Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management

The Get Smart! approach to modern stress management is individually designed and defined by you. With the help of Get Smart! you will decide for yourself how to bring more balance to your life. Self-awareness, active reflection, and intuitive guidance are the key components of smart decision-making. This book has been designed to be a self-discovery tool. It includes numerous activities and journal assignments to enable you to learn about yourself. By deciding today that you want to Get Smart! you have decided to live in awareness and become empowered to make choices that will bring you the most fulfillment.

Chapter One:   Get Smart! Decision-Making
Chapter Two:   Raise Your Awareness
Chapter Three:   Re-Program Yourself
Chapter Four:   Work Less, Be More
Chapter Five:   The Burn Out Stage
Chapter Six:   Get in Touch With Your Spirit
Chapter Seven:   Stress in the 21st Century
Chapter Eight:   Enhance Your Energy
Chapter Nine:   Manage Yourself, Manage Your Stress
Chapter Ten:   Utilize Stress Mediators
Chapter Eleven:   Develop Coping Strategies
Chapter Twelve:   141 Ways to Alleviate Stress
Chapter Thirteen:   Become a Change Agent
Chapter Fourteen:   Whole-life Wellness
Chapter Fifteen:   The 7 Steps to Living a Balanced Life
Chapter Sixteen:   What is Life Balance?
Appendix of Resources
For Further Reading
About the Author

Excerpt from the book:
To combat modern day stressors, you need to realize that things are going to go the way they are going to go, so you may as well just relax. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to practice extreme self-care which means putting your own needs first. We have had it backwards for far too long, taking care of yourself first is not selfish, it is essential. Invest in yourself in all areas of your life, to include: personal services, massage therapy, body workers, counselors/coaches.

Develop daily rituals that keep you feeling good. You must take care of yourself first or you will be no good to anyone else. Self-care is simply loving and honoring yourself. Loving yourself is giving to yourself. Giving to yourself allows you to share with others more fully. Being more fully present means you naturally develop less of an attachment to what goes on around you, and can instead be more relaxed and at peace.

Releasing the need to control yourself, other people, and/or situations, will greatly reduce the amount of stress you experience in your life. Also helpful is relaxing, refreshing, and rejuvenating your body, mind and spirit.

Relax Your Body
Your body is your temple, and can easily get run down by stress, strain, and struggle, take care of it with regular relaxing activities.
Get good sleep
Swedish massage, hot stone massage
Foot or hand paraffin
Body treatments: aromatherapy body wraps, body scrubs, etc
Reflexology
Rigorous and regular exercise
Healthy sex

Refresh Your Mind
Your mind is your guide, it can easily get distracted and off course, so take care of it with regular refreshing activities.
Take long walks
Spend time in nature
Read inspirational messages
Learn new things
Talk with a good friend
Take care of your pet
Therapy or personal coaching on a regular basis
Rejuvenate Your Spirit
Your spirit is your connection with Source, and can easily be forgotten in the busyness of life, so take care of it with regular rejuvenating activities.
Meditate
Pray
Sing, dance, express yourself
Consciously slow down
Be fully present
Know and live by your values and beliefs
Surround yourself with supportive, loving, and accepting people

Stress-Free Activities
Connect with nature, it restores homeostasis to your system.
Make a list of your favorite things. Read it when you feel down.
Rely on friends and animals, they are great sources of support.
Create a pleasure drawer. Stock your drawer with personal momentos or simple indulgences--- favorite scents, textures, and tastes to create your own multi-sensory stress-relief treatments.
Be colorful. Color stimulates your eyes and your brain. When used properly, color can make you feel happy and energized. Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow increase heart rate and circulation. Cool colors, such as blue or lavender act like sedatives.
Deep breathe. Taking deep breaths will soothe your nerves, it sends oxygen to your brain and refreshes your mind. Inhale through your nose and count to eight. Fill your belly not your chest with air. Exhale through your mouth to the count of 10-16. Repeat five times until you feel calmer.
Laugh. Laughter is the best medicine for stress.
Find humor in the situation.
Imagine. Use visualization and guided imagery to take your mind off the situation.

And when you find yourself in a really challenging situation, remember the serenity prayer:
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.

About the Author:
Michelle L. Casto is Owner of Get Smart! a personal empowerment company. She is the author of three books and eight workbooks: Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships, Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management and Get Smart! About Modern Career Development who resides in Corpus Christi, Texas. She holds a Master of Education degree from the University of South Carolina, a Bachelor of Science degree in Interpersonal Communication from Ohio University, and is a Certified Career Development Facilitator Instructor and Customer Service Trainer. She has taught at numerous universities including Emory University, Kennesaw State University, Lanier Technical College, and the University of South Carolina.

As a writer, speaker, and teacher, Michelle specializes in “Whole-Life” issues such as romantic relationships, gender communication, career development, and stress management. When she discovered there wasn’t much practical, proactive advice about how to integrate the various human dimensions of love, labor, leisure, and learning, she founded her company Get Smart! in 1997. Since then she has taught others to take control of their life destiny. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, as she helps people come up with bright ideas for their lives and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world.

visit:
www.getsmartseries.com
www.brightlightcoach.com