Getting your needs met. How can you be happy and stress-free if you are not getting your needs met? When I do Personal Coaching, I'm amazed with how many clients seem okay going day to day without getting their needs met. There are several reasons people do this, low self-esteem, dysfunctional family history, a history of abuse, lack of assertiveness, shyness, etc. For others, they just left control their lives slowly slip away. The key is to identify why you don't get you needs met, and then get Therapy/Personal Coaching to help, or least study the topic and focus on solutions you can find. It is critical that you deal with this area. Don't let it go, that is what creates the problem, but it won't solve it.

Eliminate caffeine. Caffeine is a nice word for what we are putting our bodies. Amphetamine ("speed") is the actual word. This substance is the chemical equivalent to "liquid stress." It is also very damaging (stressful) to your body. As a matter of fact, this substance would NOT pass the FDA, that is why the FDA "Grandfathered" it in along with tobacco and alcohol (which kill more people by far every year than all the illegal drugs combined). I highly recommend that you reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet and you will feel better the same day! Caffeine causes all the major biological signs of stress, so get rid of it. Strangely, it actually reduces energy! When you consume it you get about 4 units of energy, but when you come off it (withdrawal) it takes about 5 units of energy away from you. How can you win playing this game? The more you do this, the more drained you will become. Typical solution? People go out and take more! Don't you get fooled by this. Caffeine also causes major sleep problems, anxiety and depression. Just more reasons to rid this substance from your diet. 

Practice gratitude. "Live with an Attitude of Gratitude" is an old A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) expression. Really, it's just a great way for all of us to live. Sadly, most of us live with an "Attitude of Ingratitude," we focus on what is "missing" in our lives, rather than appreciating what we have. Which philosophy are you practicing? Make it a practice, whenever you are feeling down or stressed, to review the things you're grateful for. Be sure to include yourself on that list!

Learn to enjoy struggle. One great strategy is to take great pride and joy in your ability to deal with challenges (instead of dreading them). The key is to change your vocabulary. Any place you would use the word "problem," change it immediately to "challenge." People hate and dread problems, but we all enjoy a good challenge. Athletes don't look at the other team as a "problem," they see them as a "challenge." It would be a pretty boring game if the other team ("problem") didn't show up, wouldn't it? So learn to enjoy the challenges and make a game out of them. Your job isn't to dread them or feel bad that you have them (we ALL have them), your job is to enjoy beating them and take great pride in your victories. Remember, you are already amazingly good at dealing with challenges. How do I know this? Easy, you have survived every challenge in your life, no matter how difficult, and you are still here!

This is part of a series, so check them ALL out for additional tips. Please share this with a friend.

By: Paul Cline  (If you want more FREE resources and articles go to: www.AdvancedTrainingSeminars.com)