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In today's hectic, stressful world, finding time to relax can be difficult. However, it is important to make an effort to relax and unwind each day, so that you do not become overwhelmed by stress or develop stress-related health problems. Here are some ideas on how to relax.

As part of any relaxation technique, you will need to learn to control your breathing. Stress causes people to breathe in short, rapid bursts. By making an effort to breathe slowly and deeply, you can reduce your stress levels and enter a calm, more peaceful state.

Different people find different activities relaxing. Some people like to meditate, stretch out with a book, or take a nap. Others actually find physical activity relaxing, and like to practice yoga, take a leisurely walk, or play a round of golf to relax. Find out what kind of person you are, and what you consider relaxing. If you feel calm and refreshed when the activity is over, chances are you've found your personal relaxation activity.

If you don't have time to actually get out and do an activity, you can still take mental steps towards relaxing. For example, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself taking a cool, refreshing dip in the pool or doing whatever you find most relaxing. Even simply thinking happy thoughts can help ease tension in moments of stress and make you feel relaxed. You might think of your family or pet, or of a reward or something you are looking forward to doing once the stressful situation has passed.

Laughter is also a huge stress-buster, and a great way to bring things into perspective and make you feel a bit more relaxed. If you find yourself feeling stressed at work with some frequency, you might consider bookmarking some humorous websites on your computer so you can easily get a laugh at your desk.

Many people do not realize that multi tasking contributes to stress. Even if what you're doing is not complicated or important, the fact that you are doing more than one thing at a time puts an additional load on your brain, requires more energy, and can increase stress. In order to have a more relaxing day, slow down and take one thing at a time. Don't be in such a rush that you end up multitasking. Don't over schedule your day or overextend yourself so that you feel rushed and stressed all day long.

It is also important to set aside a time for relaxation each day. When you know you have this relaxation time to look forward to, you can use it as a reward to help you get through the rest of the day. However, this time should feel natural and never develop into just another "task" or appointment on the calendar that you have to get through each day. If you're not enjoying the relaxation time, you might as well not do it.

If you truly want to reduce your stress levels, you a mixture of these relaxation ideas and a commitment to lessening your workload are a great beginning.

If you find yourself thinking in circles when trying to solve a problem, it is time to think outside the box using creative problem solving techniques. Sometimes rational thought just isn't the best way to come up with a solution. Inspiration and creative thought can be much more valuable.

The first step in creative problem solving is to assess your approach to the problem. What assumptions have you made in thinking there is a problem in the first place? Are these assumptions valid? Or have you invented roadblocks that do not really exist? For example, you might think that you need to get a new job. If you step back and challenge the assumptions that led you to this conclusion, you might find that the "problem" is invalid or incomplete. You might realize that you only think you need a new job because you need more income. Now that you've challenged your assumptions and uncovered the real problem, you can think about getting more income without changing jobs--perhaps by selling off items you no longer use or by lowering your expenses. Now you have completely changed your original problem! What started out as "I need a new job" has become "I need more income," and now you are better equipped to find a solution.

Brainstorming is a time-tested technique, but if you've used it a lot you may be getting tired of it. For a creative twist on brainstorming, try reverse brainstorming. Instead of thinking about what the problem is, think about what the problem is not.

Another creative approach is to change your perspective. Instead of thinking about how you see the problem and what steps you might take to solve it, imagine how the situation looks to someone else. Maybe you envision the problem from the perspective of a child or a very poor person, or even a visitor from outer space. What differences do you see in the problem? What new solutions present themselves? This approach is sometimes called the Napoleon Technique.

Breaking big problems into smaller ones is also a good approach. What seemed daunting before now seems much more manageable. By separating out different aspects of the problem, you free yourself up to solve each aspect in the most creative, effective fashion, rather than trying to think up a single solution that encompasses everything at once.

Don't be afraid to harness the power of your subconscious mind in order to solve a problem. Unlimited by the rational mind, your subconscious can dream wildly and come up with unexpected approaches to problems. Some methods for using the subconscious mind include free writing and working just before sleep. If you want to try free writing, just set aside a chunk of time--10 to 20 minutes will do--and write down everything thought that comes to you. Don't censor yourself or eliminate any ideas because they seem too crazy or far fetched. The whole point is to think outside the box, so the crazier the better in this case! You can also prepare your sleeping mind to work on the problem by thinking about the problem as you wind down for sleep. Be sure to keep pen and paper handy so you can record your ideas when you wake up.

Taking a quiet walk, a cool swim, or a quick nap is often enough to help people relax. However, if you find that your mind is still whirring away during these activities, thinking about all your upcoming tasks and responsibilities, you're not getting the full benefit of a relaxation activity. It is necessary to quiet these whirling thoughts by learning how to relax the mind as well as the body.

Mini meditations are a great way to relax mentally as well as physically. Here are the steps to follow for a mini meditation.

Stop. The mini meditation takes no more than a minute, so you don't need to set aside a huge amount of time in your day. But when you do decide to begin the meditation, make sure you can stop everything you are doing and fully commit to the meditation session. If possible, choose a quiet time during the day when you are not likely to be disturbed.

Shut your eyes. As you let your eyes close, mentally put aside everything you are working on at the moment. You can even visualize putting all these concerns and ideas in a mental lock box and setting a timer on it for one minute, so that they cannot disturb you during the meditation.

Breathe. Begin to be aware of your breathing. Breathe normally, and focus on the feeling of the air entering and leaving your body. Begin to slow your breaths so you are taking nice, slow, deep, even breaths.

Count. Clear your mind of everything except the breath going in and out. Count each inhale and exhale as a unit. Depending on how long of a pause you can take in your day, county three to ten inhale and exhale units. You should feel yourself becoming calm and refreshed as you do this.

Resume. Slowly open your eyes and get back to the tasks at hand.

If you enjoy this mini meditation session, consider making it a habit. Set aside a time each day to meditate, if you can. Otherwise, you can simply promise yourself at least one session per day, whenever you can fit it in.

You might also like to try deeper meditation sessions. For centuries, meditation has been relied upon as a means of quieting the mind and body so that individuals could gain a deeper understanding of the divine. The process results in a peaceful, relaxed body and a deep tranquility of mind. Even if you are not religious, you can benefit from meditation for these reasons. With the tranquility gained through meditation, you can gain perspective on stressful situations, increase self-awareness, and see through and eliminate negative emotions.

If you find yourself unable to clear your mind for a traditional meditation session, you might consider a guided imagery session instead. In this therapy, you will be guided to imagine a particular relaxing scenario. In the process, you will gain all the physical benefits you would have experienced if you'd actually performed the activity rather than just imagined it.

Do you find yourself struggling with temptation, trying to lead a better life based on will power, and often falling short of your goals? Guided imagery could be the answer you've been looking for. By using the power of your mind, this technique can improve your thoughts and your bodily experience. Guided imagery audio, whether on tape, CD, or streamed through the internet, provides the structure you need to most effectively use this technique to improve your life.

If you're just starting out in this method, it can be difficult to figure out how to effectively use all of your senses to imagine yourself free from stress, anger, pain, and bad habits. Scripts are helpful, but often reading a script keeps the mind too active, and makes it hard to really relax and take in the content of the script. Listening to audio is a huge improvement. In addition to the helpful words, the audio features soothing narration and wonderful voices that make it seem like the directions are coming from trusted friend.

Using audio, it is easy to open yourself up to the thoughts and directions that are included in the script. Audio is particularly effective in areas where you find yourself in need of calming influences:

Sleep. Many people have trouble sleeping, whether it be due to insomnia, nightmares, or just an inability to sleep deeply and awaken feeling rested. Using the audio, you can benefit from professional help with these sleep problems. The audio will guide you to feel relaxed and calm, with a clear mind ready to rest and sleep. You may be directed to imagine yourself in a warm cocoon, where you can hear calming classical music, feel the comforting softness of downy blankets around you, and smell the fresh cut grass of the lawn just outside your window. The exact imagery doesn't matter; what is important is that you find something that works for you.

Dealing with Grief. In a sense, grief is really a type of anxiety. You feel a tremendous sense of despair because whatever you have lost is irreplaceable, and you can't imagine how you could possibly go on without it. In order to move beyond these feelings, you need to relax and free yourself from the anxiety incurred by loss. The audio recordings will help you do this. They will first guide you into a relaxed state using meditation-like techniques, and then begin to help you develop thoughts of peace, tranquility, and fulfillment that will replace your thoughts of grief. You can't just visualize a happy self; you have to fully imagine and inhabit that self with all of your senses. Many of us forget this on our own, but the audio will help you stay on track and use all of your senses.

If you're not used to listening this kind of audio content, you many find yourself nodding off during your session! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the audio is known to help sleeping or even unconscious individuals (like coma patients) as well. If you do want to stay awake, try sitting or even standing and walking during the session.

Many people have discovered that the mind-body connection is very important to their health and well being. By using the mind to control the body, many unpleasant life situations can be improved, such as stress, pain, overeating, anger, and addiction. If you are interested in using your mind to help your body, guided imagery scripts can be incredibly beneficial.

While you can do a lot to improve your life on your own, you can also benefit from the advice and wisdom of professionals. Using scripts for your meditation and relaxation sessions is one way to do this. Not only will the scripts provide the best wording for your affirmations, they will also lead you in a pre-meditation regimen of breathing exercises that prepares you to absorb the content of the scripts to the fullest.

Here are a couple of typical topic areas for the scripts:

Public Speaking. Though some people are naturally charismatic, the rest of us need help with public speaking! It really is a skill that is best developed over time. However, if you find that you are suddenly thrust into a position where you must speak in public, a script can be very helpful. Using the script, you will be directed to imagine yourself giving the perfect speech. Then you will backtrack and imagine all the steps leading up to that perfect speech: writing the speech, practicing the speech, dressing for the event, traveling, there, getting up on stage, and, finally, delivering the speech. The script will lead you to focus on imagining yourself expressing certain qualities you might not have thought of on your own, including poise, stamina, confidence, and even assertiveness. Even if you've never given a speech before, if you can imagine it effectively, you can suddenly feel very experience in this area. Imagined experience and real life experience aren't all that different, in terms of how your brain recalls them.

Overcoming Addiction. Guided imagery can be very helpful in overcoming the desire to indulge in self-destructive or addictive behavior, including addictions to smoking, narcotics, sex, self-harm, and overeating. In all cases, the script targets the same thoughts. Negative thoughts about your need for a certain substance or behavior are replaced by positive thoughts about your strength and ability to live your life in full control of your thoughts and actions. Following the script, you will be able to place yourself into a calm, relaxed state where you have the mental clarity and freedom to imagine the life you want to live, free from addiction. Once you have imagined how it feels to have this ideal life, to be confident, joyous, healthy, and in control, you will be able to begin to experience these qualities in your present life. You will realize that you can feel good without indulging in your negative behaviors. There are many thoughts and behaviors that can be real addictions, though they many not seem that way at first. Any compulsion or desire that interferes with your health and productivity could be seen as an addictive behavior. Don't limit the applications of the script!

The mind and body are deeply connected. You can't heal one without attending to the other. Guided imagery is a great way to harness the power of your mind to improve or change your body.

The basic concept of this alternative healing treatment is that by thinking certain thoughts, you experience them in your imagination and mind, and then in your body. Did you know that when you think of a memory, in terms of brain function, this experience is exactly the same as actually having the experience? Your brain does not know the difference between the two kinds of input.

Here are some of the uses of this technique:

Relaxation. It's common knowledge that feeling comfortable and relaxed is preferable to feeling stressed or worried. But did you know that you have the power to feel relaxed in any circumstance? Simply imagine yourself in your favorite place for relaxing. Fully envision all the details of the scene, using all of your senses. For example, you might imagine that you are sitting beside the ocean at sunrise, feeling the cool grains of sand beneath you in luxurious contrast to the warming rays of the sun. You can smell the fresh salt breeze, hear the gentle hiss of waves on the shore. Take a sip of your fresh squeezed orange juice, and enjoy the tangy citrus taste in your mouth.

Anger Management. While anger is definitely a part of being human, it is not the healthiest emotion to have. Anger can increase stress and blood pressure and even damage your heart. It is important to learn how to manage your anger effectively. Instead of reacting with unhealthy rage when things go wrong in your day, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine yourself in a calmer situation. You might try imagining performing a soothing repetitive task, like caressing a favorite pet or putting one foot in front of the other on a tranquil walk in a quiet forest. Many people are able to calm their anger using this method. If you are really good at it, you can even make physical changes like lowering your heart rate and blood pressure.

Pain Management. Unfortunately, traditional medicine cannot always deal with pain. In some cases, doctors cannot even discover the source of pain, much less diagnose or treat it effectively. By imagining the pain lessening, you can often reduce the acute feeling of pain that you are experiencing. For example, when faced with a pain in your foot, you might imagine that your foot is wrapped in a soft, warm blanket. There is no pain there, only comfort, stillness, and peace.

Weight Loss. In many cases, people eat because of reasons other than hunger. You might be feeling sad or bored or compulsive. If you can convince your mind that food is not helping you overcome these problems, you will be able to better resist the temptation of overeating. Picture yourself in a happy place, where you feel content and fulfilled. You can also try imagining yourself stuffed with food to the point where you can't eat another bite.

Holistic healing has gained prevalence in today’s culture and society. Once frowned upon, more people are turning to alternative therapies in place of modern western medical practices. Holistic healing is a total body health plan, analyzing nutrition, environment, emotional states, psychological issues, and life styles. To understand how this type of medical practice would differ from what most Westerners are used to, consider the following example. If a patient came into a family practice clinic with frequent headaches due to stress, they may be prescribed pain relievers. An alternative health center may prescribe massage therapy for relaxation or counseling for stress relief for the same client.

The treatments and techniques of holistic healing vary from patient to patient. Because no two people are alike, no two treatment plans will be the same. That being said, there are several basic fields of holistic healing that can be used in a variety of scenarios.

• Massage therapy. This is a treatment technique that can assist with anything from lowering stress to ailments such as diabetes and carpal tunnel syndrome. Massage therapy uses the manipulation of muscles, tendons and ligaments, and can often be used in place of chemical medications and surgical procedures.

• Acupuncture. Used to align the body’s chi, and working along energy meridians, acupuncture is an ancient Chinese art that utilizes tiny needles inserted in the skin. Acupuncture has been used to help patients control their appetite, to reduce migraine frequency, and to increase energy levels.

• Counseling. The mind is a very powerful tool when it comes to health and recovery. Often illnesses may stem from a psychological or emotional issue. Modern day medicine may be able to treat symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, and lack of energy, but without treating the root cause for these problems a patient may take years to get better, if at all.

• Herbal remedies and nutritional supplements. With the fast pace of the world today, it’s no surprise that many of us do not have a well-balanced diet. A holistic healing practitioner will be able to recommend the appropriate supplements to round out your nutritional intake. It is important to remember to never take an herbal or natural supplement without first consulting your family physician to ensure there will be no reactions with any current medications you may be using.

• Exercise. This is one treatment technique that all medical practitioners can agree upon. Good old fashioned exercise can help improve a person’s health significantly. From boosting your metabolism, to evening out your sleep patterns, to providing you with more energy, exercise is a well-rounded treatment for many ailments.

There was a time not too long ago when people thought alternative medical techniques consisted of mystical and questionable means. While this is certainly not a conclusive list, it is clear to see that holistic healing techniques are not so different than activities we may already independently be involved in. The most important thing to remember is that this branch of medicine takes a look at your whole situation, and because of its inclusive approach is able to treat you, as a person, and not just your illness and symptoms.

Psychokinesis, more commonly referred to as telekinesis, has been documented since ancient times. It is defined as the process of mind over matter, and is derived from the Greek words ‘psyche,’ which means life, soul, and breath, and ‘kinein,’ which means to move. When most people think of telekinesis they picture the classic image of a gentleman bending spoons with the power of his mind. While this is certainly one aspect, psychokinesis is related to so much more than that.

Consider the prospect of willing cancer cells in your body to die rather than multiply. Or perhaps you’d like a sunny day for a picnic, when the weather clearly looks like it’s going to rain. These examples are certainly of a much larger scale than we normally picture, but they too fall into this psychic category. While this may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, we all have the capability to put our mind over matter.

To become experienced in this elusive art, first, it is beneficial to understand how it works. Everything around us and within us is created of energy. When we think, our thoughts direct our energy accordingly. Thus, logically, if we focus our thoughts toward levitating that paper cup off of our coffee table, with practice the energy of our thoughts should be able to respond to our request. There are many ways to test and train for the ability to use psychokinesis.

First, set aside some time daily to begin training your mind to focus. Just as a pro athlete must work daily to be able to accomplish amazing physical feats, the aspiring telekinetic must exercise their mind. Meditation is the perfect tool. Set aside thirty minutes (or two intervals of fifteen minutes) when you won’t be interrupted, and try to either clear your mind of all thoughts, or attempt to focus on one thought only. Once you are consistently meditating daily, add thirty minutes of practicing psychokinesis to your line up. Stick with one type of practice for a minimum of seven days before moving on to a different technique. Don’t get frustrated if it takes you several weeks to begin seeing results. Here are some ideas to try:

• Try using a candle as your point of focus. Block out everything from your mind except the candle’s flame, and attempt to control the direction it flickers.

• Direct the movement of a pendulum. A pendulum can be something as simple as a cotton ball tied to a string, or a necklace from your jewellery drawer. Make sure you set your pendulum up in an area where it will have a free range of motion, such as hanging from a shelf or a desk.

• Look online for psychokinetic training and testing websites. There are many places that have designed models where you can attempt to control the number that appears on your screen, or the direction in which a ball will move next

Once you have begun seeing consistent results, consider looking for a local club or scientific laboratory that specializes in psychic areas. You might be surprised by how many people are working on training their minds, and adding a partner can create a whole new element to this art form.

Why are you here? What are you meant to be doing? What is the purpose of your life? These are questions we have all asked ourselves at one point or another. Chances are, if you’re reading this you’ve given the previous questions some serious consideration, but before you could get far in your discovery your day by day life got in the way. Now, you’re still looking for answers. It’s important to know that no one can give you the answers you are looking for but yourself. It’s also important to know that it may take time to realize what the answers to your questions are; be okay with this.

Figuring out your purpose in life requires some introspection. It may seem like a daunting task, but within thirty minutes or less you could have a good idea of what direction your life should be headed in. First, find somewhere quiet, where you won’t be disturbed. Grab a pen and a piece of paper, and get comfy. Consider the topics below.

• What makes you happy? What makes you smile? What pass-times can you do for hours on end without getting tired? There are some things we do because we know we should, some because we have to, and some because we love to. The ones you love will help guide you to the path you are meant to walk.

• What do people ask you for help with, or come to you for advice about? There’s likely a common theme there. You may not recognize your natural abilities or talents, but other people will.

• What regrets do you have? What would you regret not doing in life? Why is this important to you?
• What does your gut tell you? Listen to your inner voice, your instinct. You already know where you want to go in life, what your purpose is; it can be hard to focus on what is right for you when society places so many demands on us.

• Embrace change. Following a new path can be a scary thing. Most people don’t like change, and as simple as this may seem, they don’t realize that without change they will never get different results. If you do not feel like you are on the right path in life, then continuing to do the same thing day in and day out won’t get you anywhere.

While the above questions may seem deceptively simple, try to think of the last time you really sat and spent a considerable amount of uninterrupted time thinking about any of them. Chances are you think about what everyone else wants every day, but you don’t take the time to take care of yourself. Remember that finding your purpose in life will take time, and that your purpose may even change. Many people feel pressure to be a good person, to positively impact others, to be a good role model, and so forth – but what do you really want? What makes you feel like you are leaving your mark in this world? The purpose to life is personal and unique for each and every individual, but one thing is certain: we all have a purpose, and eventually you will find yours.

Your eyes are heavy, you can barely keep from yawning, and suddenly your office chair seems like the perfect place to curl up and sleep. We’ve all been there before, trying to stay awake all night. It can be a challenge at first, but with just a few tips you can master the evening hours.

First you need to figure out if staying up during the night will be a short term or long term situation, and your day time habits will need to be adjusted accordingly. Generally, there are two different purposes for keeping later hours: either you have a deadline looming, whether it be a school or work project, or your schedule has permanently changed to reflect an overnight shift, generally because of employment.

If you find yourself in the first category the best thing you can do is to plan ahead. If you have a project due the next morning, don’t try to stay up consecutively for twenty-four hours. Instead, plan several, evenly paced naps throughout your day. Power naps will allow your body some down-time to recharge. When waking up from resting, get up immediately; don’t hit your snooze button. Remind your body what it’s like when you get up for the day, and it will respond accordingly.

If your goal is to stay awake at night long term, you’ll need to commit to sleeping for a solid eight hours during the day time. The biggest difficulty with trying to flip-flop our schedules is the desire to be productive during day light hours. Even if the rest of the world seems to be up and about, running errands and doing chores, you still need your sleep! Set aside the same eight hours every day and let your friends and family know that you will be unavailable during that time. Go into your room, close your curtains, wear a sleeping mask or earplugs if you need to, and snuggle down. Most people find this to be easiest if they sleep during the first eight hours they have after having been up all night.

Now that you know when and how to sleep during the day, how do you actually make your body stay awake at night? There are a few easy guidelines you can follow to keep yourself awake.

• If possible, keep bright lights on. Your eyes respond to light by delaying your body’s natural circadian rhythm, which controls your biological clock. This is an imperative step when keeping late hours is going to be a long term situation.

• Get up and move around, get your blood pumping. Are you up because you’re trying to write a paper? Turn on your stereo and dance to one or two of your favorite songs. Are you at work? Use your 15 minute break to jog or walk around your building.

Eat something! Your body will feel sluggish if it is not properly fueled. Avoid sugary foods, and opt for healthy, sustaining snacks, such as nuts and cheese. Have some coffee or a caffeine drink if you need a quick boost, but be sure to follow it with something nutritious.