Lightarted Living: The Saving Grace of Denial

Lightarted Living: The Saving Grace of Denial: Denial--A Soft Cushion Against the Harsh Realities of Life Sometimes life throws us a curve ball we didn't see coming that overwhe...

Lightarted Living: Robert Brault: Brimming Over with Whimsical Wisdom...

Lightarted Living: Robert Brault: Brimming Over with Whimsical Wisdom...: "Doing one fool thing after another is not so terrible  when you consider the human proclivity  to do several fool things at on...

Lightarted Living: Will Rogers: Bubbling Over with Whimsical Wisdom

Lightarted Living: Will Rogers: Bubbling Over with Whimsical Wisdom: There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to touch an e...

Lightarted Living: Bouncing Back from Stress and Burnout

Lightarted Living: Bouncing Back from Stress and Burnout: Stop the World--I want to get off!  "Fisherman have always known that the sea is dangerous and the storm is terrible, but they&...

Bouncing Back from Stress and Burnout

Stop the World--I want to get off! 

"Fisherman have always known that the sea is dangerous and the storm is terrible, but they've never considered those sufficient reasons to remain ashore." 

Vincent Van Gogh 

 No question life is stressful. But that doesn't mean we can't rise to the challenge and find ways to not only weather those stressful and stormy days, but also practice the fine art of sailing through difficulties to arrive at calmer shores. 

Bouncing back after particularly stressful times requires us to consciously stop and start over~After we wind ourselves up we must consciously unwind.

After you step into the water at the high tide of stress you must consciously and deliberately step back into still waters to rest.

Train Your Body to Bounce Back from Stress

We're always training our bodies through the choices we make. To have the health and energy to cope and thrive despite experiencing world-wide and personal crises, we need to engage in activities that bring our stress hormones--like adrenaline and cortisol--back down to resting levels--especially after dealing with particularly stressful experiences.

The good news is humans have adapted to effectively deal with stress. We're especially equipped to deal with the stress that is life. Our bodies are built to get better and better at dealing with stress the more we're challenged by life's difficulties. But it's up to us to take the actions that train our bodies to be resilient so we're strengthened, not weakened by our experiences. 

Stress Won't Kill You--But not taking care of it will!

Think of stress as a perceived sense of:

👉Threat;

👉Loss of control;

👉Helplessness;

👉Hopelessness; and/or

👉Unpredictability

The instant something catches you off guard your brain downshifts into your lower brain-- moving you into a fight or flight mode (stress response)--and sets in motion the release of stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. This is a good thing.

Stress-hormones help you react quickly by raising your heart rate and blood pressure, and releasing energy sources into the bloodstream, such as sugar, to make fuel available to your muscles. This is how your body helps you get through your daily crises.

But too much of a good thing becomes a problem if you fail to give your body time to recover from being in this high-stress mode.

Maintaining chronically high levels of the stress-hormone cortisol leads to three health damaging effects:

💥High blood sugar, leading to insulin resistance;

💥High blood pressure, and

💥An increase in abdominal fat.

 Fat deposited around your belly is associated with more health problems than fat deposited elsewhere, including an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. 

To calm your cortisol and other stress-hormone levels you must recognize you're stressed, and engage in self-calming activities that produce the relaxation response in your body.  

You're either stressed or relaxed...you can't be both

The good news is it's physiologically impossible for you to be stressed and relaxed at the same time. When you make the decision to participate in activities that produce the relaxation response, your body will bounce back and re-balance.

How Do I Know if I'm Suffering from Chronic Stress? 

We're not always aware when we're in a constant state of stress. Sometimes we're working so hard to deal with the issues we ignore the signs and symptoms. Furthermore, when our heart rate goes above 100, our bodies release adrenaline that creates an emotional and mental fog that sends clear thinking out the window. 

We all have a stress signature that we can learn to cue us it's time to stop, unwind and participate in self-calming activities. You don't need to pay attention to every sign and symptoms of stress, you just have to pick out one and let that be your guide to readjusting what you're doing.

Do You Experience Any of these Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Stress?

☂ Chronic fatigue

☂ TMJ problems--clenching of teeth

☂ Moodiness

☂ Anxiety and Irritability

☂ Anger (fear managed by anger)

☂ Depression

☂ Hardening of the attitudes

☂ Feeling a loss of control

☂ Tearfulness

☂ Joint and muscle pain

☂ Digestive difficulties

☂ Sleeping difficulties

☂ Increased deposit of fat in the belly

☂ Craving carbohydrates

☂ Binge eating

☂ Preoccupation with a stressful situation

☂ Getting ill after finals or completion of a stressful project

☂ Getting sick on vacation

The Art of the Bounce Back

Begin by identifying the signs and symptoms you experience in response to stress, then choose one to be mindful of in your daily life. When you notice your stress signal is present, act, don't react to the information; and describe, don't judge what is going on.

Everyone gets stressed. If you discover you're chronically stressed, it doesn't mean you are weak, incompetent, out of control or a bad person. Leave the judgment out--describe what is going on and chose one immediate step to help you take a moment to relax.

Cortisol and Stress Calming Suggestions

💓Control what you can control.

💙Take action on the little things. 

💚Exercise for relaxation, not for hard core fitness.

💛Take a 5-15 minute walk break.

💜Have some black or green tea.

💓Find things to laugh about. Experiencing humor and laughter can lower cortisol levels.

💙Enjoy relaxing music.

💚Confide in a trusted friend. 

💛Get a good night's rest. If you're having difficulty sleeping, at least rest and practice focusing on your breathing, consciously slowing down your inhales and exhales.

💜Cry. Crying may be our bodies' way of eliminating stress-hormones from our system.

💓Supplement with magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids (found in fish oil, krill oil and flax seeds)

Don't let life difficulties beat you down. Choose to take actions that contribute to your self-confidence and well-being.  You're worth it.

 

The Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

The courage to change the things I can;

And the wisdom to know the difference.

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before.

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list. 

Lightarted Living: Will Life Crush Your Spirit or Make You Stronger?

Lightarted Living: Will Life Crush Your Spirit or Make You Stronger?: Will Life Crush Your Spirit or Make You Stronger? What awful soul-crushing experiences have you had in your life? Have you allow...

Lightarted Living: Will Rogers: Bubbling Over with Whimsical Wisdom

Lightarted Living: Will Rogers: Bubbling Over with Whimsical Wisdom: There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to touch an e...

Lightarted Living: Bring Light and Positive Energy into the World

Lightarted Living: Bring Light and Positive Energy into the World: Be like the sun 'In every moment we have a chance to make a choice to bring light into the world. When we bless others with the...

Bring Light and Positive Energy into the World

Be like the sun

'In every moment we have a chance to make a choice to bring light into the world. When we bless others with the gift of our positive energy, instead of letting circumstances affect us negatively, we bring a little peace to the world every day.'  

Madisyn Taylor, DailyOM

Be the light you wish to see in the world 

Rise above your circumstances to do good and bring compassion to others despite facing your own hardships.

Don't let your daily difficulties get you down and self-focused. Reach out to others with kindness as you allow others to reach out to you.

Choose to live in the spiritual realm of life instead of being victimized by the circumstantial realities of your life. The positive energy you give to others will come back to you ten-fold~re-energizing you for yet another day . 

Lightarted Sue

Bringing it home

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before.

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list. 

Lightarted Living: Anticipation and Anxiety

Lightarted Living: Anticipation and Anxiety: “There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality.” Seneca Step into Act...

Anticipation and Anxiety

“There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality.”

Seneca

Step into Action Anyway

 Feel the fear and then let it go. Transform your anxiety into energy to propel you forward. Step out of your shell and let yourself be seen.

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before.

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list. 

Lightarted Living: Grieving: What to Say When Someone Dies

Lightarted Living: Grieving: What to Say When Someone Dies: At a Loss for What to Say Years ago, in my early 30's, I attended my first funeral ever for an eight-week old baby boy who died...

Lightarted Living: How to Get the Most out of Life

Lightarted Living: How to Get the Most out of Life: 'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off t...

How to Get the Most out of Life

'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.'  Mark Twain

The Challenge

Each of us is challenged to discover the best way to get the most out of life. As Twain says, playing it safe only leads to a disappointing life.

To achieve a satisfying and happy life you must risk being hurt, wrong, scared, disappointed, rejected, ridiculed, and silly. You must throw off the things keeping you tied to your safe harbor and venture into the vast ocean of possibilities.

....And you must continuously step into the emotional waters at high tide.

What you value provides the wind in your sails 

What Matters to You?

Putting yourself out there and going after what you want is a risk. The courage to risk comes from discovering what matters to you. 

Start by defining what you want out of life at this juncture so you can better guide your choices and daily actions. What you care about matters--it is the wind in your sails propelling you forward into a satisfying life adventure.

Discover what matters to you so you can:

💓Concentrate your limited time and energy on those things that count.

💙Plan your life so you feel more control over the things that matter to you.

💛Create a sense of urgency for the things that are most important to you.

Stop letting fear keep you tethered

Explore ~ Dream ~ Discover

 Helen Keller said, "Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing." The secret to a happy life is to have the courage to continuously explore what matters to you and cast off the things keeping you tied to your safe harbor. Stop letting fear keep you tethered.

Navigating a Course of Action

💜What would you do this week if you knew you couldn't fail? Take a step.

💓What do you wish someone would ask you to do? Go do it.

💛If you had all the money in the world, what would you spend your life doing? Start doing it.

Sail Away from the Safe Harbor

 What is one step you can take today to catch the trade winds in your sails?

'A ship is safe in a harbor, but that's not what ships are for.' William Shedd  1820-1894

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before. 

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list.

Lightarted Living: Reconnecting with Loved Ones after Your Connection...

Lightarted Living: Reconnecting with Loved Ones after Your Connection...: �� 'Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing  there is a field.  I'll meet you there.'   Rumi �� &#39...

Lightarted Living: The Best Stress Management Technique Ever: The Thr...

Lightarted Living: The Best Stress Management Technique Ever: The Thr...: Transitions are Stressful Every moment in every day we transition from one moment to the next. And in the space between we face uncerta...

Lightarted Living: Happy Introverts~Happy Extraverts: Why it Pays to ...

Lightarted Living: Happy Introverts~Happy Extraverts: Why it Pays to ...: Happy Introvert What's All the Fuss? �� What's all the fuss about introverts and extraverts? What does it matter if you...

Lightarted Living: Ease Your Way thru Life~Cultivate a Flexible Mind

Lightarted Living: Ease Your Way thru Life~Cultivate a Flexible Mind: A man is born gentle and weak. At death, he is hard and stiff. Green plants are tender and filled with sap. At death, the...

Lightarted Living: She Let Go and Let it All Be: Rev Safire Rose

Lightarted Living: She Let Go and Let it All Be: Rev Safire Rose: Like a leaf falling from a tree, She let go and let it all be A light breeze blew through her ...

Lightarted Living: A Generous Spirit

Lightarted Living: A Generous Spirit: "One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others." Archibal...

A Generous Spirit

"One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others."

Archibald Rutledge

"To generous souls every task is noble."

Euripides

"If a man be endowed with a generous mind, this is the best kind of nobility." 

Plato

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before. 

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list.

Lightarted Living: Life's Too Mysterious, Don't Take it Serious

Lightarted Living: Life's Too Mysterious, Don't Take it Serious: Thank you Mary Englebreit and George Gershwin--and Lee Bryant How Do You Lift Your Spirits? What do you see when you look out into...

Lightarted Living: Breathing to Calm and Uplift Your Spirit

Lightarted Living: Breathing to Calm and Uplift Your Spirit: Inner Breath  By Jeffrey Corbett, 2017 What if the Inner Breath was imperceptibly soft?  So soft one could not feel it On ...

Breathing to Calm and Uplift Your Spirit

Inner Breath 
By Jeffrey Corbett, 2017

What if the Inner Breath was imperceptibly soft? 

So soft one could not feel it

On the back of the hand,

Or on the neck or cheek,

Or even hear it in a Puppy's ear.

What if it moved so slowly it could not be seen,

Not by the eye of an Eagle,

Nor with the patience of a Torti?

What if it had the power of a Tsunami,

Struck the speed of a Satori,

A blinding flash of white light

Resonating

Deep within the soul?

What if the Inner Breath

Was the source of all Life,

The source of all Well-being,

The source of Healing,

The source of Knowledge

Of Relationships

Of Wisdom

Of Happiness

Of Contentment

Of Chogyam's Basic Goodness?

What if we all have Inner Breath,

Inherently

Hidden deep within

Waiting, waiting

Only to manifest

In moments of Truth

In absolute Stillness? 

BREATHE STILLNESS AND LISTEN

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before. 

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list.

Lightarted Living: Jung on Intuition

Lightarted Living: Jung on Intuition: INTUITION   'Intuition gives outlook and insight; it revels in the garden of magical possibilities as if they were real.'

Jung on Intuition

INTUITION 

'Intuition gives outlook and insight; it revels in the garden of magical possibilities as if they were real.' 

   Carl Jung

 THE GARDEN OF MAGICAL POSSIBILITIES

Revel in the garden of magical possibilities as if they are real...

 PLAY~EXPLORE~BE FREE

Open your mind

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before. 

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list.

Lightarted Living: Plant Kindness; Harvest Love

Lightarted Living: Plant Kindness; Harvest Love: 'Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret,  for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.' ...

Plant Kindness; Harvest Love

'Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, 

for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.'

Robert Brault

'A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. 

A good deed is never lost~ 

He who sows courtesy reaps friendship~

And he who plants kindness gathers love.' 

Saint Basil

 PLANT KINDNESS

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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before.

Do you know someone who could benefit from uplifting messages? Please share Lightarted Living with them. If you or someone you love is interested in learning more about closing the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, join the FREE Lightarted Living mailing list. 

Lightarted Living: Confidence Crisis: Facing Life's Most Dangerous Op...

Lightarted Living: Confidence Crisis: Facing Life's Most Dangerous Op...: Confidence Crisis All of us experience a confidence crisis when we're on the brink of starting a new venture or taking a new directio...