Less Stress Digest

Virginia Beach

2009-11-28T18:52:00.002-05:00

- Norfolk Botanical Gardens
cold, big, Camilias
- Mahi Mah's
fish tacos, crab cakes, dragon roll, steamed clams, Chardonnay
- Christmas lights on the boardwalk
11th floor, ocean view, coffee
Boardwalk Villas
Budget Travel Magazine, Swing music on Pandora, heat on high

Control Your Future

2009-09-20T16:10:00.003-04:00

We all have things we would like to change in our lives, or areas where we would like to grow. Sometimes we just feel stuck and we don't know why. It is important to constantly learn and grow in our lives or we stagnate. This can also lead to feelings of emptiness and lack of purpose. We need to set goals so we can have that feeling of accomplishment that comes with completing a task. This allows up to feel competent and strong.
Our society tells us what we should want to be and what we should want to do. It is familiar to follow these guidelines even if it isn't making us happy. The media tells us we should want to be rich and thin, and often we strive towards this without thinking if these are really our priorities. If is time to sit down and think about what you really want out of life. You may be surprised. When you figure out your priorities you can then set goals which reflect them. You may have been spending much of your time on pursuing goals that are meaningless for you. The following activities will help you spend time moving towards your real objectives.
Thinking about our goals can feel overwhelming. Often our goals are extensive and we may not even know how to start. It can be scary to think of all the tasks that need to be completed before we reach that goal. This is why we don't start many of the tasks that will help us reach our objectives.
Some of our goals may take many years to complete. The benefits of our goals are often far in the future. Without those benefits it's difficult to maintain our enthusiasm. It is necessary to reward ourselves after each small step we complete. Working towards our goals is difficult, and if we don't acknowledge that hard work along the way, it is easy to get discouraged. To maintain your motivation you must congratulate yourself for the hard work you are doing on a regular basis.

Stress Reduction Meditation

2009-02-09T19:30:00.002-05:00

Click here for today's MEDITATION.

Every Laugh Reduces your Stress

2009-02-08T15:01:00.000-05:00

Cleansing Ritual

2009-02-05T14:25:00.002-05:00

Click here for today's audio: RITUAL

More Suggestions on Reducing Work Stress

2009-02-03T19:35:00.003-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

Understand your Stress

2009-02-02T21:17:00.000-05:00

Reduce your Work Stress

2009-02-01T15:59:00.004-05:00

Click here for Today's suggestion: AUDIO

Step 6 to Controling your Environment

2009-01-29T15:42:00.003-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

3 easy steps to stress reduction

2009-01-28T20:47:00.003-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

Self Indulgence

2009-01-27T21:45:00.002-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

Avoiding Travel Stress

2009-01-26T19:50:00.003-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

I wanted to write today about how to reduce your stress when traveling. I travel quite a bit, and often I am traveling overseas to Indonesia. I’ve come up with a few tips to make the whole process of getting flights and getting to the location a little bit easier especially for very long plane trips.

The first thing I would recommend is, when you know you’re going to be traveling, to look at sidestep.com. This is a really helpful site for finding cheap flights. It will look at all of the carrier’s, at Orbits, Hotwire and all the different discount air carriers. You can also set it up so that the site will e-mail you if rates change. One of the thing that people who fly a lot know is that rates can change throughout the day, and rates tend to be lower if you are looking in the middle of the week. Rates change all the time and you can get a much cheaper flights if you look on different days of the week. It’s nice to have Sidestep e-mail you when those changes happen so that you can go in book, especially when you have a good deal of time before you need to travel, and/or flexible travel dates. Some other good sites when you are traveling overseas are Vayama.com and Zuji.com.

Once you have found your flight you want to think about packing and getting there. One of the things that I have learned is that you need to pack your carry on bag as if your checked baggage is not going to get there. I always have everything I need for the first day or two already in my carry-on bag. I bring a change of clothes and all of the toiletries that I need of the next couple of days. Quite often when traveling even domestically my checked baggage will not get there at all or will not get there until the following day, so I want to be able to enjoy my vacation or travel comfortably while waiting for my checked baggage to arrive.

The things that I’ve found to make long flights more bearable are first of all books on tape. I have a really hard time sleeping on planes but if I have a book on tape, even if it’s not a good book on tape, it will help my fall asleep or at least rest. I will usually go to a discount bookstore and buy a very cheap book on tape. I don’t really care what it is because mostly it’s going to help me fall asleep. Another thing that’s really helpful that goes along with the book on tape, are noise canceling headphones. I tend to get slightly motion sick when traveling, and I’ve noticed in the plane the main thing that bothers me is the sound of the jet that gives me a headache. Noise canceling headphones really helped me feel more comfortable on the plane and I will keep them on even when I’m not listening to a book on tape. You can also use the headphones to plug into the TV and movies that are being shown on the plane.

Another thing that I bring is a large plastic water bottle that I can refill at every layover. You need to have the bottle empty when you walk through security but once you get through security can find a water fountain and fill it up. They recommend that you don’t drink water on the plane that isn’t bottled as it’s not supposed to be the cleanest water. I don’t know if that’s true or not. I tend to bring a large water bottle because I don’t always want to wait for the flight attendants to come around with drinks.

I also tend to bring a lot of snacks. Even on the few planes that do still feed, you never know if you’re going to get stuck sitting on the tarmac without food. One of things that will make the most uncomfortable to feel hungry and I can’t get anything to eat because I’m stuck on the plane. Even if we are stranded in the airport, I tend and make very bad food decisions in airports. I tend think that the Cinnabon is a good idea when I know it’s not. If I have a granola bar or dried fruit in my bag, I will tend to eat that first before I go for some junk that’s in the airport.

Other things that I bring on the plane are a lotion. I put lotion on my face (especially around your nostrils) and on my hands frequently when on the plane, especially when it’s a fourteen hour flight. I also have of a stretching routine from the Anderson “Stretching” book which I have mentioned earlier on this blog. There are routines in the back that are just pictures that you can print out and take with you. I will do the are arm stretching exercises, and sometimes I can do the legs stretching exercises if there is enough room on the plane (I am short). This also gives me something to do on the plane and in it makes me feel much better when I get off of the plane.

Doing these few little things really does help me feel better when I get to the location as well. You want to make sure that you’re eating well while you’re on the plane, drink a lot of water, keep your skin hydrated with lotion, carry breath mints and a little toothbrush with toothpaste. A lot of good airlines will give you a toothbrush and toothpaste on the plane. The first thing you want when you get off of a 14-15 hour flight is to brush your teeth. Also I really like the eye covers that are provided on a lot of a international airlines. These airlines will give you a little pocket, with covers for your eyes, toothbrush/toothpaste, and/or socks. I almost always bring heavy socks and a little fleece blanket. International flights tend to be freezing at all times of the year. If I am going to try to sleep I need to be warm. The blankets provided on the plane are small and it’s nice to have a second blanked. You can always use one as an extra pillow as well. These are my suggestions for tolerating and reducing your stress when traveling. Take care of yourself today and thank you for your time

Control your Environment 6

2009-01-25T20:19:00.002-05:00

Creativity

Take the magazines you purchased and read yesterday and cut out the objects that you like. You can also use drawings of objects from books or use the drawings from your museum visit, as well. Make a collage of those items. What do these pieces have in common? What colors did you choose? What shapes are comforting?

Control your Environment 5

2009-01-24T19:27:00.002-05:00

Click Here for AUDIO.

Day of Indulgence

It is important to schedule in time for yourself every week. You are not any good to anyone else if you can't take care of yourself. It benefits your family, work, and friends for you to be relaxed and tranquil. You may not have a whole day free for self care: this activity can be split up into a few shorter self-care breaks throughout the week. If you are really busy choose the activity that most interests you and make time for just that activity. Self-care should be a priority, not an afterthought.

Duration Activity

Wake up

5-10 min. Lie in bed to let yourself start your day in a calm and positive way. Think to yourself, “I deserve this self-care time.”

1 hour Prepare for your day. Take a long shower. Get dressed to go out.

½ -1 hour Eat Breakfast. Eat only comfortable foods today. Close your eyes and think of what foods would sooth you right now. Don’t let yourself only be drawn to foods that you have forbidden yourself. Think of the smell and texture of the food. Allow yourself to go and get this food if you don’t have it.

2-4 hours Travel to a local art museum, the bigger the better. Most museums have a day of the week when they are free of have a reduced price. If the museum has a section with furniture, start there. If not, the museum probably has a section with beautiful household objects (plates, vases, etc.) Look at the lines of the piece. Look at the colors. You can take a sketch book and sketch the pieces you like.

If you don’t have access to a museum, spend this time at your local library or book store looking at design books and magazines.

1 hour Lunch. What was a lunch you ate often as a child? Think about a time in your life when you felt content. Is there a meal you associate with this time? Enjoy a lunch that brings you serenity.

2-3 hours Spend your afternoon relaxing in your room. Browse through design magazines or take out design books from the library. Find what you like and use a piece of paper to mark the page. Look around your room. See what aspects of the designs you like and could be incorporated into your room. Do these pieces match your “Design Personality?” If not read the other design personalities and find the one you identify with.

10 min – Find a comfortable seat in your room. Take a deep breath and look around

1 hour your room. Feel yourself becoming more comfortable in this room. Think of ways you could improve the room. Let yourself breathe and relax until you are ready to return to your day. Spend your evening enjoying your new found relaxation with your family and/or friends.

Happy Belly Laugh Day

2009-01-24T12:49:00.004-05:00

Celebrate Global Belly Laugh Day

Happy National Pie Day

2009-01-23T10:08:00.003-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

Celebrate National Pie Day

Click here for today's DREAM.

Gotta Gamelan

2009-01-22T10:07:00.002-05:00

Click here for today's DREAM.

Control your Environment 4

2009-01-21T17:52:00.006-05:00

Click here for AUDIO.

Today we’re going to take a test to figure out your decorating style so you need to either print the test below or get a piece of paper and number on the left hand side one through ten and listen to the audio recording.

QUIZ

Circle the answer that best fits you.

1. I feel best in rooms that are painted:
A. Orange
B. Blue
C. White
D. Tan

2. My furniture style is:
A. Always changing.
B. Whatever I have available.
C. Traditional and classic.
D. Modern and exciting

3. The most common found material in my home is:
A. Glass
B. Woods
C. Ceramic
D. Metal

4. My decorating inspiration comes from:
A. Decorating shows on television.
B. Reading decorating and How-to books.
C. Decorating magazines.
D. What I see in friend’s homes.

5. My favorite flooring is:
A. Painted
B. An area rug.
C. Wall to wall carpeting.
D. Wood

6. You will find on my bookshelves:
A. Beautiful items.
B. A few things I’ve collected.
C. Pictures of loved ones.
D. A few sentimental pieces

7. The lighting in my home is:
A. Bright to show off my room.
B. Soft with intimate lighting areas.
C. Clear to see what I am working on.
D. Overhead but cozy.

8. To relax I like to:
A. Draw
B. Read
C. Write letters
D. Treat myself to a manicure.

9. The plants in my home are:
A. Short lived.
B. Gifts from friends.
C. Plentiful, some are sprouts from older plants.
D. A vase of flowers. Live plants are too much trouble.

10. My favorite candle scent is:
A. Citrus.
B. Lavender
C. Rose
D. Chocolate

Now total up how many answers you have of each letter. Your design personality is based on the letter you answered most often. If you have two letters that are both high then you have a little bit of each component in your personality.

Mostly A’s
The rooms you are most comfortable in are invigorating. You like a lot of attractive items to focus your attention on. The colors you are drawn to are reds and oranges; they are energizing and bring out your creativity. Your home is bold and bright. You are passionate and enjoy a change. Your personal space must be revitalizing; add a craft area to your room. Your designs styles are: Art Deco, English, Garden, Lodge and/or Southwest.

Mostly B’s
The rooms you are most comfortable in are homey. You like to be surrounded by a few meaningful things. The colors you are drawn to are blues and greens; they are harmonizing and make you feel calm. Your home is peaceful and relaxing and you are eccentric and optimistic. Your personal space must feel balanced; add a meditation area to your room. Your design styles are: Asian, Arts and Crafts, Cottage, Mediterranean and/or Tropical.

Mostly C’s
The rooms you are most comfortable in are charming. You like to be surrounded by things that remind you of people and places. The colors you are drawn to are white and yellow; they are soft and bring you joy. Your home is ordered and coordinated. And you are motivated and trustworthy. Your personal space must be elegant; add a comfortable writing area to your room. Your design styles are: Colonial, Country, French, Venetian and/or Romantic.

Mostly D’s
The rooms you are most comfortable in are modern. You like to be surrounded by a few tasteful items. The colors you are drawn to are tan and black; they are warming and make you feel confident. Your home is orderly and chic and you are stylish and considerate. Your personal space must be serene; add a SPA area to your room. Your design styles are: Contemporary, Formal, Mission, Modern and/or Shaker.

These are just some ideas to go forward with when decorating your personal space.

Control your Environment 3

2009-01-20T18:51:00.006-05:00

Click here for Today's audio: EVIRONMENT MEDITATION

I was published in FitBuff.com, Total Mind and Body Fitness: http://www.fitbuff.com

Free Stuff

2009-01-20T08:39:00.001-05:00

Free Cosmetics Giveaway on January 20th, 2009
Find out how you can receive a free full-sized cosmetic product on January 20th, 2009 from stores such as Macy's and Dillard's.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1388795/free_cosmetics_giveaway_on_january.html

Control your Environment

2009-01-19T19:19:00.004-05:00

Click here for today's AUDIO

WORKBOOK

Select and Print the following statements. Write the first thing that comes to your mind. Don't think too long about your answers.

My favorite room in my home is

The color of relaxation is

My favorite piece of furniture is

The smell that makes me calm is

My Favorite texture is

The sound or music that relaxes me is

My favorite picture in my home is

I feel most relaxed when I am

I love my home because

I hate my home because

If you have not yet listened to the Audio for 1/18/09 please listen to that recording for more explanation.

Dream Analysis

2009-01-19T11:40:00.009-05:00

Click here for today's dream: Sleepover

Control your Environment

2009-01-18T13:06:00.003-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

How can I make sure I take time for stress reduction?

2009-01-17T11:58:00.002-05:00

What are some things I can do to reduce my stress levels? Your prescription is below.

Click her for today's suggestion: AUDIO

and three hours later...

2009-01-16T19:33:00.003-05:00

Medusa!

Meditation for Success

2009-01-15T22:22:00.002-05:00

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

Uh no, I don't think so.

2009-01-14T22:15:00.002-05:00

Where am I?

New Layout

2009-01-14T08:11:00.001-05:00

Any comments on the new Layout? Clearer? Boring? Good? Bad? Ugly? Let me know.

I live in a Spa (in my mind).

2009-01-13T21:12:00.004-05:00

How do I find time to relax in a busy house? How do I care for sore muscles after a tough day at the gym?

Click here for today's suggestion: AUDIO

Take Care of Yourself Today!

You look Faaabulous!

2009-01-12T21:07:00.004-05:00

Dedicated to Ms. Kim, soon to be Mrs. To good friends who give as good as they get. Kim is available for appointments now at Thairapy Salon.

Click hear for today's suggestion: AUDIO

Want me to take a picture of YOU? Not really but...

2009-01-11T16:03:00.003-05:00

Yes, often the photo's have no relationship to the audio posted.

Where am I?

Your Cruise Directors Safija and Peter

2009-01-10T13:32:00.003-05:00

Click here for my newest audio clip.

I wanted to mention that I don't ever recommend something because it is advertised on my page. It is alway the other way around. If I mention something in a post that I really believe in I will often try to find a link to that item to allow this blog to be one stop shopping for wellness.

She's actual size, but she seems much bigger to me

2009-01-09T16:11:00.001-05:00

Barely Contained Excitement at Biltmore

2009-01-07T18:37:00.001-05:00

I would love to provide my own advice on some questions about stress reduction. I have provided counseling services for over 10 years and would be willing to offer some free audio recordings for questions asked. Please list your questions in the comments or send me an email.

Involuntary roll reactions

2009-01-06T17:54:00.002-05:00

Today's Suggestion: audio Do you have any additional suggestions about stretching?

Today

2009-01-05T22:56:00.000-05:00

Click for audio.
Guru's and cruises.

2009-01-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've realized that I hate writing but I like recording so I'm going to start keeping a podcast log. I'm starting by adding a stress reduction audio I made the other day. Please listen and I would appreciate any feedback.

Click here to listen to a quick stress reduction audio.

Topics

2007-05-28T19:35:00.000-04:00

So I'm trying to think of topics that I can focus on for future Stress Reduction/Life Coaching postings. What areas do you struggle with? Here are my ideas:

Environment
Goal Setting
Relationships
Organization
Obsessive Thoughts
Money
Work
Addictions
Time
Expectations
Recreation

Any others I should cover?

Life Coaching

2007-05-16T11:34:00.000-04:00

The current interest in life coaching shows that many individuals are searching for instructions to manage their lives. I want to write about basic life skills such as how to deal with relationships, money, goal setting, time management, work and recreation. Many people have difficulty with these areas and don't know where to start to improve them. Often they don't even know that these are the areas where they are lacking skills. I have found that people learn more through experience than lecturing or discussion. I want to offer specific activities to help people make positive changes in their lives.
Here is a little information about my background to explain why I'm qualified to discuss these issues. I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who has been working in the field for 13 years. I have worked in non-profits ranging from a Battered Women's Shelter, Rape Crisis Center, to a Young Parents Program. I spent 5 years working with men and women in the field of Substance Abuse. I provided individual and group counseling for recovering addicts in Homeless Shelters and an Outpatient Clinic. I have also been the Director of two Substance Abuse Facilities which provided treatment and housing for up to 25 clients. Most recently I was working as an Employee Assistance Counselor for 50+ businesses. I provided Individual, Couples and Family counseling for the employees of these businesses and their families. I also provided trainings to these businesses on various topics including Stress Reduction, Change Management, Customer Service and Sexual Harassment Prevention. I also spent over a year studying in Indonesia as part of a Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship.

Take Back Control

2007-05-15T16:22:00.000-04:00

I want to keep writing about the salon but I think I would also like to add in some concrete stress reduction information to keep this interesting. I have spent a lot of time looking for a "how-to" book on life. I want a self help book that reads like a do-it-yourself manual. I have yet to find this book. I am writing this to give specific instructions, not just vague suggestions on how to improve your life. this is the kind of work that I have done with clients as a social worker. The most common question I am asked is how to make changes to feel better. Clients want to know what they need to do, and how to get started. People want to know that they are making progress and they need to reward themselves for that progress. I want to show that learning about yourself and making positive changes can be fun.
In our busy world, we don't have much time to reflect on our own behaviors and feeling. Many people are feeling struck in their lives but are unsure why. Often individuals don't have an identifiable problem that they can take to a therapist, or they don't know how to articulate their feelings of disequilibrium. I want to help people identify problem areas and begin making changes.

Busy week

2007-04-29T20:15:00.000-04:00

This has been a busy massage week. We have had a lot of walk-ins and new referrals. Yesterday was fun because we had some walk-ins, and Angela (one of our hair stylists) and I did an exchange. So I got a fabulous hair cut and I gave her a massage late last night. We had a new massage therapist interested in a position at Thairapy which would be great. I could then have some massage exchanges. I had to pay for my massage today and that just isn't right.
I received a half day of treatments at a spa. After three 10 hour days I needed a day to relax and take care of myself. I was feeling like I was getting sick yesterday but today I feel totally revived. I need to practice what I preach and make sure I take a spa day at least 3-4 times a year. I try to get a massage at least once a month but I usually don't receive other body treatments. Today I got a steam and a body scrub with my massage. It was fantastic to have my big plan for the day to read magazines while I wait for my next treatment. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
Some one called the salon this week because they read this blog. That is awesome.
The end of the month is also a tough time for scheduling because most of our evaluations are done each month so when people cancel their evaluations I have to try and reschedule before the end of the month. Only one more day in the month then things should calm down a bit.

Jess Zike

2007-04-14T19:18:00.000-04:00

My name is Jess Zike and I am a Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed Social Worker and currently a Mystery Shopping Scheduler. I just complete the first working draft of a website for the salon where I work, www.jesszike.massagetherapy.com . This is Thairapy Salon in Richmond, VA, hence the name of this blog. I have been working at this salon since August and the Salon has been open since June. This is a fantastic place to work. There is very little DRAMA. The people who work there are relaxed and it is a very calm atmosphere. For the first time in my life, I have never had a day at this job when wished I wasn't going to work. Granted I'm not there all the time as I have a few part-time jobs but still I am excited every time I have a Massage scheduled. I get to go into a beautiful building where all the clients are their to take care of themselves. People are rarely mad at their Massage Therapist, which is untrue of their Social Worker.

I work on a computer half the day as a Scheduler for Coyle Hospitality Group, http://www.coylehospitality.com/ and it is good to interact with real live people the rest of the day. I schedule reviews of high end hotels and restaurants if any of you are interested in some free trips and wonderful dinners. I was an evaluator for them before I started working for the company. I was convinced it was a scam until I got paid and reimbursed for my first dinner. I couldn't believe that someone would pay me to eat a $200 dinner. The trade off is that you writer about 5-6 hours for a restaurant and 8 hours for a hotel. It is worth every moment for me to be able to travel and stay in hotels that I would never stay at and dine in restaurants that I wouldn't pay for. I have taken trips with family and friends to LA, Miami, NYC, Newport RI, Asheville NC, and Washington DC. Lots of fun if you like to travel.

I have recently moved to Richmond from CT and I am still getting acquainted with the city. This is a nice place to live. You get the benefits of a city (lots to do, interesting cultural events, diversity) without a lot of the negatives of a city (reasonable housing, parking). The people are very friendly and it felt like home hear within a few months. The weather is fantastic too but we'll see if I still feel that way after a summer here. Alright, got the first post down. I will try to stick with it.