Are You a Good Stress Manager? (Part 2)

Here are the other valuable traits that distinguish effective stress managers.

 

• You choose your crowd as much as possible.

 

Some people are fixtures in your life—parents, relatives, and siblings. When you were born into this world, no one asked you to choose them to fill in these roles. They were given to you, so you have no choice but to embrace them for everything they are—merits, idiosyncrasies, and all. Come to think of it, there is nothing really unusual about this as everybody has his/her quirks. It is only a matter of how much of these we can and are willing to put up with. But the thing here is, you do not have to endure every person that comes your way. Your family is a fixture you have to keep, but your friends and other people you hang out with (even lovers and partners) can be selected.  So choose them wisely. If they always burden you emotionally and mentally (and they choose to remain oblivious or could not care less about you), then you should keep distance or look for a more supportive group of people who are not as self-centered or selfish.

 

• Be in charge of your environment.

 

Cannot help but feel anxious every time you watch the news? Are you easily affected by the negative emotions of the characters in a TV drama? Then by all means stay away from them as much as possible. Do not watch the news and skip the headlines when perusing the newspaper (better yet do not read the newspaper at all). And if intense dramas cause your blood pressure to shoot up, opt for light comedies or more amusing film choices that delight rather than stress you.

 

Other environmental controls you can practice are as follows:

 

·         If daily traffic unnerves you, leave half an hour earlier than usual. Either this or you choose a better route.

 

·         You do not like the attitude of a coworker? Or having trouble with him or her? Stay out of his/her way. Avoid being in the same place at once as much as possible. If he/she is seated next to your station, request to be transferred. If this is not possible zone out as you plug in to relaxing music to keep your thoughts away from him/her.

 

·         To lift up your spirits, try redecorating your room. You can give it a fresh paint in your favorite relaxing color. Pressed for time? A simple decluttering will do the trick.

 

• Narrow down your list of “to-do” tasks.

 

If you are spreading yourself too thin by taking on tasks beyond your capacity to handle, then you are setting yourself up for a breakdown any time soon. The overwhelming stress can take its toll not only on your physical health, but also mental well-being. Be realistic. Do not bite off more than you can chew. Learn how to prioritize tasks, so you do not end up wasting your time and valuable energy.

Are You a Good Stress Manager? (Part 1)

Who does not dream of living a stress-free life? No worries. No bills to pay. No health concerns to rob you of sleep. No crazymakers who exasperate you and drive your round the bend to the point of breaking. And no unfulfilled dreams or ambitions to lament about.

 

But unfortunately, life will not be what it is in the absence of stress. It is a fact all of us need to acknowledge and embrace. On the upside, not all stress is bad. There are good types of stress that inspire you to put your best foot forward or live up to expectations. Although these can be associated with specific instances, like the need to improve your performance to get good work evaluation and the likes, truth be known that more often than not, it all depends on how you perceive it and manage it.

 

Yes, even the worst type of stress can be viewed as a good one if you will it. You can use it advantageously to develop yourself even more, rather than let it bury you in misery. But if you have to deal with these one after the other or worse, at the same time, you may weaken and buckle beneath the combined force later on.

 

To prevent the combined force of intense stress from weighing you down, you must manage it well. And herein is where the question lies: are you a good stress manager?

 

Even if you have had been battling and juggling stress all your life, you could never justify just how good a stress manager you are unless you possess these traits:

 

You know when to say “no.”

 

The only way you will know if you are taking on too much stress or not, is if you are aware of your limits. Given that some people are more resilient and tougher than others, still, limitations exist. It is part and parcel of human existence. As much as we want to go beyond our innate capabilities, truth be known that in failing to acknowledge this truth, we run the risk of spreading ourselves too thin. Once this occurs, expect everything to fall apart.

 

Therefore, you have to make it a point to know your personal limits. Then you should have the courage to put your foot down and either decline or pause for a while if matters threaten to overwhelm you. Whether in your personal or professional life, knowing when to say turn down and abiding by it is the first step to good stress management.

 

If you think that you are doing yourself and other people a favor when you overburden yourself, you are wrong. You are only wasting your effort and time needlessly. Why? Because once you are stressed out already, your efficiency, patience, and interest dips. In turn, this is bound to adversely affect your output.

 

Understanding How Challenges Can Break You Apart

Challenges to a romantic relationship come in the form of problems and issues. Ideally, they are intended to further reinforce bonds while testing the love and sincerity of both partners for each other. They do not come easy. They may ignite disagreements. Worse case scenarios result to riffs that eventually broaden until the relationship dissolves completely.

Why do challenges sometimes break up couples instead of further strengthening their bond? Ponder on the following answers:

Both of you or one of you is resistant to change.

In life, change is a fixture. Regardless of circumstance or prevailing issues, it will come. It will take place whether you choose to embrace it or not. As with other kinds of relationships, couples are prone to experiencing changes. There is no telling the exact way whereby these can take place since situations vary on a per couple basis. Because it is inevitable, partners should remain flexible (as much as possible or all the time). Doing so not only promotes their growth as a couple. But it also makes their bond stronger and more resilient. Thus, they can be expected to stay together. Problems do not break them. Instead it further intensifies their love and trust for each other.

You (or both of you) deliberately choose to turn a blind eye to persisting problems.

Who does not want a harmonious relationship absolutely free of rough patches? But this is not how relationships are developed and proven. As with all else, challenges will line the course and put the couple to the test. These challenges are problems and issues that may arise from all sorts of things that either directly or indirectly involves them. They may manage to avoid some but not all. But what is most important is that they stay together and work with each other to overcome their challenges.

Every time problems surface, they should discuss it and try to find ways to resolve it while carefully considering each other’s feelings and welfare. Evading them does not guarantee that they will not be forced to face it later on. Denying it will only aggravate their situation. Why? The more they delay acknowledging it, the bigger the problem grows. In turn, as the problem worsens, the greater the pressure is for them to find an effective solution. If delayed too long, they may experience time constraint, which further aggravates and complicates matters.

If it happens that one or both of them spot the problem before it becomes full blown, they should take a proactive stance and come up with the best way to address it. Issues and problems are better handled during the early stages. If not, they more they should take on a proactive mindset, and work even more closely together to find the best approach. 

How to Deal Effectively with the Hurdles

As much as people would want their relationships to be smooth sailing, reality always poses challenges along the way. But troublesome as these are, they are meant to strengthen bonds, not break couples apart. If they become the cause of breakups, it only goes to show that the couple has not yet fully matured to strengthen their connection by learning to respect differences while staying and working together as a team. To slue you in on how you and your partner can best approach and handle issues and problems, here are two helpful pieces of advice.

Avoid venting your stress on your partner.

Having a bad day at work? Worried about the bills? Problems are part and parcel of daily life. You and your partner are equally susceptible to issues. These may not always involve both of you at the same time. It happens (and you know it) that you have your own individual problems to deal with. Either way, do your best not to take out your problems on each other. Remember: no matter how stressful life gets, you must avoid venting your frustration and exhaustion on your partner. Although this is a common tendency among people, particularly if they cannot express themselves freely for whatever reason, you know how this can jeopardize your relationship.

At times, you or your partner may be having a hard time coping with life issues like loss of a loved one, job problems, and many more. Other situations like conflicts at work and serious health problems can make it challenging for both of you to associate with one another as well. During times like these, practice caution with your actions and words. Before you act and speak, take a deep breath and try to evaluate if what you will be doing or saying will not cause unwanted repercussions. Do not allow your stress and feelings to override your reasoning. Think before you speak. Always bear in mind that words said in anger can hurt your partner for an indeterminable period.

Do not force solutions to a problem.

By now, you do know that at times problems can be beyond both of you. No matter how much you want it resolved right away, know that forcing solutions may only aggravate the situation. It is not about whether you both agree with one solution or not, but it would be helpful to acknowledge that despite concurrence, you both have unique ways of approaching and solving a problem. Nonetheless, relationships succeed due to both partners willingness to reconcile differences. Among these are the way they differ in terms of facing and managing problems and issues. To keep everything in the right perspective, never lose sight of the fact that you are a team. Despite personal differences, you should pool your efforts to work towards achieving a common goal. You are not supposed to compete with each other. Power struggles and individual insecurities poison what could have been otherwise harmonious and happy relationships.

Keep the Love Alive!

No two couples have the same relationship. Given inherent differences and surrounding circumstances, this is expected. Thus, you cannot directly compare how yours fare alongside those of others. Your bond is unique in as much as the same way that both you and your beau are one-of-a-kind persons in your own right. Yet despite differences, there exist common traits that unify all lasting, loving relationships. As the basic principles behind every successful romantic relationship, they provide meaning, fulfillment, and excitement through good times and bad:

 

So what traits characterize a healthy romantic relationship?

 

• Both partners are involved in each other’s lives.

 

Coexisting harmoniously by getting along with each other does not automatically imply that you are involved in each other’s lives. Involvement means relating to one another and working together to keep the relationship thriving. You may be an a-okay on the surface—hardly any arguments, good rapport, etc. But if you feel like a total outsider in his life, and vice versa, then you need to work on increasing involvement. Furthermore, if communication is lacking, then the gap widens all the more. If you feel like an outsider in his life, then your involvement is questionable.

 

• They can manage conflict well.

 

Disagreements are common between couples. Though both of you are willing to compromise, expect that you will not see eye to eye in everything and anything. Whether or not you resolve this quietly or through bickering and loud arguments, how you get through it is most important. Healthy couples are not fearful of conflicts. Partners should be comfortable about airing their opinions openly about matters that bother them individually. Neither one of them should not be held back by fear of humiliation, degradation and being overshadowed.

 

• Each partner keeps his/her own interests and relationships (non-romantic).

 

Couples may be crazy about each other. But they should never fall into the trap of thinking that either one of them answers all individual needs. If one of them sees things this way, then he can put too much pressure on his partner. Healthy relationships have couples that acknowledge their need of one another while still keeping their own friends and relationships with other people. Each partner has his/her own sets of interests apart from those he/she shares with the other.

• They communicate.

But not just communicate. They communicate honestly and openly. If something bothers them, they bring it out into the open. They are comfortable in each other’s presence. When either one of them has to say something, they do so without fear or discomfort. Direct communication fuels and further strengthens their bond. But communication is not just limited to speaking. This includes non-verbal communication evident in the following: eye contact, body movements, touching, etc.

Local SEO Keywords

In keywords optimization, how do you determine which keywords are best for your websites or blog? Some SEO webmasters said that “Long Tail keywords” are also best for your blog or site. Long tail keywords consist of four to five words. It involves the technique of targeting less competitive niche markets rather than competitive exact keywords. You can easily get ranked with long tail keywords because of less competition. For example “newlandscape services Columbus OH” will rank first rather than “landscape services” generic keywords. Why? The searcher is specifically looking for landscape services in Columbus OH, thus he will include the specific location as part of the keyword.

How do long tail keywords work for your blogsite? They give you

1.       Higher sales conversion

2.       Easy Ranking

3.       Less optimization

4.       More visitors means more traffic

Article 4

Online marketers already know what SEO means. But if you’re a beginner, your knowledge of its function may still be limited.  To help you better understand how it works, read on. 

Some business industries ask: why do they have to invest in SEO?

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is one of the best methods if you want to increase business site visibility in the search engine. Defined as the process of improving website visibility in the search engines, SEO means organic traffic to increase business site exposure. Although people tend to find the best products in magazines, TV ads or newspaper, majority of them search online. Thus, your chances of reaching your target market are much higher when you establish the identity of your business on the internet.

If your site is at the top of the search list, people will easily find it.

SEO helps to increase visitors to your business website, which can bring you more sales and profit. But more importantly, it shares what your business is all about such as your objectives, products and services. Building your business reputation means sharing quality content and information relevant to your topic. Proper website optimization increases customer loyalty and trust to your visitors. It attracts global customers.

SEO is a significant and efficient formula to generate traffic to your website. Building quality links and sharing quality content will help land you on the top pages of the search engines.

If you are one of those business entrepreneurs who think SEO is expensive, do realize that whatever price would be incurred by acquiring the services will always be cost-effective. SEO is a long and continuous campaign and process. Time is a necessity in ensuring the success of SEO methods.  So if you want to apply SEO in your business and get your money’s worth, get the services of a topnotch SEO Company.