50 Ways to Find Serenity During The Holidays (when serenity is the last thing on your mind!)

by Maria Marsala

Summary: Manageable steps to turn "overwhelm" and "stressed-out" into calm.

In the normal course of living, we sometimes feel "overwhelmed", "burnt out" or "stressed-out". I know I do, which is why I created this special list of things to do when I'm feeling less than peaceful. And around holiday time those feelings sometimes feel even more unmanageable.

As long as you're alive, life will bring us challenges to manage. That's why I created Serenity Self-Care Cards for myself. Really!

My holiday gift to the world? The messages below are from the cards, use them to your best advantage. And if you'd like to download your very own cards I've included a link for you to do that, too!

Remember:

1. We can do something about the feeling we call stressed-out.
2. Sometimes "doing something" looks like
• making a change
• doing nothing
• doing something totally different
• being with someone
• being alone
• being with a group of someone's
• forgiving ourselves for our mistakes
• being thankful that we're alive

Peace on Earth.....

• Ask yourself."Am I being too hard on myself?"
• Ask yourself."What do I have in my life that I can enjoy at this moment?"
• Ask yourself ."How important is it?"
• Ask yourself."What is my gut telling me?"
• Ask yourself."Are my goals or expectations realistic?"
• Ask yourself."Am I considering all my options?"
• Ask yourself."What is it about this situation that I can do something about?"
• Ask yourself."Who in my family or support circle can help me now?"
• Ask yourself."What is it about this situation that I can manage?"
• Ask yourself."What can I change about my attitude?"
• Ask yourself."Do I really want to be doing this?"
• Ask yourself."What needs to be done first?"
• Ask supportive family members for support.
• Trust that you know what's best for you.
• How's your integrity? Are your thoughts, feelings and actions matching? If not, what can you do about it?
• Forgive yourself...being angry hurts your soul.
• Buy yourself...some flowers or send yourself a card!
• Forgive someone...being angry uses lots of energy.
• Happiness is...enjoying what you have.
• Change negative self-talk into positive affirmations...I am ____________.
• Tell someone who cares about you what is bothering you.
• Call a friend to talk or go out for ________________.
• Call someone...to let them know that you are thinking about them.
• Call someone...Go out to lunch, for coffee or for a walk.
• Breath...take 3 deep breaths. Hold it to the count of 3. Slowly exhale. Do this 2 times or until you calm down.
• Go to the movies, concert or play.
• Call a friend for support.
• Find a quiet place to read a book.
• Get a ...massage, manicure or pedicure.
• Connect...Join a club or organization. Volunteer in some way.
• Make a list of the 10 things you're tolerating.
• Read a book for 30-minutes.
• Write a list of the things you are grateful for.
• Learn how to say NO! (without feeling guilty!)
• Do absolutely nothing!
• Sit down. Possibly listen to some enjoyable music with a cup of your favorite beverage.
• Rent a movie that makes you laugh.
• Speed up or slow down. Only you know which you need to do!
• Get enough sleep...take a nap if you need to.
• Exercise...go for a walk by yourself or with someone you love. Do whatever type of exercise you're willing to do.
• Spend 30 minutes doing something you really, really enjoy.
• Purchase something...that you can afford and want.
• Do something on your "To Complete" list... or start a list.
• Find a quiet place...go into the bathroom and lock the door if you must! Close your eyes for a few moments and think about something positive.
• Do something special for someone else...and don't tell them what you did!
• Draw or color. Remember that your children's books belong to them so ask permission!
• Meditate and pray... By yourself or as part of a group.
• Remember...what my life purpose is.
• Remember...that no one is perfect.
• Saying "no" to others often means saying "yes" to you!

Would you like your very own copy of Serenity Cards? Download your own cards at http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com/documents/serenitycards.pdf Don't forget to cut them out and put them somewhere special. Use them often! How? When you are overwhelmed or too emotional, just find them. Then keep picking up cards till you find one that you're willing to do!

©2007 Maria Marsala, former Wall Street Fortune 200 executive, business strategist, author and speaker. As founder of Elevating Your Business, Maria helps business owners and independent service professionals work smarter and earn more. Learn more and receive free business tools at ElevatingYourBusiness.com

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