Stress Out! 52 Weeks To Letting More In

Dedicated to my beautiful

Grandma Parrott,

who shared her love

and wisdom with me.

1924-2014

I could shed tears of sadness

now that you are gone,

Or I can smile because

you lived and I was yours.

I could close my eyes and pray

that you will come back,

Or I can open them and see

all that you have given.

I could let my heart stay empty because

I cannot see you any more,

Or I can fill the ache with the

vast love that you have shared.

I could close my mind

to the world around me,

Or I can do what you would want:

smile, love and go on.

Stress Out!

52 Weeks To Letting More Life In

Table of Contents

Dedication

Start The New Year Off Right

Get Some Sleep

Take A Walk Outdoors

Watch The Sugar

Adopt A Hobby

Make A Friend

Love Your Pet

Be Quiet

Snack Responsibly

Get On With It

Surround Yourself With Colour

Be Content

Caffeine Curse

Just For The Fun Of It

Be Stress Aware

Show Your Appreciation

Silence Is Golden

Face Your Feelings

Time To Get Away

Focus Your Thoughts

Put It Out

Under The Sun

Go Camping

Let's Talk

Let It Go

Reach Out

Tell The Truth

Cheer Up The Lonely

Toss Away The Would Haves And Could Haves

Drive On Thru

SOS To Stress Day

Simplify Your Life

Relax

Water Works

Use Less Salt

What Will Be Your Legacy?

Be Enthusiastic

Turn It Off

Push The Pause Button

Send A Love Note

Smile More

Park Your Pet Peeves

Book A Massage

Believe In A Little Magic

Fight Stigma

End Gossip

Be Kind

Use Less Stuff

The Skinny On Your Skin

Wash Up

Don't Drink And Drive

Enjoy and Be Merry

Chocolate!

About The Author

Connect With The Author

January: Week One

New Year's Resolutions Week

Over four thousand years ago,

the Babylonians believed that what they did

on the first day of the new year

would have an impact on their entire year.

Start The New Year Off Right

This year, I am going to earn my CSP.

That was what I said several years ago. And thankfully, I can say that after much persistence, I received my Certified Speaking Professional designation.

For many of us, New Year’s Day is a time to reflect on the changes that we want and need, and in doing so, we compile a list of resolutions. Unfortunately, if our resolutions happen not to work out as we had hoped, we tend to put off trying again until the following year.

Beverly’s Hot Tip for Celebrating New Year’s Resolutions Week:

It takes less effort to stay the same than it does to change. Every day is a new challenge to live according to your passions and purpose. Most goals require stepping outside of your comfort zone and that is why many people give up. Each year, you can extend yourself in new ways, but these resolutions need to be based on your passions and your purpose, followed by a detailed plan and support, in order for you to succeed.

3 Keys To Achieving Your New Year's Resolution

1. Get Clarity – Passion And Purpose. Examine your core values and principles. Examples may be the love of family, seeking excellence, physical and mental fitness, success, being organized or developing meaningful friendships. Your core values help you to focus your passions. Picture a vision and mission statement for yourself and your life. This helps to focus your purpose.

2. Set Goals – Possibility. Your goals are developed out of your values and your vision. When developed in this way you are able to live a life that is purposeful and congruent with your ideals and passions, instead of living aimlessly and often complaining that things are just not working out the way we would like. Too many people resolve to do things because they think that they should rather than because they feel that it is the right thing for them.

3. Develop Your Circle of Influence. – Your circle of influence are the people around you that you consistently spend time with. Share your passions, purpose and goals with family and friends and ask them to remind you when you are falling off track.

January: Week Two

National Festival Of Sleep

Before the light bulb was invented,

we used to get on average 10 hours of sleep.

Today, many of us are lucky to get 6 hours of sleep per night,

yet, we know that we need 7-9 hours per night,

just to stay healthy.

Get Some Sleep

This celebration is an opportunity to sleep in, snooze, doze, nap, and catch 40-winks. It reminds us that we all could use a little more sleep.

Beverly’s Hot Tips For Celebrating The National Festival Of Sleep:

Follow a routine. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Keep your room cool. Block outside noises. Watch the kinds of foods that you eat prior to bedtime. Don’t exercise right before bed.

Turn your brain off. Don’t let reading before bed negatively impact your sleep. Poor sleep habits, such as reading late at night or watching television in bed, can leave you sleep deprived. Keep a pencil handy to jot down ideas that are cluttering your mind. White noise machines, such as a fan or recording, can help to block out distractions.

Learn to relax. Deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation are wonderful techniques that quiet the mind, relax the muscles and promote sleep.

Minimize stress. Being overly stressed can disrupt your sleep patterns. During the stress response the body releases adrenaline, which prevents the body from relaxing and reaching deep sleep and REM (dream) sleep. You will know if you have the right mix of REM and non-REM sleep if you wake up rested and are able to function at your peak.

Nap for alertness. Being sleepy can kill. A twenty minute nap is usually recommended for short-term alertness, especially if you are going to be driving or operating equipment. This type of nap can provide significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep.

A good night’s sleep can mean the difference between coping effectively with the daily stressors of life and completely losing your mental and physical health. Watch for those things that interfere or prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. If you are like the majority of the population who do not get the right kind or length of sleep, you will need to work hard at finding the right strategies that will bring success to you.

January: Week Three

Take A Walk Outdoors Day

We are awake about 13-18 hours a day.

We