~by Dianna Sandora~

Do you ever feel so stressed that you’d just like for the world to stop spinning for a few minutes so that you can get off? I know there are times that is exactly how I feel. Too much to do and not enough time to do it in. What’s worse is – not only does your business suffer, so does your personal life. In this 24/7 go, go, go world, how do you survive?  If you’ve been looking for stress relieving tips, read on…

Below you will find my nine closely guarded secrets that I have used to maintain my sanity. So grab a chair, take a seat and lean it.

1. Live in the moment – I allowed myself to be paralyzed for years because of the mistakes I made in the past or the ones that thought I might make in the future. Mark Twain said, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Do not allow the things that you have no control over to hold you back. Live in the moment and be excited about the things that are happening right now.
2. Have an attitude of gratitude – Being thankful for the stress that comes your way may seem strange. I like to look at the situation and try to determine what I can learn from it. You should too!
3. Change the way that you look at things – Do little silly stuff to change your mood. Get up and walk around; take deep breaths. I have a Ragdoll Siamese named Junior, and sometimes he will lay down on the floor and turn his head upside-down and look at me. When he does that no matter how bad my day is, I have to laugh. Sometimes I even find myself on the floor with him. He will, of course, get up, walk over to me, and insist that it is “time to pet the kitty.”
4. Time management – When feeling overwhelmed and stressed, break projects into smaller pieces. General Creighton Abrams coined the phrase, “when eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.” He was a brilliant leader during both the Vietnam and Korean wars. Known for not only his leadership, but for assisting the Vietnamese so that the US could withdrawal from Korea.
5. Don’t over schedule – Write a list of only six things that you need to complete the next day; do the important things first.
6. Don’t wait until the last minute – I love the excitement that comes with a deadline sometimes too, but procrastination only hurts you and your business, and adds to your stress. Another advantage of giving yourself six things to do each day is that you will be less likely to drag your feet.
7. Delegate – Work smarter, not harder. Remember that list of six things from number 5? If there are things on that list that need to get done, but you are just not able to do them, now is the time to give them to someone else who can get them done.
8. Schedule play time – Don’t be afraid to be silly and enjoy life. Taking things too seriously adds to the stress and adds to your anxiety. “When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.” ~Joe Namath.
9. Get your Z’s – Anxiety and fear can sometimes equal sleeplessness. If you implement the eight secrets above hopefully those will be at a minimum. 

I hope that you will implement these stress fighting secrets too, because I know that you will see results not only in your professional life, but in your personal life as well.

Meet the Author: Dianna Sandora

DIANNA SANDORA

Dianna Sandora is a storyteller, dreamer, trainer, and author with a pretty purple pen, and Kitty Momma to a Ragdoll Siamese named Junior. It is her mission to use her optimism and enthusiasm to motivate and inspire you to appreciate yourself and those around you. Most importantly, she wants to encourage you to live your life to your fullest potential. Join her at Absolutely Write, an online community dedicated to helping you become a better blogger and to grow your business.