1. Your internal clock
We are creatures of habit.  If we train ourselves that a certain time is bedtime, our body will adjust accordingly.  So, try going to bed at the same time each evening.

2. Strive for an ideal sleeping environment
Your room should be calming and free of distractions such as TV’s, computers and phones.  Eating should be left for the kitchen or dining room.  The room temperature should be (approximately 16 – 18 degrees Celsius) and the room should be as dark as possible.

3. Sleep preparation
Along with maintaining a consistent bedtime, you need to prepare for a good night’s sleep.  How?

S = Specific
“I want to get healthier by riding my bike to work 3 times per week” is better than “I want to start exercising”.  Ask yourself who, what, why, when and where.

M = Measurable
“I want to improve my diet by eating 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day” is better than “I want to improve my diet.”  You must be able to measure your progress and when you see progress, what a motivating tool it is!

A = Attainable
Let’s take for example someone who is totally new to running.  “I am going to run the local community 5K fun run in 4 months time” is better than “I am going to run the London Marathon, which is 4 months from now”.

R = Realistic
Are you willing and able to work towards your goal?  Is it realistic to bike to work when it’s 50 kilometers away and your kids need to be picked up from daycare by 6 PM – Perhaps your goal needs to be scaled back to reflect your lifestyle and the demands placed upon it.

T = Timely
You need to have a time frame in place – some urgency to get you going.  “I am going to lose one stone by 1 September is better than “I am going to lose weight”.

2. Commit for one month.  Four weeks should be enough time for you to make the desired action a powerful habit.  Sure, if you are committing to working out before work, getting up earlier will be difficult over the first couple of weeks, but as we all know things get easier.  Commit to 30 days and see your healthy habits stick.

3. Do your homework.  Know exactly what the benefits are of the habit you’re trying to develop.  If you want to improve your fitness through running, research the benefits of running.  What physiologic changes will take place?  Will you sleep better?  Better concentration?  Will you be able to deal with stress better?  By knowing exactly what the benefits are for the healthy habit you are developing, your chances of success will be significantly enhanced.

4. Get support.  Tell your partner, family, friends about the healthy habit you’re trying to develop.  Developing habits are always easier when you’re not at it alone.  Support will help you through those tough stretches, which will occur.  Better yet, finding someone that is trying to build a habit that is the same or similar to yours will provide a huge amount of support and motivation.

5. Get serious about developing your healthy habits.  We have a unique ability to justify anything.  An extra day off from the gym will not kill me, or eating these crisps are fine because they say “low in fat”.  We all have lapses, which will never change, but when you feel yourself wavering, get tough.  Often when the last thing you feel like doing is working out, by simply getting out the door, you’re practically there.  Once out the door there’s no turning back!  I have never gone for a run or workout when I have absolutely dreaded it for one reason or another and felt bad about it afterwards.  It’s the opposite.  It feels amazing because you beat that little voice inside you that was telling you to stay put!

There are often demands placed on your time particularly when you are feeling tired or beleaguered. It may be very difficult at first but learning to say no can save you a lot of stress, improve your stress management and give you a greater sense of calmness through your own self-empowerment. Not to mention it may even feel good.

In essence, learning to say no is a positive thing for your own self preservation, helping to make you a more effective human being and with that, being more successful in the act of giving your helping service to others.

Yes, at times most people will find it unpleasant to say no to a request. Through your own self-check you will probably come to find if you do not say no from time to time, it puts you in a more compromising position and decreases your ability to be productive and successful when dealing with another person and yourself.

Imposing healthy limits are vital in not just merely self- but being able to strive and be more productive and happy. Who does not choose happiness if given a chance to pick a favorable mood?

You can manage your own stress by trying an assortment of stress management approaches and by discovering the ones that are more ideal for you. It is important to mention that stress management needs to be revisited often, as with any habit, to become more engrained and more proficient. Practicing stress management techniques daily or every other day is necessary and gives you an ongoing, continuous greater chance at acquiring success. These techniques need to be practiced often and not only during times of greater or extreme distress.

Stress management is central to our emotional health and overall well being. It is a way of life that ought to be an ongoing practice and not only a collection of approaches reserved for use in challenging times. Unfortunately many of us tend to be slow out of the gate and we wait until things become stressful and out of our immediate control before taking action. With some forward thinking and specific stress management techniques we hold within our grasp the ability to effectively head off foreseeable obstacles and difficulties with minimum damage.

Do you know some of the first signs of stress when it appears? Many of us are not aware of them. The reduction and increase of food consumption are quite common for many people.

If that happened to you do you tune in to that behavioral change? How long does it take before you realize that change has occurred? Some people will start to notice their thinking becoming heightened, erratic and an increasing feeling of uneasiness depending on what the stressors are and their levels. It may feel as if I you are spinning your wheels and not moving anywhere. Sleep is the next thing to go for many. You may find yourself lying in bed obsessing about the problem at hand and looking at the ceiling during the night. Waking many times early in the morning may bring no relief with constant thinking of all the things that need to done.

Some people may find they notice muscle tension typically in the neck, shoulders and upper back. Massage therapy is an excellent approach to reducing muscle and other tension associated with the negative side of stress. Trying to be more conscious of your body and understanding the first signs of escalating stress will help you better identify the necessary course of action. A common sense plan of action, making a conscious effort and starting to use stress management strategies to counter stress is a wise place to begin. In many cases stress needs to be met head-on; passively waiting for a stressful situation to resolve is not always a good strategy. Actively using stress management strategies can help us manage and get a more complete grip on the symptoms of stress while at the same time meeting our responsibilities in everyday life.

The question “does stress age you?” comes up from time to time and I am sure you have heard it in different circles, “It feels like I have aged at least 10 years in a few months” is not uncommon to hear. On the cellular level there is some preliminary research suggesting stress does in fact age us all. We also know that during periods of stress and fatigue in our lives, we are more likely to stop using healthy behaviors that help us manage stress more effectively and revert to poor habits. Prolonged poor behavioral habits indicated below have been shown and linked to various illnesses and can decrease the quality of our lives and our longevity:

1. Smoking

2. Drinking

3. Non-healthy nutritional choices

4. Not exercising

5. Inadequate sleep

A number of health related issues have its roots in stress. Stress with reduction of good sound healthy behavior may cause an individual to be become more tired than normal, increase susceptibility to illness, weaken immune system and in general promote a poorer impression of health.

Q: Is there a more favorable approach for handling stress management?

A: Through trial and error over time, since this is a working living process of improvement, returning to the key basics when under stress usually works better. Like many others, I too, sometimes forego healthy behaviors when stress is upon me and it appears other things become more important. On the other hand, I am aware that if I sleep less, do not exercise, skip meals, I am much less effective in my own stress management. Here are some preferred stress management strategies for alleviating and reducing the effect of stress:

Going for a walk or run

Many of us tend to think more clearly when outside with and can feel the wind and air on our faces.

Feeling the therapeutic calming effects of nature filling up your lungs and traveling inside and all around you.

Pleasing interruption such as a good movie

A good comedy at times or just good entertainment may be enough to turn things around or get you going with some good laughter. Do not forget the positive endorphins laughter causes.

Reading

It may be just what you need to take your mind off and away from whatever it is that is troubling you. Books are a fabulous way to escape and get lost in a marvelous and completely different world without traveling. Reading may also serve as a temporary release from the hold of stress and might even make you see things in a different and more positive light.

Social gathering

When you are ready for it, getting together with good friends and getting out are also ways to get out and breathe. It is the chance to move your mind and body away from whatever is stressing you and perhaps it may help you step back and see more of the big picture.

Support

That special friend or person in your life with whom you can openly share and express feelings and emotions without reservation; speak with them. Find that friend, the one who makes you laugh and you enjoy being around. All we have to do is think about that person and we can always come up with someone.