Ten Things To Do To Decrease Stress #10

Take some time for yourself. I just spent a very intense week finding my inner strength. Yes, it was stressful but a truly amazing experience. Yesterday, 2 new friends and I ventured into the land of the giant sequoias. These magnificent old soldiers have been standing for centuries. The strength that they conveyed just by being in their presence was amazing. While we were all tired from the strenuous week we had been through, we found an awesome peace amoung these giants.

I'm glad we took this day to be among these giants. Find a place where you can go to find peace. This will be one of my new guided imagery spots to go in times of stress when I can't actually get there in person.

Ten Things To Do To Decrease Stress #7

When I was a college professor years ago, I learned the value of guided imagery. This is something you can do for yourself at home or in the office. Just take a few moments. You don't need anything but you, however, if you have music that takes you to a place of peace then by all means put it on. My place of peace is the mountains and I have several songs that take me into the serenity that the mountains hold for me. I can get there in an instant.

You can close your eyes - this is often helpful until you become proficient at this. Visualize your place of peace. Where do you feel the most calm - the mountains, on the beach with the surf rolling in, on a boat, - where is your favorite spot? Visualize that spot and feel the feelings you feel when you're there, hear the sounds that are present around you. Take a deep breath. Stay in this place until you feel your body relax.