Stop Stressing – Sacred Time and Space

In addition to the way that stress becomes quite relentless and ever present in our lives, it also has a terrible habit of refusing to respect boundaries. No matter how we might assume that everything’s been taken care of, something always seems to come up to intrude into our few free moments and rob us of the rest we so desperately need.

The body has tremendous powers to recover from difficulties and exhaustion. This is why even people in terrible jobs with bad health still are able to get up every day and go back into it, grinding themselves against the stone – even a little bit of rest provides a recuperation of sorts. However, if not taken advantage of, this tendency will only draw out our exposure to and struggle with stress, delaying the inevitable breakdown that comes from high-stress living.

If we learn the process of establishing boundaries and creating opportunities to rest – instead of just utilizing them as they show up – we can multiply the power of this rejuvenating phenomenon so that we feel more calm, empowered and at ease with our lives.

Step 1 – Take Control

Again, stress will not stop intruding on its own. We have to make it stop by pushing it aside so that we have more room for our own happiness.

As part of our exercises, we’ve been keeping a stress log. Take the time to look yours over and find out what periods of each day are the least busy overall. Set these times aside and immediately let people know that this will be a period that you’re resting and not to be reached. In taking this step, you naturally create the space for yourself, instead of relying on reality to provide it for you and ending up frustrated when reality doesn’t cooperate.

Step 2 – Be Consistent

Remember that the key to successful habit building is to get into a timed routine that occurs on a schedule. It’s the activities we try to “get to when we can” that we’re most likely to cut in favor of scheduled or planned events, as we’ve learned before.

So you should put your relaxation time on as much of a schedule if possible. If you can, make it for the same time every day. If your day schedule swings around a lot, such as working day shifts early in the week and night shifts at the end of it, then adjust accordingly. For example, perhaps you can’t have a relaxing time at 5 p.m. every day because two days out of the week you’re engaged in work projects at 5 p.m. Move the relaxation on those two days to another time you can make work, and stick to that schedule.

Step 3 – Be Firm

The title of this article refers to the word “sacred” in the sense of something that can’t be argued with and shouldn’t be violated. In addition to making the necessary time available for yourself, you need to be absolutely firm in attending to it.

Our modern conveniences would have us believe that we need to be in absolutely constant contact at all hours of the day, but this really is an illusion. Almost everyone can do without reaching a certain person for many hours, and we are no different. So, when the time comes to engage in your appointed relaxation, take every step to make sure it is absolute.

If your relaxation time is set up so you need to be alone, turn off the computer and the phone entirely. If you have a landline, disconnect it, or set the voicemail to mute at least. The messages will be there when you’re done. If you absolutely must be available in the event of an emergency, clearly spell out to anyone what an emergency is – something requiring you to speak to the police or the paramedics is a good standard to start with.

If your relaxation time is set aside for being with friends, then follow similar measures. Let people know you will not answer any messages sent during your time with those friends, again with the same injunction about what really would be an emergency.

Step 4 – Be Creative

The specific nature of the rejuvenation you choose should be deeply personal and something you enjoy without reservation. Perhaps it’s a comfortable nap on the couch in the sunroom, or an hour spent reading a good book. Maybe it isn’t a daily event, but a weekly trip to the beach to enjoy the sun and fresh air. Maybe it’s just a good night out with friends singing karaoke.

Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you look forward to doing. A great deal of the rejuvenating power of a preferred activity comes from anticipating how much fun or how relaxing it will be, and then being satisfied when it meets or even exceeds expectation. So leave yourself reminders of it where you can see or notice them, so that the delightful experience awaiting you will always be ahead in your mind.

This article previously published here.

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Larry Tobin is the co-creator of http://www.HabitChanger.com/, offering effective and empowering solutions for stopping stress. Try our 42-day program that will help you learn proactive habits to beat stress and keep you moving forward in the right direction.

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The Natural Choice for Allergy Elimination

The body is a brilliant creation that is inherently strong and designed to heal itself without synthetic intervention. Long before Western medicine was developed, many people understood that by strengthening the immune system and bringing balance to the body, the human body could be expected to heal itself. Allopathic medicine is not completely estranged from this concept. Naturopathic doctors, though not officially recognized in all areas of the U.S., practice a branch of medicine that follows the premise that the body possesses an innate wisdom and healing capability.

While our American society does offer some natural health care choices such as naturopathic and chiropractic, the majority of our population still seems to rely heavily on the pills and prescriptions that our mainstream medicine is known for. With regard to allergies, however, there is a growing movement of naturally oriented physicians that are doing some outstanding work in allergy elimination. Early research shows that about 80% of patients who have tried energy-based allergy treatment have experienced lasting results. These results are quite impressive when you consider that they include food allergies, a type of allergy elimination that has evaded traditional doctors for decades.

One natural allergy treatment that has grown in popularity is NAET, or the Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique. Dr. Nambudripad has trained hundreds of chiropractors and other health professionals to administer this energy-based treatment in their offices. Energy-based allergy practitioners follow an age-old Chinese medicine paradigm in which vital energy is thought to flow in the human body through special channels called meridians. When the energy is flowing freely, health and wellness exists. However, when the vital energy is not flowing properly, that is an indicator of illness or allergies.

NAET and other energy-based allergy approaches utilize muscle testing to identify allergies and sensitivities. Otherwise known as applied kinesiology, this can be a very quick, effective, and painless method of discovering what you’re allergic to. An NAET doctor can have patients lie down on a table while they hold an allergen vial; the vial contains the same energy signature as the real allergen it represents, so it is convenient for the doctors to work with these vials. Patients may extend one arm upward and the doctor will ask them to resist while he presses down on their wrist. This tests the strength of the deltoid muscle of the shoulder; if an allergy or sensitivity exists, the patient won’t be able to resist the doctor’s pressure and his or her arm will fall downward toward the table.

With energy-based allergy treatments like NAET, after a patient’s allergies are identified, they are treated. A patient will hold an allergen vial while the doctor or practitioner applies spinal manipulation, or the doctor might stimulate a sequence of acupressure points along the patient’s body. After a brief waiting period in which the patient holds the allergen vial, the doctor will muscle test that patient again to ascertain whether the treatment was a success. Frequently, the treatment will have been a success on the first attempt. Moreover, patients’ allergies are often eliminated permanently! Keep in mind that energy-based treatments can work for children and infants as well, as doctors can use a surrogate treatment method that utilizes a parent during testing and treatment.

Recently, there has been an interesting development in the field of energy-based allergy treatment. Some physicians are starting to offer a do-it-yourself system in which patients can eliminate their allergies at home, the advantage being a lower cost to patients as well as the convenience of fewer trips to the doctor’s office. An excellent example is the method offered by Dr. Sandi Radomski. In her book, Meridian Laser Technique, patients are taught how to treat their own allergies using a small, inexpensive cold laser that functions at a special frequency. In order to treat their allergies, patients simply tap on some acupressure points and stimulate others with the laser. Wow, how about that; would you like to be your own allergy doctor?

Author’s Note: Article published here.

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Bob Fioravante is an educator, allergy researcher, and webmaster who enjoys sharing his passion about health and natural healing. His web site is an extensive resource for allergies, including natural allergy treatment methods you can perform yourself. Learn more at: http://www.AllergyEscape.com/

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Bloodborne Pathogens For Nonhealthcare Settings

Hospitals and health care facilities have a great deal of practice at handling incidents where employees may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. However, if you’re not working in a health care setting, chances are your employees aren’t as experienced in bloodborne pathogen incidents. Here are some tips to help prevent exposure incidents at your facility:

Make sure all employees have been trained to recognize what is (or is not) a bloodborne pathogen exposure and what to do to protect themselves to prevent exposure.

Make PPE readily available. First aid kits should, at a minimum, include a pair of gloves. If PPE for clean up (masks, aprons, goggles, face shields, etc.) isn’t regularly used at your facility, make sure that you have at least one complete set on site. Notify supervisors where the cleanup PPE is located and attach a label inside first aid kits that indicates the location of the PPE.

Provide anyone who will have responsibility for cleaning up after a bloodborne pathogen incident with appropriate training (including cleaning of tools-brooms, mops, scoops-used in clean up). Because employees are not likely to use these skills often, place a laminated sheet with cleanup instructions in your first aid kits as reminders.

Ensure that you have appropriate disinfectant available for clean up (generally, you’ll find that you have an “appropriate” disinfectant, like bleach, among your janitorial supplies so you don’t necessarily have to buy something special). Also, make sure that the disinfectant is accessible (e.g., if it’s kept in the janitor’s closet, someone on every shift has access to the closet and not just the janitor on the night shift).

Identify how you will store and dispose of waste from the incident that cannot go into the trash.

Author’s Note: This article published here.

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Rathi Niyogi is the CEO of CriticalTool, a national distributor of Nitrile Gloves, Latex Gloves and other safety products. If you thought this article was helpful, additional information on gloves can be found at http://www.criticaltool.com/work-gloves.html

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