It’s May and springtime in Central Texas!  With all those rains, the wildflowers are bountiful and beautiful.  What a great time to give some thought to taking care of yourself.  For the next few weeks I’ll be sharing some ways you can do small things that make big differences.

One of the most important things you can do for yourself and all those around you is to learn how to lower your stress level.  Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Breathe!  Notice that I did not say “Sigh!”  Take slow, deep breaths while focusing your mind on your breathing.  For details on this simple technique, click here.
   
   
2. Pray!  Regardless of your faith or lack thereof, Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer is the sanest way I know to reduce stress.  Here it is:  “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” 
    
3. Subtract!  Is there something you are doing that you could drop?  If you answered, “Yes, but …” go back to # 2 and pray for courage!
   
   
4. Say “No.”  Did you know that “No.” is a complete sentence?  If you have trouble saying no, start by working on not saying “Yes” on the spot.  If you are not sure whether it is something you want to do, say “I need to think about it and will get back to you.  When do you need to know?”  This gives you time to decide without the pressure of the moment.  Even if it is something that you want to do, avoid saying “yes” in the moment because you will need to figure out what you are going to subtract before you add. 
   
   
5. See Green!  If you can, go outside for a few minutes.  The color green is calming, and the most beneficial green is a gift to us from Nature.  If you cannot get outside, do the next best thing:  go to a window and look out while doing some deep breathing (# 1).  If you are trapped inside with no access to Nature, close your eyes, breathe, and picture a favorite tree or plant in your mind’s eye. 

There are lots of other little ways in which we can lower our stress level.  What have you found that relaxes you?  As you go through this week, look for small ways to introduce peace and serenity into your day.  Bringing these little moments into our lives enables us to feel much calmer, even when there are many stressors we cannot change.  Peace!