Article by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits

Stress is a major problem for many people — a hectic, stressful job, a chaotic home life, bills to worry about, and bad habits such as unhealthy eating, drinking and smoking can lead to a mountain of stress.

If your life is full of stress, like mine once was, there are some simple things you can do to get your life to a more manageable level.

Now, your life will probably never be stress-free — I don’t think that’s even desirable, even if it is possible, because stress is something that challenges us and helps us grow.  At a reasonable level.  But when stress gets too high, it causes us to be unhappy and unhealthy.

It wasn’t that long ago when I was working long hours in a very stressful job, with little time for my family, smoking and eating fatty foods and not exercising.  I had a lot of debt and too many bills.  I was unhappy and stressed out all the time.  I was losing hair … OK, actually that was because of genetics, but still.  I was pretty stressed.

So I made some drastic changes.  I quit my job.  I simplified my life.  I quit smoking and started exercising and eating healthier.  I began to eliminate my debt.  And I learned some habits that, when applied on a daily basis, can really transform the way you live, in a positive way.

How did I do all of this?  One thing at a time.  I didn’t do a major rehaul of my life.  I changed one habit a month, and gradually over the course of a year or two changed a lot of things in my life.  I won’t guarantee that all of these will work for you.  They worked for me, but each person is different. Pick and choose the ones that will work best for you, and give them a try. One at a time. Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Chris Bennett

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.”  This prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr may seem more familiar to some than others, but it provides an equal opportunity working toward balance and calm in our life.

Acceptance and courage are strong foundations for a healthy mind and spirit, but neither a healthy mind nor spirit can progress in life without wisdom.  When either one is broken or on the verge of collapse where do you turn for serenity?  What do you need to do everyday to move onward and upward with an honest peace of mind? Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Marie Monroe

Love

Alcohol

Food

Substances

Shopping

Anger

Gambling

Drama (in Our Lives)

Each of these can represent an addiction … addiction to food, alcohol, or even to behaviors.  This definitely isn’t an exhaustive list, either.  There can be many more addictions.  Just with substances alone they can range from hard drugs to nasal spray.  And they are all powerful. Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Stefanie Johnson

For many, the term “meditation” probably conjures up images of monks, sitting for hours, forsaking physical comfort while searching deep within their souls to attain peace.  Actually, you don’t have to be a monk - or have hours - or be uncomfortable - to enjoy the benefits of meditation.

All you really need is five minutes. Five minutes to lower stress, put things in perspective, and maybe even get a little healthier in the process. Read More »

Article by Make The Days Count Contributor Chris Bennett

How good is your memory?  If you are like me, you have selective memory meaning you can remember some things well, others not at all.

Whether you have trouble with short-term recall or long term memories, there are several different improvements you can make to bolster the effectiveness of each.  It is important to know that your memory system incorporates many functions in your physical brain.  Knowing this, keeping a healthy lifestyle is essential and exponentially beneficial. Read More »