Stress Help for Busy Moms April 24, 2009

Being a mother can cause times of stress….juggling doctors appointments, school events, extracurriculars.  It’s a wonder us moms have any time left for ourselves.

I stumbled upon a useful and realstic resource that gives us mom something to do to have us take care of ourselves when we are stumped with how to do that.

It’s basically a Self Care Card where you choose one card each day and then do whatever it is that the card tells you to.  Of course you’ll need to take time out to do it.  How else can one expect to combat or prevent stress without  taking out the time to do some practical things?

Simply cut out the squares, place them in a jar, box or whatever, and when you feel overwhelmed or just want to practice some self care, just pick a card and DO IT!

You Can Download It Here: http://homepage.mac.com/sarahzeldman/FileSharing11.html

These self care cards are part of a FREE Busy Moms Stress Relief Kit offered by Sarah Zeldman. You can get the cards and other stress help tools here: http://www.solutionsforbusymoms.com/free-stress-relief-kit/

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ April 20, 2009

Joyce Meyer once said, “Where the mind goes, the man follows. If you don’t like your life today, it’s because of what you thought yesterday. If you want to like tomorrow, you’re going to have to change your thinking today.

This is a very powerful and profound statement because a lot of the challenges that lead to stress experienced by people is a result of their stinkin’ thinkin’. Worriers particularly have this problem. The way you think will eventually determine the way you speak and the way you speak will determine your behavior and the way you act will eventually lead you into the habits you now find yourself doing.

Let’s say for example, you worry all the time about getting fired from your job. This constant negative thinking will lead you to talk about it all the time, thereby creating a stronghold of that fear that gives birth to the reality of your being fired. You will be so consumed with worry that you will eventually start talking so negatively that it’s no wonder the company will not want you around. All that negativity is affecting everyone on the job!

So if you don’t like what’s going on in your world today, step back and evaluate what you have been feeding your mind and the words you have been speaking. Do you meditate on negative things ? Do you watch tv shows, movies, or the news that fills your mind with all sorts of negativity? Then stop it. Stop feeding trash to your mind and fill it with positive things such as God’s Word. You will one day recognize that life aint’ so bad after all.

Mental Preparedness April 6, 2009

Crisis Preparedness

Since 9/11 ,we’ve all heard of crisis preparedness and emergency preparedness plans. But how about when it comes to taking care of one’s self. What type of preparedness should there be?

I submit to you that you can be prepared to meet stress head on if you prepare yourself mentally.  As a Christian, my belief and focus is that there is only one way to adequately prepare your mind and that is with God’s Word, the Bible.  Should there be sickness, financial issues or any other stressful situation in life, it’s best to prepare your mind by meditating and consuming the Word of God BEFORE stressful and challenging events happen.  It’s a lot more difficult to believe God to heal you if you are just reading His Word about healing when you get sick.  It’s a lot more difficult to believe that God will provide for your needs if you haven’t been focusing on that fact over time.  BUT if you have been reading and meditating on the promises of God before the challenge comes, you will have that Word stored up in your heart to help you in your time of need.

God's Word

The reason it’s so important to meditate on God’s promises in advance is because as human beings, our  minds are finite.  We may know that God is a healer or a provider but it’s difficult for us to believe that “He will actually do it for me.”  We have been conditioned for so long by the environment surrounding us that it’s hard for us to have natural faith in the supernatural.  Oh but if you take the supernatural Word of God, you will develop supernatural faith and you will be mentally prepared in a time of crisis.

Promoting a Relaxing & Uplifting Mood April 3, 2009

There are many ways to combat stress.  There are many tips and strategies available to you, that there is no excuse to put up with stress. There are many stress relief products available on the market. The one that I’d like to focus on that can significantly promote a relaxing and uplifting mood is Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils.

Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils vary from commercial essential oils that just smell nice.  When looking to aromatherapy as a means to help alter your stress levels and affect your mood, you  must use therapeutic grade essential oils.  In order to achieve this classification, the essential oil must not be manipulated and refined.  The plants that the essential oil are derived from must be grown and harvested in exceptional soil at the precise time.  In addition to this, the plants must be of the highest quality to preserve the oils purity and potency.

Young Living Essential Oils

Essential Oils are a special gift from nature, providing us with medicinal uses and calming effects.  In today’s society, in order to effectively combat stress, it’s wise not to counteract it with products that are heavy laden with chemicals and over processing.

I have had personal experience with some of the therapeutic grade essential oils available to reduce inflammation and bring about a renewed energy in my body.

To promote a relaxing and uplifting mood with essential oils of a therapeutic grade, it’s important to know exactly which essential oils have the properties to accomplish this.  Not all essential oils are specified for relaxation. Some are designated for other means such as cleansing and sanitizing.

The following essential oils, when are of a therapeutic grade can promote a relaxing and uplifting mood:

Bergamot- Familiar to the flavoring in Earl Grey Tea; Good for building confidence & enhancing your mood

Cedar Wood - Soothing when used for massage

Cistus – Calming & uplifting; helpful for meditating

Clary Sage - Supports a normal, healthy attitude; has a mellow scent that’s uplifting and relaxing

Clove - Has a sweet spicy fragrance that’s revitalizing and stimulating

Cypress - Has a slight evergreen aroma that restores feelings of security & stability; refreshing

Dill - Spicy fresh scent with balancing and stimulating properties

Fennel - Sweet, anise-like scent that’s energizing and may support feelings of well beind during the menstrual cycle

Goldenrod - Has relaxing and calming effects

Idaho Tansy - Pungent aroma that stimulates a positive attitude and overal feelings of well being

Jasmine - Uplifts & enhances self-confidence with an exotic, floral scent that’s very relaxing

Lavender - One of the most relaxing of them all; soothing & helps the body to deal with stress and imbalances; great for relaxing at bed time

Lemon – Has a citrusy scent that’s uplifting and relaxing

Myrrh - With its rich, smoky balsamic aroma, this oil is revitalizing and uplifting with the highest levels of sesquiterpenes that have a direct effect on our emotions

Myrtle - Has soothing effects when inhaled; uplifting to the emotions

Orange - Provides a calming influence on the body, bringing about feelings of peace and happiness

Rose – Contains stimulating and uplifting properties; creates a sense of well-being and self confidence

Rosewood - Comforting and soothing; has a balancing effect on the emotions and may help lift feelings of despair

Spearmint - May help release emotional blocks leading to a sense of balance and well being

Spruce - Brings about a feeling of balance and peaceful security; opens and releases emotional blocks

Valerian - Has a calming and restorative effect on the central nervous system; grounds and balances the emotions

Vetiver - May help to cope with stress and recover from emotional trauma and shock

Ylang Ylang - Has a sweet floral scent; brings about feelings of calm and a sense of relaxation

As you can see from this list, that you have quite a few options for coping with stress when it comes to the use of Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils.  To find out more and to purchase Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils, I recommend Young Living.  Young Living Essential Oils meet and often exceed industry requirements.  Young Living has a proprietary distillation process that best preserves the properties of the plants from which the essential oils are derived.

To find out more or to become a wholesale or retail customer of these awesome oils, please visit Young Living.  You will need a distributor # to make a purchase. You may use distributor # 1066504