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3 Signs You’re Trying Too Hard to Think Positive

January 1, 2015 by Power of Positivity

In the process of overhauling your mind to make positive thinking a dominant part of your thought process, it can become easy to get lost in the rabbit hole. The result? You actually try too hard to think positively. This can actually end up creating the opposite effect of your original intention. Worse yet, you end up feeling like you’re back at square one in mastering the art of positive thinking.

You might find yourself comparing yourselves to others, seeing how you measure up against them spiritually, or even reject negative thoughts altogether. Or, you’ll begin following ill-advised self-help “gurus” who claim that experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions, including pain or frustration, will “lower your vibration” or “cause an imbalance in your chakras.”

In short, the path to positivity should be yours and yours alone. Never should you be dictated by what others claim as absolute truth. Perhaps you even have learned to follow your own path to enlightenment. But you might still encounter some of these common signs that you’re forcing yourself to feel more positive, rather than allowing it to happen naturally.

Signs You’re Trying Too Hard to Think Positive

1. You find yourself over-thinking

This still happens on our own spiritual journey from time to time. It’s easy to let your mind take over and rule your life. This sidetracking can occur even if you have discovered that positive thoughts create positive outcomes. For example, you might start noticing every single thought that comes into your realm of consciousness.

Thus, you start creating commentary in your head for each of those thoughts, rather than just observing them. Or, you get frustrated and angry at yourself for thinking any negative thoughts at all. A lot of people subscribe to the idea that any sort of negative thought or emotion means you have not reached enlightenment, or you have not mastered your mind. However, I believe that allowing yourself to explore your darkness serves as a vital tool in the evolution of consciousness. After all, without darkness, how will you recognize the light?

In the beginning, you will develop an awareness behind your thoughts rather than just letting your mind chatter away senselessly. At times, it may almost feel as if you have stepped into a hyperaware state of consciousness. In contrast, you probably never even bothered to check in with your thoughts before. You might actually wish you could go back to that from time to time, but there is a middle ground.

Instead of worrying so much about what goes through your mind, just let it come without judgement, and focus on “Being” rather than “Becoming.” Realize that you can slip into a state of being whenever you want, whether you are waiting in line to pick up your kids at school, sitting in an office meeting, or giving a speech in front of thousands of people.

Forgive yourself already!

A lot of people make the mistake of condemning themselves for allowing negativity into their minds, without realizing that they can become aware of the thought without accepting it as truth. If you find that your mind won’t stop firing off demands of what you should be and how you can be a more spiritual person and why your state of consciousness is inferior or superior to others, try to just breathe deeply and listen to the ever-present silence that exists in everything. This will help you stay grounded and remove that heaviness you might feel when your brain tries to run the show.

2. You’re overdoing it

You might feel that you aren’t doing enough to achieve “enlightenment,” and try to “become” a more spiritual person. You feel that you must incorporate a spiritual practice every day, such as meditation, in order to become this spiritual guru that you have envisioned in your head.

While meditation should become a part of your routine, you shouldn’t use any sort of practice or thought process to “become” a more spiritual person. In reality, you embody the universe anyway, which means you already are spiritual. You come from the same force as everyone else, and you don’t have to try to become anything. You already possess all the qualities you need to act positively and peacefully, and all it takes is accepting this fact to quiet your mind and allow it to align with who you already intrinsically are.

Strive to become enlightened, every day!

Aside from regular meditation or yoga, you might also feel you have to always relate occurrences in your life to the spiritual realm, or universal vibrations. Sometimes, you might just want to live without relating it to any sort of spiritual happening, and that’s fine. Many people believe that once they become “awake” in any sense of the word, they must integrate this newfound knowledge and mindset into every waking moment of their days and every event in their lives. In reality, this actually complicates your life and can cloud your mind after a while. While your intuition definitely guides you through life in many circumstances, you still possess cognitive abilities that allow you to perform day-to-day functions, without the Universe necessarily stepping in to help you.

Finally, you might overdo positive thinking by integrating all sorts of new age, healing elements into your home or office space. You might start buying copious amounts of crystals, essential oils, chakra-balancing items, or tarot cards. Or perhaps you spend large amounts of money on Reiki sessions and past life regressions.

All of these items and services can help you on your spiritual journey. But you can achieve a positive mindset without relying on things outside yourself as well. I have crystals myself. And I sometimes incorporate them into my meditation sessions. However, I believe in the minimalist approach toward everything in life, including spirituality. You, yourself, are the most powerful crystal. Thus, you can easily transform your thoughts and your life by simply believing in yourself and making the decision to do so.

3. You’re comparing yourself to others

On a spiritual journey, or any journey, seeing how you size up compared to others can become the focus if you allow it to. You might feel threatened by spiritual masters or gurus, or wish you could read people’s auras and heal their energy. You might have a friend who has a calm, peaceful demeanor, and talk down on yourself for being more energetic and scatterbrained. All of this results in unhappiness. And in the end, it will make you feel like you will never reach true enlightenment unless you reach their state of perceived consciousness.

At the end of the day, you are your worst enemy. Chances are, the other people probably aren’t judging you or comparing you to their own state of being. Just feel comfortable in your own skin. Realize that you have talents that other people may not have. The spiritual journey is a highly personal one. Comparing one to another is sort of like comparing an opera singer to a rock star.

Final Thoughts on Your Ability to Think Positive

Each person must walk their own path in life and realize their own strengths, and once you stop comparing your journey to someone else’s, you can begin to nurture your soul and follow your own heart. You are neither superior nor inferior to anyone else. You are equal. Furthermore, you don’t have to justify your own state of consciousness by seeing how it measures up to your neighbor’s.

How do you remain positive? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or join up on Facebook.

6 Morning Habits to Guarantee a Great Day

December 31, 2014 by Power of Positivity

How many times have you heard that morning habits can make or break your whole day?

It’s true. The way that we begin our day has a definite impact on how the rest of the day unfolds. We can choose to be proactive and set ourselves up for success, or we can choose to just let things unfold as they may.

Since how we begin our day is so important, why would we choose to be lax in our morning routine? We certainly don’t have to be and we’ll show a few different ways to make the morning more productive.

Here are 6 morning habits that we can practice to guarantee a great day…

1. Stretch – even before getting out of bed.

Stretching is as important as getting regular exercise. Most people do not know this. As a result, stretching is often a neglected practice. Not only is stretching important for your body, but it’s also important for your mind.

Here are some benefits to stretching:

-Stretching helps with posture.

-Stretching improves flexibility by increasing the range of motion.

-It decreases injury by warming up the muscles before activity.

-Stretching increases blood flow and nutrient supply to muscles.

-Stretching helps to calm the mind.

-It releases both physical and mental tension.

To increase the effectiveness of stretching, try these tips:

– Stretch muscles that you know are tight, focusing more of the stretching routine on these areas.

– Practice one long-duration stretch session each week. Take 30-45 minutes doing flexibility work, even if you would normally use this time for a different exercise routine.

2. Set your intentions for the day.

Intentions are important to fulfilling our wants and needs; whether it is related to love, money, relationships, or something else. As such, you should consider spending some time in the morning setting your intentions for the day.

Here are some steps to help set your daily intentions.

– Meditate. So often, our minds are busy dealing with constant inner dialogue – emotions, thoughts, and memories – all of which can detract us from being truly conscious about what we hope to achieve. Meditation assists with this by quieting the mind.

– Release your intentions. The best time to do this is after a period of restful awareness, such as meditation. After releasing the intention, simply let it go and don’t think about it. Spend a few minutes after each meditation releasing your intentions.

– Remain centered. Intentions are more powerful when done from a state of contentment than from a state of lack or need. Refuse to allow doubts and criticisms to creep into your consciousness. Understand that your higher power knows that everything is all right and will continue to be, even if you don’t currently understand the details of what is to take place.

3. Drink plenty of water.

After a period of sleep, your body is certain to be dehydrated. This is true even if you cannot “feel” the dehydration or “feel” the need to quench your thirst. It is important to rehydrate with water in the morning.

According to the CDC, here are four benefits to drinking an adequate amount of water.

– Water maintains body fluid levels. The human body is comprised of about 60% water. It is essential to maintain this fluid balance, as it is responsible for food absorption and digestion, blood circulation, saliva creation, transporting nutrients, and maintaining body temperature.

– Water regulates calories. While not having a direct effect on weight loss, water assists by helping the body feel full. This makes it less likely that the individual will drink or eat high-calorie foods or beverages.

– Water energizes muscles. Dehydration often results in muscle fatigue, making it more difficult for muscles to work and perform when needed. Drinking water before and during exercise is especially important. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking at least 17 ounces of fluids before exercise and continuing to sip on water during.

– Water enhances the look of skin. As with other organs, your skin contains a large amount of water. As such, dehydration causes the skin to appear dry and wrinkled. In addition to drinking water, dermatologists state that using a skin moisturizer can enhance the appearance of the skin.

4. Practice gratitude

Remembering what you are grateful for is so important because it keeps things in perspective. When faced with the stress of daily life, it is very easy to pinpoint everything that is going wrong. However, evidence continues to mount showing why we should do the opposite.

The importance of being grateful has found its way into both psychological and scientific studies. Accumulating research is continuing to show the positive benefits that practicing gratitude has on both mental and emotional well-being. According to a study done by the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, here are some of the benefits of practicing gratitude.

– People that keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis: feel more optimistic, exercise more regularly, have fewer physical ailments, and feel less stress.

– Individuals who think, talk, or write about gratitude have lower levels of depression and stress, and increased alertness, attentiveness, determination, energy, and better sleep.

– People with a disposition towards gratitude place less importance on material goods, are less judgmental, less envious, and more charitable.

So do yourself a favor and take 10-15 minutes in the morning to write a few things that you are grateful for. It will give you a great start to the day and you’ll soon begin to realize some of the wonderful benefits of being grateful.

5. Practice yoga or other exercise

Add this info to your morning habits.

Exercise (of any kind) will likely remain the best way to boost your mood and strengthen your body. It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise – lifting, jogging, yoga, biking – do whatever you’d like as long as it gets your heart pumping.

Exercise is so effective because it increases two important brain chemicals – dopamine and serotonin. It also causes the release of endorphins, which creates a “natural high” and is also a natural stress and pain blocker. In addition, exercise creates euphoric feelings, regulates appetite, enhances the immune system, and drastically increases energy.

In setting aside 30 minutes in the morning for some exercise, you’ll feel “euphoric”, less hungry, increased energy, and less stress. What better reasons could there be to take some time to get active?

6. “Mirror” your affirmations

The way that you talk to yourself is critically important to the way that you approach life. Unfortunately, when you feel negative for whatever reason – loneliness, unhappiness, sickness, etc. – you will have an innate tendency towards negative self-talk. To reverse this trend, it is important to retrain your thinking and speaking through positive self-talk.

The answer to any negative self-talk is to say (not just think) the opposite in the form of positive affirmations. For example, when you don’t feel good about yourself state with full intent that you can feel good about yourself. Even if you don’t fully embrace this belief (and oftentimes you won’t) it’s still powerful. By planting the seed of positive affirmations in your subconscious mind, you will eventually begin to believe them to be true.

It is also important to see yourself making these positive affirmations. To do so, stand in front of a mirror once or twice a day and repeat the following affirmations ten times:

– I can do it!

– I can _____ (insert goal, feeling, outcome, etc.)

– I’ll create positive changes in my life!

– I can feel good about myself!

Keep in mind that these are just examples. Affirm whatever thought comes to mind, including the opposite of whatever negative self-talk you may happen to be experiencing at the time. Eventually, you will begin to experience a positive shift in your mindset and the way in which you talk to yourself.

Final Thoughts on Forming Positive Morning Habits

Join the discussion: What morning habits do you practice that help you have a great day? Add your personal happy morning habits to the conversation below! Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook.

Scientific Proof That Mindfulness Can Rewire Your Brain

December 30, 2014 by Power of Positivity

Not so very long ago scientists thought that the human brain could not be developed beyond a certain point. The terms “hardwired”, “fixed”, and “unchangeable” were associated with the nerve development of the human brain once a person reached a certain age. They typically defined that age as early childhood to adolescence.

Science now reconsiders that hard line. Today, they define neuroplasticity as: “The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming neural connections throughout life.”

So, no longer do researchers think the human brain is a static, unchanging organ that is limited by our age. In fact, neuroscientists now find evidence that demonstrates the brain’s ability to restructure and form neural connections to compensate for damage caused by injury, disease, and age. So not only can your brain repair and strengthen itself despite age. In fact, it can do so even if it’s been damaged!

Further studies demonstrate that mindfulness, the awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the environment. And that the practice greatly assists with the development of our brain. In short, it serves to aid the neuroplasticity process. Brain power is nothing short of amazing!

The understanding that you can change your thought processes, feelings and emotions via neuroplasticity through the practice of mindfulness is incredible.

Here are three scientific studies that prove how mindfulness can rewire your brain.

Study #1: Mindfulness meditation reduces depressive episodes

Millions of people every year are diagnosed with depression and prescribed medication. In the United States alone, depression will affect about 10% of the population in any given one-year period – about 19 million people. In the UK, the number of people taking antidepressant medication has doubled between 1998 and 2010.

Professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Zindel Segal, utilized a grant given by the MacArthur Foundation to conduct a study on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (or MBSR). With the assistance of two of his colleagues from the University of Oxford, Dr. Segal found the study to be a resounding success. This study was so promising that Dr. Segal initiated another study to demonstrate the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on depressed patients. And the outcome of this led to the creation of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

In the study, all of the patients shared a diagnosis of depression. Of those, 80% experienced three or more depressive episodes (“pervasive and persistent low mood accompanied by low self-esteem and loss of pleasure.”). And 34-36% of MBCT participants who experienced three or more depressive episodes had not relapsed over a one-year timeframe compared to those who adhered to prescribed care (antidepressants or other).

The study’s results

The results were encouraging. Indeed, the outcome led to subsequent research at both Cambridge and Oxford University in the UK. Moreover, both subsequent studies produced similar results. This research proves immensely valuable in promoting mindfulness meditation as a viable, healthy alternative to drug-based therapies in the UK; leading to more physicians “prescribing” mindfulness meditation to their patients.

MBCT studies and mindfulness meditation continues to find a foothold within the scientific and medical communities within the US and other parts of the world. With results such as these, it is easy to see why.

Study #2: Mindfulness meditation improves learning, memory, and other cognitive functions

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day.”

Harvard University Medical School professor Sara Lazar and other Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital set out to demonstrate her claim through the development of an eight-week mindfulness meditation program.

The eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program consisted of weekly mindfulness meditation meetings and audio recordings for the 16 participants to practice alone. They were then instructed to keep track on how much time they practiced individually each day, which averaged out to approximately 27 minutes for all participants. The focal point of the mindfulness meditation for the study was on “nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, feelings, and state of mind.”

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to take brain structure images of the 16 participants, with a separate set of images taken for the control group. Non-meditating individuals did not participate in the program.

The results were astounding.

The participants stated that they experienced exceptional cognitive benefits, which were demonstrable through mindfulness questionnaires. Additionally, MRIs showed measurable physical differences in gray-matter density within the brain.

The images revealed the following:

– Increased gray-matter density within the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

– Changes within the brain structure areas responsible for compassion, introspection, and self-awareness.

– Decreased gray-matter density within the amygdala, the brain structure responsible for anxiety and stress.

A distinguished professor at Giessen University in Germany perhaps best sums up this groundbreaking study:

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.”

Study #3: Mindfulness meditation alleviates stress

Professor J. David Creswell of Carnegie Mellon University proves that long-term mindfulness practice is not necessary to relieve the symptoms of stress. In fact, just 25 minutes of mindfulness meditation for just three days can accomplish just that.

Creswell and his team conducted a study consisting of 66 individuals ranging in age from 18-30 years. One group of participants entered a short meditation program, consisting of 25 minutes of mindfulness practice for three consecutive days. The meditation group did exercises, designed to focus on the breath while turning attention inward to their present moment experiences. The other group utilized the same time period to read poetry to enhance problem-solving capabilities.

For evaluation purposes, all participants completed challenging speech and math tasks in front of stern-looking evaluators. Each participant reported their stress levels in response to these tasks. And, they gave saliva samples, measured for cortisol, a common stress hormone.

The results:

– The meditation group reported less stress induction from the tasks given; demonstrating that mindfulness practice (even in short duration) can increase the resilience to stress.

– Interestingly, the meditation group showed greater levels of cortisol. That result opposed what Creswell and his team expected.

Creswell explains: “When you initially learn mindfulness mediation practices, you have to cognitively work at it — especially during a stressful task…these cognitive efforts may result in the task feeling less stressful, but they may also have physiological costs with greater cortisol production.”

The research team now focuses on automating the mindfulness practices, making it less cognitively taxing while decreasing the levels of cortisol. Even in its early stages, short-term mindfulness meditation is showing great promise in alleviating psychological stressors.

30 Things that Happen when we Practice Self-Love and Self-Care

December 29, 2014 by Power of Positivity

Self-love and self-care aren’t about being self-centered and selfish. They’re not about a “me, me, me” mentality. They’re not about fighting against the world to express ourselves or to get what we want. Self-love and self-care are about loving ourselves for who we are and taking the time to care for ourselves. What would you love about yourself if there was no little voice of self-doubt buzzing around your ear? How would you care for yourself physically and mentally with unlimited amounts of time?

Self-love and self-care are simply about owning our own power, acting from a place of kindness toward ourselves, and taking the time to remind ourselves of this power and kindness. Both are essential to living a happy and healthy life. What is selfish about that? And when you practice these things, changes in your life begin to occur.

Here are 30 things that happen when we practice self-love and self-care in our daily lives.

When we love and care for ourselves…

1. We stop comparing ourselves to others and participating in a self-made competition. As a result, we’ll always be enough for ourselves and others

2. We lower our risk for depression, anxiety, hypertension, heart attacks, and other heart-related problems. It can also help to boost your immune system, lowering the chances you have to catch a cold.

3. We embrace our reality and stop blaming and fighting it. The struggle against reality becomes tiresome when you do not love and care for yourself.

4. We know that love is around every corner, not only from the love that we have for ourselves, but the love that we offer to others and the love we get from others. This love creates a more peaceful and accepting world around us.

5. We start living a life of abundance in every area of our lives without the need to fight or push to get it.

6. We allow for growth to occur in our lives. The more we grow, the more we spread love and joy.

7. We become energized to get back to living, loving, caring, helping, and serving.

8. We feel safe in knowing that will be there for ourselves through life’s journey. When others may turn their backs on us, we have the power of our self-love helping us get through all of life’s difficulties.

9. We practice more love and acceptance of others. When we love and care for ourselves despite our flaws, we begin to recognize that flaws don’t make up the entire person. When we realize this, we can then be more forgiving of others’ flaws, growing to accept them as part of a full package.

10. We know failures and setbacks get us one step closer to growth.

11. We know our significance isn’t dependent on what we produce.

12. We know that we’re enough and don’t need to prove ourselves

13. We create significant relationships with more harmony, peace, and space because we are providing our loved ones with a true representation of ourselves. When we are unable to share with others who we really are, conflicts arise in our relationships. But when we are able to share our true selves with others, our loved ones can clearly see and understand the person that we are.

14. We are not focused on loneliness, and can instead embrace a deeper connection and oneness with the world.

15. We feel at peace by accepting ourselves, our strengths, and our weaknesses unconditionally.

16. We become better caretakers for others with our refreshed spirit. When we try to take care of others with a broken spirit, we are ineffective in the love and care that we provide. Once we become balanced in the love and care that we provide for ourselves, we are better able to care for those around us.

17. We accept the mistakes and failures that come along with being human, inviting vulnerability into our lives.

18. We don’t care what others think or say about us because we know what ultimately matters most in our life is how we feel about ourselves.

19. We are more resilient and able to take on any challenge life throws our way, seeing these challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

20. We allow our natural shine to easily show itself because we become unafraid of showing our true selves to others. This is because we love the person that we truly are without the fear and shame that come from hiding who we are.

21. We become better problem solvers because we tend to see the world more clearly.

22. We take responsibility for our lives, realizing that we are the source of all happiness.

23. We hold the power to alter our futures, careers, relationships, passion, compassion, empathy, and authenticity.

24. We are not controlled by fear because we recognize love as the strongest power.

25. We know what our purpose is and we live it. Our purpose can be hard to find and accept when we are not willing to love and care for ourselves in a proper way. Once we do, our life’s purpose becomes much more clear and we are able to plan and take action to fulfill that purpose.

26. We will accept when someone disagrees with us and will not worry about these disagreements as we recognize everyone is entitled to their own views.

27. We replace blame, shame, and anger with ownership and creation.

28. When realize that there is no truth in our stressful thoughts and turn them around by inviting stillness into our lives.

29. We become more creative, inspired, and open. As a result, we are not only producing great works of love and care, we become better problem solvers from our clearer awareness.

30. We inspire others to love and care for themselves. When others see the love and care that we give ourselves, they will notice the ways in which they can change their attitudes and lives to better love and care for themselves.

Final Thoughts on Living a Life of Self-Care and Self-Love

Feel free to lead a life that is full of self-care and self-love. Dispel any thoughts of this being selfish behavior. In fact, you cannot care for others unless you are well-cared-for yourself.

Feel free to comment your thoughts on this subject in the comments below. And, remember to follow PoP on Facebook.

8 Ways to Handle Highly Stressful Situations

December 29, 2014 by Power of Positivity

Truly, there is only one guarantee in this lifetime, and that is there are no guarantees. From the time that you wake up to the time your bed hits the pillow at night, any number of difficult and stressful situations can occur. At the risk of sounding cliché, it is how you respond to these situations that might make all the difference.

“Sometimes when people are under stress, they hate to think, and it’s the time when they most need to think.” – William J. Clinton, 42^nd President of the United States

It can be difficult to remember the importance of our response when the drastic happens; you’re laid off, the car breaks down, money is tight (sometimes really tight), your job is stressful…any number of these things can happen to any of us. Let us remember to respond quickly and rationally if we should encounter any of these situations.

Here are 8 ways to handle any highly stressful situation…

1. Remember that nothing (and no one) can “make” you feel anything.

Your reaction to the situation is just that…your reaction. How you feel about and ultimately deal with a situation is your choice. There is no way to control the actions of others, but you can control how you respond.

One important aspect of this is to understand when a situation is uncontrollable, such as a bad economy, sickness, or something else. When the uncontrollable happens, we must accept it as is. There is a big difference, however, between accepting the situation and giving up. Acceptance is important, but so is coping effectively. In choosing to be effective in how we react, we significantly reduce stress. Remember this and utilize some of the pointers that follow.

2. Replace a poor attitude with gratitude.

The attitude that we have towards stressful situations has a definitive effect – positive or negative. A negative attitude is often the automatic, default mechanism that can have an adverse effect on our mental, physical and even spiritual wellbeing.

Instead, consciously attempt to replace this negative, default reaction with gratitude. For example, when you find yourself backed up in traffic, change your perspective. Think about things to be appreciative of. You might find family, friends, work, health, faith, or something else.

Look around for things in nature to admire and appreciate – trees, sunshine, or a pleasant view. When you make a conscious attempt to place gratitude ahead of negativity, you’ll find your attitude changing.

3. Relax, then relax some more.

In the midst of a busy, hectic, stressful day, it is very easy to forget about taking care of your emotional and physical wellbeing. When your boss is acting like a dictator or you are late on a project, it’s very tempting to allow this negativity to take over your day.

Instead, try to use the extra downtime at work to relax and rejuvenate. When you have a break, take a few minutes to step away from everything and let go. Do some breathing exercises, read, or send a quick text to a loved one. Spend your lunch hour doing something enjoyable and forget about the negative that happened before. Remember, relaxation doesn’t require a significant amount of time. It’s what you do with this time that ultimately makes the big difference in your mindset.

4. See the big picture.

When you are running late, forget something, or something else unexpected happens, it is likely to be of little consequence. However, your “fight or flight” response hardwired into your brain will release stress hormones that make this event seem much more significant than it actually is.

Remember to evaluate the stressful situation from an overall, rational perspective. Ask yourself “Will this situation really matter in the long-term?” or “How important is this to my life? Is it really more important than my mental and physical wellbeing?” Most times, the answer will be no. If this is the case, simply move on and adjust accordingly. It’s not worth your time and energy.

5. Learn some “stress stoppers.”

As mentioned, encountering stressful situations has a big effect on your mind and body. The American Heart Association recommends these “stress stoppers” for different situations.

– Count to 10 before you speak.

– Take three to five deep breaths.

– Walk away from the stressful situation, and handle it later.

– Go for a walk.

– Don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry” if you made a mistake.

– Set your watch five to 10 minutes ahead to avoid the stress of being late.

– Break down big problems into smaller parts. For example, answer one letter or phone call per day, instead of dealing with everything at one time.

– Drive in the slow lane or avoid busy roads to help you stay calm while driving.

– Smell a rose, hug a loved one or smile at your neighbor.

– Consider meditation or prayer to break a negative cycle.

6. Positive self-talk

We all talk to ourselves throughout the day. Most of this talk is internal and will vary in accordance with the situation encountered. The default reaction when we encounter a difficult situation, task, or event sometimes leads to negative self-talk. This negative self-talk only serves to increase stress and makes the resolution of the problem more difficult.

Instead, practice using positive self-talk to calm down and control stress. Here are some examples:

“I can’t do this…” becomes “I’ll do the best I can.”

“I hate it when this happens…” becomes “I can easily handle this; I just need to think…”

“Nothing is going right today…” becomes “I’ll just take it step-by-step…”

The important thing to remember is to practice this transition. You can likely expect some internal resistance to a change in mindset, but you will see a positive change if you persevere.

7. Take one step at a time

When I was in graduate school studying for my Master’s degree, I was often overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work to be done. When one research paper was complete, there was another one right around the corner. Then an exam…then a group project…and so on. But the focus was not on the next paper or exam; it was on finishing and just being done with it all.

It was a tremendously stressful time, and an advisor offered some advice: “Remember this corny adage: ‘How does a marathon runner finish a race? One mile at a time.’”

Marathon runners are in tremendous shape, practice year-round, and have tremendous self-discipline. Even so, a marathon runner can experience excruciating pains and difficulties in finishing a 26-mile race.

Sometimes we need a small shift in mindset. Too often, when faced with a difficult task we jump to the finish instead of facing one obstacle at a time. It’s much easier to narrow our focus, complete one task, and then tackle the next one.

8. Ask for help

With all of the tips, hints, and advice about dealing with stressful situations, this one may be the most important. Depending on the scale and longevity of the stress encountered, it may become necessary to ask for help.

It is important to understand that there is no shame in asking for help. Please don’t allow pride, discouragement, or stubbornness to dissuade you from seeking assistance, of whatever kind, when it’s needed. There are people who love and care for you unconditionally. And, they are there for you no matter the situation.

Your friends and loved ones don’t care what the problem is or its magnitude; all they care about is helping you to see it through. Sometimes, we need to allow the good people in our life show how much they care for us.

How Do YOU Handle the Stress of Daily Life?

Join the discussion: How do you handle highly stressful situations? Add your favorite tips and advice in the comments below! And, if you haven’t already, please join us on Facebook!

15 Proven Reasons to Meditate More Often

December 27, 2014 by Power of Positivity

In recent years, a growing number of studies have been done to analyze the effects of meditation on the mind and body. Those who meditate receive numerous benefits.

Those benefits include reduced anxiety and stress, a clear mind, a more positive outlook. In some cases, it could even cure depression.

Asian cultures have practiced meditation for thousands of years, and ancient civilizations dating back to as early as 1^st century BC documented their successes with meditation as well.

Meditation is quickly spreading into the western world as Americans realize the many benefits of this peaceful practice that have been forgotten for centuries. If you don’t already maintain a regular meditation practice, here are some reasons why you should include it in your daily regimen more often.

15 Reasons to Meditate More Often

1. It quiets the mind

Throughout the day, our minds become filled with a lot of chatter and excess information, so meditation helps to clear your mind and ease the incessant thought patterns that might go through your mind. Meditation actually makes you wiser by enabling you to observe your thoughts and eliminate those that no longer serve you. It teaches you that you don’t have to become a slave to your mind, and how to master it instead.

2. It changes your brain chemistry

Neuroscience research has shown that meditation and mindfulness training can alter the neuroplasticity of your brain. A group of Harvard neuroscientists studying mindfulness meditation have reported that just eight weeks of meditation can result in structural brain chemistry changes. What does all that really mean? It means that just by quieting your mind for fifteen to thirty minutes a day, you can create positive changes in the makeup of your cells, which control every function in your body.

3. It can relieve anxiety and depression

As mentioned before, meditation can alleviate mood disorders, according to 47 separate studies analyzed in JAMA Internal Medicine. In a study done by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, brain imaging of the participants in the study found that meditation-related anxiety relief was associated with activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and anterior insula. These areas of the brain are involved with executive function and the control of worrying. Meditation-related activation of these three regions was directly linked to anxiety relief.

4. It increases your self-awareness

The whole idea behind meditation is to observe yourself without judgment. Most people feel disconnected in life because they actually don’t have any sort of relationship with themselves. Meditation allows you to develop a healthy relationship with yourself and explore your deepest thoughts and feelings. It helps you become aware of negative thoughts and teaches you to transmute them into either neutral or positive feelings.

5. It helps you stay focused

Oftentimes, people have a hard time focusing on the task at hand because their mind wanders in a million directions at once. Meditation can help with that over time by teaching the brain to slow down and fully immerse itself in the task at hand.

6. It teaches you self-love.

Believe it or not, your brain can become your own worst enemy. Meditation teaches you to become aware of your self-talk and take on the role of the silent observer behind the thoughts. Meditation practice allows you to increase your awareness of your thoughts without becoming attached to them. In this way, it helps you love yourself more when you can observe yourself without any judgment.

7. Meditation develops your self-confidence

This goes along with teaching you self-love because confidence arises from actually knowing yourself. How can you feel confident about someone you don’t really even know? By getting to know yourself, you can accept who you are in your entirety, from your flaws to your greatest assets. When you truly love yourself, your self-esteem will increase because you no longer feel detached from your true essence.

8. It makes you feel more connected

Meditation can increase your interconnectedness to everything and everyone around you, not just yourself. The more time you spend alone, ironically, the more you will feel connected to the whole Universe. Recent studies have shown that by practicing what’s called “compassion meditation,” you can increase the area in your brain responsible for processing love and compassion.

9. It makes you feel happier

Who doesn’t want to feel happier these days? Start to meditate! Feeling better about yourself and about life couldn’t be any easier. All it takes is a commitment to the practice and the willingness to be open with yourself and flesh out all the bottled up emotions you may have.

10. It can help your memory

Meditation develops mental focus—a skill that may serve quite useful for other activities requiring prolonged attention. In a study in the journal Mindfulness, college psychology students who briefly meditated right before a lecture scored better on a post-lecture quiz than students who didn’t meditate.

11. It could lower your blood pressure

One of the biggest benefits meditation offers is the balancing of the nervous system, which helps regulate your blood pressure. A 1974 study conducted at Harvard Medical School (and since repeated in other studies) reported that borderline hypertension could be treated with meditation. By adopting the practice, most people under the age of 40 could expect to fall below the limit set for borderline hypertension, which is 130.90.

12. It can boost your immune system

Meditation also keeps illnesses and infections at bay. In one study testing immune function, flu shots were administered to volunteers who had meditated for eight weeks and to another group of people who didn’t meditate. Blood samples taken later revealed the meditation group had higher levels of antibodies produced against the flu virus, according to the study in Psychosomatic Medicine.

13. Meditation can ease PMS symptoms and increase fertility

PMS symptoms and infertility problems can be improved with regular meditation. In one study, PMS symptoms lessened by 58% when women meditated regularly. Another study found that hot flashes were less intense among women who meditated.

Women struggling with infertility showed much less anxiety, depression, and fatigue following a 10-week meditation program (along with exercise and nutrition changes); 34% became pregnant within six months.

14. It could increase your productivity

Most people who meditate find that they can focus better and get more done in a shorter amount of time. If you have been feeling frazzled lately, try meditating at least fifteen minutes a day. If you have a clear mind, you can more easily sort through tasks and get them finished quicker.

15. It makes you more optimistic

In general, if you feel disconnected and stressed, you probably can’t enjoy life to the fullest. When you meditate, you can eliminate all those barriers keeping you from a positive life and help you understand what you can do to make your life more enjoyable. With self-awareness comes self-responsibility, and by working actively on your life, you will have a better outlook and feel more positive about yourself and the future.

How Do YOU Meditate?

We’d love to hear your meditation routine. Join in the discussion: Do you meditate now? How has it helped you? If not, do you think you will start after reading this?

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