It is possible to survive the holiday frenzy without feeling frantic — if you know how. Here are top tips from some of the nation’s leading stress experts.

By Vicki Haddock/WebMD Weight Loss Clinic – Feature

Reviewed By Charlotte E. Grayson, MD

The holidays really are the best of times and the worst of times. Our tidings of comfort and joy can so easily be devoured by the insatiable stress to do it all, be it all, and buy it all.

And that stress is nothing to ho, ho, ho about, either. It increases your risk of illness and even death. One study, published in the Oct. 12, 1999, issue of the journal Circulation, suggested holiday stress and overindulgence help explain the soaring rate of fatal heart attacks in December and January.

Yet it is possible to survive the holiday frenzy without feeling frantic — if you know how. Here are top tips from some of the nation’s leading stress experts:

Stress Master: Read More...

By Remez Sasson

Positive attitude helps you cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking. If you adopt it as a way of life, it will bring constructive changes into your life, and makes them happier, brighter and more successful.

With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life, become optimistic, and expect the best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind that is well worth developing.

Positive attitude manifests in the following ways:

Positive thinking.

Constructive thinking.

Creative thinking.

Expectation of success.

Optimism.

Motivation to accomplish your goals.

Being inspired.

Choosing happiness.

Not giving up.

Looking at failure and problems as blessings in disguise.

Believing in yourself and in your abilities.

Displaying self-esteem and confidence.

Looking Read More...

The power of remaining positive, whatever the situation, can never be underestimated. We are all here for a limited period of time, is it worth it to spend any of that time in a dismal mood? Being negative?

The true test of an individual to remain positive is when challenges become difficult. Remaining positive keeps one’s mind in the right state of balance and often opens resolutions to the problems at hand. Negativity is contagious; not only does it affect the individual, but it spreads to anyone they interact with. When only the negative perspective is in focus, the resolution process is impeded.

Eliminating negativity, or rather, being positive is a mindset that can be found at any moment, and turned into a habit. Here are some tips that can help you in shifting your mindset:

Shift Your Thoughts – Be conscious of your thoughts. Especially, when life just isn’t going your way. The moment you see that you are diving into frustration, Read More...

By Remez Sasson/Website

What is happiness, and why do we constantly run after it? What does it mean to be happy? What is the difference between happiness and pleasure?

It is a hot summer day, and you feel thirsty. A friend offers you a refreshing cold glass of lemonade. How do you feel when you see the glass? How do you feel when to drink it?

Will you describe your feeling as happiness or as pleasure? I believe you will say it is a feeling of pleasure. There is a connection between these two kinds of feelings, and sometime one evokes the other, but they are not the same thing. Pleasure is more dependent on the five senses while happiness is independent of them.

Pleasure is a good feeling that comes from eating good food, watching a good movie, feeling the warm caressing rays of the sun on a winter day, enjoying a party, etc. Pleasure has to do with enjoyment through Read More...

You probably hear it almost every day, and for folks that are pretty social, maybe many times during the day…

”How you doing?”

Most often, a “fine” or “great” satisfies, and the conversation moves on.  Sometimes we might give a little more detail about some aches or a personal situation, but those are rare and usually superficial.

So how are we really doing?  The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index can give us a snapshot or a trend line of the pulse of the nation or a subset, but how about on an individual basis?  How often do we take the time to truly take stock of our Read More...

September 10, 2012 by Staff Writer – Life Insurance Quotes

Where are your keys? Did you shut the garage door? What’s that guy’s name again? Everyone has some memory lapses, but as you age, it seems like they get more frequent and take longer to snap out of. While there’s no way to keep your brain (or your body, for that matter) young forever, you can keep your brain as sharp as possible by using some of these tricks. It may not be a steel trap exactly, but your memory will definitely be better.

Take care of your body:

Read More...

Posted August 30th, 2012 at 2:44 pm by Karen from Chookooloonks

My friend Jyl Pattee wrote a post today about gratitude being the key to a happy life — and I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve mentioned before that I think that gratitude is imperative to finding joy in your life, and for getting through the hard times.  But to be honest, it can be difficult, even for me, to find something new to be grateful for every day.  Can you imagine? Think of the pressure of having to create something new every single day of your life to be thankful for? I’m tired just thinking about it.

Instead, I admit it: I’m often thankful of the same things over, and over, and over again.  This week, my daughter has returned to school, which means that our lives have returned to the normal routine that flows in our house pretty much every Read More...

I just love this video!! Everytime I watch it, without fail, I laugh and I laugh hard!! One of the lessons I get from this video (and there are several) is that everyday we have a CHOICE to bring joy, laughter and love. What is your choice today? Share some laughs and pass this video on…

Happy Laughs!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YevIvsBTEiQ&feature=youtu.be Read More...

by Jana Owen on August 7, 2012

I had the pleasure and fortune of attending some of the Olympic games last week in London. I’m hooked….I will be attending many more. The energy, activities, culture, comradery, and events were thrilling! But besides that, there is so much to admire about Olympians, and learn from.

I have asked several people – What do you admire most about Olympic athletes? Most people mentioned the discipline or the belief in their own achievement. But there are SO many things we can learn from these talented athletes.

These are a few of things I wanted to take away from the Olympics.

1. The patience for Read More...

Onlinecollege.org

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Think of your home as your base camp of operations from which you attack the day. Are you adequately arming yourself for the skirmishes you’ll face before sundown? Is your mind sharp and focused, ready to solve problems, prove your worth, and advance your career over the next hill? Whether we realize it or not, all of us have a morning routine. Most of us craft this routine around maximizing sleep: wake up as late as possible to still make it in on time, get ready quick, eat fast, and go. But we’re here to tell you why your work life will prosper when you treat your morning with the respect it deserves.

MORNING IS THE BEST TIME OF DAY TO GET THINGS DONE:

Read More...