker whinge in self-pity as he justified again and again his present situation. This could be expected as I have found that most "hard" drinkers work out of a core of "me". Not only is it "me" but it is compounded as "poor me". This makes life very stressful for the individual.
How to break this unhealthy focus on self? A great way I have used myself is meditation because meditation helps create that safe place where I can confront all my stress symptoms with courage. Meditation reaches the core where self-obsession resides, so it easily creates deep and permanent change.
"He only is wise who devotes himself to realizing, not reading only, the ancient relevations. Solve all your problems through meditation. Exchange unprofitable religious speculations for actual God-contact." - Paramhansa Yogananda

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Monotony

I have always lived in my head. this has been the source of untold stress. Over the years many people kept telling me that I needed to relax, so I have participated in many many courses. Along the way I became intrigued with the "alpha state". I believed that I had learned the secret. However It was only when I began listening to the LifeFlow series that I understood how little benefit my previous efforts had afforded me. Now, I can choose the state/level I wish to achieve and simply use the appropriate music to entrain my mind to that level.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Negative People

The way to free yourself from the unpleasant affects of other people's negative energy is to recognize and love yourself as you are, and to accept other people as they are and see them for where they can be.

As you live more consciously through regular meditation you will love finding the real peaceful and happy you.

Conscious living is the anti-venom to stress: an amazing stress--solution

Monday, May 11, 2009

Music for Meditation

As meditation is a brilliant stress solution, it is always useful to find music and sound which can facilitate a quick and deep state of meditation
I continue to use an amazing product which helps entrain the brain to the alpha and delta levels. Check it out as your own amazing stress solution. It's good, because it goes to the core of the issue and works not only as a stress solution, but as a tool which enhances health, work, mind and so much more

Check it out ! It's an amazing stress slution

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Meditation

Easy to learn, meditation , the perfect stress solution, requires no special accessories or equipment, need not involve trainers or classes (although some introductory training or group meditations can be beneficial until you learn to relax your mind). Meditation can be done just about anywhere. You just need to do it daily and once you learn it, you will be able to improve your life, work, health and mind by meditating anytime, anywhere

I find meditation is the perfect stress solution for me as I deal daily with with addiction issues at work

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Achieving Calm

Achieving calm is the ultimate stress solution, in fact it's not only a stress solution, I believe deeply that it's the first step to a life of personal control. To achieve this calm I recently signed up for a meditation course called "LifeFlow"

I can honestly say that since I started listening daily to LifeFlow meditation, my life has changed for the better. I feel so calm and in control of my thoughts and emotions and
I feel, act and react to situations and people in a completely different way. It's amazing because there is no effort to be different, it just flows!

Meditation is a true stress solution

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Simple Stress Solution

A friend gave me the following advice as a stress solution, what do you think?

If you are doing something, Enjoy it
If you cannot enjoy it, avoid it
If you cannot avoid it, change it
If you cannot change it, change your viewpoint

Meditation is the most effective way to change viewpoint and in that way be a hugely effective stress solution

Monday, April 27, 2009

Do the Costs of Stress demand a stress solution?

There can be little dispute against ever growing research that stress has a significant negative impact on the well-being of both: the individual the organisation. There is a need to find a stress solution for both the individual and the organisation
Links have been demonstrated between stress and the incidence of Suicide, heart disease, alcoholism, mental breakdowns, job dissatisfaction, accidents,
family problems and certain forms of cancer.
In the UK during the 1980’s, stress in the workplace multiplied similar costs due to Industrial Action by more than 10 fold.
TGWU survey 1997: 81% of trade union members think that stress is a "fairly of very serious" issue
HSE survey of "self reported work related illness" (1995) estimated that 279,000 UK workers thought they suffered from anxiety, depression or stress due to work
Umist 1997: 16% managers and 1 in 3 workers report being affected by work stress
MHAI (2001) 35% of Irish Population report stress
In Ireland 12 million days lost annually at a cost of Eur600 million
Stress costs Irish industry EUR300 million+
Recent figures released by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in 1995 calculate that:
alcohol and drink related diseases cost the UK economy approximately £1.7 billion and 8 million lost working days, coronary artery disease and strokes costing a further 62 million days lost
mental health cost £3.7 billion and 91 million days lost.
What is the cost to your business?
What is the real cost to your health?
What is the real cost to your family life?
What would an effective Stress Solution Cost?
Is it worth it?

Stress Solution at my web: www.ad-lucem.com

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Stress Solution

Welcome to my blog if you are looking for a stress solution for your life, work, health, mind. I will look at different types of stress solution, you may find find a type of stress solution which suits you best.

Stress Solution