stress – Dawn Lupul

June 9, 2020June 8, 2020

Handling Stress – The Daily, June 9, 2020

Be like the rock, unfazed by the good opinion of others

“Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace.”
― Howard Thurman

“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”
― David Mamet

You are what you think about all day long. How could it be any other way? Consider how life is processed through you as opposed to happening around you. Everything you see, hear, and feel is taken in by your senses and then your brain turns it into something. What that something is depends on you.

Stress cannot occur without your permission. Use the ability to control your own mind and turn everything into possibilities. Change can occur, and rapidly at that, if you decide in your mind that it will. Never entertain the idea of limitations, but instead focus with crystal-clear intent on what you want to see. Then go about doing what needs to be done, for without action dreams can never become reality.

Thoroughbred of the Ages – On June 9, 1973, the magnificent Secretariat put on a show at Belmont to take the final leg of the Triple Crown. He punctuated his brilliance with a 31-length win and is still one of the most recognizable names in the sport. He would become the first horse in 25 years to accomplish the Triple victory.

Thought of the Day – Blame is a destructive emotion. Take responsibility for your life and what surrounds you. Putting the onus on others for your happiness or sense of self-worth is neither fair nor is it productive. If you love, or don’t love yourself, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says or does. Nothing can change the way you feel about yourself when you know the truth.

Have a special day.

“All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry – all forms of fear – are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”
― Eckhart Tolle

December 24, 2019December 24, 2019

Stress Isn’t a Badge of Honour

A beautiful vacation in Cuba is an instant stress-reliever

Busy, busy, busy. Between family, work, socializing and getting ahead, there isn’t much time in the day to indulge in the pleasure of doing nothing. It seems like we are going at full speed from the minute we wake up until we collapse in bed to sleep.

If you are living like this, have you ever wondered why? Or are you swept up in the current of modern life, unaware that there is even the possibility to be any other way?

It can help to evaluate where you are and where you are going. Many of us aren’t eating the way we know we should, or getting enough healthy exercise, or taking time to just relax and enjoy a slower pace of life.

Two weeks of vacation a year isn’t enough. It can be more healing to take a mini-vacation from your life every day by finding a way to relax for a few moments.

November 30, 2019November 29, 2019

Spreading Yourself too Thin

It can get a little foggy when you aren’t focused on what is important

Guilty as charged. Sometimes I find myself doing so many things at once that nothing ever gets done.

Over 30 years ago, someone made a remark to me that has stuck with me to this day. She said that you can’t be good at everything you do, and you don’t need to be.

There is something so powerful about focus. When you can narrow down what you want to do to just one thing, then the power that you bring to that task is enormous.

Somewhere along the way we were told that multi-tasking was the way to go. I have proven to myself that it isn’t, at least not for me.

Deliberate creation, focused intention, and laser-beam clarity are tools that will allow you to accomplish whatever you choose to do. Flitting from one thing to another like a hummingbird in a field full of flowers might be good for the hummingbird, but not so much for you.

August 29, 2019September 1, 2019

Balance

While we all know that it is important to reduce stress in our lives, how is it even possible in today’s world?

Between work, commuting, family, friends, unavoidable obligations and paying the bills, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of time left in the day to relax and tune out.

If only there were a way to squeeze more hours into the day!

Since that isn’t possible, what we can do is be more efficient during the hours we have. By minimizing time spent doing things that aren’t that important, we can maximize effectiveness with things that are.

First, figure out where your time goes. Take a calendar and mark out blocks as though they were appointments for things you do each day. Include time you spend commuting to work, the time at work, and all the other obligations you deal with.

Now see what is left. This will give you a good idea of how much pressure you are putting yourself under every day. Remember, we can only handle so much before we become overwhelmed, so this is important. Chronic stress can lead to adrenal fatigue, and that will affect the body in a very negative way.

August 24, 2019September 1, 2019

Stress Less

Yoga with friends in Costa Rica – if only every day could start like this!

I am always curious to hear how people deal with stress. It is, after all, one of the most important things we need to manage in today’s world.

Excess stress can affect your health in so many ways. Left unchecked, it can cause multiple health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

The mental toll is notable also. Frequent insomnia, headaches, and the inability to focus on simple tasks can be traced back to stress as the cause.

It would be simple to say that we need to eliminate stress in our lives, but realistically that isn’t going to happen. That is why managing it and finding outlets for its release are crucial for staying healthy.

July 17, 2019

Your Body Needs You!

Teaching yoga in Costa Rica – breathing and checking in with the body

If you saw someone close to you being mistreated, you would step up in a heartbeat and do whatever was necessary to help them out. We are amazingly heroic in times of need, performing feats of strength and courage that we didn’t even know were in us.

So where are you when your body is crying to you for help?

I honestly see people treat their cars better than they do their bodies. We take things for granted, assuming that our bodies will just figure it out, never paying much attention to the little signs that creep up.

I implore you – start paying attention!

It’s so much simpler to deal with issues when they are small, whether it’s seeing a doctor, watching your diet, losing a little weight or getting more exercise.

Don’t wait until your body is screaming for help and you are forced to do something. Sometimes by then, it’s too late.

Five Signs Your Body Needs You

Something is different – It could be your sleep patterns, your appetite, gaining or losing weight for no reason, or a pain somewhere that lingers and had no cause that you remember. Change is not always good.
You are tired all the time – We lead busy lives. Sleep is usually the first thing we neglect when life gets crazy. But sleep is when your body heals and repairs itself. If you are tired, your body is sending a message. This is one you need to listen to.
You are angry, or sad, or depressed – If you spend most of your days experiencing these strong emotions, your body is feeling it too. Your emotions affect your physical well-being more than you realize. Reach out for help to deal with whatever you are dealing with.
You just don’t feel good – It’s nothing you can pinpoint, but you know that something isn’t right. Overall soreness, fatigue, brain fog and a lack of interest in doing anything could be a sign that something is up. Pay attention and maybe schedule that trip to the doctor sooner rather than later.
Pain – This is the body’s ultimate alarm system. Something is wrong. Do not ignore pain, as it is there for a reason and you need to find out why.

Your body is depending on you to take care of it. It is like a helpless child, having to deal with a tough environment and being neglected at the same time.

Step up and be the loving parent your body needs you to be!