Wednesday 31 January 2007

A very effective relaxation technique - Alternate Nostril Breathing

About ten years ago I went on a Yoga course at the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School and was taught this relaxation technique.

I was a little skeptical at first but its a really effective way to calm frazzled nerves! I find it effective in that you are actually DOING something PHYSICAL rather than just some form of MENTAL relaxation. Meditation etc. can be very hard to do when you are feeling stressed and it is more something to do on a regular basis as a preventative measure against stress. I view Alternate Nostril Breathing as a first aid technique for a person who is ALREADY stressed. So look beyond the yogic mysticism and see a very effective relaxation technique.

This is what Holistic Online has to say about it:

If you don't do anything else, this is a simple yoga breathing exercise that can be done virtually anywhere, anyplace. You will be glad you did.!

With this exercise, we breathe through only one nostril at a time. The logic behind this exercise is that normal breathing does alternate from one nostril to the other at various times during the day.

Benefits

- The exercise produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: that is optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. This also creates a more balanced person, since both halves of the brain are functioning property.

- The yogis consider this to be the best technique to calm the mind and the nervous system.

For details on how o do this exercise please visit HERE.

Good Luck!,
Allen

A very effective relaxation technique - Alternate Nostril Breathing

About ten years ago I went on a Yoga course at the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School and was taught this relaxation technique.

I was a little skeptical at first but its a really effective way to calm frazzled nerves! I find it effective in that you are actually DOING something PHYSICAL rather than just some form of MENTAL relaxation. Meditation etc. can be very hard to do when you are feeling stressed and it is more something to do on a regular basis as a preventative measure against stress. I view Alternate Nostril Breathing as a first aid technique for a person who is ALREADY stressed. So look beyond the yogic mysticism and see a very effective relaxation technique.

This is what Holistic Online has to say about it:

If you don't do anything else, this is a simple yoga breathing exercise that can be done virtually anywhere, anyplace. You will be glad you did.!

With this exercise, we breathe through only one nostril at a time. The logic behind this exercise is that normal breathing does alternate from one nostril to the other at various times during the day.

Benefits

- The exercise produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: that is optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. This also creates a more balanced person, since both halves of the brain are functioning property.

- The yogis consider this to be the best technique to calm the mind and the nervous system.

For details on how o do this exercise please visit HERE.

Good Luck!,
Allen

Tuesday 30 January 2007

Relax: Pretend You are on Vacation!

Without wishing to state the obvious, have you ever noticed how relaxed people are when they are on vacation! Have you noticed how they move and how they walk? They walk slowly. They amble along without a care in the world. People who are on vacation stroll leisurely along the beach in their shorts and flip flops, perhaps with a towel thrown over their shoulder.

Well, with this technique, it is all about how you walk. As you walk, imagine you are on vacation, slow down, stroll leisurely along as if you are at the beach. Imagine how you would feel if you were really chilled out and relaxed. Relax your shoulders and allow your limbs to go a little floppy. You can practice this while walking to the photocopier or on your breaks. Don't worry if it feels unnatural at first. Slowly but surely your body will get the idea and you will carry the feeling of relaxation into the rest of your daily activities.

Try it and see!

Allen

Relax: Pretend You are on Vacation!

Without wishing to state the obvious, have you ever noticed how relaxed people are when they are on vacation! Have you noticed how they move and how they walk? They walk slowly. They amble along without a care in the world. People who are on vacation stroll leisurely along the beach in their shorts and flip flops, perhaps with a towel thrown over their shoulder.

Well, with this technique, it is all about how you walk. As you walk, imagine you are on vacation, slow down, stroll leisurely along as if you are at the beach. Imagine how you would feel if you were really chilled out and relaxed. Relax your shoulders and allow your limbs to go a little floppy. You can practice this while walking to the photocopier or on your breaks. Don't worry if it feels unnatural at first. Slowly but surely your body will get the idea and you will carry the feeling of relaxation into the rest of your daily activities.

Try it and see!

Allen

Monday 29 January 2007

Technique to Make Boring Work More Exciting and Keep you Calm at the Same Time.

Technique to Make Boring Work More Exciting and Keep you Calm at the Same Time.

This is "borrowed" from Zen Buddhism and it is also mentioned in the "Calm" books by Paul Wilson ( see www.calmcentre.com for details of his work).

Many people have mundane jobs. Many jobs have mundane parts to them even if they are really exciting. You may even have "boring" chores to do at home. What if I told you that there was a technique that would enliven those so called "boring" tasks. What if I told you there was a way that would allow you to increase your feelings of calm and even help you develop your spiritual life while doing seemingly repetitive and tedious tasks? Let me explain.

Most meditation techniques involve repetition e.g. they can use the repetition of a mantra to concentrate and center the mind. Well in the "100% Effort" technique your attention is undivided and concentrated at the task at hand. You are in the moment!

Let me illustrate for you what I mean. Imagine you had a large wall to paint. Perhaps the wall has about 1000 bricks in it. You could sit and curse the fact you have to paint the walk or you could concentrate and make each brick as perfectly painted as you are able. Or perhaps you have some house cleaning to do. Take time and make those floors shine! Be the best cleaner you can be and focus your attention on the job at hand. You will find time will fly. Your thoughts will be calm and you will produce great results in your work.

I was skeptical about this technique but with some practice it does work. I guess it is what our grandparents used to call "taking pride in your work!".

Give this a go and I am sure you will feel much better about doing those so called "boring" jobs.

Good Luck,
Allen

Technique to Make Boring Work More Exciting and Keep you Calm at the Same Time.

Technique to Make Boring Work More Exciting and Keep you Calm at the Same Time.

This is "borrowed" from Zen Buddhism and it is also mentioned in the "Calm" books by Paul Wilson ( see www.calmcentre.com for details of his work).

Many people have mundane jobs. Many jobs have mundane parts to them even if they are really exciting. You may even have "boring" chores to do at home. What if I told you that there was a technique that would enliven those so called "boring" tasks. What if I told you there was a way that would allow you to increase your feelings of calm and even help you develop your spiritual life while doing seemingly repetitive and tedious tasks? Let me explain.

Most meditation techniques involve repetition e.g. they can use the repetition of a mantra to concentrate and center the mind. Well in the "100% Effort" technique your attention is undivided and concentrated at the task at hand. You are in the moment!

Let me illustrate for you what I mean. Imagine you had a large wall to paint. Perhaps the wall has about 1000 bricks in it. You could sit and curse the fact you have to paint the walk or you could concentrate and make each brick as perfectly painted as you are able. Or perhaps you have some house cleaning to do. Take time and make those floors shine! Be the best cleaner you can be and focus your attention on the job at hand. You will find time will fly. Your thoughts will be calm and you will produce great results in your work.

I was skeptical about this technique but with some practice it does work. I guess it is what our grandparents used to call "taking pride in your work!".

Give this a go and I am sure you will feel much better about doing those so called "boring" jobs.

Good Luck,
Allen

Secret #59 Have Fun!


Life is just too short to NOT make a splash... and a memory!

Friday 26 January 2007

How to Reach Your Goals - Start with yourself first.

Continuing my theme of self help for lazy people. This short tip will actually take a few seconds to understand but a life time to master! I may be targeting lazy people with my tips but there are no short cuts when it comes to improving yourself.

When you want to reach your goal - say have a more meaningful career - the best thing is not to go start trying to look for that career straight away. No, the first thing to do is to start with yourself. Improve where you are as a person today and you will be in a better place to take on more challenging rolls in the future.

Develop the following elements in your life first:

1) Compassion
2) Forgiveness
3) Patience and Tolerance
4) A balanced life
5) Your social life
7) A sense of yourself - your talents AND your limitations.
8) Physical and Mental Health.
9) A Spiritual Life to remind you that there is more to life than - our producer/consumer society.
10) Giving to others.

If you develop those things then you will be starting towards your goals from a good place and you might actually be reaching for goals that will give you true happiness.

Food for thought..

Allen

How to Reach Your Goals - Start with yourself first.

Continuing my theme of self help for lazy people. This short tip will actually take a few seconds to understand but a life time to master! I may be targeting lazy people with my tips but there are no short cuts when it comes to improving yourself.

When you want to reach your goal - say have a more meaningful career - the best thing is not to go start trying to look for that career straight away. No, the first thing to do is to start with yourself. Improve where you are as a person today and you will be in a better place to take on more challenging rolls in the future.

Develop the following elements in your life first:

1) Compassion
2) Forgiveness
3) Patience and Tolerance
4) A balanced life
5) Your social life
7) A sense of yourself - your talents AND your limitations.
8) Physical and Mental Health.
9) A Spiritual Life to remind you that there is more to life than - our producer/consumer society.
10) Giving to others.

If you develop those things then you will be starting towards your goals from a good place and you might actually be reaching for goals that will give you true happiness.

Food for thought..

Allen

Tuesday 23 January 2007

Secret #58 Take a Vacation!

One of the best uses of time is a relaxing vacation. Keep reading to determine if it's time for you to take one!

The picture below has two identical dolphins in it.

A closely monitored scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical, a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins.

The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing.

Look at the photograph below. If you find more than one or two differences between the two dolphins, you may want to take a vacation.

















No need to comment on this blog... I'll be on a looooooong vacation!

Monday 22 January 2007

Lifehack: Use a Spreadsheet to See Where Time is Going?




We all wonder where our time is going. In this lifehack for lazy people I suggest keeping a spreadsheet to clearly show how your time is being spent each day.

Here is how:

1) Create a table with days as columns and tasks as rows.

2) Create an extra column just after the list of tasks where you can assign a "weight" to a task. I use a scale of -3 to +3. Where -3 is awarded to a task that is very wasteful of your time e.g. mindless web surfing and +3 gets awarded to an important task that helps you towards your goals. Less important gets 2, less again gets 1 .. all the way down to -3.

3) Split your day column into two further columns one for the hours you worked on the task and a second calculated column that will be the result of :
TIME Worked on task X the weight.

4) Record the hours you spend on a task - and be honest - and let the spreadsheet calculate a score for the day. If you work eight hours per day and do nothing but the most important tasks all day that would be a top score of 24(8 hours times weight 3). Knowing this means you can calculate a daily productivity percentage. So if I scored only 12 points for a day then I was only 50% productive.


You can expand on this as much as you want e.g. using pie charts and trending graphs to clearly show where your time is going?

I have found this a great method of tracking where I spend my time and what I must do to improve my productivity.

Good Luck,
Allen

Lifehack: Use a Spreadsheet to See Where Time is Going?




We all wonder where our time is going. In this lifehack for lazy people I suggest keeping a spreadsheet to clearly show how your time is being spent each day.

Here is how:

1) Create a table with days as columns and tasks as rows.

2) Create an extra column just after the list of tasks where you can assign a "weight" to a task. I use a scale of -3 to +3. Where -3 is awarded to a task that is very wasteful of your time e.g. mindless web surfing and +3 gets awarded to an important task that helps you towards your goals. Less important gets 2, less again gets 1 .. all the way down to -3.

3) Split your day column into two further columns one for the hours you worked on the task and a second calculated column that will be the result of :
TIME Worked on task X the weight.

4) Record the hours you spend on a task - and be honest - and let the spreadsheet calculate a score for the day. If you work eight hours per day and do nothing but the most important tasks all day that would be a top score of 24(8 hours times weight 3). Knowing this means you can calculate a daily productivity percentage. So if I scored only 12 points for a day then I was only 50% productive.


You can expand on this as much as you want e.g. using pie charts and trending graphs to clearly show where your time is going?

I have found this a great method of tracking where I spend my time and what I must do to improve my productivity.

Good Luck,
Allen

Wednesday 17 January 2007

Let us Show There is Still Kindness in Our World

I am sick of the negative side to our News media. There seems to be a one sided view - painting the world as a place without compassion or kindness.

Do a kind thing - no matter how big or small - and post your act of compassion here in the comments to this post!

Let us show the world there are still kind people out there.

I'll start:

My kind act today was to notice that a work colleague (who I dont know) was looking a bit down. So I lent them my big book of stupid jokes to cheer them up.

What kind thing did you do? Post a comment and let the world know!

Good Luck,
Allen

Let us Show There is Still Kindness in Our World

I am sick of the negative side to our News media. There seems to be a one sided view - painting the world as a place without compassion or kindness.

Do a kind thing - no matter how big or small - and post your act of compassion here in the comments to this post!

Let us show the world there are still kind people out there.

I'll start:

My kind act today was to notice that a work colleague (who I dont know) was looking a bit down. So I lent them my big book of stupid jokes to cheer them up.

What kind thing did you do? Post a comment and let the world know!

Good Luck,
Allen

How to Keep Things in Perspective - Imagine You are on The Titanic

This powerful technique has really helped me to keep things in perspective and remember what is really important in life.

This technique reminds us that we are all going to die some time and that on life's journey - we are not alone.

It goes like this. Imagine you are one of many passengers on the Titanic. The difference this time is that you know the ship is going to sink but you can't do anything about it. Nobody knows when it will happen - it could be tomorrow, it could be in 100 years. The journey WILL end. That is all you know. You are not alone though - your fellow passengers have that same knowledge. How do you see your fellow passengers now? How do they react to you? You talk among yourselves about the situation your in, you empathize with each other, your support each other and you try to make the best of the time you have left.

The more I get into the imagery of this the more compassionate I feel myself being towards others. I look around my open plan office and I realize we are all passengers on this ship called life. We are all heading to the same end - no exceptions. Shouldn't we all make the best of the time we have.

Good Luck,
Allen

How to Keep Things in Perspective - Imagine You are on The Titanic

This powerful technique has really helped me to keep things in perspective and remember what is really important in life.

This technique reminds us that we are all going to die some time and that on life's journey - we are not alone.

It goes like this. Imagine you are one of many passengers on the Titanic. The difference this time is that you know the ship is going to sink but you can't do anything about it. Nobody knows when it will happen - it could be tomorrow, it could be in 100 years. The journey WILL end. That is all you know. You are not alone though - your fellow passengers have that same knowledge. How do you see your fellow passengers now? How do they react to you? You talk among yourselves about the situation your in, you empathize with each other, your support each other and you try to make the best of the time you have left.

The more I get into the imagery of this the more compassionate I feel myself being towards others. I look around my open plan office and I realize we are all passengers on this ship called life. We are all heading to the same end - no exceptions. Shouldn't we all make the best of the time we have.

Good Luck,
Allen

Monday 15 January 2007

Secret #57 Don't Confuse Being Busy with Being Important

The thought of saying NO to things screaming for our time and attention creates tension in our hearts… doesn’t it?

Why is that?

One reason is because in our culture busyness is a deeply held VALUE. Why? Because in our culture busyness suggests importance, competence, success—and even spirituality.

But does being busy really mean you’re important, competent, successful, or spiritual? Not necessarily.

Think about it. Being busy may mean you’re chicken to say no and that you have boundary issues. It may mean you don't have a clue about what’s really important in life. It may mean you've placed your identity and self worth on the thin ice of performance.

Don't confuse being busy with being important, competent, successful or spiritual. They may NOT be related at all.

Just a thought.

BA

Thursday 11 January 2007

How to Feel Better - Change your thoughts first

Be very careful with your thoughts! Your thoughts are very powerful. Let me explain.

I have some bad habits that I am trying to improve upon. One of these habits is to "make a mountain out of a mole hill". I give things more importance than they deserve or I exaggerate a situation so something small becomes something much bigger. This habit can have a powerful affect on your sense of well being.

The mind works like this - you can't have a feeling without having a thought first. Repeat after me now - YOU CANNOT HAVE A FEELING WITHOUT HAVING A THOUGHT FIRST. I know it is hard to believe but it is true. The reason you don't realize this is that thoughts can happen so quickly we hardly notice them.

The example of two people who are in different cars in a traffic jam. One person thinks "I'm late! This traffic is not moving!!! Why doesn't it move!!! This always happens to me!!" gets frustrated and stressed and the other person thinks "Oh well I might as well kick back - I'm going to be here for a while..." and remains calm and listens to some nice music on their stereo. The same situation two different thoughts and two different feelings.

Another way thoughts can affect us is that we get what we expect to get. In our goals if we really don't think we will able to achieve something then we wont. On the other hand if you expect that you will achieve your REALISTIC goals you have a great chance at achieving them.

Be careful with how you are thinking. Your thoughts are indeed very powerful.

Good Luck!
Allen

How to Feel Better - Change your thoughts first

Be very careful with your thoughts! Your thoughts are very powerful. Let me explain.

I have some bad habits that I am trying to improve upon. One of these habits is to "make a mountain out of a mole hill". I give things more importance than they deserve or I exaggerate a situation so something small becomes something much bigger. This habit can have a powerful affect on your sense of well being.

The mind works like this - you can't have a feeling without having a thought first. Repeat after me now - YOU CANNOT HAVE A FEELING WITHOUT HAVING A THOUGHT FIRST. I know it is hard to believe but it is true. The reason you don't realize this is that thoughts can happen so quickly we hardly notice them.

The example of two people who are in different cars in a traffic jam. One person thinks "I'm late! This traffic is not moving!!! Why doesn't it move!!! This always happens to me!!" gets frustrated and stressed and the other person thinks "Oh well I might as well kick back - I'm going to be here for a while..." and remains calm and listens to some nice music on their stereo. The same situation two different thoughts and two different feelings.

Another way thoughts can affect us is that we get what we expect to get. In our goals if we really don't think we will able to achieve something then we wont. On the other hand if you expect that you will achieve your REALISTIC goals you have a great chance at achieving them.

Be careful with how you are thinking. Your thoughts are indeed very powerful.

Good Luck!
Allen

Tuesday 9 January 2007

Secret #56 Squeeze the Day


"Planning your day, rather than allowing it to unfold at the whim of others, is the single most important piece in the time management puzzle."
--Alec Mackenzie

Be a Rebel With a Cause

Photo By N. Ireland Wallpapers / Desktop Backgrounds


Our culture has such an impact on our lives. I have said this before but I want to say it again. We are bombarded by messages from our schools, media outlets and other organizations about how we should lead our lives and what it means to be successful. The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves and we should stand up say it doesn't work. We should be rebels (but unlike James Dean in that famous movie) we should be rebels WITH a cause and that cause is to work to create our own culture based around compassion.

Here are some suggestions how.

1) Re-define success.
What does it mean to be successful? Does it mean having a large house and an expensive sports car? Does it mean being on a board of directors of a company? Those things don't necessarily mean success. It has become a cliché but material wealth should not be equated with success. Neither should physical beauty or what our culture labels as being physically beautiful. To me, success is HOW we live our lives not WHAT we own or WHAT we look like. Do we show compassion and forgiveness to others? Do we live a full and balanced life? Are we the person we were made to be rather than the person we think we should be? Do we center our lives on helping others (as well as looking after are own needs)? Have we devoted our lives to creating something that gives us purpose and meaning? If you answer yes to any or all of these questions - in my book - you are a successful person.

2) Know that you will die.
Our culture is obsessed with immortality. A lot of people walk around like they are going to live forever. They then concentrate on a lot of things that are just not important but our culture tries to make us think that they our important. Know that sometime you will die and you might start living your life differently.

3) Look to the future and let go of the past.
Life is a journey and we should always look to the future, accept the past and then let go of it. People that always look back do so because they have never found meaning in their lives because if you have found meaning you will always move forward and you never want to go back.

4) Think for yourself.
I have written about this before and if you follow this advice it could mean you will ignore every tip I have written on this blog! :-) Take some time for reflection and make sure you are not overly influenced by others. Choose your role models wisely and remember not to look up to the people at top as they will always be looking down at you.

5) Create your own culture.
Every society has its own problems, The way to do it, I think, isn't to run away. You have to work at creating your own culture. Surround yourself with people you love and who love you back. Create and live your own life - not the life society thinks you should lead.


There are many ways to add meaning to your life. Staying independent of popular culture and centering your life on compassion, forgiveness and your relationships with your friends and family will add a fullness to your life that no amount of money can buy.

Good Luck,
Allen

Be a Rebel With a Cause

Photo By N. Ireland Wallpapers / Desktop Backgrounds


Our culture has such an impact on our lives. I have said this before but I want to say it again. We are bombarded by messages from our schools, media outlets and other organizations about how we should lead our lives and what it means to be successful. The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves and we should stand up say it doesn't work. We should be rebels (but unlike James Dean in that famous movie) we should be rebels WITH a cause and that cause is to work to create our own culture based around compassion.

Here are some suggestions how.

1) Re-define success.
What does it mean to be successful? Does it mean having a large house and an expensive sports car? Does it mean being on a board of directors of a company? Those things don't necessarily mean success. It has become a cliché but material wealth should not be equated with success. Neither should physical beauty or what our culture labels as being physically beautiful. To me, success is HOW we live our lives not WHAT we own or WHAT we look like. Do we show compassion and forgiveness to others? Do we live a full and balanced life? Are we the person we were made to be rather than the person we think we should be? Do we center our lives on helping others (as well as looking after are own needs)? Have we devoted our lives to creating something that gives us purpose and meaning? If you answer yes to any or all of these questions - in my book - you are a successful person.

2) Know that you will die.
Our culture is obsessed with immortality. A lot of people walk around like they are going to live forever. They then concentrate on a lot of things that are just not important but our culture tries to make us think that they our important. Know that sometime you will die and you might start living your life differently.

3) Look to the future and let go of the past.
Life is a journey and we should always look to the future, accept the past and then let go of it. People that always look back do so because they have never found meaning in their lives because if you have found meaning you will always move forward and you never want to go back.

4) Think for yourself.
I have written about this before and if you follow this advice it could mean you will ignore every tip I have written on this blog! :-) Take some time for reflection and make sure you are not overly influenced by others. Choose your role models wisely and remember not to look up to the people at top as they will always be looking down at you.

5) Create your own culture.
Every society has its own problems, The way to do it, I think, isn't to run away. You have to work at creating your own culture. Surround yourself with people you love and who love you back. Create and live your own life - not the life society thinks you should lead.


There are many ways to add meaning to your life. Staying independent of popular culture and centering your life on compassion, forgiveness and your relationships with your friends and family will add a fullness to your life that no amount of money can buy.

Good Luck,
Allen

Monday 8 January 2007

10 Good Habits for 2007

A new year! A new start! Maybe now is a good time to reflect on some good habits for the coming year. Don't try and change too much too soon take one of these positive habits and work with it. Once it has become a habit you will have the energy and motivation to try another one. Bookmark this page and refer back to it through out the year. I can guarantee that if you practice some of these habits your 2007 will be a great year!!


1) Become a good Listener.

Becoming a good listener is one of the most efficient ways of becoming a more relaxed and effective person. It also puts other people at ease knowing that they are actually being listened to! Ask yourself - are you really listening or are you just waiting to talk?

2) Do One Thing At a Time.

Have you ever seen someone writing an email, phone stuck under their chin and talking to someone else at the same time? Do they look relaxed? Do you think they are being effective? Do yourself a favor and do one thing at a time. Devote your attention to one thing and you will become a lot more relaxed and the quality of your work will increase.

3) Set your Goals.

If you don't know what you want somebody else is always willing to tell you what THEY think you should be doing! Take some time, sit down and examine your life. Does your life have meaning? Are you leading the kind of life you want? Do you know what you want? Are you being the person you were meant to be and not the person you think you should be? Remember goals need to be SMART i.e. Specific, Measurable (how are you progressing?), Agreed (do you have buy in from the your friends and family?- if its needed), Real (not everyone can be an astronaut) and Time based ( I'm going to achieve this by ...).

4) Slow down.

Slow down your speech. Slow down your walk. Slow down your driving. You will become more relaxed and less frazzled. Life isn't a race. Its ok you can go slow and still be effective!

5) Volunteer.

Don't always think of ME ME ME ME! Give some of your time and skills over to helping others. You will gain perspective and learn that there is more to life than work and money!

6) Practice Daily relaxation.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation, meditation, yoga, deep breathing are all methods of relaxation. Take 10-20 minutes a day and practice one of these disciplines. You will then take that feeling of relaxation into the rest of your life. You will go about your tasks in a much more relaxed state.

7) Watch less T.V.

Now I love watching the new Battlestar Galactica but if it stops me from doing something more important like a relaxation exercise - I will record it and I will watch it later. Limit your television watching and you will suddenly find that you have the time to do a lot more. What is more important? A TV program or your health and well being?


8) Forgive others.

If you forgive others you will let go of the negative thoughts and feelings you have about that person. If everyone forgave as readily as they have the potential to - the world would be in much better shape.

9) Don't Live For Retirement.
Now is all you have! Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never be - all you have is right now. If you are not happy in your current job - don't put off doing something about it - take steps to change. Don't get trapped into the bad habit of thinking that if you put the hard time in now - the good times will come later. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. You deserve to be happy NOW!


10) Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.

The phrase coined by the late Richard Carlson. Don't let the small everyday things get blown out of proportion and worry you too much. I find that if I loose the bigger picture - small things start to bug me. Like why did such and such ignore me today or why is there all this traffic?! Let go off the worry and remember - worrying about something is like trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing gum!

As Richard Carlson would have said "Don't sweat the small stuff and its all small stuff...."


Good Luck,

Allen

10 Good Habits for 2007

A new year! A new start! Maybe now is a good time to reflect on some good habits for the coming year. Don't try and change too much too soon take one of these positive habits and work with it. Once it has become a habit you will have the energy and motivation to try another one. Bookmark this page and refer back to it through out the year. I can guarantee that if you practice some of these habits your 2007 will be a great year!!


1) Become a good Listener.

Becoming a good listener is one of the most efficient ways of becoming a more relaxed and effective person. It also puts other people at ease knowing that they are actually being listened to! Ask yourself - are you really listening or are you just waiting to talk?

2) Do One Thing At a Time.

Have you ever seen someone writing an email, phone stuck under their chin and talking to someone else at the same time? Do they look relaxed? Do you think they are being effective? Do yourself a favor and do one thing at a time. Devote your attention to one thing and you will become a lot more relaxed and the quality of your work will increase.

3) Set your Goals.

If you don't know what you want somebody else is always willing to tell you what THEY think you should be doing! Take some time, sit down and examine your life. Does your life have meaning? Are you leading the kind of life you want? Do you know what you want? Are you being the person you were meant to be and not the person you think you should be? Remember goals need to be SMART i.e. Specific, Measurable (how are you progressing?), Agreed (do you have buy in from the your friends and family?- if its needed), Real (not everyone can be an astronaut) and Time based ( I'm going to achieve this by ...).

4) Slow down.

Slow down your speech. Slow down your walk. Slow down your driving. You will become more relaxed and less frazzled. Life isn't a race. Its ok you can go slow and still be effective!

5) Volunteer.

Don't always think of ME ME ME ME! Give some of your time and skills over to helping others. You will gain perspective and learn that there is more to life than work and money!

6) Practice Daily relaxation.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation, meditation, yoga, deep breathing are all methods of relaxation. Take 10-20 minutes a day and practice one of these disciplines. You will then take that feeling of relaxation into the rest of your life. You will go about your tasks in a much more relaxed state.

7) Watch less T.V.

Now I love watching the new Battlestar Galactica but if it stops me from doing something more important like a relaxation exercise - I will record it and I will watch it later. Limit your television watching and you will suddenly find that you have the time to do a lot more. What is more important? A TV program or your health and well being?


8) Forgive others.

If you forgive others you will let go of the negative thoughts and feelings you have about that person. If everyone forgave as readily as they have the potential to - the world would be in much better shape.

9) Don't Live For Retirement.
Now is all you have! Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never be - all you have is right now. If you are not happy in your current job - don't put off doing something about it - take steps to change. Don't get trapped into the bad habit of thinking that if you put the hard time in now - the good times will come later. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. You deserve to be happy NOW!


10) Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.

The phrase coined by the late Richard Carlson. Don't let the small everyday things get blown out of proportion and worry you too much. I find that if I loose the bigger picture - small things start to bug me. Like why did such and such ignore me today or why is there all this traffic?! Let go off the worry and remember - worrying about something is like trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing gum!

As Richard Carlson would have said "Don't sweat the small stuff and its all small stuff...."


Good Luck,

Allen

Friday 5 January 2007

Richard Carlson - Rest In Peace

I was shocked to discover that one of my favourite self help authors - Richard Carlson died on December 13th of a pulmonary embolism, at the age of 45.

His books were simply an inspiration to me. "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" is a book very close to my heart. It showed that personal change does not have to be rocket science. It showed us that we, in our own small way, could make the world a better place and it's use of short chapters or articles made the book so easy to read and remember.

The whole ethos of this site was inspired from his teachings and his untimely death just goes to show what a waste of time sweating the small stuff actually is.

Sleep well Richard Carlson.

Allen

Richard Carlson - Rest In Peace

I was shocked to discover that one of my favourite self help authors - Richard Carlson died on December 13th of a pulmonary embolism, at the age of 45.

His books were simply an inspiration to me. "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" is a book very close to my heart. It showed that personal change does not have to be rocket science. It showed us that we, in our own small way, could make the world a better place and it's use of short chapters or articles made the book so easy to read and remember.

The whole ethos of this site was inspired from his teachings and his untimely death just goes to show what a waste of time sweating the small stuff actually is.

Sleep well Richard Carlson.

Allen

Secret #55 Prioritize Your Priorities

Once you have a personal breakthrough to the biblical idea that your self-worth is NOT based on busyness—you can begin to give yourself the gift of saying no to the right things. But how do you decide what to say yes to and what to say no to? This is where Proverbs 24:27 comes into play: “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that build your house.” In other words, do the most important things first. In the day in which Proverbs was written, getting the fields ready first was critical because it meant food and income for the family. What good is a nice house when you don’t have any food to eat or income?

So how do you decide what’s first and most important?

Try this: Make a list of all things you need to do today. Now ask yourself this question: “If I could only do one item on this list, which one would it be?” Mark that item as #1. Go back through the remaining items on the list and ask the question again. Mark that item as #2. Get the idea? Once the items all have a number, start with #1—and do it until it is completed. Cross it off the list, pause to feel the endorphin rush of accomplishment, and celebrate. Then go on to #2.

Some of you are be thinking, “But what if I don’t get to everything on my list?” To you I say two things: 1) You can take great satisfaction in knowing you did that which was most important, and, 2) Give yourself the gift of saying no.

Thursday 4 January 2007

My New Year's Resolutions

New year's resolutions are hard to keep. In my humble opinion it is because people try and change too much at once. It also doesn't help when the new year falls at the darkest and coldest part of the year. So if you have broken any new year's resolutions already be kind to yourself.

I have two new year's resolutions and they are very specific. They will help me move towards the goal of being a healthier and less stressed person.

Here they are then :

1) Stop drinking alcohol.

It doesn't do anything for me. I've been gradually drinking less and less over the years and I have gotten to the point now where even if I have one or two beers I feel tired and my head begins to hurt. My friends would consider me an extravert and I have a tendency to agree with them :-) so I don't think I need it to lower any inhibitions. I also have noticed how tired I feel the next day after having a few drinks. I would not count it as a hangover but more I feel my sleep has been disturbed. All and all I feel the benefits for me stopping out weigh the benefits for continuing so I am going to stop all together.

2) Practice Yoga regularly.

About ten years ago I went on a eight week yoga course in Stockholm at the Scandinavian Yoga Centre. Since then I have been practicing what I have learnt on and off but not nearly regularly enough to produce any benefits. Last year I had problems with neck and shoulder tension and I feel regular practice of yoga would reduce that tension. I know that going to the gym also helps with that but I feel like if I practice Yoga it wont matter where I am as I can do it anywhere and any time I choose. Yoga also has great benefits for your general health, digestive system and nervous system and of course it is a great method to counter stress. All and all I feel I would get a great deal of benefit from it.

Those are my two new year's resolutions. I will concentrate on those two only and I will be kind to my mistakes.

What are your new year's resolutions? Let me know!

Allen

My New Year's Resolutions

New year's resolutions are hard to keep. In my humble opinion it is because people try and change too much at once. It also doesn't help when the new year falls at the darkest and coldest part of the year. So if you have broken any new year's resolutions already be kind to yourself.

I have two new year's resolutions and they are very specific. They will help me move towards the goal of being a healthier and less stressed person.

Here they are then :

1) Stop drinking alcohol.

It doesn't do anything for me. I've been gradually drinking less and less over the years and I have gotten to the point now where even if I have one or two beers I feel tired and my head begins to hurt. My friends would consider me an extravert and I have a tendency to agree with them :-) so I don't think I need it to lower any inhibitions. I also have noticed how tired I feel the next day after having a few drinks. I would not count it as a hangover but more I feel my sleep has been disturbed. All and all I feel the benefits for me stopping out weigh the benefits for continuing so I am going to stop all together.

2) Practice Yoga regularly.

About ten years ago I went on a eight week yoga course in Stockholm at the Scandinavian Yoga Centre. Since then I have been practicing what I have learnt on and off but not nearly regularly enough to produce any benefits. Last year I had problems with neck and shoulder tension and I feel regular practice of yoga would reduce that tension. I know that going to the gym also helps with that but I feel like if I practice Yoga it wont matter where I am as I can do it anywhere and any time I choose. Yoga also has great benefits for your general health, digestive system and nervous system and of course it is a great method to counter stress. All and all I feel I would get a great deal of benefit from it.

Those are my two new year's resolutions. I will concentrate on those two only and I will be kind to my mistakes.

What are your new year's resolutions? Let me know!

Allen

Wednesday 3 January 2007

Happy New Year!

Hello,
Yes I am still alive - just. We moved house during the Christmas holidays and this is my excuse for not blogging! I think it is a valid enough excuse as to be honest with you I am now very tired.

Moving house is indeed one of life's big stressors and that coupled with the holiday season can leave one feeling very frazzled. Hopefully normal blogging service will return soon. It all depends on my brain really! :-)

Meanwhile I saw this interesting post over at Moby's blog. I like Moby both as an artist and from what I can gather as a person. Anyway here is some of his wisdom! Be sure to check out his blog.

Moby said:
... i hope that you recognize that happiness comes from, in my experience:
a-being in the company of good people whom you care about and who care about you.
b-being healthy.
c-being able to express yourself through your work.
d-being able to appreciate right now, without being plagued by worry over what may or may not happen in the future.
e-being able to put things in perspective, and being able to recognize that most problems can be overcome, and most day-to-day catastrophes have a way of ultimately being seen as un-catastrophic.

Happy New Year to you all!

Allen

Happy New Year!

Hello,
Yes I am still alive - just. We moved house during the Christmas holidays and this is my excuse for not blogging! I think it is a valid enough excuse as to be honest with you I am now very tired.

Moving house is indeed one of life's big stressors and that coupled with the holiday season can leave one feeling very frazzled. Hopefully normal blogging service will return soon. It all depends on my brain really! :-)

Meanwhile I saw this interesting post over at Moby's blog. I like Moby both as an artist and from what I can gather as a person. Anyway here is some of his wisdom! Be sure to check out his blog.

Moby said:
... i hope that you recognize that happiness comes from, in my experience:
a-being in the company of good people whom you care about and who care about you.
b-being healthy.
c-being able to express yourself through your work.
d-being able to appreciate right now, without being plagued by worry over what may or may not happen in the future.
e-being able to put things in perspective, and being able to recognize that most problems can be overcome, and most day-to-day catastrophes have a way of ultimately being seen as un-catastrophic.

Happy New Year to you all!

Allen