The Absolute Best Stress Reliever

The #1 Stress Reliever: Fun Exercise

We all know exercise is important, and truly all the research points to exercise as the best panacea for relieving stress, extending life, removing toxins from your body and preventing serious diseases like obesity and diabetes. The key to sticking with exercise is to make it FUN and find a way to squeeze it into your day.

For my husband and me, the big three are salsa dancing, bicycling, andyoga. And when we don’t have time for anything else, walking for 15 minutes will do.

How to Fit Exercise Into Your Busy Day

I recently started a short-term consulting project that takes most of my day, and it means my healthy habits have been pushed aside for meetings, etc. I’ve been trying to incorporate more exercise into these busy days and here’s what I have learned so far:

– take the stairs whenever possible

– park far away from the entrance to increase your walking

– get up every hour from sitting (sitting too long is sooooo bad for you)

– go to bed earlier and do an exercise video before work; often it is 20 min of yoga

– take a long walk at lunch time

– find an exercise class at lunch or early morning.

(And if I plan ahead and take a healthy lunch to work, I am less likely to eat the wrong things.)

What do you do to sneak exercise into your life? Love to hear from you – please share any suggestions you may have. Email them to me at orders@firedupnow.com and with your permission, I will share them in future posts.

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More Ways to Achieve Your Goals

It’s now February. How are you doing on your resolutions? Usually, 75% of resolutions don’t make it.

Last post I gave you 4 ideas about how to achieve success with your goals. Here’s one more that is very powerful.

Track Your Progress

For years, I have maintained a healthy habits chart for my goals with different items I check off daily. Things like exercise, meditation, eating right, contacting friends, etc. are all there and I check them off.

Find a tool that works for you- there a plenty of great apps on smart phones or you can just customize your own chart. The key is daily tracking with rewards at monthly increments.

One of my weaknesses is sugar. Just have not been able to give it up! So that’s on my goals chart now and every day I don’t have sugar is a big win.

If you would like a blank chart, just email me at orders@firedupnow.com

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You CAN Achieve those Resolutions

It’s almost the end of January and many people are faltering on their resolutions. And they’re not alone. Usually, 75% of resolutions don’t make it.

But YOU CAN SUCCEED at your goals. Here are two keys from legends Brian Tracy and Darren Hardy of Success Magazine, sprinkled with my experience over the past 30 years.

1. Get crystal clear about what you want. Imagine it’s Jan 25, 2014 and this past year was the best year of your life. What happened to make it that way? Who was in your life? What did you do? So now what goals emerge from this that will help you get there?

2. Clarify, chunk and write down your goals. Now you know what the big picture is, clarify it by writing it down. That action alone is very powerful. For many people, weight loss and fitness are goals. Perhaps Bob saw himself 75 pounds lighter. That’s a huge goal. Reduce the goal to 50% likelihood – 33 pounds in 12 months that he keeps off.

Now chunk that into smaller steps.

I am a fit and healthy 185 pounds on Jan 25, 2013.

chunk goals for Feb 2013

– walk at least 4 times a week

– cut back on carbs

– stop eating at 8 pm

As Bob is successful at each of the small chunk goals, he can then move on to the next ones.The key is to create a pattern of success. It’s a cinch by the inch and a trial by the mile.

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Quick Tips to Create More Joy in Your Life

What can you do to create more joy in your life?

1. Celebrate your successes- large and small. Create a victory wall where you post achievements of any level- articles that have been published about you, goals achieved, races you’ve run, charity work you participated in,family achievements, etc. Look at it often and be grateful.

2. Find something to look forward to. It might be a weekend away, an upcoming conference, a vacation, or special time with friends. In one study, people who just thought about watching their favorite movie had an increase of 27% in endorphins (the ‘feel good’ hormone)- just from thinking about it. Every time something stressful occurs, think about what you are looking forward to and shift your state of mind. It works.

3. Spend time with little children. They live completely in the moment and they usually laugh several hundred times a day (as opposed to adults who laugh 7.) Jump into the present moment with them and savor it.

Start the Year with the End in Mind

It’s now 2013. For just a moment, pretend it’s New Year’s Eve 2013 and you are looking back over your year. What great successes have you had? What new relationships? What have you accomplished that was truly meaningful for you?

Start your year with the end in mind. How do you want your life to be?

• physically- healthy, fit and strong?

• emotionally- joy and happiness in life and your relationships? positive outlook?

• spiritually- peace and well-being, connection to something greater?

• financially- abundant, prosperous, generous, free?

• mentally- stimulated, challenged, creative, open?

Add in the words that are right for you and make a plan to create that in your life.
People who have written goals are far more successful than those who don’t. Give some serious consideration to what is important to you and make plans to achieve that. You can do it- you have infinite skills, talents and resources.

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New Study Shows Workers are More Stressed than Ever

92% of US Workers are Stressed

Stressed out Woman from Fired Up! and Stress Express

A new study from ComPsych Corp shows employee stress has escalated:

• 60% of all workers have high stress, while 32% have manageable levels of stress. Only 5% say they have low stress levels

• Causes of stress: 40% of workers blame workload and 34% blame it on who they have to work with

• 36 % lose an hour or more productivity due to stress daily & 40+ % waste nearly 30 minutes of work daily because of stress

• Absenteeism- 30% of worker miss between 3-6 days of work annually because of stress

Ways to beat stress:

• practice deep breathing 2-3 times a day- deep belly breaths

• sleep for at least 7 hours a night to extend your life, reduce stress & improve health

• exercise at least 15 minutes a day doing something- walking, yoga, dance, basketball

• stay away from negative co-workers

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

Overcoming the Stress of Holidays

You Can Overcome Holiday Stress

All too often the pressure of meals, gift-giving, family dynamics and time management get to be too much. Here’s how to prevent and beat that holiday stress.

• Ask for help. If you are cooking a holiday meal, don’t do it all. Be specific and ask each guest to bring something you need. It will lighten your load and expense.

• Use your neighborhood grocery– many will make all elements of your meal, or you can buy pre-made side dishes and desserts to save time and hassle.

• Do something untraditional- like Mexican or Italian

• Consider not doing the family thing. A coaching client of mine was dreading the negativity that their family regularly spews at holiday functions. I coached them to go on a vacation with their children. It worked out great and everyone was relaxed.

• Put the battles aside for one day. Vow to forgive and bite your tongue and change the conversation when it gets sensitive or controversial.

[add_to_cart item=”CD 2 Overcoming Holiday Stress” quantity=”user:1″ ]

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Helping Others in a Crisis

When a crisis occurs, whether a sudden storm, hurricane, tornado, earthquake or even car accident, people often wonder how they can help. And while donating to relief organizations is fine, your actions can make a huge difference. Here are a few ways to help:

• Reach out – check in regularly with those you know have experienced trauma or damage. Show them your love and caring, mail them food and toys for the kids, call often and give hugs.

• Refuel- many people without power are at risk of cold, starvation and dehydration. If you have a generator or extra food and water, share with others.

• Routine- help others get back to some of their regular routines. Even small rituals are soothing and bring back a sense of familiar

• Renew– if live you close by and your loved ones are in trouble, invite them to stay with you or at least have some meals at your home while they sort everything out

• Rebuild – you may not be a general contractor, but you can help save someone thousands of dollars by organizing your friends, getting some gloves and removing damaged walls etc

when it is safe.We recently experienced a big problem with mold and having friends come over and help move our furniture out was a huge help.

• Spend time listening. Often the shock of an act of nature takes days and weeks to set in.

Be there for them and offer hope. People in crisis can go into depression very easily. Showing up with calm, compassion, and practical support during emergencies demonstrates leadership resilience, helping communities stabilize and recover through collective action.

• Change their mindset – give them new things to think about, share good news of things they can look forward to, focus on the improvements.

Increase Your Confidence with Power Poses

Change Your Physiology with Power Poses

“Our nonverbals govern how other people think and feel about us.” Amy Cuddy

Amy Cuddy, in her excellent TedX video on youtube, shares some fascinating information about body language and positions of power. Many people collapse in on themselves during periods of stress, demonstrated physically by crossed legs, ankles, arms, hunched shoulders, hands in front of body. Confident people, resilient leaders, spread out, open up, take up space.

To gain more power, stand in the Wonder Woman pose (or Superman) for 2 minutes before a stressful event like a big meeting, speech, interview, etc. Standing in an expansive posture for two minutes before a stressful event can increase your sense of confidence and presence, helping to prevent burnout before it spreads. While later research has debated the hormone findings, many leaders report that intentional posture shifts improve their focus and emotional steadiness under pressure. Other power poses are the victory pose (arms in air shaped like v) or arms crossed behind your head. Stretch out, open your body up, breathe deeply and take up more space. Try it and see what a difference it makes.

Leaders communicate before they speak. Your posture signals certainty, anxiety, authority, or hesitation long before your first word. Managing physiology is one small but powerful way to lead yourself before leading others.

Add “New” to Fire Up! Your Life

Keep Your Life Fresh by Trying New Things

Brendon Burchard in his new book The Charge has some great suggestions about staying Fired Up! Something you may not have thought of is trying new things. The brain is hardwired for novelty and challenge and needs to be engaged to keep thriving. Here are a few ways to incorporate new into your life:

• 90 day getaway – every 90 days go away and explore someplace you have not been, doing new activities. It does not have to be expensive- it just needs to be different.

• Restaurant tour; explore restaurants you have never visited, try different kinds of food

• Spend time with new people – go to different networking or social events and broaden your circle.

• Develop new skillsets – my husband and I just installed a new glass tile backsplash in our kitchen. It was challenging but fun, and we love the results.