STRESS

Never was I able to measure the level of stress, or even gauge the level of stress, that has been among others until I started blogging.  My blogging began in 2006, and then seriously in 2007.  It wasn't until 2009 that I was able to measure how many visitors I had in a day, week, or month.  The measurements were only monthly before then.

 

All this babbling is about stress out there in the world.  What I mean is, in the summer of 2009, I had about 500 to 600 readers a month.  In the winter the readers more than doubled, and that just so happens to be my busiest time of the year, destressing people.  By 2010 summer, I had in a week, what I had in followers in a month from 2009 winter.  In the 2010 winter, it doubled, then went back down by the end of April. 

 

By 2011, in the summer, my visitors doubled to what I was experiencing in the busy months of the winter, and the emails doubled as well.  By the winter of 2011, I was experiencing crazy, crazy amounts of readers daily. 

 

What I am trying to explain in all of this blah blah is, I believe because of the number of visitors, and contacts I am experiencing, stress is increasing out there in the world.  For a minute there, I thought things were getting better, over the holidays, because my stats dropped from December 24, 2011 to January 2, 2012, to what was high stats in the 2011 summer.  But, by January 8, 2012, things got back to all time highs again.

 

By January 14, 2012, my post How To Destress Your Deepest Moments of Despair, was viewed 1000 times.  What this means to me is, there are plenty of people out there in their deepest moments of despair.

 

There was a time when I responded to Critical Incidents, and taught stress prevention, intervention, and direction only to the Emergency Personnel, which included EMT's, Firefighters, Paramedics, and Police Officers.  Then it expanded to Management and Administrators. 

 

I can remember my first one on one clients that were not in the Emergency Field, they included men, who were business owners.  Many of them were sent to me by their wives, and the common reaction was, "My wife sent me to see you because if I don't get a handle on my stress then she will divorce me."  No lie!

 

Then I started teaching all kinds of individuals stress relief.

 

Most recently, my contacts have been people who have lost their jobs, homes, and sometimes everything they have, and sometimes even a family member.

 

When October & November 2011 came around, I had an unusual amount of teenagers come to me due to pressures usually at home, but not entirely. 

 

Is the economy in America getting better?  Is the economy in the World getting better?  That is hard to say, but from my stand point, a whole lotta people are trying to relieve stress, that's fo sho!

 

This time of the year is the best time for you, and me, to relieve our stress because it is the New Year, and we can be motivated to start a new.

 

When people are stressed, it is caused by doubt, fear, and worry about their circumstances.  When people are really stressed, they tend to focus on the worst possible outcome.  They think about the worst thing that could happen, over and over, in their mind.  This causes a whole lotta stress.

 

One of the best things we can do, when we think about the worst over and over again, is write down what we want, what we really want.  Write down the best possible outcome you could have in your situation, make them goals, and focus on them.  Focus on them by reading your written list everyday, and making a to do list to move forward on it.  This will destress you by building faith in yourself, and making you focus on the best instead of worst.

 

Another great thing we can do is learn the relaxation response.  The relaxation response will provide a way for you to create a habit of relaxing any time, and any where.  It is a habit we can develop to replace the stress habit.  When we are stressed, the stress response is activated, and if we have a wonderful habit of activating the relaxation response it can, and will, provide a place, in our mind and body, to feel safe and relaxed.

 

If we focus on the best possible outcome, and remain relaxed, the burden of our stress is lightened and we can easily overcome our stress, no matter what we are going through.

 

A great affirmation for when you have stress, you are focusing on the best outcome, and you practice the relaxation response is, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." ~Philippians 4:13

 

Affirmations are just reminders, and this reminder, if you say it to yourself over and over again, will build your faith, and help you succeed.  So memorize it, and say it often, especially when you feel stressed.

 

That's all I got.  You are doing great!  Keep up the excellent work!  Have fun!  Be playful!

 

Love you lots ;0)

 

BIG HUGS...

 

Elizabeth

 

Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts.  Don't forget to confirm your subscription.

 

If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.

 

elizabethstanfill@gmail.com

 

Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself

 

If you really need to destress yourself, take the class

 

;0)

MY OWN STANDARDS

Hello there.  How's it going?  Did you have a most magnificent weekend?  I sho did ;0)  Once again, I fell in love.  Matter of fact, I fell in love a few times.  Dang, I love that, falling in love.  I love love.  Okay, okay, enough about love, again, but you know I can't help it.

 

Got a scripture for you.

 

Matthew 7:3 says, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beem in thine own eye?"

 

This scripture means, to me, why are you judging, or trying to fix someone else when you could be judged for what you do, or when you got a whole lotta fixen to do in yourself?

 

Mote means a chip or splinter, and a beem is something big that they use in constructing a house or building.  Therefore, whatever you are judging in someone else is much smaller than what you could be judged for.

 

This, my friend is great advice.  Whenever I feel like I want to give someone advice (like in my blog for instance), I know there are at least two things going on for me.  First, I am looking at what I think needs to be fixed in someone else, meaning I am being critical.  Second, I need to give that advice to myself, which means, living up to my own standards.  Practice what I preach!  You know what I mean?

 

When I want to fix someone else, I am looking at their imperfection, rather than looking at their assets.  "Guess what?" I say to myself, "We are all imperfect Elizabeth." 

 

A very stressful habit is focusing on peoples' imperfections.  It is a habit of being critical, when we could just as easily be complimenting.  If we are critical, it shows the mood of our mind.  If the mood of our mind is critical of others, you can bet it is critical of ourselves.  When we are critical of ourselves, we tend to have a very low self-confidence which produces doubt.  Any kind of doubt, fear, or worry will create stress.

 

You know, and I know, we can be our own worst enemies by being critical of, or having doubt in ourselves.  All the decisions we make in this life are based on doubt or certainty.  If we make decisions based on doubt, we miss out on some seriously spectacular goods.  If we make decisions on certainty, we achieve, advance, gain, and obtain.

 

How did being critical become a habit?  Well, I'll tell you.  Most likely, when we were younger, and as we grew up, we could have done a thousand things right all day long with not a word said, and yet, when we did one thing wrong, we were criticized, and then corrected.  So, other peoples' habits became ours.

 

The best thing I can do, when I write a blog post, or help an individual is, take my own advice, and live up to my own standards. 

 

Do I take my own advice?  I sho do!  Eh-em, most of the time.

 

Do I live up to my own standards?  I sho do try, but like I say, to myself, "Nobody is perfect Elizabeth."

 

One of the things I love to do the mostest is, I love, love, love to encourage people.  Even though I am a Destress Yourself Specialist, I would love my title to be a Courage Specialist.  And because I love to encourage others, I spend a lot of time encouraging myself.  I am my own cheerleader. 

 

"You can do it Elizabeth!"  I say to myself. 

 

Encouraging and complimenting others is much better than criticizing or trying to fix them.  Taking my own advice, that I want to give to others, and encouraging myself is much better than criticizing.  Truly, just a simple choice, don't you think?

 

This week, and if I am brave enough, for the weeks to come, I will live up to my own standards by taking my own advice.  Whatever advice I am about to give, I will hush up and give it to myself, in my head of course.  I will focus on peoples' abundance and I will compliment and encourage them.  I will look at my abundance, and I will compliment and encourage myself more.

 

Sounds like a great way to destress myself, wouldn't you agree?

 

Hope you have a glorious week.  You can do it!  LOL!  You are glorious! 

 

How am I doing so far?

 

Have fun!  Be playful!  And, speak soon!

 

Elizabeth

 

Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts.  Don't forget to confirm your subscription.

 

If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.

 

elizabethstanfill@gmail.com

 

Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself

 

If you really need to destress yourself, take the class

 

:D

HAVE FAITH IN YOUR DREAMS!

Hello there!

It is a great year already, I can feel it in my bones, and in my soul.

 

So far, I am doing really good on my New Year Resolutions.  How bout you?

 

My resolutions are...

 

To be healthier and to serve more people in more ways.  That's it!

 

Although, there is a huge list of things I have to do, and want to do, that goes under each of those goals.  My goals are very specific, and so I have a lot of work to do.

 

One thing I know for sure is, I may have a set back or I may mess up a little but you know what?  That is totally okay in my head.  That sounds funny.  Anyway, what I mean is, I will not give up if I have a set back or if I mess up a little, or a lot. 

 

My mantras for my goals are, "I can do this!  I have faith that I can do these things.  I will not give up."

 

I am so focused, it is magnificent, in my head.  ;0)

 

Do you have your goals?  How are you doing?  Do you have faith that you can accomplish your goals?  Do you have the mindset that you WILL NOT give up?

 

In Hebrews 11:1, it says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

 

Now is the time, more than ever, to have faith in yourself, and your goals.  Now is the time, more than ever, to hope for the things that you want that have not yet come to pass.  Now is the time, more than ever, especially if you want a better you and a better year, to be focused more than ever.

 

You can do it my friend.

 

You can do this!

 

Have faith!

 

Never give up!

 

Say it with me now, "I can do this!  I have faith I can do these things!  I will not give up!"

 

Have a great week.  Have fun and be playful too ;0)

 

Elizabeth

 

Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts.  Don't forget to confirm your subscription.

 

If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.

 

elizabethstanfill@gmail.com

 

Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself

 

If you really need to destress yourself, take the class

 

DESTRESS YOUR DIFFICULT TIMES

BREAKING POINT

Hey there.  How are you?  Am having a great week, how bout you?  Hope so ;0)

Have you ever felt like you were at a breaking point?  If you have, you know what it is, and you will know exactly what I am talking about.

A breaking point is an emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual place where you feel like you are going to break.  It is a place that you are so overwhelmed that you feel like you cannot take it anymore.  I have seen this place, I have seen it in my own life, and in many other lives.  Do you know what I am talking about?

When we are at a breaking point, this place, will 'make us' or 'break us'.  This is a place that I have been with hundreds of individuals.  They say that they can't take anymore, and they feel like they are going to break.

The breaking point is usually when you are overwhelmed and everything is in your face.  You think like, oh shizzz, what am I going to do?  You feel like, AAAHHH!  I can't take it anymore.  And then you have to make a decision on what to do. 

Usually, when we are at this point we are thinking of all the things that are wrong, and then we think about the worst possible outcome that can happen for us.  This is major fear, and this is major worry that can cause anxiety.

This can be a very critical point in our life.  This can be a moment, or 6 months, of crisis.

Through the years, I have worked with many individuals who were at this point.  A couple of the people I have worked with are teenagers, who are in a situation at home that is causing severe anxiety, and/or depression.  Some others, I have worked with, are having severe financial difficulties, who have lost everything, and I mean everything tangible.  Additionally, I have worked with people who are emotionally spent due to loneliness, despair, or frustration.

So, if you are at a breaking point, what can you do?

I am so very excited that you asked ;0)

When you are at a breaking point, the first thing you have to do is ask yourself what the heck it is?  What is going on for you right now?  I guarantee it is fear of what might happen and the thought that you will not know how to, or if you can, handle it.  What are you afraid of?  Ask yourself, "What am I afraid of?"

At this point, the best thing to do is pour your heart out to God.  Talk to Him, and tell him what you are afraid of, and what your biggest fears are.  Why do you want to do this?  You want to do this because you are Heavenly Father's child, and He loves you.  You are so very special to Him, and you will feel comfort from this because He wants you to turn to Him so that He can give you comfort.

After you do this, you will feel comfort.

With all my heart, I believe that when we have troubles, I mean really big troubles, it is an opportunity to get closer to God.  Part of the reason He gives us trials is so we can learn to lean on Him more frequently.

In Romans 12:12 it says, " Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;"

Rejoicing in hope means to be happy for your ambitions, aspirations, and dreams.  Patient in tribulation means willing to endure the thing, or things, that is causing your pain and unhappiness.  Continuing instant in prayer means to persist and carry on immediately and urgently in your conversations with God.

Basically, focus on your dreams, be willing to endure the trial that you have been given, and persist, right now, in your conversations with God.

When we are at a breaking point, I truly believe we do the opposite.  We focus on what we don't want, we are impatient, and we want to quit and give up.

My friend, dream big, focus on what you want, be willing to endure your trials, and be constantly in the conversation with God.

You can do this.  You got the power.  You are so very special and you must remind yourself of this in the moment of a breaking point, and the entire time you have the struggle that you are going through.

Get your journal, write down all the things you dream of in your life, and write down all of the evidence, your successes and accomplishments, that remind you that you can have them.

And know this...  You can handle anything you are going through, you can handle anything that comes your way, and you will manage this because you always have overcome your trials in the past.

You are so very capable, you are so very smart, you are so very strong, and you are so very divine.  The thing is, if you are at a breaking point, you may have just forgot all of your divinity.  You are a child of God, and that makes you divine.

You can be, do, and have anything your heart desires, believe in this, and believe in yourself.  Have faith my friend!  God has faith in you!  I have faith in you as well!

If you need help, take the destress yourself class and it will take you through a step by step series of actions to help you explore, discover, and obtain what you want, and show you how you can get it.

That's all I got.

Have fun this weekend.  Be playful!

Big Hugs... AND MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY!!!

Elizabeth

Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts.  Don't forget to confirm your subscription.

If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.

elizabethstanfill@gmail.com

Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself

If you really need to destress yourself, take the class

:D

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MY JOURNEY

Hey there.  How the heck are you?  I am very well, thank you very much.

I wanted to show you my journal.  That is a picture of it right there ->

Pretty cool aye?

I just wanted you to know how serious I am about setting and obtaining goals.  It's not just about goals though, it is about being happy, and making things better and better, no matter what you are going through.

Last Tuesday, I wrote about Never Ending Goal Setting, because I believe, with all my heart and soul, that the only way to diligently progress and produce in this life is by constantly setting and obtaining goals, and by an enduring determination to evaluate our development so that we can continue to improve.

People are always complaining and speaking about how hard life is when in actuality, it really isn't that bad or hard.  I hear woman talk about how horrible a commercial is or how devastating someone's behavior is but it is all an illusion.  You know what is devastating?  Loosing your legs, and not being able to walk, or loosing a lung so that you are unable to function actively, not a commercial or someone's behavior.

What I think about these individuals who complain and cry woe is me, all the time, is that they are not learning or moving forward.  When you learn and move forward, you discover that life is not really hard (well sometimes it is ;)), and there isn't anything that you can't handle because you have become stronger and stronger from your challenges.

Trust me on this one ;)

One of the biggest things that has helped me move forward and discover that I can handle anything is my writing.  My writing began in my journals, then I did a lot in college, and now I blog.  My writing is not the best but, you should have read it before I went to college.  I was raised by a Mother who's second language is English, and it really shows in my journals.  It really shows on my blog, as well, but it is a lot better than it was. 

Tangent!  LOL

What I am trying to say is, I have come a long way because of my writing, especially in my journals.  I have set and obtained some serious goals, and I have overcome some serious challenges.  What is so cool is, I can look back at where I was in life, my anxiety, my depression, my alcoholism, or my PTSD, I know how far I have come, and know that I can handle anything.  It is because of this constant goal setting and evaluating of myself that has gotten me where I am now.

No!  I am not a millionaire, yet!  But I am stronger spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.  The only reason I say that is because most people attribute moneys to success when I look at the ability to be happy and still move forward in life, under any circumstance, as being successful.  In order to be happy and still move forward, under any circumstance, one must be strong spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.  The way you get there is learning more from your challenges, having faith in yourself, and having a very strong spiritual relationship with God.

There have been many times in my life when I have been angry, anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed.  Those were my challenges, and I have learned from them primarily through the documentation of my thoughts, feelings, actions, attitudes, and goals.

When I was a young single Mother, I use to have severe anxiety over money.  As I look back, and read my journal entries, I can remember the thoughts and feelings, and I can know, without a doubt, that if I made it through that, I can make it through anything.  This, my friend, is an unbelievable gift that I have taught to hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

In my last post, I wrote that I too would get my journal and start my never ending goal setting process, and I have.  I wrote my goals for 2012, right after I wrote that post.

So, get your journal, take responsibility for your life, get ready to destress yourself for 2012, get back to the basics, start to overcome some amazing challenges, and do it with faith, RIGHT NOW!

Let's do this together.  If you journal, I promise you, you will see some amazing things happen in your life and it won't be just setting and obtaining goals, it is much bigger than that.

You can do this!

You got the power!

You can be, do, and have anything your heart desires in 2012!

Don't you wanna?  I know you do!

Good luck my friend.  Speak soon...

Don't forget!  Have fun!  Be playful!

If you need help through this process of never ending goal setting, the destress yourself class will take you through a step by step series of actions to help you explore, discover, and obtain what you want.

Big Hugs...

Elizabeth

Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts.  Don't forget to confirm your subscription.

If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.

elizabethstanfill@gmail.com

Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself

If you really need to destress yourself, take the class

:D

 

GOT GOALS?

NEVER ENDING GOAL SETTING

Hello!

NEVER ENDING GOAL SETTING!

Did you know that if you don't have goals you are in the constant state of going nowhere?

Did you know that if you are in the constant state of going nowhere, you can cause yourself some stress?

As spiritual, and human, beings, we must move forward to feel good about ourselves. If we do not feel good about ourselves, our self-confidence and self-esteem is very low. If we feel low, we have a void, and we tend to fill that void with very stressful habits like eating, smoking, drinking, inappropriate relationships, or drama.

Do you get up everyday, get ready for work or school, go to work/school, get home, watch TV, eat dinner, watch more TV, go to bed, and do it all over again?  If you do, you are in the constant state of going nowhere.

Life is a learning experience and one of the things we can learn is never ending goal setting.

Whether we have small or large goals we will move forward in life. When we move forward in life we feel good about ourselves.

When we don't have any goals we stay in the constant state of going nowhere and we feel displeased with ourselves. When we feel unfulfilled we feel unhappy. Unhappiness can stress us out. We have a choice, we can stay in the constant state of going nowhere or we can choose never ending goal setting.

Some goals that you may consider are financial, relationship, health, or career. They can be big or small.

If you would like to make more money you can make that a goal.

If you would like to get along better with your spouse or family members you could make that a goal.

If you would like to feel better physically you could make that a goal.

If you are unhappy in your career you could make a goal out of looking for another job.

The best way to set a goal is to think about what you want. Ask yourself, "What do I really want?"

The answer may be to weigh less, or be happier, or to overcome anger, or make more money, or find an eternal companion, or to increase self-awareness, or to serve, or to find passion or purpose.  These are simple wants and yet still goals.

Once you have an idea of what you want you can take steps to obtaining your goal(s).

First, think about the best for yourself.  Dream and imagine what a perfect life would look like.

Second, write your goals down.

Third, prioritize your goals.

Fourth, write down all the things 'to do' to obtain the goal(s).

Fifth, start 'to do!'

Sixth, believe you will obtain them.

Seventh, and final, never give up! 

You can do this!

Staying stagnant in our lives can cause stress because our lives may lack excitement or pleasure. Take time to explore what you really want out of life and move on it. If you move forward only one step at a time you will be that much closer to your goal, by that one step.

Setting goals and obtaining them creates excitement and enthusiasm for life. If we are excited and enthusiastic about life we feel successful and that is what destressing yourself is all about, moving from stress to success.

So, get your journal my friend, and start the never ending goal setting process.  I'm gonna!  Right now!  You can too!

You got the power!  You can do this!

If you need help through this process, the destress yourself class will take you through a step by step series of actions to help you explore, discover, and obtain what you want.

Big Hugs...

Elizabeth

Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts.  Don't forget to confirm your subscription.

If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.

elizabethstanfill@gmail.com

Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself

If you really need to destress yourself, take the class

:D

DESTRESS YOURSELF WITH PRAYER

PRAYER ;)

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.  ~Isaiah 41:10

Hello my friend.  How was your week?  Mine was magnifico, as usual ;) 

I have a friend who says that I am in denial about my stress.  Isn't that cute?  He thinks that because there are certain aspects in my life that are not perfect, that I pretend to be happy.  I do not pretend to be happy.  I am happy about 95% of the time and maybe, sometimes, 99% of the time, and I will tell you why.

No matter what is going on in my life, I am happy because I know without a doubt that my Heavenly Father loves me, that I am very precious to Him, and that He is watching out for me every minute, of every hour, and every hour of every day.

The first thing I do every morning is I pray unto Him.  The last thing I do, every night, is I pray unto Him.  When I feel sad, He is the first person I have a conversation with.  When I am sad, when I feel anxious, and when ever I feel like I don't want to feel, I pour my heart out to Him. 

Every time I pour my heart out to Heavenly Father, I feel comfort almost immediately.

If you are having a hard time I would like to persuade you to pour your heart out unto Him.  You are a child of God, and He loves you, you are so very special to Him.  You are a gift from the Divine.

As I was trying to decide what to blog about for our New Year Resolutions, I thought that I should discuss the most important things that pertain to permanent stress relief, in other words, how to destress yourself.

To me, one of the most important things that we can do is cry unto Heavenly Father when we are stressed, not only will you build a very close relationship with Him, you will find and develop this way of destressing immediately.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  ~ Jeremiah 29:12

What I am trying to do is persuade you to journal and evaluate your frequency of prayer and your relationship with God.  Contemplate this because if you would like to improve upon it, you can make it a New Year Resolution.

If you do, you will certainly destress yourself.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Have fun and don't forget to be playful, I really mean that.

Big Hugs...

Elizabeth

Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts.  Don't forget to confirm your subscription.

If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.

elizabethstanfill@gmail.com

Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself

If you really need to destress yourself, take the class

:D