Calming Strategies

• Breathe deeply, count to 7 on the in breath and 11 on the out breath.
• Remind yourself to "KEEP YOUR COOL".
• Remove yourself from the situation physically and emotionally if possible.
• Count backwards from 20 to 1.
• Go for a walk, ideally in a park or open space.
• Visualise a calm tranquil place, e.g. sea or mountains, for about 2 minutes.
• Let go of any expectations you might have.
• Remember life is unfair!
• Yoga, meditation, swimming and relaxation, good for de-stressing.
• Take up a relaxing hobby, e.g. gardening.
• Relax in a bath whilst listening to chilled music.
• Listen or dance to music.
• Inhale relaxing aromatherapy oils, e.g. lavender.

How to Be Happy

1. Relax
Lighten up and don't take yourself too seriously. Stress can cause many mental, physical and spiritual problems in your life. One of the major causes of stress is worrying about things that are out of your control. If you find yourself constantly worrying about things, assess their condition, cause and whether you yourself can do anything to improve the situation. If you can, work on it. If you can't, learn to recognize that these situations are simply out of your power and control should be out of your mind as well! Work on being able to laugh at things, especially yourself. If you make mistakes, learn from them, work around them and move on. Set aside time each day for you to reflect on the day's events and do this and simply have some "you" time.

2. Smile
You would be surprised how much of an immediate difference physically smiling has on your mood. If you smile and force a little laugh you will feel your mood lighten and you won't have to force it next time. Laughter is a powerful, positive medicine and the calmer and more peaceful you can take things, the happier your life will be. Accept the situation, whatever it may be and lighten up with a grin.

3. Take the good with the bad
No one is happy all of the time. We cannot change the past, but we can enjoy the present and look positively to the future. Obstacles will always be in our way, holding us back and knocking us down - it's a part of life. Realize this and avoid becoming down or starting to think too negatively about your situation. Good and bad wouldn't exist and be in balance without each other and each one teaches us our fair share of life's lessons. Take as much as you can from events, whether they left you feeling joyful, accomplished, angry, confused or sad. Treat each obstacle as a learning device, each knockback as a toughening of your character and learn to accept that things aren't going to be perfect all the time. In completing this, you will find your days much easier to get through.

4. Be thankful
It may sound cliché and overused, but learn to be grateful for what you have, rather than what you don't. If all you ever think about is how you can't afford the things you want, how you're not "popular", not "attractive" enough or not good at anything, your life will become less and less enjoyable before your eyes and all at your own doing. Changing the way you think about things and the view you take on your life can have a big impact on you as a person. Looking around you carefully, realize how lucky you are to have the things you do, whether it be a loving family, great friends, an amazing job or simply a roof over your head. Remind yourself of why you are fortunate to be living the life you do and focus on making the most of the gifts you have been given. Everyone in this world has something to be thankful for and realizing that can lighten up your way of looking at life entirely.

4 Magical Ways To Build Self Confidence

You have probably noticed those people at work, school, and in your daily life that always appear to be self confident and on top of world.

Everything seems to go right for these people and they always seem to present themselves as calm, collected and successful in everything they do.

If you are paying attention you have probably noticed that these self confident people usually are successful in every area of their lives.

Is this because they are smarter? Or is it because they have more money? Maybe they are just lucky?

The reality is that none of these things are necessarily true. Self confident people understand the impact of believing in themselves and relying on their abilities.

This confidence ultimately creates opportunities for success and with each new success another self confidence building block is put into place. Success builds upon success reinforcing self confidence with each new achievement.

Self confident people perceive themselves as able to achieve those things they set out to do and this perception creates reality in their lives.

Yes, perception creates reality. You can become the person you want to be. You have heard it said that if you can believe it you can achieve it.

So start believing in yourself, acting on that belief and you will start building self confidence in your life.

Here are some helpful tips to build self confidence one success at a time.

1. Make a list of your strong points.

All the positive things about yourself and the things that you are good at doing. Think of compliments you have received or things that come easily to you. It doesn't matter what it is, if it's good, write it down.

2. Choose two of those things that you want to work on to improve even more.

It's important to succeed and by concentrating on the areas you are already good at you will have a better chance of becoming even more sure of yourself. Remember that success builds upon success.

3. Exude confidence even if you don't feel like it.

Talk to yourself in an encouraging way and stay away from negative thoughts and people as you can.

Instead surround yourself with positive, confident, and successful people. This will become a habit and one that will build confidence.

4. Look at yourself in a different way than you are used to doing.

It can change your life and help your confidence level to rise. See yourself as the self confident person you want to be and before you know it you will become that person.

If you have a set-back do not let it get the best of you. Remember the times when you exhibited self confidence and how good it felt and then try again and each time will help you to build confidence and confidence building will become a way of life.

Success Secrets

SUPERIOR RELATIONS

No one is independent in life. We depend on others right from our birth till our death. Every person, no matter how big or small he is a stepping stone to our success. Remember, "A single flower does not make a garland."

UNTIRING EFFORTS

It is a universal law that we cannot get something for nothing. Efforts is the price one has to pay to succeed in life. Abundant supply of energy comes from a healthy body. Denial or excess of any of the three important needs, eating, mating and sleeping affects our health and happiness. Remember "Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration"

CREATIVE THINKING

All of us are gifted with a lot of creative potential. But it lies deep. Just as the sculptor has to chip away some stone with his chisel to release the statue hidden in a block of stone, we have to chip away some of our conventional thinking to release our creative potential. Remember "If you continue to do what you have been doing, you will continue to get only that you have been getting."

CONFIDENT ATTITUDE

A talented man without confidence is like a powerful car without spark plugs. Confidence is a psychological steroid that boosts our power. Remember, "The man who wins is the man who thinks he can"

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Public Speaking is the springboard to effective speech. It gives you a lot of courage and confidence and earns respect and admiration from the society. It makes our speech lively, interesting, and convincing. Remember, Poets are born; Orators are made,"

SELF MOTIVATION

A 12 year old boy lifter a fallen log from the legs of his father, Four men could barely move it later on. There are many similar cases on record in which unbelievable feats have been accomplished, Once the mind is seeded with a goal, it soars to its magnificent heights to accomplish the goal. Remember, "It is a small seed that grows into a huge tree."

SHARP MEMORY

Memory is a yardstick to measure the capacity utilisation of our brain. The secret of sharp memory lies in systematic storage that facilitates instant retrieval. Everyone of us can have a sharp memory irrespective of age, education and intelligence. Remember, "If you don’t use it, you will soon lose it"

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

1. Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Six ways to make people like you

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Win people to your way of thinking

1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4. Begin in a friendly way.
5. Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
9. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
10. Appeal to the nobler motives.
11. Dramatize your ideas.
12. Throw down a challenge.

Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment

A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this:

1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.