Easy Ways to Destress

Plus books to help you be more mindful [View in browser]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Rodale Wellness]( [biking in fall] If you want to be as passionately committed to your time off as you are to working and taking action, you need to find a way to safeguard that time off, no matter what forces try to invade it. Then you prepare for it. But how do you do that? Marilyn Paul, a life coach and author of [An Oasis in Time]( has the answer: 1. Say no. In the beginning, I safeguarded my time by saying no to any off-purpose request. A lot. I said no to myself as well as to others. What helped was that the benefits were immediate—oasis time gave me more energy, focus, and deeper contact with the sacred aspects of life, which in turn supported my determination to say no. Constantly referring to your big why helps you juggle your big and little nos. Try this partner exercise. Give your partner a list of everything you think you have to do. Then, when he or she says, "You should...," you respond by saying, "no." Go down the list. Then switch. This gives you—and your partner—the chance to practice saying no, even if the idea seems far-fetched at the beginning! This exercise is meant to be rapid fire and feels good when it gets silly. Do it in lightning rounds and have fun with it. 2. Start small. Don't immediately take a whole day off if that commitment sounds overwhelming. I started with half an evening a week. I went to a Shabbat dinner, then came home and worked. Soon I dropped the work part, and very slowly, over years, I grew my commitment to a day a week. You could start with a specific hour once a week when you turn off your phone and take a walk with a friend, listen to a favorite piece of music, or do something else that sustains you. Then expand to an afternoon or evening. You might stop there, and that might be respite enough for you. But you might find that the oasis benefits are so powerful you want more. That desire will be your best motivator to cordon off and protect more time. 3. Seek validation and reinforcement. There is a whole world of people who are sick and tired of being on the run all the time. Talk to people about what you are trying to do. read books, follow blogs, and listen to podcasts by folks who are talking about their oasis time and other kinds of time off. The more oasis time is on your mind, the more real it will become, and the more you'll be able to find others to join you as you seek your oasis. It's so helpful to find a buddy to explore with. Find more ways to destress on our [website](. Destress & Recenter Yourself with These Books [Deep Listening] Deep Listening Learn how to "be here" and "do less" with yoga teacher Jillian Pransky's 10-step journey of self-exploration. [Amazon]( [Barnes & Noble]( [iBooks]( [Books-A-Million]( [Google Play]( [Local Bookstore]( [An Oasis in Time] An Oasis in Time Discover how taking a weekly break—an oasis in time—can enrich your life. [Amazon]( [Barnes & Noble]( [iBooks]( [Books-A-Million]( [Google Play]( [Local Bookstore]( [Living in a Mindful Universe] Living in a Mindful Universe Dr. Eben Alexander, author of international phenomenon Proof of Heaven, shares the next phase of his journey to understand the true nature of consciousness and how to cultivate a state of harmony with the universe and our higher purpose. [Amazon]( [Barnes & Noble]( [iBooks]( [Books-A-Million]( [Google Play]( [Local Bookstore]( [The Art of Stopping Time] The Art of Stopping Time A practical guide to mindfulness for busy people. [Amazon]( [Barnes & Noble]( [iBooks]( [Books-A-Million]( [Google Play]( [Local Bookstore]( [Breathe Like a Bear] Breathe Like a Bear Teach kids mindfulness with 30 exercises that can be done at home or on the go. [Amazon]( [Barnes & Noble]( [iBooks]( [Books-A-Million]( [Google Play]( [Local Bookstore]( [Mindfulness] Mindfulness An 8-week plan for finding peace in a frantic world. [Amazon]( [Barnes & Noble]( [iBooks]( [Books-A-Million]( [Google Play]( [Local Bookstore]( [The Urban Monk] The Urban Monk New York Times bestselling author Pedram Shojai shares how the calmness of Zen masters is attainable in today's fast-paced world, and with practice, you can refuel and focus on the things that really matter. [Amazon]( [Barnes & Noble]( [iBooks]( [Books-A-Million]( [Google Play]( [Local Bookstore]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [pinterest]( [instagram]( Amazon, Kindle, and the Amazon Kindle logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Apple, the Apple logo, and iBooks are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Barnes & Noble is a registered trademark of Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc. NOOK and the NOOK logo are registered trademarks of NOOK Digital, LLC. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Your Email Preferences]( | [Privacy Policy]( Customer Care Dept., 400 South 10th Street, Emmaus, PA 18098 © 2017 Rodale Inc., all rights reserved.