Real Life Solutions

Use Music to Reduce Stress

Studies have shown that music does soothe the savage beast.  In fact, among other things, it lowers your blood pressure and, depending upon the music you’ve chosen, can bring back fond memories of a time long ago.

Imagine sitting in your office with a mound of paperwork on your desk, and you are just staring at it wondering where to begin. You put a CD into your player and the music erases all unpleasant and stressful thoughts from your mind, and you attack the pile of papers with a renewed purpose.

Perhaps you are a stay at home mom, and the kids are particularly unruly this day. Pop a CD into your unit; one that is lively and one of your favorites. You will feel a sudden change in your temperament; and the worries of the day will slowly dissipate.  Or maybe you are driving home from work; and the traffic is bumper to bumper. With a two hour stretch ahead, you put on a classical CD and feel the pressure slowly drop. By the time you arrive home, you are calm and relaxed.

Music not only appeals to the senses, but counteracts any negative thought. Try listening to an all time classic like Frank Sinatra, and then at the same time, try to think of an incident that caused you stressed that particular day – you can’t. Why? Because his music will undoubtedly bring you back to a time which held loving memories; especially when you first heard a particular song.

Imagine if you will a teacher trying to control a classroom. This is a prime stressor. After the class has ended, the teacher’s blood pressure may be elevated. He walks down to the main office in a state of angst.  Suddenly, he hears Johnny Mathis being played, and he remembers when he first attended his concert.  He pauses; and just listens. Immediately, you notice his body language change from a tense posture to relaxing state. Then, as if by magic, he is suddenly transported to the concert and a smile appears on his face.  He can now return to his next class fondly remembering the words to the music.

Music can and does reduce stress. It is a universal language which is comprised of sounds and vibrations in which the mind sends messages to the body; telling it to relax; enjoy and savor the moment.

Laughter: The Ultimate Stress Reducer

Someone tells you a joke; you laugh so hard you begin to cry.  Perhaps this uncontrollable laughter goes on for several minutes.  Did you feel the tension dissipate? What you are experiencing is a release of the stress you’ve been carrying for days.  The old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine,” is true. 

You may be surprised to know that laughter is equivalent to fifteen minutes on an exercise bike.  It not only lowers the blood pressure, but increases the endorphins in your body which contributes to a healthier immune system.

Life is hard; why make it harder?  If you can determine what makes you laugh; whether it’s going to a comedy club; surrounding yourself with funny people; watching a comedy on TV, or simply reading a book of jokes, you will be amazed how laughter can improve your physical and emotional well-being. Laughter actually distracts you from the underlying stress, and brings you to a balanced and calm state. It is, as they say, infectious.

It is important to laugh as much and as often as you can.  It is the cure-all for stress, frustration and, in some cases, depression. Perhaps you’ve used the expression, “One day we will remember this, and laugh our heads off.”  By having a positive attitude and using laughter as a mechanism to celebrate life, instead of stressing over it; you’ll become healthier and less vulnerable when confronting negative events.

“Laugh and the world laughs with you….” With so much going on in the world today, laughter is a precious commodity we all need to get through a day.  As you go through your daily routine, find something to laugh about. Look at the bright side; laugh until it hurts.  You may not have control over certain aspects of your life, but you can control the stress. Laughter is your secret weapon to beating stress.  

Here is a little story which truly expresses how you perceive the proverbial cup; Is it half full, or half empty? “One day as I sat lonely and without a friend, a little bird came to rest upon my shoulder and said, “Cheer up; things could be worse.” So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse.”

Whether you are confronted with an annoying co-worker; a dictatorial boss; a demanding husband or wife; unruly kids; a deadline which is impossible to meet; an appointment missed; a flat tire; a burnt dinner; you get the picture, right? What’s important and overrides everything else in life is the state of your health, your well-being, and your ability to cope with whatever life dishes out.  Laughter; a cure for whatever ails you!

If you’d like to know more about how to increase self confidence and conquer stress, depression and anxiety without taking powerful antidepressant drugs, then grab your 400 Breakthrough Stress Relief Tips today!

Balance Work and Home Life – 3 Important Tips

Is work invading your personal life, or is your home life interfering with your work? With more people working more hours and adding more stress to their already stressed out lives, how does one balance work and home life?

Study after study across various industries tell a story of folks who are dissatisfied with the balance of their work and home life. This imbalance is due to economic conditions, more time commuting to and from the workplace, the lack of clear boundaries between work and home life, longer working hours and increased pressure at the job. A study conducted by the Discovery Group found that two out of five employees are not satisfied with the balance between their personal lives and work. So how do you determine if work is invading your personal life? How do you tell if you have too much stress from trying to balance work and home life? Here are some helpful tips to help you get a better balance in your life:

• You gotta slow down. Don’t let things pass you by, life is too short. You need to slow down and enjoy the things and people in your life. Work is important, but relationships are equally important. Don’t make plans for every evening of the week, leave some evenings where you just spend time with family or friends. Enjoy yourself and engage the important people around you in your life. Allow yourself to be distanced from the stress and problems at work.

• Manage you time more efficiently. This one thing alone was a revelation to me. I spent months learning time management techniques and implementing them into my life and work. You know what I found? That most of my stress was due to the fact that I was disorganized and that I procrastinated with everything. I learned to set more realistic goals and timelines, and made myself stick to them religiously. Work took less time and the work produced was of a better quality.

• Simplify your life. I was the guy who could get anything done and would always take on new or additional work. I wanted to show everyone that I was a human dynamo. I felt like I could do anything, take on any
amount of work. That had to change. I had to find a way to simplify my life and work. With work, I simply managed my time better and only accepted what I knew I could accomplish. It was a bit tougher with my personal life. I knew there were relationships, one in particular, that were wasting huge amounts my time. I had to rethink those relationships and determine if they were healthy or unhealthy. It wasn’t easy, but I got rid of the bad relationships, the bad habits that were taking so much of my time. Simplify means getting rid of the things that aren’t helping you toward your goals. If a habit or behavior is taking time from your work or personal life, cut it loose. Get help if you need it.

When I first started out in the advertising industry, I landed a great job at the biggest ad agency in the area while I was still a Junior in college. I was so excited to be with that company and I literally worked 15 to 18 hours a day, sometimes even catching a bit of sleep here and there. But I was also pulling a full course load at college, and my work at both school and at the ad agency began to suffer. Something had to give. I spoke with my boss and she was more than understanding. Her advice was sound: spend less time at the ad agency and more time with my studies. Through an older and wiser mentor, I was able to achieve balance between work and home life.

Written by, M. Kayo

Need More Balance In Your Work and Family Life? Click here for easy-to-follow strategies you can use right away.

Stress Relief Tip #1: Do one thing at a time.

Do it mindfully. Do it well. Enjoy the satisfaction. Then go on to the next thing. Multitasking might work for computers, but humans have yet to get the hang of it. It leads to careless mistakes, shoddy work and unreliable performance. Worst of all, having to do things over. This is no way to live. Give what you’re doing your undivided attention. Take the time to get it right. And enjoy the experience.

Stress Relief Tip #2: Cut down on competitive stress.

Today, we compete for everything: the space around us, to be first to own a new product, to get our kids signed up for programs, to get our viewpoints across, to be faster, smarter, richer, sexier. Our days are filled with stressful competitions. And most are absolutely unnecessary. Because they’re driven by insecurity, fear of being left behind, an ingrained need to always have more or better than the next guy. Try to get above all that. If you want to compete, vie to be the one who stays calm and in control, who isn’t easily sucked in by material things, who avoids being caught up in the daily grab-bag that robs people of health and peace of mind. Compete for that and see how pointless all those other competitions become. And how misguided those who partake in them begin to appear.

Stress Relief Tip #3: Throw something out every day.

You’ve got too much stuff in your house. Office. Garage. Attic. Useless clutter that’s weighing you down, getting in the way, obscuring the things you really need. Be realistic. If you’re not going to use it, lose it. And you don’t have to make a humongous project out of it. Every day, find one thing you don’t need and toss it. Or give it away. Over time, the clutter will begin to vanish and space and order will magically appear in your home…and your life.

Stress Relief Tip #4: Eliminate meaningless deadlines.

Our life is full of them. Arbitrary and unrealistic time constraints imposed by ourselves and others that serve only to make us more pressured, anxious, stressed out. For no worthwhile reason. Avoid the trap of assigning time frames to everything you do, especially if you have little idea how long it will take. Instead, make your goal one of completing a project in a careful, profession- al, satisfying manner. In other words, as long as it takes to do it right. Save your nerves, and your energy, for the few real deadlines we face…like April 15th.

Stress Relief Tip #5: Get more out of life by doing less.

What a concept! Is your life fulfilling? Or is it merely crammed? Know the difference and you’ll realize it’s not the quantity of activities you engage in (or possessions you collect) that ultimately determine your happiness. One naturally unfolding, enriching experience can easily surpasses many rushed and distracted ones. But you may be so chronically overscheduled, you never give yourself a chance to enjoy anything to the fullest. Experiment. Choose an occasion and give it your complete, mindful and unhurried attention. Then imagine an entire life of such enrichment. It’s absolutely attainable.

Grab a hold of 400 Breakthrough Stress Relief Tips A breakthrough program that relieves the symptoms of stress and eliminates the causes, actually reversing the stressful habits, attitudes and mindsets you’ve developed over the course of your life!

Let’s Face it, every mom has had one of “those days”. The baby is feed and dry but very fussy, your child forgot to tell you about a science project that is due tomorrow and hands you a list of 10 things that you must get from the store, you forgot the roast in the oven and now it is dry and your husband just called to say that he is stuck at the office… again! After a day like this, it can be very hard to keep your stress level low. With each passing minute you may feel your stress and irritability rising, your patience getting shorter and your fuse about to blow! Calgon Take Me Away!!

When you feel the need to escape and take a few minutes to yourself to de-stress, follow some (if not all) of the tips below.

Put yourself in time out: Allow some alone time for yourself. Use this time to focus on you. Find a place in your home that you can go to and find privacy. You can ask your partner or a friend to take the family out for a few hours while you enjoy your alone time. Do nothing, sleep, read, watch a movie, and just enjoy your solitude.

Call a Friend: Rather than yelling at your husband or your children, try picking up the phone and vent to a friend. Be sure not to vent AT her, but rather tell her about your day and get it all out. If she offers you some advice, listen and soak it in. This mini-time out session will leave you feeling heard, de-stressed and you will find that by the end of your call some of you anger will have dissipated.

Play: As adults, we sometimes forget the beneficial value of play. Play stimulates our imagination, encourages our creativity, boosts our energy, and best of all, it is fun. Try a game of tennis, a game of cards online or perhaps invite some friends over for an evening of adult board games.

Meditate: Meditation has been proven to reduce your blood pressure, and helps to dramatically reduce your stress level. Meditation and/or prayer will help you to keep in touch with your spiritual side. Meditation is a very effective method of relaxation. To meditate, quiet your mind and allow yourself to focus on one thing, such as your breath. Find a relaxed comfortable position where Try visualizing good health and peace as you inhale. While you are breathing out breathe out all of your stress. Set aside approximately 20 minutes for this exercise. Upon completion, you will see just how much more relaxed your mind and body is.

Take a nap: Find a quiet, comfortable spot and take a nap. Even a short power nap can leave you feeling refreshed, renewed, and more focused. Studies have shown that people who spent 30 minutes each day napping had one third less heart disease than those who didn’t nap.

Eat: Not just anything but certain things. Studies show that certain foods can help reduce stress. Carbohydrates will actually soothe you. Good sources of carbohydrates include rice, pasta, potatoes, breads, air-popped popcorn and low-calorie cookies. Experts suggest that the carbohydrates present in just one baked potato or a cup of spaghetti or white rice, is enough to relieve the anxiety of a stressful day.

Movie Time: If you don’t have anyone to watch the children for you while you de-stress. Put in one of their favorite movies, supply your children with a few healthy snacks, and have them occupy themselves for a little while so that you can take a breather.

Don’t feel guilty for taking time out to rejuvenate your mind and body. Being a mom is not an easy task and it is a full time job. Take a break when you need it and be sure to ask for help to keep the stress at bay.

Why make yourself crazy? Grab your 400 Breakthrough Stress Relief Tips now and get that breakthrough program that relieves the symptoms of stress and eliminates the causes, actually reversing the stressful habits, attitudes and mindsets you’ve developed over the course of your life!

Having a schedule is a fundamental part of time management. You can imagine your schedule as a road-map. It provides important information about where you are going and how you can get there.

Without it, you may take a wrong turn somewhere and find yourself lost. Once someone is lost, it may take some time before they get back on track, and they usually arrive to their destination a bit later than they would have liked.

When you have a schedule, you can look at it and see what you need to do each day. You’ll know if you are on track, and if you aren’t, what you need to do to get back on course.

How To Make a Schedule

One of the first things to do when making a schedule is to write down all the things you have to do on a piece of paper. Some people keep separate work and family schedules, and if you decide that would work best for you, you can divvy those tasks up later. For now, simply write out everything that needs to be done on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis.

Once you have everything written out and in front of you, it’s time to start sorting between the common themes. You can do this by assigning a highlighter color to each theme (such as family, work, daily, monthly, weekly) or by taking out another piece of paper and writing those columns on it, and rewriting all the tasks into the appropriate column.

Now that you have all of your tasks sorted out, try to give a time estimate to each one. You may even want to time yourself for a week or two on these tasks, as you may be very surprised at how long some things take.

For instance, you may think it only takes 45 minutes to go to the grocery store, but in reality it could take an hour and 15 minutes. You may think it only takes 15 minutes to run up to the school and pick up the kids, but may find it actually takes 25 minutes.

In many cases, people underestimate the time it takes to do things, and this is one of the reasons they think they aren’t getting enough done. By timing yourself, you will get a visual picture of your time. When you see how long it really takes to accomplish your regular tasks, you will be able to see how many things you can fit into a normal day. You won’t constantly be trying to push yourself to do more.

Once you have written down your tasks and estimated the time it takes to accomplish them, you can start planning your schedule. Some people like to have a daily schedule that is very organized with certain tasks assigned to certain times and others prefer to keep a weekly schedule that is more flexible.

For more in depth tips for time management, Click here!

Here are some ways for Dealing with Panic Attacks Without Anxiety Medication

When bedtime becomes a time of worry, dealing with panic attacks can be especially difficult. Thoughts of dread and worry about going to bed only aggravate attacks and make them more likely to occur. It can be extremely hard not to fall into this cycle of fear especially when a person has experienced an attack. Having a night panic attack is an extremely distressing and terrifying experience.

Following an attack the person develops an unconscious fear of bedtime. The bed becomes associated with feelings of fear and making it difficult to sleep at night. Lying in bed, thoughts of an attack happening keeps a person awake. Insomnia affects a high number of people who suffer from anxiety disorders such as panic disorder.

Dealing with panic attacks can be done in several ways. Firstly, the sufferer needs to change habits and thoughts about sleep. It’s important to make the bedroom inviting and a place of comfort. Worrying thoughts need to be replaced with thoughts about enjoying a good restful night’s sleep. Try and focus on positive thoughts and get into a positive sleep regime before going to bed.

Herbal medication such as valerian can help soothe anxiousness and tension to help you stay asleep. Try to steer clear of TV that is too exciting or distressing that might affect sleep. TV and surfing the Internet can be highly stimulating for the body and mind.

Laughter produces a chemical known as endorphin that acts as a natural painkiller and makes us feel good. Get into the habit of trying to smile and laugh as much as possible in the day. A hot relaxing bath, a massage or a short nap can help reinvigorate and relax oneself. Practicing relaxation exercises is a great way to unwind and prepare for sleep.

Make a rule to keep away from caffeinated drinks and other stimulants that have an adverse affect on sleep. Don’t eat big meals soon before going to bed. Herbal beverages which are caffeine-free can be drunk before sleep. A glass of warm milk can also help calm nerves and induce sleep.

Make yourself tired and a reason for sleep. Make an effort to use your physical and mental energy in the day. When you exercise, you not only burn up harmful chemicals in your body, your body produces good ones. Applying yourself mentally is a good distraction from worry and also a chance to expand your horizons.

Breathing exercises can help develop and strengthen your lungs and give you more control. Learning to breathe deeply and utilize the lungs is an excellent way of dealing with panic attacks. Since in 50% of attacks hyperventilation occurs, learning to take control of breath can prevent full blown episodes. When you get to bed try progressive relaxation to help you release mental and physical tension.

Find an expert to help you in dealing with panic attacks and anxiety. As frightening as attacks may be, remember that when they occur, they are not dangerous. Switch on the bedside light and focus on your breath. Take long deep breaths and let the symptoms pass away. If sleep seems difficult, read a book or continue to breathe slowly. Before you try and sleep again, make sure you’re relaxed and ready.

You do not have to ever suffer from another panic attack or anxiety attack again! Visit Panic Away today.

Author’s Bio
Need a natural way for controlling panic attacks? Discover a fast-acting natural solution for coping with panic attacks here.

Panic attacks can have different signs and symptoms in different people, and they can vary from one circumstance or trigger to another. What every sufferer knows very well is that these attacks in general can be quite scary, especially the first time an attack hits and you do not know what is happening.

What is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is basically an enormous amount of anxiety and tension that often hits the body unexpectedly. Some people may be able to identify triggers which bring on these attacks, but most people with a generalized panic disorder can experience an attack at any moment of any day with no known triggers to blame.

In many cases, just having the panic disorder and knowing an attack can come at any moment leads to such anxiety and tension in the body that the fear of an attack can bring on an attack. In those serious cases or when attacks occur frequently in public, the sufferer may become fearful of going out in public because they do not want to be seen having an attack in front of others or in a situation where they may not be able to get help.

Signs and Symptoms of Panic Attacks

Here are the most common signs and symptoms of panic attacks, though you will not necessarily experience them all:

•Racing heartbeat

•Shortness of breath that can lead to hyperventilating

•Shaking

•Nausea

•Dizziness or feeling lightheaded

•Excessive sweating

•Chills or hot flashes

•Pains or cramps in the stomach and/or chest

•Tingling sensation in the fingers and/or toes

The biggest sign that you are having a panic attack is the super intense wave of anxiety that suddenly hits you. Many sufferers report feeling very afraid or scared, as if in a real panic. Even though they know there is no danger anywhere near them, they cannot stop the sense of danger.

Remember, you do not have to feel all of these symptoms in order to experience a panic attack. Some people may just feel a couple symptoms along with the anxiety and fear while others feel most or all of those symptoms at once.

How Long Does a Panic Attack Last?

In most cases, a panic attack will hit suddenly with little to no warning. You can literally be sitting at your desk at work or walking through the mall and all of a sudden feel the anxiety and fear wash over you. This is quite startling if you have never experienced it before, and it is not uncommon for first time sufferers to think they are having a heart attack or some other serious medical problem at the time.

The symptoms usually set in fully within five or ten minutes, but the actual attack can last a half hour or sometimes longer. During this time, it is common to feel a disconnect between yourself and whatever else is going on around you. You may be aware of other people trying to help you, but the symptoms of the attack overwhelm you to the point you cannot focus or recognize them clearly.

What Causes Panic Disorder?

It really is not known right now exactly what causes some people to experience panic attacks, though many scientists believe there may be a genetic factor that causes it to afflict multiple members of the same family.

The leading theory right now is that something goes wrong with the body’s fight or flight system where you are stimulated into action in the case of an emergency. When you are having a panic attack it is believed your body senses incredible danger and wants you to take action, even though your rational mind knows there is no such danger to run away from.

What Can You Do?

Once you know for sure that you have experienced an anxiety episode, you are likely quite afraid that it is going to happen again. It is normal to go searching for answers and trying to find a logical explanation and solution to the problem, and that solution in the eyes of most doctors is medication that masks the symptoms of anxiety but does not solve the actual problem or completely stop the attacks.

There are some natural methods of controlling panic attacks, but it starts with learning what to do in the heat of the moment when you feel the symptoms coming on.

You do not have to ever suffer from another panic attack or anxiety attack again! Visit Panic Away today.

Ken Black is an online product reviewer and writer and a former panic attack sufferer. Check out this website for an answer to get rid of the signs and symptoms of panic attacks.

Rediscovering the joys of shared meals

(ARA) – Having a family meal isn’t easily accomplished these days. Busy schedules, long work hours and even technology make it feel easier to simply grab a meal and go, rather than take the time to sit everyone down together around the table.

But American families really do miss coming together around the table. In fact, 93 percent of Americans acknowledge dinner time as the best way to connect as a family, according to a study conducted by Barilla. The obstacles barring the way for family dinner are work schedules, children’s schedules and picky eaters in the house. However, the benefits of overcoming these obstacles can be lasting for families. In fact, according to the study, Americans who eat with others more frequently are more satisfied with every aspect of their own lives, including their relationships, their physical and mental health and their level of achievement in life.

In addition, the study shows:
* Sharing meals ranks No. 1 above all other activities (including family vacations, playing together and attending religious services) in helping Americans connect with their families and their kids.
* Nearly six in 10 families agree that they don’t have as many opportunities to connect with their family or friends as they’d like.
* Americans who eat with others frequently report lower levels of overweight children.

“Family meals are more than feeding events; they are precious opportunities for family connection in a hurry-up world,” says Dr. William Doherty, a professor with the University of Minnesota Department of Family and Social Science and an expert on family time and family rituals. “Children grow up healthier, smarter and better adjusted when their parents take the lead in having regular dinner times.”

The importance of sharing dinner is not lost on chef Mario Batali or music star Martina McBride, who are working together with Barilla to spread the word about how families can ‘Share the Table’ and create lasting memories.

“Dinner is a time where everyone can come together, cook together and share together in a truly unguarded atmosphere,” says Batali, James Beard award-winning chef, restaurateur and author of “Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home.” “I encourage all families to learn how getting their entire family involved in preparing and enjoying dinner can make a positive difference in their lives.”

A mother of three and one of country music’s top female vocalists, McBride understands the challenges of work/life balance and family dinners. “With my busy schedule, I have to be creative about making time for the family to dine together,” she says. “Now I keep a few staples on hand in the pantry and fridge so we can create a quick dinner together, even after a late day of work and school. And, I’m promising to help my daughters develop a healthy relationship with food that will stick with them forever.”

Martina’s tips for creating the best family dinner experience include:
* Once in a while, make everyday dinners seem fancier with candles, a linen tablecloth and your fine china. This will add an element of fun and something to get excited about.
* Carry on your favorite dinnertime traditions from your childhood and tell your children about family meals from when you were a kid.
* Plan ahead so you can fit dinners into busy schedules. Put the dates and times on your calendar and don’t budge.

Families can discover many ways to fill their meals with boisterous conversation, meaningful interactions and flavorful food at www.sharethetable.com. For every family who joins in the movement to create meaningful family dinner time by registering on the Web site, Barilla will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels Association of America, up to $150,000, to support home-delivered and congregate meal programs. Share the Table families can gain access to more than 700 Barilla recipes – including exclusive Mario Batali recipes – get tips from family experts, design custom weekly dinner plans and dining placemats and share their own dinnertime stories and pictures with others.

If you’re looking for some good meal ideas to serve at your next family dinner, Batali shares his favorite recipe.

Ziti with Spicy Pesto “Pantesco” and Pecorino Cheese
Serves four to six people

Ingredients:
1 box Barilla Ziti
1/2 cup mint leaves, packed
1/2 cup basil leaves, packed
1 cup parsley, packed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
4 medium fresh plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Directions:
Bring 6 quarts of water to boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Place mint, basil, parsley, garlic, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, red pepper and half the olive oil in a blender. Process in short bursts until roughly chopped. Turn blender on full and drizzle in remaining oil and process until smooth, about one minute. Remove pesto and place in a large serving bowl.

Cook ziti according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and transfer pasta to a large bowl. Add pesto and toss like a salad to coat. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

Dinner Time Does Not Have to Be Stressful.

Mood-boosting foods: Tips to jump-start your body and your brain

(ARA) – If you’re determined to eat right to lose weight or improve your health, the foods you choose could also make you happier. We’ve all heard the old adage “You are what you eat,” and the importance of eating for physical health. But did you know that at the same time you could also be eating to improve your mental sharpness, energy and inner peace?

“The connection between food and mood has long been known, but we’ve come a long way in understanding how new foods can speed the process of helping you feel better by eating right. There are simple ways to tweak your diet that can have profound effects on how good you feel and how consistent your mood is, even while you lose weight and improve health,” says registered dietician, Elizabeth Somer, author of the book, “Eat Your Way to Happiness.” (Harlequin 2009) Somer offers the following ways to eat your way to a newer, happier you:

Make breakfast a natural high: Even a four-hour lag between meals leaves some people feeling shaky and grumpy because they’re essentially running on fumes. This only gives rise to cravings for foods that are bad for you. Restock your fuel stores in the morning with healthy foods, and your body, mind and energy will repay you throughout the day. Use the 1-2-3 rule to create an energy-building combination: No. 1, eat at least one serving of high-fiber carbs such as 100 percent whole grain cereal or bread; No. 2, eat two servings of fruits and veggies, such as a banana and vegetable juice; and No. 3, add a third, protein-rich food such as a whole egg, lean meat, or fat-free or low fat milk.

Embrace the “good” fats: You may have heard about the importance of incorporating good fats such as omega-3s into your diet. However, all omega-3s are not created equal and offer different health benefits. For example, the form of omega-3 found in flaxseeds and walnuts (ALA omega-3) helps lower your heart disease risk, but does not offer the brain-boosting benefits of DHA omega-3, which helps you feel great, think fast and stay mentally sharp. The more DHA omega-3 you eat, the more it is incorporated into brain cells, the more flexible your brain cell membranes become, the better you think, the more you remember and the happier you are.

Almost 97 percent of the omega-3s in the brain are DHA, which is why this fat is so important in lowering the risk of depression and dementia. Yet, most Americans don’t get enough of this nutrient. Salmon, herring, lake trout, anchovies and sardines are good dietary sources of DHA. But if you’re vegetarian, don’t like fish or are concerned about mercury levels in seafood, you can also find many foods, beverages and supplements in grocery and drug stores that are made with sustainable, algae-based DHA. Look for products bearing life’sDHA on the label, such as Mission Life Balance Flour Tortillas, Silk Soymilk Plus DHA, or Walmart Spring Valley Fish-Free Algal-900 DHA supplements.

Choose quality carbs: Seratonin, the nerve chemical, is a major force in mood and appetite. It turns cravings on and off for sweets and starches, helps regulate mood, controls pain tolerance affecting thinking and memory, and even determines whether we sleep well. However, serotonin levels rise with the right food choices. While all carbs will boost your mood, quality carbs in whole grains and colorful starchy veggies like sweet potatoes will give you sustained energy and a mood high without the extra calories. Keep hunger at bay by eating small snacks at even intervals throughout the day. Examples of quality carb snacks: five graham crackers, 75 whole-grain thin pretzel sticks or four cups of air-popped popcorn (salted lightly).

Eat right at night: If you start the day with the right foods, be sure to end it with the right foods. How well you sleep has a huge impact on your mood, energy level and weight. The worse you feel, the more likely you’ll eat – and you’ll eat all the wrong things, since fatigue and blues dissolve your resolve to take care of yourself. It takes your system hours to digest a large meal, making it difficult to completely relax into a deep sleep. Keep the evening meal light and low-fat and eat no less than three hours before bedtime, and you’re more likely to sleep like a baby all night. And, if you’re determined to lose weight, add some exercise every day and you will fall asleep faster, sleep deeper and sleep longer than if you were a couch potato.

By following these simple tips, you’ll not only feel better and more energized, but your mood will lift and you’ll be a newer, happier you.

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No ceremony with this article, let’s go straight into five quick things you can do for depression, anxiety and stress relief.

1. Take regular breaks from the firing line. Working hard without regular breaks is a great way to build up stress and tension. Make sure you have at least one 15-minute break in the morning and one in the afternoon as well as at least 2 minutes for lunch. If possible, eat lunch away from your workstation. Equally, if you have a lot to deal with in your life right now, taking a day, or a weekend elsewhere – longer if you can – to get some breathing space will really help. Even just a day away from the firing line will enable you to get some distance from the problems and help you to gather your thoughts.

2. Regular exercise can help relieve stress, depression and anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins into your system and will give you a natural boost. It will also provide you with a break from brooding and dwelling upon problems and troubles – but only if you perform the right kind of exercises. Avoid: Exercises that allow you to brood (weight lifting, jogging, treadmills) and perform exercises that require your full concentration. Competitive sports such as squash, tennis, badminton and circuit training are all excellent examples. It is important that you do not brood when you exercise because although you will be benefiting physically, you are still stressing yourself mentally and the stress, depression and anxiety will worsen.

3. Stop beating yourself up. Self-deprecation is a huge part of stress, depression and anxiety. Each time you beat up on yourself, you will erode confidence and self-esteem. Never tell yourself you’re useless, worthless, stupid, hopeless, boring, ugly, and a loser. Never convince yourself that other people hate you, that others find you difficult to be around and that you’re better off being alone. You would never deem it acceptable to say such things to other people and you must deem it equally unacceptable to say them to yourself. These words and phrases are powerful and they will hurt you. Accept you’re not perfect and that you make mistakes – just like everybody else does – and cut yourself some slack. From this day, make a pact with me to never indulge self-deprecation ever again. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

4. Isolation is another problem experienced by stress, depression and anxiety sufferers. OK, there will be times when you just want your own company. During such times, you can brood over and over again on problems and events and beat yourself up for hours on end. Not good. Instead, use isolation more positively. Occupy your mind by tackling a jigsaw puzzle, a logic problem, a crossword, read a book or perform a hobby such as painting, playing a musical instrument or whatever it is you have an interest in. In this way, isolation will help you to grow instead of causing you further pain.

5. Television, radio and newspapers can all supply you with a daily hit of negativity and help lower your mood. In the main, they concentrate on the negative side of life: crime, corruption, war, scandal and natural disasters and can give you a distorted view of reality. Not to mention the amount of image manipulation they subject you to. Give yourself a break from this negative drip feed and avoid them completely for one week. You may find, like I have, that they have no place in your life after that. Trust me, you won’t miss them.

OK, there’s 5 things you can do fo depression, anxiety and stress relief depression and anxiety. Please give them a try, they’ll all help you feel much better very quickly indeed.

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