SelfGrowth.com: Stress Less this Summer & Take Back Your Time

 [SelfGrowth.com]  Self Improvement Newsletter Improve Your Life Today!  8/1/16 issue:  Stress Less this Summer & Take Back Your Time Email for: {EMAIL} * Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter * Issue #933, Week of August 1-2, 2016 Publisher: David Riklan - [] In this issue: -- Quotes of the Week -- Article: Want a Less Stressful Summer? - By Laura B. Young -- Article: Take Back Your Time: How to Reduce Overwhelm in a Few Minutes a Day - By Pat LaDouceur, PhD -- Book Review: Living the 80/20 Way: Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More - By Richard Koch -- How to Advertise in the Self Improvement Newsletter -- How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe from this Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Quotes of the Week *** ------------------------------------------------------------ “Fortify yourself with contentment, for this is an impregnable fortress.” - Epictetus, 55 AD- 135 AD “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” - Mark Twain, 1835-1910 “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” - Patrick Henry, 1736-1799 ------------------------------------------------------------ *** ARTICLE: Want a Less Stressful Summer? - By Laura B. Young *** ------------------------------------------------------------ I once heard George Carlin the comedian address the topic of vacations, and how people handle their “stuff.” People usually take a smaller version of their stuff on vacation and sequentially smaller versions to their hotel room, or to the beach etc. He was hysterical; resonating with the need we have for the familiar in order to feel more comfortable. Reflecting on this I wondered if it is the same with our stress level? Do we take a smaller version of our stress with us on vacation? Are we such creatures of habit that we unconsciously take along some stress to stay in our comfort zone? Sometimes we go into the habit of stress automatically, not giving any thought as to how we might change our lives to have smaller and smaller versions of it. On vacation for instance do we mindlessly fill up “down time?” Can you intentionally practice doing nothing? Are you tempted to fill the space? Over the years people have said such things to me as, “my life is out of control,” “you might as well tell me to be a surgeon as to tell me to relax,” “I have no time to learn how to de-stress,” “I don’t know where to begin.” When people are at this anxiety level, any talk of de-stressing is hard for them to hear. If I told them to get more exercise, eat healthy, work less etc., it would be stressful for them in and of itself, although these things help. There is an “I Love Lucy” episode whereby Lucy and her friend Ethel got a job wrapping candy in a factory. At first they went at their own pace, pleased with themselves until the manager speeded up the conveyor belt and they were not able to keep up. They began stuffing candy everywhere possible, even down their shirts, hoping the manager wouldn’t notice. Soon everything was out of control, chaotic and hilariously funny as only Lucy and Ethel could make it. This show was years ago when our activities were more in step with the cycles of the natural world and their behavior seemed to be an extreme exaggeration. That imagery however does not seem so exaggerated today does it? America in particular is on a fast clock that we allow to rule us to the point whereby we are stressed beyond limits. So how do we free ourselves from the tyranny of time? How can we make vacation time a slower elongated sense of time without pressure? Stress is a natural part of living from which there is no escape, and does not respond to simpleminded solutions or quick fixes. Certainly if we have a choice it is only practical to avoid unnecessary misery. It is important to become aware of our “stress signature”, that which we do when there is an accumulation of stressors. Do we avoid, procrastinate, lash out, wall off, use drugs or get busier? It helps to know. ** To read the full article, [go here.] ------------------------------------------------------------ *** ARTICLE: Take Back Your Time: How to Reduce Overwhelm in a Few Minutes a Day - By Pat LaDouceur, PhD *** ------------------------------------------------------------ Research shows that re-thinking how you use the small moments of extra time in your day might be better for you (and less expensive) than taking a big vacation. Recently I spoke with Jenny, a client of mine who is a working mom, who said, “I need time for myself, but there isn't enough time in the day.” With two kids in school and a part time job, she felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and in need of a vacation – preferably a long one. While a vacation would have been wonderful, what Jenny really needed was something a little different. It had to do with how Jenny filled her time. *More isn't always better* When we want to reduce overwhelm, it's often tempting to adopt a “bigger is better” mentality. But sometimes smaller is better. A taste of something delicious, like a dessert, is yummy. A few bites is just right, but too much leaves you feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. Studies show that once people have the basics in life, it's not so much big events that make people happy. For example Daniel Gilbert in, “The Science Behind the Smile*,” says that “big” experiences tend to affect us for about three months, and then the exuberance fades. The people that are happy in the long run aren't the lottery winners. They're people who have found ways to invite small, positive experiences into their lives every day, many times a day. People who savor the pauses are the ones who are the most able to reduce overwhelm, and who are most content. *Reduce Overwhelm a Moment at a Time* Jenny felt that if she could make a big change – maybe stop working, maybe work full time and hire help at home, maybe take a summer off – that she would feel recharged and refreshed. It wasn't possible. The “big picture” of Jenny's life was set for the moment. “Big” solutions like changing jobs, hiring serious help, or going on a month-long meditation retreat usually aren't very workable. Rather than looking for looking how Jenny could take off a day, a weekend, or a month, we looked at how she used her free moments in every hour. ** To read the full article, [go here.] ------------------------------------------------------------ *** BOOK REVIEW: Living the 80/20 Way: Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More - By Richard Koch *** ------------------------------------------------------------ 80 percent of what we want is generated by just 20 percent of what we do. In this highly practical book, bestselling author Richard Koch shows how to identify and focus on our most personally productive 20 percent, and jettison the unproductive 80 percent - work less, worry less, succeed more, enjoy more. ***** The list Price of this book is $16.95. To purchase this book for $15.29 from Amazon.com, a 10% discount, [go here.]  ============================================= *** How to Advertise in the Self Improvement Newsletter *** To advertise your website or product to our Self Improvement Newsletter audience, go to [ To submit articles or other information, please send us an email at [editors@selfgrowth.com], or visit our Article Submission form at [    --------------------------------------------------- *** How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe from this Newsletter*** --------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to our newsletter, please go to our Subscriptions Page at [ To unsubscribe or update your information, go here: [Manage Preferences] Copyright (C) 2015 by Self Improvement Online, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this newsletter only in its entirety and provided copyright is acknowledged. 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