If I keep a green bough in my heart, then the singing bird will come.

—Chinese Proverb

These smart stress solutions tame tension and claim inner-peace.

Try these nurturing tips~

(1) Breathe deeply.

(2) Listen to relaxing music.

(3) Call a friend.

(4) Ask yourself “In this moment what could I do that would be extreme self-care?”

(5) Get outdoors and take a walk in a natural setting such as a park, or woods, or a field.  If none of those are possible, then just around the block.

(6) Laugh—rent, or go see a funny movie.

(7) Reflect on what you are grateful for (you can’t be in an attitude of gratitude and stressed out at the same time).

(8) Forgive:

“I forgive others,
and I now create my life in
the way I want it to be.” —Louise L. Hay

(9) Focus on your victories.

(10) Do some cloud-watching— outdoors or out your window of your home or office—the color of the blue sky and the watching the puffy clouds float by is calming.

(11) Escape for a few minutes—Play a game, whether it is Solitaire if you are indoors or bounce a ball outdoors.  (Don’t play computer Solitaire; use a real deck of cards.)

(12) Turn off your computer for a few minutes to be in a ‘place’ of serenity and tranquility.  Sitting down in a comfortable position, close your eyes and picture in your mind’s eye a place that you love with a person or animal that you love.

(13) Make your worries into a song.  That’s right; sing out loud lyrics composed of whatever it is you are worried about (worrying is a waste of energy) to the music of any song that comes to your mind.  You will soon start laughing out loud which is a great stress reliever!

(14) Clap out loud—it is a celebratory sound and will make you feel happy.

(15) Think about what you want in your life, not what you don’t want.

(16) Stay in the moment—thinking about the past or future does not keep you in the power of ‘now’—the gift of the present:


“Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift – that is why we call it the present.”
—Unknown wise person

(17) Take a relaxing bath or invigorating shower to wash away your worries—it allows you to shift from a negative focus to positive focus.

(18) Write down what is on your mind and giving you stress, writing or typing or even drawing a picture of the source of your stress gets you to detach from the negative thoughts for awhile and then release them—let them go.

(19) Sip on some soothing caffeine-free herbal tea that has aromatherapy properties too, such as Peppermint or Lavender—just breathing in the scent is relaxing while rejuvenating you and the taste does double-duty while it uplifts your mood.

(20) Just like the title of Richard Carlson Ph.D.’s book:  Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff”

By The Secrets For Money Team
© Copyright 2008 by Secrets For Money™

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