Stress is the curse of sleeping in modern times. Everyone suffers from accentuate. And the stress we suffer takes a heavy Christmas berry our bodies, emotions and minds.

Feeling stressed out, broken by fatigue or just simply having a miserable day, the best thing to do is relax.

Watching television mayhap a form of relaxation for some, but isn't a recommended method by experts. When we watch television we are bombarded with commercials, ads, sounds and images. So how do we achieve relaxation? If there are thousands of ways we can get stressed, one of them is not meeting deadlines, there are also many ways we can relax.

In recent studies, experts have determined that heart condition is linked to anger and irritability is linked to mental stress. Too much stress brings about ischemia that can lead to or cause a heart attack. Relaxation accepts added importance in light of this matter. Managing your anger and attitude is significant to heart health, and relaxation can help you manage stress.

One way of relaxation is transcendental meditation. Recent studies have also shown that this method might reduce artery blockage, which is a major cause for heart attack and stroke. People practice transcendental meditation by repeating uttering soothing sounds while meditating, this is to achieve total relaxation. The researchers found that practitioners of transcendental meditation significantly reduced the thickness of their arterial wall compared with those who didn't practice transcendental meditation.





Another study on another method of relaxation, acupuncture, seems to reduce hypertension by initiating several body functions for the brain to release compounds called endorphins. Endorphin helps to relax muscles, ease panic, decrease pain, and reduce anxiety.

Yoga is also another method for relaxation and may also have similar effects like acupuncture. In another study, participants were subjected to several minutes of mental stress. Then they were subjected to various relaxation techniques, such listening to nature sounds or serious music. Only those who did Yoga significantly reduced the time it took for their blood pressures to go back up to normal. Yoga is a form of progressive relaxation.

Breathing is one of the easiest methods to relax. Breathing influences alamost all aspects of us, it affects our mind, our moods and our body. Simply focus on your breathing, after some time you can feel its effects directly.

There are several breathing techniques that can help you reduce stress.

Another easy way to achieve relaxation is exercise. If you feel irritated a simple half-hour of exercise will often settle things down. Although exercise is a great way to lose weight, it doesn't show you how to manage stress appropriately. Employment should also be used in conjunction with other exercise method.

One great way of relaxation is getting a massage. To gain full relaxation, you need to totally surrender to the handling and touch of a master therapist.

There are several types of kneads that also give different levels of relaxation.

Another method of liberalization is Biofeedback. The usual biofeedback-training program includes a 10-hour sessions that is often spaced one week apart.

Hypnosis is one controversial relaxation technique. It is a good alternative for people who think that they have no idea what it feels like to be relaxed. It is also a good alternative for people with stress related health problems.

Drugs are extreme alternatives to relaxation. They're sometimes not safe and are not effective like the other relaxations. This method is only used by trained medical professionals on their patients.

These relaxation techniques are just some of the ways you are able to achieve relaxation. Another reason why we need to relax, aside from lowering blood pressure in people and decreasing the chances of a stroke or a heart attack, is because stress produces hormones that suppress the immune system, relaxation gives the immune system time to recover and in doing so function more efficiently.

Relaxation lowers the activities within the brains' limbic system; this is the emotional center of our brain.

Furthermore, the brain has nonperiodic need for a more pronounced activity on the right-hemisphere. Relaxation is one way of achieving this.

Relaxation can really be of adept use once a relaxation technique is on a regular basis built into your lifestyle. Choose a technique that you believe you are able to do regularly.
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The basics of setting a goal is an open secret known by top-caliber athletes, successful business community and businesswomen and all types of achievers altogether the different fields. The basics of determining goals give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set center the acquisition of required knowledge and help you to plan and organize your resources and your time so that you are able to get the best out of your life.

Setting clearly defined short-run and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals. Charting your progress will also enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve as you'll be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.

The basics of goal settings will involve deciding what you really deficiency to do with your personal life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it. Then you have to analyse goals into the smaller and manageable targets that you must complete in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you've your list waste no time in tackling your goals.

A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you'll be forever in the position of going towards you life plan goals. Everyday will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.


Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and achieving them.

Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind holding you back towards completing your simplest goals? If there are any part of your behavior that is being a hindrance or puts your plans into disarray? If you do have problems in these areas then the immediate thing to do is to address this problem. Solutions may include a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions.

Careers are made by blast management practice. Failing in a career is often attributed to bad time management. Careers require many from an individual which often makes the career the life of the individual. Plan how far do you want to go into your career.

Education is key in achieving your goals. If your goals require you to have a certain kind of degree or require a certain specialization or demand a certain skill to be developed, make plans in getting the appropriate education.

Your family should never be dropped of your plans. If you are just starting out then you have to decide if you want to be a parent or when you want to be a parent. You also have to know if you really would be a good parent you bet well would you relate to extended family members

Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. You also must be able to create plans or stages by which you'll be able to reach your earning potential.

Physically gifted individuals may be able to achieve sports related goals like being in the National Basketball association or National Football League. Determining your physical capabilities should be one of your priorities. Physical limitations could however be conquered with proper planning.

As the saying goes -'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', or something to that effect, is by all means true down to the last the letter. Giving yourself a little pleasure: should be included into your plans.

To start achieving your lifetime goals, set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans then break it down again to 1 year designs, then six month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily.

Then create a things-to-do list for the day.

Always review your plans and brace oneself for contingencies.

The basics of goal settings should not be so difficult once you get to be familiar with them.

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Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it's a way to make a life more fantastic and also more good for you.
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To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. President Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and flirt with it, ninety-nine% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news doesn't seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things disturbance and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a sense that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work things that you feel worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.

Avoid exposure to negative elements like blasts, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

And always recall the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people are about as happy as they make their minds to be.

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Be all you are able to be, but it's not always in the Army. I often see myself as somewhat contented with my life the way things are, but of course it's hard to think of anything else when where is real issues to be discussed.

Still I aspire for something deeper and a lot meaningful.

So we're all pelted with problems. Honestly it shouldn't even bother or even hinder us to becoming all we ought to be. Aspirations as kids should continue to live within us, even though it wishful short-lived or as long as we coulded to the dream. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks… or can they?

1. What's the bright side in all of this?
With so much is happening around us there seem to be no room for even considering that light at the end of the tunnel. We can still see it as something positive without undergoing so much examination. And if thems a train at the end of the tunnel, take it for a ride and see what makes the world go round!

2. Should I really change?
Today's generation has taken another level of redefining 'self', or at any rate that's what the kids are saying. Having an army of teenage nieces and nephews has taught me that there are far worse things that they could have had than acne or maybe even promiscuity. So how does that fit into your lifestyle?

If history has taught us one thing, it's the life that we have consumed. Try to see if partying Seventies style wouldn't appeal to the younger generation, but dancing is part of partying. Watch them applaud after showing them how to really dance than break their bones in break-dancing.



3. What do I really want?
The question of the ages. So many things you need to do with your life and so little time to even go about during the day.

Find something that you're good at can help realize that small step towards improvement. Diligence is the key to know that it's worth it.


4. Am I comfortable with what I'm doing?
There's always the easy way and the right way when it comes to deciding what accompanies which shoes, or purse, shirt and whatnot. It does not take a genius to see yourself as someone unique, or else we'll all be equally as is in everything we do. Variety brings in very interesting and exciting questions to be experimented.

5. Am I happy at where I'm today?
It's an unfair question so let it be an answer! You love being a good and loving mom or dad to your kids, then take it up a notch! Your kids will love you forever. As is goes with everyday life!

6. Have I done enough for myself?
Have you, or is there something more you need to do? Discontentment in every aspect can be dangerous in large doses, but in small amounts you'll be able to see and do stuff you could never imagine doing.


7. Am I appealing to the opposite sex?
So maybe I don't have an answer to that, but that doesn't mean I can't try it, though. Whether you shape-up, change the way you wear your clothes or hair, or even your attitude towards people, you should ever remember it will always be for your own benefit.

8. How much could I have?
I suppose in this case there is no such things on having things too much or too little, but it's more on how badly you really need it. I would like to have lots of money, no denying that, but the question is that how much are you willing to work for it?

9. What Really Makes You Tick?
So? What really makes you tick? You are able to be just about anything you always wanted to be, but to realize that attaining something that may seem very difficult is already giving up before you even start that journey. Always remember, that self-improvement isn't just about the physical or philosophical change you've to undergo, but it's something that you really want.


10. What motivates me?
What motivates you? It's an answer you've to find out for yourself. There are so many things that can make everyone happy, but to choose among the may be the hardest part. It's not like you can not have one serving of your favorite food in a buffet and that's it. Just try it piece by piece.


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When you get sick, you attend the doctor. And the doctor will, course, prescribe medicines. You'll go and buy medicines. You take them, and hopefully, you get over.

This is how the health profession carries on nowadays – a cycle of diagnosis and prescription.

If anyone were to give you herbs for medicine, you'd probably say that that person was a quack.

But nowadays, fields of study are being conducted to see if there are really is any merit to what is called natural medicine.

Natural medicine is the use of natural methods, herbal medicates, and traditional practices to heal ailments. Every culture has a form of natural medicine. In ancient cultures, village medicine men served as the doctors of the community, passing on medical knowledge to the apprentices that followed them.

Many categories of the healing methods fall under natural medicine. Among these are traditional medicine, complementary medicine, and alternative medicine.


Usually, natural medicine refers to medical practices that were in place before the advent of modern medicine.

This includes herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, which is prevalent in Chinese, Ayurvedic(or Indian), and Greek medicine.

Upon the advent of modern medicine, many professionals discarded the use of herbs in favor of man-made medicine. The fact that these treatments are based on the healing properties of some herbs was forgotten.
E.g., opium, digitalis, quinine, and aspirin all have their roots in traditional medicine.

Natural medicine can be considered as a lost art. This does not mean that it has lost efficacy over time. In some cases, natural therapy is actually better than modern medicine. This leads some doctors to seriously consider and study the possible uses of natural medicine

Before we continue, it is important to stress that not all the natural remedies are legitimate. It would help to only try those remedies which have been thoroughly studied and are relatively risk free.

Take herbal medicine e.g.. There are many well-documented and studied herbal remedies available. However, only those that deal with minor ailments such as cough, colds, fever, skin rashes, and its ilk are likely to be recommended by health professionals. These remedies are sometimes superior to synthetic medicine. This is because herbal medicines are less likely to cause negative fallouts.

Currently there are numerous organizations that study the effects and advocacy of natural medicine – among which is herbal medicine. Some governments and health agencies openly advocate the use of natural methods since they are inexpensive and relatively risk-free.

As their studies compile, more herbs and treatments are added to the list of accepted medicines. However, many herbs and treatments have been proven to be bogus medicine. This represents a challenge for both the user and the agencies because they have to ascertain that the treatments they either use or advocate are legitimate.

There exist today many alternative medical treatments that fall under natural medicine. However, not all of them have been proven to be effective. You could mention homeopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, and other alternative medical treatments. It would pay to consult the experts as to the legitimacy of these treatments.

Natural medicine should also be thought of as an accompanying medicine. Right now, the current collective medical thought suggests that natural medicine be used only to supplement accepted modern medical practices. In that case of minor ailments your expert we actually advise you to take natural therapies instead.

The practice of modern medicine revolves around diagnosing an illness and prescribing treatments for such. Natural medicine is helpful because it suggests that treatment be not necessarily given only when sick. Natural medicine strives to make each patient practice good health habits. These habits include good diet, healthy living, and the regular natural treatment.

It is this same line of thought that leads our parents to tell us to eat our vegetables. Yes, a healthy lifestyle and will do no harm to our well-being. And this is the foundation of natural medicine – may it be massage, herbal medicine, aromatherapy or others.

It is funny but true that science, in its quest for excellence, is studying the knowledge of sages past. This, surprisingly, leads us back to the remedies nature offers. The possibilities of finding remedies to everyday illnesses in natural medicine are encouraging. So staying tuned to studying these remedies is worthwhile until we can verify that these therapies are truly helpful to our health and our society.

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To develop spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Advanced conveniences such electronic gears, gadgets, and tools also as entertainment through television, magazines, and the World Wide Web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our experiences?

To develop spiritually is to look inward.

Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a daytime, week, or month. You demand to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motives. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you've, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you've to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the middle of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and center on your areas for advance.

To develop spiritually is to develop your potentials.

Religion and skill have differing views on matters of the individual spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (easterly) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the beggaries of the spirit. Feelings, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiologic, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized this needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come future. Achieving each need leads to the total developing of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islamism see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychological science view that self-development is an end by itself.




To develop spiritually is to explore for meaning.

Religions that believe in the existence of God such Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our inhabits. Whether we believe that life’s meaning is preset or self-directed, to grow spirit up is to realize that we don't merely exist. We don't know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with dwell and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this signifying, there are certain beliefs and values that we disapprove and affirm. Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during sampling times; and gives us something to look forward to---a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship confused.

To develop spiritually is to recognize interconnections.

Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Thus we call others “brothers and sisters” even if there are no direct cognates. Moreover, deity-centered religions such Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship betwixt humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clear seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and dead things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow. Picking out your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.

Development is a process thus to grow in spirit is a day-to-day encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual development is made potential.
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