This article looks at ways to reduce the amount people stress. I was often known as a bit if a stress head, which I have to admit was a good description of me. I have now learnt about ways to relax, which have helped me to live a much more care-free life.

There have been a number of issues in my own life which have caused me to lose confidence, become stressed and even depressed. These include:

A lack of true friends

I have had problems with debt

A stutter

A bald patch

I have had problems controlling my weight

I was often paranoid about what other people thought of me

These issues have caused me many sleepless nights. I would be unable to get to sleep as I was unable to relax. This was due to constantly worrying and thinking about my problems.

I then decided to study ways in which I could increase my self-esteem, reduce the amount that I stressed and also about how I could learn to relax. After a long time, I believed that I had some tools and techniques which would help me.

Stress management techniques

Stop thinking so much

I am what people call a thinker. I basically think too much. This would not be a problem if I was thinking in a positive way but of course I was a negative thinker.

To help me in this quest to stop thinking, I decided to start listening to more music. Whenever I hit a negative thought process, I would play this music. This could be when I am in the car, when I am in the house and even when I am in bed.

The music helps to take my mind off the issues that I was stressing about.

Quit smoking and start exercising instead

Many people decide to smoke a cigarette when they are stressed. I believe that a far healthier and cheaper option is to exercise.

I will do a few weights and a few press ups which helps me to let off some steam. It also helps me to fight my anger and fears.

Learning to relax

Relaxation was something I found very hard to do.

I have now started various forms of alternative therapy such as tai chi, meditation and reflexology. These are superb at helping people to relax and also help to reduce levels of stress.

This is what has helped me to reduce my own stress levels and I hope the advice will be of benefit to other people.

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Perhaps your home is very small, or perhaps your collection of stuff is very large. At any rate, you need to maximize every square inch of your storage space. You’ve jammed every closet, filled every shelf and stuffed every drawer. What more can you do?

As a professional organizer and designer of custom storage systems I’ve learned that the first step in maximizing space is to minimize useless clutter, but let’s say you’ve pared down your collection of items to the truly useful, sentimental and/or necessary. If that’s the case then it’s time to become a bit of an explorer. Your goal is not exotic artifacts or chests of gold but another hidden treasure– extra storage space! Start with the 5 “hidden” storage areas listed below, and then see how many more storage treasures you can find in your own home.

1. The back of the closet door– One of the more obvious hidden storage areas is also one of the least used. Approximately 50% of all clients I work with fail to use this space. The back of your closet door is an excellent place to hang and store everything from shoes, to clothes, to hats and accessories. A wide variety of door-mounted systems are available to make the most of this usually hidden space– from simple robe hooks to canvas bags capable of holding dozens of pairs of shoes.

2. Under the bed– There’s a whole closet of space under your bed! Under-bed space is often either overlooked or poorly utilized. Rather than treat the space as a large hidden junk drawer (Let’s find another space for your college bowling trophies and the 5-year old tax returns!), purchase plastic under-bed storage containers particularly designed for the task. Look for ones with secure, snap-on lids that open on both ends and small wheels to make placing and removing the containers easier. This is an excellent idea when your lack of closet space requires you to rotate your clothes from season to season.

3. Above the toilet– Rather than a single towel-bar or framed picture above the toilet consider additional storage in the form of an étagère or space-saver cabinet. These handy shelving units that fit over and above your toilet can be found in almost any style to match your décor and offer everything from simple open shelving to glass-inset cabinet doors. Depending on the style purchased they can be used to store towels, toiletries, make-up and more.

4. The garage ceiling– Most people tend to utilize only one surface in their garage- the floor. Newer storage systems and cabinets have begun to make use of vertical wall space, but there’s still one area that is almost always overlooked and underused- the garage ceiling. Many homes have garages with 9-10 foot ceilings, and for most, the two or three feet above their vehicle is simply empty space. Many storage product manufacturers now sale overhead storage racks designed to hold everything from boxes of Christmas decorations to lawnmowers. Some even come equipped with electric motors to raise and lower the platform making this solution ladder-free and lower-back friendly.

5. Stored luggage– This has been my secret storage weapon for years. My wife and I purchased a full set of large suitcases to travel overseas years ago, and while they worked wonderfully on vacation, they became a huge waste of precious space back home. Our solution– use them as additional storage! Over the years we have used our largest, rarely-used suitcases to store out-of-season clothing, Christmas gifts, books, and during one move, we even stored dishes in them.

Now that you’ve been giving a beginner’s field guide to finding hidden storage treasures, lace up your boots, grab your binoculars, and see what uncharted storage space you can discover in your own home!

About the Author

Chris Rasure is the owner of InnerSpace Custom Storage Solutions, located in Tyler, Texas. InnerSpace provides computer-aided design and professional installation of custom closet systems as well as organization systems for the garage, laundry room, pantry and home office. The InnerSpace website provides information and example photos of their professionally designed and installed systems as well as helpful organization tips and links to purchase closet and organization accessories for the do-it-yourselfer.

Last December, my family and I took our first ever trip during a holiday. Since I was always in the wine business and working long hours during December we could never get away. But we were able to enjoy Chicago’s lovely weather instead of relaxing by a pool in the hot Florida sun. During the plane ride down I read a great book on positive thinking. Little did I know how quickly it would come in handy!

We were not unaccustomed to the throng of warm weather seekers, as we had never traveled in December. The line at the car rental counter seemed longer than the Mississippi River. We waited patiently (sort of) for 45 minutes, only to learn that we were at the wrong place! Have you ever made a bone-headed move like that? Typically, this would have thrown me for a complete loop; however, I was able to draw upon my new, positive mental attitude to save the day! “Good news and bad news,” I told my family. “The bad news: we’re at the wrong place! The good news is that we have a funny family story to laugh about for generations to come.” The children weren’t impressed!

Situations in life can either be positive or negative, happy or sad. You’ve all heard the expression, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” It’s true! It’s your frame of reference that makes the difference. Had I chosen to be upset by this fiasco, it would have been my choice! Having taken the car rental bus from the airport, we were caught in no- man’s-land. I had two choices: take the bus back to the airport, or hoof it a mile to the right place. I hoofed it! (Yes, just a mile; however, I’m not in marathon shape any more. The other day I stepped on our talking scale, and it told me to come back when I was alone!). Unfortunately, the line was just as long. The lady behind me was making all these frustrated noises, muttering under her breath about the long wait. Inside, I was chuckling because I had chosen not to let the situation get the best of me.

Here are some tips to help you develop a positive mental attitude:

-Generate enthusiasm: Have a great sense of expectancy each day.

Enthusiastic people have an infectious effect on other people and are typically able to garner cooperation from others. Many books on success say that you become what you think about. Keeping a positive state of mind is part of maintaining an enthusiastic attitude. In fact, when I teach companies to hit the grand slam with their customers, I stress the need to select passionate, enthusiastic people. Have you ever walked in a store and felt a warm embiance? The truth is that customers feel more welcome in an enthusiastic environment. ·

See the positive in things: Don’t dwell on the negative.

People have a tendency to ignore all the positive things that happen in life and business. For most of my life, I was the President and owner of my family’s wine stores. We had a manager who would always complain about orders being filled incorrectly. I knew that it was important to see why the problem was occurring; however, I reminded everybody to remember all the orders that were completed successfully. I wanted everybody to take pride in what was going right. Learn from the bad things, but always remember all the good that happens as well.

Have positive body language: When you talk with others, most of your communication is coming from your body language.

Don’t just have a positive frame of mind. Demonstrate through your body language your happiness. Let others see your smile. Smiling shows your warmth, and that you are an open and accepting person. It shows how you feel on the inside. In business, greet customers sincerely, whether on the phone or in person. Try this test: the next time you run into someone you haven’t seen in a while, show, through your actions, that you are genuinely happy to see that person. It will make a great difference.

Welcome friendly criticism; don’t avoid it: Use criticism as an opportunity to learn.

Recognize opportunities to see how others view you. If you accept (and don’t fear) comments, you may see areas that need improvement. Nobody’s perfect! A long time ago, somebody gave me some advice that I will always remember. A friend of mine said “Calm down. Don’t be so hyper!” It turns out that my passion and emotion needed to be more reserved when I met someone for the first time. It was great advice. Learn to ignore people who just want to put you down. Have you ever had a friend or family member who constantly put you down? Did those people wear you down? Learn to spot the people who want to help, while ignoring the others. They are wrestling their own demons. Don’t let them affect you.

Develop a success plan: Make a blueprint of your own vision. Achieving your goals is incumbent on your ability to decide what you want, and then to do everything necessary to get it. Most people, although they are not pleased with their current state of life, will do nothing to change the situation. As Herbert Harris calls it in “The 12 Universal Laws of Success”, they become “satisfied with their dissatisfaction.” A success plan is tangible and concrete. Before you achieve success, you must first ask if you are willing to increase your commitment and do whatever it takes to get that success.

Don’t forget reading a few books on positive mental attitude. A great one is Jeffrey Gitomer’s “YES! Attitude Book.” As Jeffrey would say, turn off the TV and read. Invest in your future. Take the time to change your thought processes. It works! Remember the car rental mistake from the first paragraph above? I could have blamed the travel agent and blown off a little steam, perhaps even saved some face with the family. I didn’t, and I feel better for it. I asked the travel agent to book the wrong company. It was my fault; however, with the right attitude, things were ok. Look at the bright side. I ran a mile. At least I worked out!

For those of you whose flea-riddled rabbit’s foot and graying pair of lucky Y-fronts are failing to deliver, help may be at hand. According to those thoughtful types who ponder life’s mysteries, it’s official – we make our own luck. British psychologists have spent the last ten years investigating why some of us encounter an endless barrage of unfortunate mishaps while others glide through life without scraping the sides. After much box-ticking and graph plotting they have concluded that luck is a skill that can be taught in much the same way as French grammar or advanced driving.

Take the bankrupt loser whose third wife has just swapped him for a Yorkshire terrier. These new finding suggest that he would be wrong to blame his predicament on the ghostly influences of a few knobbly old rocks hanging about in space or the rudely pointing finger of Fate. Rather, he should accept the consequences of his actions and learn to grab life’s opportunities when they come calling. Hardly rocket science you might think but, to be fair, the experts have quantified their theory in four basic principles, which when followed are purported to increase a person’s good fortune.

The First Luck Principle

The first principle of luck is to maximize your chance opportunities. Apparently, lucky people create lots of possibilities for constructive encounters by networking and being well disposed to new experiences. By actively seeking change, they increase the probability of productive openings and life-enhancing experiences. When lucky breaks do arise, these people notice them and act on them effectively. Researchers have managed to illustrate this trait using a simple experiment. Volunteers were given a newspaper and asked to count the number of photographs in it. Those people who considered themselves lucky consistently spotted the message placed on the second page. It read, “Stop counting – there are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” and they were able to give the answer in seconds. The self-confessed unfortunates regularly missed the message and took several minutes to complete the task. So it seems that the lucky ones among us are out there grabbing life’s chances, armed with a good pair of reading glasses.

The Second Luck Principle

Luck principle number two states that fortunate people listen to their intuition and act on gut-feeling. Also they actively boost their receptiveness to these signals using meditation and other mind-clearing techniques. If an empty head is thought to bring luck then perhaps the secret is to sleep more. Statistics suggest that, on average, we are each likely to have a dream every nineteen years that subsequently comes true. If it happens to be the result of next Saturday’s two fifteen from Newmarket – principle proved.

The Third Luck Principle

Lucky people expect good things to happen to them while the unlucky know they will only encounter misery. This is the third principle of luck. Using this power of positive thinking, lucky people tend to persist in the face of difficulties, turning their high expectations into self-fulfilling prophecies. Fortunate people are often unrealistically optimistic about the world but good things tend to happen to them because they live in a less cautious and anxious way and are prepared to take risks. As specialist, Professor Chris French puts it, “This is a nice example of a situation where an irrational belief can be psychologically healthy.” Next time you buy your lottery ticket in the certain knowledge that you will beat the 13,983,815 to one odds and win the jackpot, remember you’re not really indulging in a flippant waste of money. You are actually engaged in a scientifically endorsed self-improvement technique.

The Fourth Luck Principle

The final luck principle involves the turning of bad luck into good – the classic half-full glass scenario. People of a lucky disposition don’t dwell on ill fortune. Invariably, they imagine how much worse things could have been and try to turn the situation to their advantage. South African businessman, Danie de Toit made a speech about the fragility of life and how death can strike at anytime. At the end of the lecture, he popped a peppermint into his mouth and choked to death on it. A luckier man would have viewed this incident as a perfectly timed demonstration of his argument. Unfortunately, he was no longer around to appreciate his master stroke.

Luck School

Dr Richard Wiseman claims to have had great success with his luck principle theory, which he has applied to pupils attending his “Luck School” at the University of Hertfordshire. Formerly an accident prone depressive, luck student Tracy cheerfully regales how she can’t remember the last time she fell down a hole or had concussion. She’s even had a couple of wins on the bingo. This research is now being tested in the business world, with remarkable results. One struggling IT company in Welwyn Garden City managed to increase turnover by 20 percent, month on month after Dr Wiseman had worked his lucky charm on its beleaguered employees.

Watch Out…

Before you merrily toss your rabbit’s paw on the compost heap – a note of caution. However well you manage to take control of your luck, if Fortune decides she just doesn’t like the look of you, there’s not a lot you can do to stop her. British cavalry officer Major Summerford was struck by lightening while fighting in the First World War and subsequently paralyzed from the waist down. After the war he moved to Vancouver where six years later he was struck again and paralyzed down his right side. Two years on, lightening struck a third time and paralyzed him completely. He never recovered properly and died within two years. Four years later lightening destroyed Major Summerford’s grave. Now that’s just rotten luck.

To find out more about the psychology of luck, visit the luckfactor.co.uk Luck Project

Louise Dop is a successful freelance writer and technical author. Her ebook, The Writer’s Secret Weapon, brings together a collection of the best clearlywrite.co.uk free online resources for writers and gives an insight into the writing life. With over 50 direct links to resources, this straightforward guide will show you the real-life tips and tricks that – armed with an Internet connection and basic computer literacy – you can try for yourself right away.