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Happiness begins with you. Not your relationships, your friends, or your job. But with you. #nursethesoul #therapy #counselling #counselling #psychotherapy #help #advice #support #care #live #life #love #dream #psychology #teen #grunge #indie #thoughts #quote #qotd #poetry #inspiration #ask #problem #yoga #mind #body #soul #mentalhealth #Happiness #relationship #friends

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Unlike depression and anxiety, stress in the work place is something many of us can openly empathize with and talk about in a throw away manner after a days work. It is becoming a social norm that work induced stress is part of the job and ‘pushing yourself’ has become a duty, rather than a choice.

Ben Jacobson, a co-founder of Conifer Research, told The Wall Street Journal ‘No one wants to be seen as the slowest moving object in the solar system. You have to keep up with the Joneses – literally’. What we are really telling ourselves with this thought process is money, status and material possessions are more important than our health and happiness.

In short periods of time intense focus created by stress and the fight or flight mechanism can be used productively. Daily stress is different, it is not only difficult to manage but it has a negative ripple effect on our health and relationships, which in turn can lead to more serious problems such as depression and addiction.

My simple secret to dealing with stress in the workplace is by developing a better relationship with your mind, body and soul. Here are eight steps to help you make that change and lessen the stress in your life.

  1. Listen to your unique body – notice what stimulates stress for you and question why you are allowing yourself to meet that situation time and time again.
  2. Cut down on drinking – A little catch twenty-two but the nights before a big day at work should involve a clean evening. Find new ways to relax and swap them for that glass of wine!
  3. Practice mindfulness and meditation – It is really important that you take time for you. Start your day by spending a couple of minutes after you wake up deep breathing and increase this over time. YouTube also has wonderful, easy to follow meditation videos you can listen to in bed on your smart phone.
  4. Eat healthy – It’s easy to eat complex foods when you’re under stress as you think it will give you more time to deal with what you are stressed over but putting processed foods in your mouth will only increase the negative balance in your body and make it harder to manage the stress.
  5. Spend more time doing the things you enjoy – Don’t agree to doing things you don’t want to do! This is really important as pressure from peers and family can make you feel guilty if they invite you to something and you want to say no. It is not selfish to put yourself first. Develop your boundaries and treat yourself when you make time for you in the evenings and weekends.
  6. Exercise – If you really feel like you don’t have time to go to the gym, try a 20-minute run or an exercise class on the fitness channels. Twenty jumping jacks in the kitchen or bathroom at work when no one is looking can also increase your serotonin levels and temporarily combat stress!
  7. Learn something new outside your work environment – This will take your mind off your work related topics and make you feel good about yourself.
  8. Follow your heart – If you don’t wake up looking forward to your job because of the amount of stress it is causing you, think about finding a new profession that is more suited to your soul nature. Changing careers can be hard but a difficult career move will always be easier than a life of work induced stress.

Tasks at work should be enjoyable, challenge you and be a learning experience. Learn to enjoy your working life as much as your play time by following my simple secret and live, love and dream your way to your new stress free life.

Nurse The Soul

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Anxiety influences how we are in the world. It can be recognized in our uncomfortable feelings, physical symptoms, thoughts and high-energy out of control behavior patterns. Sometimes a vicious cycle can occur and it can begin to cloud judgment and have an effect on lives on a daily basis.

Not only can anxiety aggravate our health, it can damage our happiness, lifestyle and relationships. It is important for people suffering with anxiety to look at the underlying issues as well as learn ways to cope in the here and now.

Below are Nurse The Soul’s 10 natural ways to overcome anxiety in just 5 minutes!

  1. Progressive Relaxation – Squeeze, Release, Repeat! Focus on the muscles inside your body or take a cloth into your hand and watch your hand as you repeat this exercise.
  2. Draw – Close your eyes and imagine a peaceful place, then make it come to life in front of your eyes.
  3. Body Scan – Think of every part of your body one by one, taking a breath for every part you focus on.
  4. Binaural Beats – Listen to binaural beats (this only works using headphones).
  5. Mental Image – Visualize what you want to happen to you with your eyes closed in a comfortable position.
  6. Nature Observation – Watch a plant or an animal and notice how relaxed they are.
  7. Punch – Let your stress out into a big soft pillow.
  8. Deep breathing – Inhale through your nose, fill your chest and stomach full with air and exhale slowly out your nose.
  9. Journaling – Tell a piece of paper how you really feel.
  10. Positive Affirmations – What is it that is crippling you? If you believe you can’t do something, try telling yourself you can. Repeat the positive affirmation aloud for 5 minutes or write it down over and over again on sticky notes. Place the notes around your home and work space for a week and see how you feel after 7 days.

Don’t allow the anxiety to take over your life and start feeling in control today. Nurse The Soul is here if you need extra support and would like to talk to a professional about what you are experiencing.

Nurse The Soul

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From relationships and work to self love and structure, commitment phobic people can struggle with the fear of commitment on a daily basis. You might even feel angry towards a commitment phobe because of their lack of commitment to you or with the ways they make commitments and retreat from them at the last minute… It’s important to understand that commitment phobic people want to commit but their fear overwhelms them. They want to love, share and experience probably all the exciting things you are suggesting but they cannot say yes without experiencing high levels of anxiety. This fear comes from early experiences of abandonment and loneliness in the commitment phobe’s life.

There are ways you can get the commitment you are looking for from your commitment phobe friend/ partner but it won’t be easy. Commitment phobes are wonderful people to have in your life but they are like flowers and will test your patience for a long time until they bloom.

If the commitment phobe tells you about their fear of commitment, it is a sign that they want you to know about it so you can understand them and be in their lives. The next three moves are down to you:

1. Be understanding – Be someone who doesn’t think their fear of commitment is a selfish act but understands and appreciates where the anxieties are coming from. Tell them you know how hard it is for them to agree to something before you suggest something, and let them know that you don’t need an answer right away.

2. Practice tough love – Be someone who is emotionally stable and secure enough to not get sucked into the games the commitment phobe plays out. If you begin to become scared or angry about their lack of commitment, they will feel like you’re not strong enough for them and walk away. Be kind, but firm. Be honest about your own needs and stand your ground.

3. Show them commitment – Be someone who is committed to help the commitment phobe feel safe enough to come out their hiding place. Commitment phobia, like all fears, is just a wall to hide behind. Seeing that there is nothing to fear is a great relief to a commitment phobe and their walls will begin to slowly melt away.

Don’t be seduced into the games or walk away. Be patient and consistent. If you want the love you know a commitment phobe has locked away in their heart, stay strong, open and committed… Those are the reasons they were attracted to you in the first place.

For more help please contact us today.

Nurse The Soul

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‘I was such a #romantic when I was #young and the #truth is I had a few experiences that were #disappointing, and then I #lost the #idea of #perfect #romanticism. Which might be a #good thing because I believe there is no #perfect #relationship. You know, everything is #work and you #accept the #idea that… That #Prince Charming… maybe has an #issue with, you know, #anxiety, or used to have a #problem with #drugs.’ Julie #Delpy