A quarterly newletter by the Boston Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators
Home> Newsletter> DELICIOUS DAILY HABITS for De-STRESSING
What's
a habit? It is something you do over time that becomes part of you.
Supposedly up to 90% of our normal behavior is based on habits. How do we
develop our habits? Are you happy with your habits? Do you want
to change any of your habits?
Many
of our habits don't serve us....they bring negative consequences to our life
(e.g. smoking, eating fast food, watching t.v....) yet we continue doing
them. The results of our bad habits often don't show up until much
later in life.... by then they can be very difficult to break!
Taking
stock of our habits...good and bad...is a good exercise. Which habits serve
you? which have negative consequences? It's important to
become aware of your bad habits....then eliminate them! Become aware
of your good habits...and appreciate them. Identify other good habits
you want to have ...and start them! If you don't like your habits,
remember: If you do what you've always done, you will get what you've
always got! Do something different...be a success! All
successful people have positive daily habits.
They
say it takes 3-4 weeks (or about 21 days) to change a habit.
Habits create neuro-pathways in the brain that are like grooves (or ruts!)
that are difficult to get out of.... thus we need about 4 weeks to create a
new groove! What positive daily habits, or new grooves, do you want to
create?
Below is a list of some DELICIOUS DAILY
HABITS you can incorporate into your life....
1. RELAXATION
* Make sure you get enough sleep each day... if
you have not had enough sleep you will not be functioning up to your
potential during the day. So many people are sleep deprived that
they don't even know what it feels like to have enough sleep! Many
studies prove that we need 9 hours per night!
*Learn to breathe diaphragmatically (taking deep
breaths) throughout the day rather than doing shallow breathing.
Thoracic breathing (from the chest) has been shown to create stress in
the body..so, when you're driving in the car..or standing in line...or
giving a presentation..or talking to a client...you can remind yourself to
breathe deeply so that you can focus more intently on what you are doing.
*Develop the habit of doing yoga or stretching
each day...
*Spending time outdoors..in nature...is a great
form of relaxation.. especially being by the ocean..or high on top of
a mountain.. A great deal of peace of mind and spirit being in nature....and
in the sun.
*Listening to music is a wonderful form of
relaxation.
2. EATING WELL
*Develop the habit of eating low-fat foods....and eliminating the habit of eating fast foods.
*Develop the habit of taking the right vitamins
each day
*Eat a well-balanced diet...and never over-eat.
3. EXERCISE
*Exercise aerobically each day for at least 30
minutes.....jogging or hiking or walking, swimming, biking, roller blading,
tennis...skiing ...
*Develop the habit of weight lifting (resistance
training)
*Develop the habit of stretching before and/or
after you exercise
4. WRITING
Keeping a diary or a journal is a wonderful
habit: - a place where you can record your thoughts and feelings...as
well as keeping track of your activities and memories of places you have
traveled and things you have accomplished. Writing, as a habit, has
been found to help people de-stress and build self esteem.
5. CONNECTION
*Each day connect with the people you love...your
siblings, your children/grandchildren, parents, friends, and colleagues,
clients and students. Make a point to talk to them on the phone
or to see them in person frequently.
Use email, letters, telephone...and, best, in
person connections.
*Develop professional connections through
attending networking events and meetings.
*Seek out positive people to be around..Look for
mentors and role models. Find successful people to connect with whenever you can.
7. LIFE LONG LEARNING
*Each day read a book and/or magazine that
furthers your learning .
*Listen to motivational tapes when you travel
(car. plane, subway) or in your kitchen/office
*Attend cultural events...plays, concerts,
lectures, museums, movies...as often as possible
*Continue to learn new skills (eg. computer,
powerpoint, windsurfing, dancing..)
*Challenge yourself all the time...to take risks to grow!
8. SELF-NURTURING
*Take hot baths, get massages/facials regularly
*Buy yourself flowers...
*Treat yourself to nice restaurants...a good glass
of wine or a delicious dessert.
*Buy yourself things as rewards for hard work.
*Hire a Coach...or find a buddy coach ....or coach yourself to success.
9. HUMOR/LAUGHTER
*Make sure you laugh a lot each day!
*Listen to humorous tapes or see funny movies or read funny stories/jokes.
10. FUN
*Play every day!....Go dancing (or dance around
the house to music) or play games with friends or play with your
(or someone else's) children/grandchildren ....Always find time to be
playful and have fun !
by Laurie Geary, copyright, all rights reserved,
2007
Laurie R. Geary, M.Ed.
Professional Certified Coach
4 Canal Park - PH 9
(617)494-1422 - (617) 947-7430 cell
Co-author: A Guide to Getting It: Self Esteem
Coaching Mature Adults to find their Passion
and Purpose