Stop Stress And Take Charge Of Your Life Now With These Five Stress Management Approaches.    What do you think is your most powerful stress tool? Your mind. You can make the fastest and most powerful shifts in your life simply by looking at life differently, making your own reality and by helping yourself find the now.    333 words.

Stop Stress And Take Charge Of Your Life Now
With These Five Stress Management Approaches

Bill Cole, MS, MA
Founder and CEO
William B. Cole Consultants
Silicon Valley, California

What do you think is your most powerful stress tool? Your mind. You can make the fastest and most powerful shifts in your life simply by looking at life differently, making your own reality and by helping yourself find the now.

Here are five stress tools you can use to tame tension and create a life that is more under control, one approach at a time.

1. Find Your Breath To Find The NOW: When you are stressed, the past can be full of regrets, self-recrimination, anger and damaging mental images. The future is a place of fear, what-ifs and doubt. The present is a safe, healthy, calm respite in your sea of troubles. Breathe into the present and let your breath find the NOW.

2. Express Gratitude Daily: When we are troubled we naturally focus on our problems, what we lack, and what we don't want. Instead, be grateful for what you do have that you appreciate, and for things that you don't have that would make life worse.

3. Make Fitness Your Friend: A solid workout does wonders for your mood and ability to forget your troubles and relax more easily. Schedule fitness times ahead of time, and don't say, "I will exercise if I have time today". You won't. If it's important, schedule it.

4. Go To A Quiet Place Every Day: The best quiet place is the one within. That's right. If you close your eyes, breathe, relax, calm your mind, and let your muscles relax, you will create a beautiful oasis of bliss you can go to almost anywhere, anytime.

5. Cultivate Your Sense of Humor: Gain perspective on stressful situations by finding mirth in them, and having the ability to laugh at yourself and your human foibles.

Stress is a not a thing "out there". It's your reaction to events, and your reaction is in your control. Create a smart toolkit of stress tools that give you more control, and you will see your stress melt away.

Copyright © 2011- Bill Cole, MS, MA. All rights reserved.

Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority on peak performance, mental toughness and coaching, is founder and CEO of William B. Cole Consultants, a consulting firm that helps organizations and professionals achieve more success in business, life and sports. He is also the Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (www.mentalgamecoaching.com), an organization dedicated to advancing the research, development, professionalism and growth of mental game coaching worldwide. He is a multiple Hall-Of-Fame honoree as an athlete, coach and school alumnus, an award-winning scholar-athlete, published book author and articles author, and has coached at the highest levels of major-league pro sports, big-time college athletics and corporate America. For a free, extensive article archive, or for questions and comments visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com.

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