Make sure you have a protein which is the key food in managing the Red Zone. This meal should consist of a healthy grain, low glycemic fruit, and a protein (bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and a scoop of whey protein).

If you go too long between meals or if you skip meals the Red Zone fires up. When this happens the Green Zone shuts down and we usually binge and overeat unhealthy foods. So to prevent this, eat small meals every three hours between two regular meals.

Whey protein drink between meals is the easiest and best way to manage our stress response. if diabetic patients take a whey protein drink between meals their sugar levels will drop even if they didn't make any other dietary changes. 

If you are trying to break bad habits such as eating sweets after dinner, compulsive shopping, smoking, gossiping, etc. use the “I won’t” response. Here is how it works: Say you are rolling along and doing fantastic on your new diet plan. You’ve had your dinner but there is a brownie on the counter. You eye that brownie and all your instincts are yelling for you to attack! The voice in your head says, “It’s ok, you exercised this morning and have been perfect on your eating plan.” You scream NO! Well, maybe one bite? My mother always told me it’s ok to have a little. But, I can have it on Junk Night, Right?

The Ten-Minute I WONT response works like this: You want the brownie but in order for you to have it you have a set rule. You set your timer for ten minutes and pull out your journal. Write anything that is on your mind, most likely you will write about the brownie. After the ten minute timer goes off if you still want the brownie then have at it. When it comes to changing eating habits this technique has worked wonders. The simple act of journaling turns on the Green Zone where it’s easy to say NO.

When you try to do any new undertaking such as exercise, hobbies, any personal development, or budget keeping, the voice in the head usually says I will do it later or I will start tomorrow, I promise. Most of us experienced this when we were given a school project and a two-month notice of when it will be due. Yes, we start it the day before and work all night killing our self to get it done. The reason for this is the comfort zone resistance. Any type of work that you have told yourself you are going to do and you find yourself putting it off is perfect for the I Will Response.

The Ten Minute I WILL Response works like this: Set your timer for ten minutes and then sit down and do the work. The key is you only have to do it for the ten-minute period; once the timer goes off you are done. Or maybe you decide to continue to work a little longer. The key to change is consistent action. It does not matter that it was only ten minutes. The subconscious cannot tell time. This is a great tool for starting an exercise program, personal development exercises such as journaling, meditation and working on three or more projects at a time. It is the most amazing act of how ten minutes turns into a productive 1 or 2 hours of work. Or the work may end after the timer rings and you have stayed on a consistent track of progress.

Posture/ Presence is a success tool that will not only portray to the outside world that you are a winner but also to your inner self that you are a star. When that inner self-image gets the positive message then everything changes. Posture and presence are aspects over which you have control. This is about being aware of how you are feeling and how you are carrying yourself in that moment. Whatever the situation, act as if you have already succeeded. Simply put, fake it until you make it! The other great affect from acting in this manner is that you change over the Red Zone to the Green Zone and your change in posture actually changes your physiology. These two-minute changes (in the body stance) lead to hormonal changes that can configure your brain to be either assertive, confident and comfortable, or really stress reactive and feeling shut down.

Stand tall, head high with your hands on your hips and assume the posture of your super-hero. Hold that pose and feel the power for two minutes. Affirm, “I am strong and powerful!” 

Hold your arms above your head as if you just broke the tape at the finish line of a big race. Hold the pose for two minutes. Affirm, “I am a winner!” 

Look in the mirror and put a huge smile on your face. Hold the smile for two minutes. Affirm, “I am happy and I feel great!” Note you can do this without a mirror anytime you feel down. 

When we get stuck in the Red Zone we procrastinate, complain, experience energy drain, feel anxiety, worry and fear. Journaling is one of the most powerful tools we can use. One of the fastest ways to flip the switch on the Red Zone is to write. By writing out the feelings that were pent up you shut down the reactive mode and switched to the calm responsive mode.

Use the timed “I Will” response and Journal for ten minutes to end each day. This can be done before you leave work or before you go to bed. Basically write about anything that is on your mind. Especially pay attention if you are procrastinating on any type of work that you know needs to be done. Focus in on why you are putting the work off!

Many of us get stuck in the Red Zone because we focus on what we don’t have and what is not working. Start each day by writing down ten things that you are grateful for. Examine the things we take for granted like our health, the air we breathe, our family, etc.

When we are in the Red Zone our breath shortens and becomes more rapid in order to prepare us for action. The physiology of the stress response is all about getting the body in a reactive mode to fight or flight. When we incorporate mindfulness breathing we can immediately shut down the Red Zone and turn on the Green Zone. This technique can be used anytime and anyplace. 

The key in the breathing technique is the exhalation because the exhalation breaths are directly connected to the Green Zone. Take a deep breath in and let it out. On the next breath inhale to a count of ten. As you breathe in count slowly 1through10. Then hold the breath for a count of ten. Then exhale slowly to a count of ten. Repeat this pattern for two minutes or as long as it takes until you feel the calm of the Green Zone. This is a great technique before working on a project or even before entering a meeting.

The Green Zone is activated during the exhalation of the breath; the less breaths we take per minute the calmer our state. Take a deep breath in and imagine that you are exhaling slowly through a straw. The goal is to get our breaths down to 6 to 8 per minute. So, breathe in deep and release slowly for at least two minutes.

Many times life can move at a very fast pace and we can get stuck in certain patterns. When we get stuck in a negative pattern we turn on the Red Zone and experience anxiety and stress. As long as we are stuck we will procrastinate or self-sabotage our efforts to grow. One technique is setting notices that pop up and remind you to be positive. You can set these alarms up at different times of the day on your phone. When they will appear it causes you to change focus. It’s a friendly reminder that you can choose a positive focus for any situation. Here are a few examples but make sure the alarm resonates with you personally.

1. Now
2. I Believe
3. Good Things Begin To Happen Now!
4. All Is Well
5. I Am Success
6. I Am A Winner
7. I Am Perfectly Guided
8. I Am A Star
9. I Can Choose Peace
10. I Am Calm

When it comes to stress management a little bit of exercise can change your life dramatically, especially when it comes to procrastinating. Once we are in the Green Zone we are managing the stress response, which allows us to make responded choices versus reactive choices. Also by turning on the Green Zone we activate the wellness part of our nervous system lowering our heart rate, slowing our breathing and increasing brain function. When we are highly stressed our body, even at rest, is like a teakettle boiling (stuck in the Red Zone) and the moment we start to exercise the steam lets out and the body relaxes (enters the Green Zone).

Give yourself 10 minutes or longer to take a walk. Outdoors is best. If weather or obstacles make that impossible use a treadmill or you can actually march in place. Walk at a moderate pace, enough to get your heart rate up slightly. The thing is the Green walk has one purpose and that is to switch the Red Zone over to Green.

The Green Zone walk is designed to manage the response and switch us from the Red Zone to the Green Zone. Here are some strategic times to use this technique:

Before Work. By taking a simple 10-minute walk you get your nervous system ready to roll into the Green Zone and you are ready to start the day with gusto.

Lunch Break. Taking a 10-minute walk at midday changes your entire focus. The stress response is more prominent in the afternoon as the day wears on. The Green Zone walk actually refocuses the nervous system to the productive Green Zone.

After Work. The after work Green walk will not only help you with managing stress but it also can help with your relationships. By taking a simple ten-minute walk around the block before entering the house resets your stress response and allows you to respond to your family.

It’s by far one of the most effective tools when it comes to managing the stress response. Just think about it. If you follow the technique you will be exercising 30 minutes each day. WOW! SIMPLE!

The benefits of meditation are many and varied from reducing stress to increasing one’s cognition and creativity. Additionally, meditation heightens our concentration, allowing us to be more productive. This happens because when we meditate we stimulate the Green Zone (parasympathetic nervous system), which strengthens the frontal cortex of the brain. This part of the brain is key to memory, calmness in attitude, recuperation and overall health.

Meditation trains the brain to enter the Green Zone’s pause-plan response, which is the opposite of the stress response. Meditation is the exercise for the brain. It only takes 5 to 10 minutes of mindfulness exercise to create changes in the brain and your overall habit patterns. 

This meditation can help you quickly release any unwholesome emotion or stressful situation and bring yourself back into balance whether you are traveling, at work or at home. The key is to be mindfully aware of your breathing.

To do this you breathe in through your nose for a count of ten, hold for a moment, and then out through your mouth as if you are breathing through a straw, you can choose to count to ten during this exhalation; the important thing is to exhale slowly as this turns on the Green Zone. Set your timer for the amount of time that you want to do this exercise and then forget about the time. Keep following the routine until you feel comfortable just watching your breath.

When you first start this exercise your mind will race with a million thoughts and that is ok. Your job during meditation is not to shut off the thoughts; it’s to be mindful of the thoughts passing through. In other words just watch the thought without judgment and focus on the breath. If you find yourself caught up in a thought then simply repeat the ten count upon inhalation and visualize the straw as you breathe out.

It is important that you do not complicate the exercise. Mindfulness training is simply becoming the observer of your mind. 

Mindful eating is the type of eating that many of our parents tried to teach us— slow down and chew your food. If you are having a meal and at the same time working or watching the news you are most likely eating in the Red Zone. When we eat in the Red Zone our digestion system is shut down leaving little chance that our body can use the nutrients we just consumed. Also, when we are in the Red Zone the Green Zone shuts down so there is no pause-plan response and we overeat. Finally, if we eat in the Red Zone our metabolisms is in a flight or fight state so we will crave sweets and are more likely to binge on bad foods to end our day.

Before we jump into the technique make sure you develop a couple of other eating habits that will reinforce the Green Zone. Do not eat and watch television. Do not eat and work. Don't eat if you are angry or stressed out. Simply pick one of the techniques to change your state before you eat the meal. Finally, try the following technique for a few weeks and see what happens.

Simply eat your meals using your opposite hand. What it forces you to do is be mindful of what you are eating because if you are not in the moment, you will spill your food. When the pause and plan response is activated with the Green Zone turned on it will cause you to fill up faster and have optimal digestion.

The act of writing clears the subconscious and allows us to switch our nervous system over to the Green Zone where calm and wellness preside. Studies show when people write about emotionally difficult events or feelings for just twenty minutes at a time over three or four days, their immune system’s functioning increases.

When you want some outcome, pull a note pad journal out and write to the universe what it is you want. The simple act of writing down an outcome right before you start an activity flips you to the Green Zone so you are responsive and mentally clears anxiety, worry, and any negative thoughts. You can use this technique before meetings, events, speaking engagements, anytime you want to get focused quickly.

The idea behind this simple journal is to get the universe on your side. Simply take the notebook and write to the universe what you want to happen. Once you write the note, tear the entry off and throw it out if you like. This is your straight communication to God or Universe for guidance. It will put you in the Green Zone state so you can respond to challenges instead of reacting to them. The simple act of writing it down switches you over from being stressed, to being in the now.

Unmanaged stress causes our muscles to become tight as stress hormones change our body’s environment. The tense and release technique is a quick stress relief tool especially before you go to sleep. Here is a simple guide:

1. Lay down on a bed or a comfortable flat surface. Let the body sink in and take a deep breath in, counting slowly as you inhale to ten. Hold the breath in and count to ten. Slowly release the breath again using the ten count. Repeat this process 3 to 5 times.

2. Once you are semi-relaxed start with the left foot by squeezing it together and holding it for a few seconds then release it. Then flex the calf muscle the same way, holding the tension for a few seconds and then releasing. Work your way to the leg muscle, squeeze and release. Then repeat the same process on the right.

After you have done both legs follow the same procedure throughout the rest of the body. Squeeze and release the buttocks, abdominal muscles, chest, back, each arm and then finish with the facial muscles and neck area. This whole exercise should take no longer than ten minutes.

3. Once you have completed the Tense and Release technique take a few deep breaths and just relax for a few moments.

Speak with integrity.  Say only what you mean.  Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.  Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Impeccable means “without sin” and a sin is something you do or believe that goes against yourself.  It means not speaking against yourself, to yourself or to others.  It means not rejecting yourself.  To be impeccable means to take responsibility for yourself, to not participate in “the blame game.”

Regarding the word, the rules of “action-reaction” apply.  What you put out energetically will return to you.  Proper use of the word creates proper use of energy, putting out love and gratitude perpetuates the same in the universe.  The converse is also true.  

Impeccability starts at home.  Be impeccable with yourself and that will reflect in your life and your relationships with others.  This agreement can help change thousands of other agreements, especially ones that create fear instead of love.

Nothing others do is because of you.  What others say and do is a projection of their own dream.  When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

We take things personally when we agree with what others have said.  If we didn't agree, the things that others say would not affect us emotionally.  If we did not care about what others think about us, their words or behavior could not affect us.

Even if someone yells at you, gossips about you, harms you or yours, it still is not about you!  Their actions and words are based on what they believe in their personal dream. 

Our personal “Book of Law” and belief system makes us feel safe.  When people have beliefs that are different from our own, we get scared, defend ourselves, and impose our point of view on others.  If someone gets angry with us it is because our belief system is challenging their belief system and they get scared.  They need to defend their point of view.  Why become angry, create conflict, and expend energy arguing when you are aware of this?

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.  Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama.  With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

When we make assumptions it is because we believe we know what others are thinking and feeling.  We believe we know their point of view, their dream.  We forget that our beliefs are just our point of view based on our belief system and personal experiences and have nothing to do with what others think and feel.  

We make the assumption that everybody judges us, abuses us, victimizes us, and blames us the way we do ourselves.  As a result we reject ourselves before others have the chance to reject us.  When we think this way, it becomes difficult to be ourselves in the world.

Take action and be clear to others about what you want or do not want; do not gossip and make assumptions about things others tell you.  Respect other points of view and avoid arguing just to be right.  Respect yourself and be honest with yourself.  Stop expecting the people around you to know what is in your head.

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick.  Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Doing your best means enjoying the action without expecting a reward.  The pleasure comes from doing what you like in life and having fun, not from how much you get paid.  Enjoy the path traveled and the destination will take care of itself.

Living in the moment and releasing the past helps us to do the best we can in the moment.  It allows us to be fully alive right now, enjoying what is present, not worrying about the past or the future.

Have patience with yourself.  Take action.  Practice forgiveness.  If you do your best always, transformation will happen as a matter of course.

Giving is great - all round. And so is connecting with others. They are both real happiness boosters. So if you've got an idea or a knack for organising, why not make something happen for a good cause and get a real double whammy for happiness!

Why do it?

Connecting with others is at the heart of human happiness and so is doing things to help others. While giving money to good causes is great and important to do, what we can bring in terms of energy and time is often more important than what we can give financially ourselves. Making something happen for a good cause is good for us too - we can use our strengths, build our competence and boost our positive emotions.

Fundraising can be fantastic fun, involving your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours in activities, entertainment, sports and more and so it can be good for others as well as ourselves. Providing them with an opportunity for giving, connecting and having fun. What's more it can be great for our local communities as a way of bringing people together.

And of course, most importantly of all, it's great for thecharities we help and the causes they serve. Charities depend on donations to do their work and so using our time and talents to raise money, helps them to help others. Through the support of community fundraisers, charities can reach more people and make a bigger difference to people who need extra care.

Where to start

1. Choose a cause

Ideally choose something that you feel passionate about. Charities all have a specific purpose and focus and it's important to find one that you really believe in. Some ideas to get you started:

Perhaps you've got a cause you care about but are not sure which charity to support? Have a look at the Guidestar website - a comprehensive database of all the registered charities in the UK to find organisations which match your interests

If you want more detail on your chosen charity, then visit the Charity Commission website (for charities in England and Wales) or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (for charities in Scotland). These are the formal regulatory bodies for all registered charities and you can find out more detail about every charity in the country here.

You can contact any charities you're interested in and ask them for information about what they do - they will be delighted to hear that you're thinking of supporting them and will gladly answer your questions.

2. Talk to friends and family

Speak to your friends and family- They might also care about your chosen cause and want to get involved. Having a group of you will mean more ideas, more time, and more resources to make it happen. Remember, many hands make light work (and builds relationships too)!

3. Get connected

Once you've decided which charity you want to fundraise for, let them know. Charities will be delighted you have chosen to help them and will be very happy to provide support. Some may have existing campaigns that you can get involved with, some will have sponsored events that you can take part in, and many will even have fundraising packs to help you organise your own event. It's also important to let them know what you're planning to do and ask permission before you use their name.

4. Decide on an activity

Choose an activity or event that you want to organise. The sky's the limit and don't be afraid to get creative. Here are some ideas:

• Do something new, challenging or even slightly embarrassing and ask friends and colleagues to sponsor you. This could include anything from doing a bungee jump or growing a moustache, to running a marathon or sitting in a bath of beans.
• Throw a party. Invite friends round for a karaoke night, dinner party, wii tournament, wine tasting, movie night or any other sort of entertainment, and ask them for a donation
• Get active and organise a sports tournament with an entry fee to take part
• Run a jumble sale stall, a boot fair or garage sale and give the proceeds to your chosen cause
• Organise a charity auction with donated gifts from local businesses
• Get busy in the kitchen and sell your cakes, sweets and snacks at a local fete or coffee morning

There are some other ideas are here:

• How 2 Fundraise
• Institute of Fundraising

5. Get planning

Once you've chosen your charity and an event or activity, it's time to get busy. Get your plans together:

• Set yourself a date (work out how much time you will need to get things set up, tell people about it and raise money)
• Organise any materials or locations that you will need.
• How you will spreading.

Don't forget to keep your chosen charity informed of your plans - they may be able to help you with materials and advice.

6. Ask people for money to support your cause

It may seem obvious but it's crucial to tell people how much you want and how it's going to make a difference. You may be asking them to donate, or you may be giving them something in return. Either way, do make sure they know how their money will help others.

Note: There are some rules and regulations about handling money so do seek advice from your chosen charity before you get to this stage. One very easy way to manage the money you raise is through websites like Just Giving, Bmycharity or Everyclick. It is quick and easy and makes it very simple for people to donate, and takes the paperwork and money-counting off your hands.

7. Enjoy it!

Try to remember to enjoy it - not only might you be having fun with friends, colleagues or neighbours, or meeting new ones; you'll also be raising money that will make a big difference to a good cause so you deserve to feel proud and satisfied!

More info here: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action/make-something-happen-for-a-good-cause

What goes around comes around - and with kindness it really does. Research shows that being kind to others increases our own levels of happiness as well as theirs. What's more it has a knock-on effect - kindness is contagious, so it makes our communities nicer places to be.

Why do it?

Recent research into brain functioning has confimed that we are hard-wired for love and compassion. So it's not all chasing about individual success - our communities and society flourish when people look out for each other.

When we're kind to people we know it strengthens our connections with them and provides a source of support. Research shows that we may benefit from giving support more than those receiving it - and we're also more likely get support in return when we need it. This may not be like-for-like support, or even from the same person, but being kind to others builds a wider support network which increases well-being all round.

Doing kind things for strangers helps build co-operation, trust and a sense of safety in our communities. It also helps us to see others more positively and empathise with them. These are the foundations of a thriving local community and a flourishing society - one which builds well-being all round.

Where to start?

1. Plan for kindness - Do some thinking about what you might do to spread some kindness - then you're more likely to spot opportunities when they come up. Make yourself a list of small actions you could take in your daily life - they don't have to cost any money at all. Think about people you know and others that you pass byin the course of the day. What could you do today or tomorrow? What do you feel drawn to doing? There are lots of ideas below to get you thinking.

2. Have a kindness day - On a particular day, perhaps once a week, try to perform at least 5 different acts of kindness for different people. Make these things that you wouldn't ordinarily do. Afterwards, think: How did you feel after you did each act? How do you feel at the end of the day? You could also do this as a challenge with friends and get together in the evening to talk about what you got up to. Go on spread a little kindness!

3. Do it together - Try to think about kind things you could do with friends, family or neighbours. You can swap ideas and support each other. Doing new things together helps build connections, which also increases happiness, so it's a win all round. If you've got children, get them thinking about what they can do too. Ask them what kind acts they gave or received that day - they might share some lovely stories with you!

More info at http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action/do-kind-things-for-others

It's so easy to take each other for granted but an investment of effort and attention in your closest relationship will pay dividends in happiness - for you and your partner. 

Why Do it?

The quality of our closest relationships can have a huge impact on our own happiness and that of our partner. Historically, psychologists have spent time looking into what goes wrong in relationships. Although a relatively new field, there is a growing body of evidence about what makes relationships go right. [1]

There are many practical things we can do to enhance our closest relationships. Many of these are very simple, they just require some thought and conscious attention. Why not give them a try? You may be surprised how much difference they make.

Where to start?

According to social psychologist John Harvey, the key to growing and maintaining a good relationship is effort and persistence. He and his colleagues developed the 'Minding Model' of relationships to show what makes relationships last and grow - as summarised below. [2]

• Knowing and being known. Trying to really understand our partner's thoughts, feelings, attitudes and past history. And sharing ours with them. This takes effort in established relationships when we assume we know what our partners are thinking and feeling!
• How we explain our partner's behaviour. In successful relationships we explain the positive behaviours of our partners as being part of their character or personality and negative ones as being due to external circumstances.
• Acceptance and respect. Treating each other with respect. Listening. Working out compromises when our views conflict. Fully accepting who our partner is - the parts we like and the parts we don't. Ensuring that when we disagree it's about something specific and not a complaint about who they are as a person. Ensuring we have more positive interactions than negative ones is also vital.
• Reciprocity. Ensuring that there is balance in the relationship overall and that one person doesn't feel taken advantage of.
• Continuity. Consciously putting effort into minding our relationship. We are continuously experiencing new things, learning and adapting over our life's course. So we need to be continuously communicating with our partners and taking action to help maintain and develop our relationship.

The sections below provide some suggestions to help build your skills in some of these areas.

More info:  http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action/enhance-your-relationship-with-your-partner

It's easy to take our nearest and dearest for granted. Constant criticism can be highly destructive, but we often fall into this trap, especially in established relationships. But if we take time to bring to mind what we value and appreciate about others, we can both get more enjoyment from our time together.

Why do it?

Research shows that focusing on the good things that happen to us each day helps to increase our happiness. And the same is true for our close relationships too. Psychologist John Gottman has carried out extensive research in to what makes relationships work or fail. His research has shown that constant criticism is highly destructive.

Yet it's so easy to fall into this trap, especially in established relationships. After all, as human beings, evolution has caused us to be naturally on the look out for what's wrong rather than what's right.

Gottman suggests that for happy relationships we should actually aim for five positive interactions with our partner for every negative one. He suggests that we consciously aim to achieve this balance by showing affection, saying thank you and thinking about what we value in our partners and other loved ones.

Where to start?

Focus on a partner, close friend or family member and take time to think through the following questions - in each case try to note down specific examples:

1. What drew you to your partner or your friend when you first met?
2. What things have you really enjoyed doing together during your relationship?
3. What things do you really appreciate about them right now?
4. What are their strengths?

Then (and this is the important bit!), when you're with that person take the time to notice and acknowledge these things - their strengths, the things they do that you really appreciate, the happy times you've shared together and so on.

• "I really love it when you… "
• "You're so good at… "
• "Seeing you do… reminds me of that fantastic day when we… "

It's unlikely to be practical to do this type of reflection for everyone we know. But we can still use the same principles to improve all our relationships.

For example, before spending time with someone, take a moment just to think about the things you like, appreciate or admire about them or how they make you feel good.

Similarly, after spending time with someone, think about the things you appreciated or what you enjoyed about your time together.

More info: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/take-action/look-for-the-good-in-those-around-you

Good communication is at the heart of happy relationships of all kinds. It's about understanding others' needs and having our needs heard. And it's a skill that can be learned that will help deepen our connections with the people around us.

Sometimes someone we know is going through tough times. Letting them know that someone is there for them can make all the difference and help them get through. Here are some ideas to try.

Why do it?

Connecting with people is vital for happiness and supporting others is critical for creating happycommunities, yet when we are down or experiencing a rough patch in life (which we all do from time to time) it is easy to feel alone. And it can be hard to ask for support and help even from people we know well.

So when we can see that a friend, family member or someone we know in our community is having a hard time, reaching out to help them, even in a small way, can have an impact in helping them see light at the end of the tunnel.

Compassion when others are in distress is at the heart of happiness and flourishing communities and societies. It is a basic human emotion defined as recognising another person's suffering and wanting to take action to stop or reduce it. [1][2] As a fundamental part of human nature compassionate acts need no expectation of reward. But being there for others means that they are more likely to be there for us when we need help. Doing things for others also generates positive emotions for the giver as well as the receiver.

Where to start?

1. Tune into to how they're feeling

Knowing what to do to help when a friend need's support starts with tuning into them and their situation and matching that with what you are able to do. It sounds more complex than it is. Compassion is a natural response, but it is best done with a little sensitivity. If you think of something and you aren't sure how well it will be received, why tell them what you'd like to do for them and ask if it would be helpful? Remember it doesn't have to be a big thing, small gestures can be just as valuable.

2. Reach out to help them

• Be there for them and really listen to what they're saying
• Do something to brighten their day and help them feel more positive - for example bring them some flowers or a plant; bake them a cake; send them a web link you think they will find funny
• Take the pressure off - find a way to help them or give them some space. For example, looking after their kids for an evening or doing some of their chores for them
• Get them active - help create some space and boost positive emotions by getting them to dosome kind of physical activity, ideally outside and with other people. So why not invite them out for a walk, a run, a dance or exercise class or to play sport?
• Cut them some slack - don't add to the pressure by expecting them to be as vibrant or social as they normally are
• Help them see and use their strengths rather than get weighed down by their weaknesses
• Help them see their issues differently and not be too hard on themselves. But remember to be really sensitive with this - it's likely that what they need most is someone to listen to them, rather than advice
• Keep in touch - just simply ringing or calling round to see how they are doing and if there is anything they need can make a big difference. It will help them to realize that you are there for them and care. Especially if you do this every few days or once a week until they are past their difficulties.

More info

Mindfulness is a key skill for happiness and we can do it wherever we are. So here are some ideas to get started - it'll help you get more from your day! 

Why do it?

In our busy lives we constantly have our head full or thoughts about the future or about the past - what are we going to do next or what are we going to become or how well or badly we just did. This means we're often not that aware of what is around us, and what happening in the here and now. So there's likely to be a lot good stuff that we miss (or not so good stuff that we really need to be aware of). It also means that we often do things more out of unconscious habit rather than fully conscious choice.

Being mindful means being more fully aware of what is around us - what we can see, hear, touch and taste. And what is happening inside - our thoughts and feelings. It's about learning to observe all this but not getting caught up in thinking or worrying about it, so being able to choose what we then attend to.

Mindfulness has been shown to help us be healthier, less affected by stress, more relaxed, more creative, more open to learning, sleep better, improve our relationships with others and feel happier and more satisfied with our lives.

What's great is it's a skill that anyone can learn and benefit from. It is very simple, and need take only a few minutes a day. But it does take a bit of practice and it may be hard at first. Keep at it and you'll feel the benefits in many areas of your life.

Where to start?

There are lots of different ways to practice mindfulness. If you can, a good place to learn and experience it is to join a class or use a CD or online tool (see Resources below). And there is also a separate action on this website if you'd like to learn how to meditate, which is a great way to be more mindful. However, we can all start by trying a few simple exercises during our daily routine. Try one of these for a week or two and notice what you notice!

1. Observing mindfully

This is about simply trying to increase what we're aware of and our consciousness of what is around us. It only takes a few extra minutes. Here are some ideas to try:

• As you enter your house or workplace, be aware of your sensations and feelings as you enter. How does the floor feel beneath your feet? What noises can you hear? What smells do you notice? What colours?
• Each time you step outside look up at the sky and see the sky and the clouds or the stars, notice the feeling of the air on your body or the warmth of the sun or sensation of the wind.
• Look up at some trees and notice how they are, their different shapes and colours. Look at the texture of their bark, branches and leaves. Notice how these move and the sound of the leaves. Are there any birds sitting in them or singing? Can you see sunlight through the foliage or drops of rain in the leaves? What insects are buzzing nearby? What else can you notice?
• When you are going somewhere in the car, by foot or on your bike notice how you are as you travel. Are you rushing to reach your destination? How does it feel? Where are the muscles in your body tight or relaxed? Which are working and which are not? How does your breathing feel - fast, slow, deep or shallow? Does it feel different when you slow down and take your time?
• Each day notice an object of wonder or beauty. Take a moment to appreciate the skill and effort that went into an object such as a car, building, sculpture or work of art or the beauty in nature.
• When you are doing something pleasurable such as taking a warm shower or bath, petting you dog or cat, stroking your child's hair or sitting down for a moment of peace, be really present. Really notice what it is you find pleasurable about the experience and how it makes you feel.

2. Walking mindfully

• Why not try this on a walk that you often take, for example to work, school or college. Or you can choose to go for a walk specifically to practice mindfulness.
• Set yourself a time - say 10 or 15 minutes (sometimes setting the alarm on your phone is good so you don't need to keep looking at your watch).
• As you walk, focus your attention on the soles of your feet and how they feel as each in turn touches the ground. From your heel as it lands and through to your toes as you move to the other foot. Notice where your weight is, the texture of the ground on your feet and how this changes as you walk, how warm or cold your feet are, the noise your feet make as you walk…
• Don't judge or worry about what you are experiencing or change the way you are walking as a result. The aim is simply to focus and notice.
• If your mind wanders or gets caught up in thought, bring it back to your feet and noticing the sensations of walking. (It is very normal at first for our mind to wander - eventually we learn to keep it focused.)
• Keep going until your alarm rings.

3. Eating mindfully

Eating is a great opportunity to practice mindfulness. Have a go…may be try it with a piece of you favourite fruit or even some chocolate…

• Start by really looking at what you are about to eat. What colours can you see in it? What does the texture look like? What is the shape like?
• Then pick it up. How does it feel in your hands? What does the shape and texture feel like? Is it the same all over? Can you smell it?
• If it is wrapped or needs peeling, open the wrapper or peel it slowly. Notice the sound, smell and feel as you do. What colours and texture do you now see?
• Take a small bite - but don't chew! Notice how it feels in your mouth. What is the texture? What can you already taste? If you move it around your mouth does this change?
• Then start to eat. Feel the texture and notice all the flavours as you chew the food slowly and as you swallow.
• Do not think about the next mouthful until you have swallowed the one before. You may find it helpful to put your piece of fruit down or your bar of chocolate (or your cutlery if using) down between each mouthful.

More info

Goals big and small can be the stepping-stones to a happier life and the way we set them can make a difference to achieving them. Here's how.

How do you think and feel about the past, the present and the future? Do you tend to see the good side and the opportunities or do you tend to focus on the problems and things that might go wrong? How realistic are you being? All of this matters for how happy and satisfied we are with our lives

Why do it?

People who are optimistic tend to be happier, healthier and cope better when times are tough. So there are a lot of advantages to looking at the world through a positive lens and focusing on the things that are good. However, it's possible to be unrealistically optimistic which isn't a good thing. And it's certainly not helpful to put a positive spin on everything or pretend that things are fine if they're clearly not

Whether we are naturally an optimist or more of a pessimist, it's impossible to know what the future holds. So perhaps the best of both worlds is to be a realistic optimist - someone who tends to maintain a positive outlook, but within the constraints of what they know about the world.

Whether we tend to be optimistic or pessimistic is part of our personality, and can be hard to change - but it is possible. We can become more conscious of our own patterns of thought and learn skills to help us be more flexible in our outlook.

Where to start?

Here are three ways of 'thinking about your thoughts' - you can use them to help shift your outlook on life:

1. Reframing. Imagine you've been on a day out with friends and the weather was dull - in fact it rained on and off all day. Assuming the day went well in other regards, would you see it as a wash out or a success? In reality you could view it as either, depending whether you were choosing to comparing it to a hot sunny day or one with torrential rain. This isn't about changing the facts of what happened, just how we choose to interpret them. Simply shifting our 'frame of reference' for a situation can change the way we feel about it. If we tend to see the worst, reframing can help balance out negative thoughts and get the most out of the situation. So try asking yourself: How else could I choose to interpret this situation?
2. Appreciate the moment. There's a lot of scientific evidence showing the benefits of being more mindful - that is more consciously able to notice the world around in the present moment - what surrounds us, what we can see, feel, smell and hear. There is also strong evidence that a focus on what's good or going well balances out the natural human tendency to look for what's wrong. The amount of water in the glass is the same whether we choose to see it as half full or half empty. So try asking yourself: What is good about what's happening right now?
3. Be open to opportunity. They way we think about the things we're aiming for affects our levels of ambition, our willingness to take risks and how we make decisions. Seeing things as problems, chores or issues to overcome, we may be less motivated to work towards and stick at them. As a result we may be less likely to achieve our goals. Seeing things as potential opportunities (or positive challenges) can be powerful. It leads to what psychologists call 'approach motivation' - our sense that we're moving towards things we want rather than avoiding things we don't want. It also gives us a greater sense of control, which is vital for happiness. So try asking yourself: What are the opportunities here that could help me achieve my goals? What is the positive challenge for me in this?

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Getting clear about our dreams for the future helps us to crystallise our goals and prioritise the things that are really most important to us. It also helps to focus our attention and efforts on the things we can do to make our dreams a reality. And the evidence shows that it can make us happier as as a result.

Why do it?

Psychologists in America have shown that writing about our dreams for the future can help us become happier. They asked people to write about their future - for 20 minutes a day for four days - imagining that everything had turned out well and all their dreams were realized. People that did so were more likely to feel immediately happier (than people writing about other neutral things) and this effect lasted for several weeks. They even felt better physically too.

But isn't this just fantasyland? Are we just setting people up for disappointment? Well it seems not. For those for whom this action worked, it helped them identify what was really important in their life - what they really valued. They weren't just writing a list or daydreaming - they were describing in detail their vision of the future for themselves. They were then able to identify specific goals to work towards. It seemed to help make them feel that it was in their control to work towards the things they wanted.

Where to start?

To get the most from this action it is important that you:

• Write things down
• Commit to do it for at least 20 minutes a day for at least four days
• Only try it if you think it will be a meaningful or challenging thing to do

Ready to try it? Ok here goes…

1. Get set. Get yourself a notebook and a pen (or use your computer). Make sure you can have at least twenty minutes undisturbed. (We have done this action at home, in a café, even on the train).
2. Imagine. Now imagine yourself in the future - say 5 or 10 years from now - after everything has gone as well as it possibly could from now. You've worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing all your life goals and made the most of your talent and potential. Think about all aspects of your life - your home, work, relationships, leisure activities etc.
3. Start writing. Keep going for 20 minutes, or longer if you want to. Remember - there are no rules to this, just start to describe what comes into your mind about your dreams for the future. No need to try to 'get it right'. There is no right answer. This is for you, no one else need see it.
4. Continue. Carry on doing this for another three days (or more if you want). You may want to read over what you wrote on previous days and continue from there, getting into more detail or new thoughts may have come to you.
5. Reflect. After four days look back at everything you've written. What does it tell you about what you really want in life? What would really make you happy? Now, why not set your goals and make them happen.

Enjoy your dreaming!

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The ability to deal with challenges that life throws at us is not something that we're either born with or we aren't. One of the most exciting findings from recent research is that coping strategies, like many other life skills, can be learned, practiced and honed - often with wide reaching effects on the quality of our lives.

Why do it?

All of us have to face day to day challenges. And all of us have times of stress or sadness, pain or trauma in our lives. How well we respond to these has a big impact on our well-being.

The good news is that many of the tools that can help us and others feel happier, are also tools that can help us cope in the face of difficulties. And these can also enable us to be open to new experiences and take on new challenges,[1] so helping us learn, develop our skills, build optimism about our future and our confidence in our abilities to deal with what comes our way in life.

So even if you are not going through any particular challenges at the moment, every single one of us can benefit from stocking up on more tools and techniques for coping.

Where to start?

1 What is in your toolkit already?

A good place to start is to take stock of the tools and techniques you feel you make use of regularly and which ones work well for you.

You might not ever have thought of them as coping strategies, as such, but we all have them: a song that we listen to on the way to work to motivate us; going for a run when we are feeling down; meeting up with a friend we know always makes us laugh or who gives us the most balanced and considered advice.

It is equally important to consider what you might need work on - where are the gaps in your armoury? You might be an excellent problem solver but find it difficult when your mood is low but there is nothing to rationalise easily or obvious to 'fix'. Or you might know that you are skilled at working through difficult emotions and moods, but that you need to work at having goals and following through with plans of action. Having a range of tools is the key so that you have flexibility to better deal with what comes along.

It might also be that some of your coping strategies make you feel better in the short term but really don't help in the long run. For example having a few drinks each night because you are unhappy may work to dull the bad feelings at the time, but it does nothing to resolve what is causing them. So have a think - what other actions could you could try that might work better for you overall?

2 Use this Action for Happiness website to build your toolkit

Many of the keys and actions throughout this website can be good additions to your toolkit. As well as boosting how happy we (and others) feel, they can also bolster us in tougher times - both for dealing with everyday challenges and in times of greater trauma. As a starting point why not try:

Giving -Focusing on helping other people shifts our attention away from our own worries. It can often provide perspective when we realise that other people are struggling with things as well. And being able to be a source of support for our loved ones or for people in need has a positive impact on our own wellbeing as well as theirs.

Relating -Having support from people around us is extremely important for happiness and especially so when times are tough. So building our relationships is vital. It helps build happier and more resilient communities too!

Exercise - Be active or Get outside, get into nature- Each of these has been shown to be good tactics to boost feeling good and reduce feeling down.

Appreciate -Mindfulness is a powerful tool to help tune into how we are feeling and to calm and focus our mind.

Emotional positivity -Knowing a few different ways to increase our experience of positive emotions can be really helpful to draw on when the going gets tough. For example, the habit of gratitude is also a great one to get into and sometimes laughter really is the best medicine!

Acceptance -Sometimes our troubles are caused by us giving ourselves an unnecessarily bad time. So we can build resilience by working on some of the skills of self acceptance, such as knowing our strengths and developing more accurate ways to explaining what happens to us to ourselves.

Meaning -Connecting to something bigger than ourselves, such as a faith, spiritual practice or a good cause, is another very important way that helps to make us resilient.

3 Add writing to your toolkit

Emotionally difficult times can have detrimental effects on our physical and emotional health. Research conducted by psychologist James Pennebaker has shown that the act of writing about difficulty or trauma creates the opportunity to process it and find meaning and seems to have remarkable therapeutic potential. Whilst not everyone may benefit from it, those that have come from a wide range of different social and cultural backgrounds.[2]

Pennebaker asked people to write, for fifteen minutes a day over a week, about a traumatic or difficult event. Whilst for many it was not comfortable to recall such an experience, a year later those who had done so were healthier than the control group who had been asked to keep a regular diary. His procedure is now used by many psychologists and researchers today. Whilst it seems odd to find that reliving difficult experiences and negative emotions can be beneficial, Pennebaker suggests that by: "Facing our traumas, we no longer end up in psychological ditches. Rather we can build bridges to the considerable strengths that we all possess".[3]

So if something is troubling you why not try writing about it? Whether by hand or on your computer. Remember this is for you - you don't need to show it to anyone else (unless you want to). These are the exact instructions that he provided:

"For the next four days I would like you to write about your very deepest thoughts and feelings about the most traumatic experience of your life. In your writing, I'd like you to really let you and explore your very deepest emotions and thoughts. You might tie your topic to your relationships with others, including parents, lovers, friends or relatives. You may also want to links your experience to your past, your present or your future, or to who you have been, who you would like to be, or who you are now. You may write about the same general issues or experiences on all days of writing or on different traumas each day. All will be completely confidential." [3]

This exercise is free form - you write anything that comes to you.

For those of us that find it easier to have a structure, psychologist Sonia Lyubomirksy developed the following questions, based on Pennebaker's original writing exercise. (It may also be a helpful structure for a conversation, if you feel it would be helpful to talk to a trusted friend or family member.)[4]

• First, be open that your loss or trauma has caused you a great deal of suffering or pain.[4]
• Then, consider what you have done during the difficult time, or in response to it, that you are proud of.[4]
• Next, consider how much you have grown as a result of your loss or trauma. For example, do you think that you have a new perspective on life (even if it's a negative one)? Are you are more compassionate now, or more grateful, sensitive, patient, tolerant or open-minded?[4]
• How has the trauma or difficulty positively affected your relationships? Have any of them been strengthened in any way? Have any of them become closer, more intimate, or more supportive? [4]
• How might you use what you have learnt going forward?

More info

Science shows that our thoughts about things that happen to us can have a big impact on how we feel and how we act. Not just the big events in life but small everyday issues or hassles. But our thinking isn't always obvious and or accurate. Becoming more in tune to our patterns of thinking can have a big impact on our happiness, our behaviour and relationships with others.

Why do it?

This is one of the foundational skills of resilience and has been scientifically shown to have a positive impact on happiness.

It is easy to believe that when bad things happen to us that it is the event itself that is driving how we feel as a result which then causes us to react or behave in particular way. For example when we feel a surge of anger after someone pulls out in front of us when we are driving or guilt when we miss a deadline.

However, research has now shown that it is not the event itself that causes the emotional reaction but the automatic thoughts that run through our head in immediate response to the event. But our emotional reaction can be so fast that our thoughts aren't obvious.

Whilst in many situations our thoughts and so our emotional responses will be appropriate, there can be times when they are not. If our thoughts are inaccurate, particularly in response to negative events, they can drive stronger emotions and reactions than need be. What's more we can fall into patterns that can be detrimental to our happiness not just in that instant but longer term.

There is now strong evidence to suggest that if we can become skilled at recognising our thoughts in response to things that happen and when these are inaccurate, we can become better at understanding and managing our emotional responses and so at choosing our reactions.

This can have a significant impact on our own happiness as well as on our interactions with the people we live, work, or study with.

Where to start?

1 Breaking things down into ABC

The first step is to learn how to untangle our thoughts, feelings and actions.

Dr Albert Ellis, one of the founders of cognitive behavioural therapy, developed what is often called the A-B-C model, which is a useful way of separating things out.

A is the Activating Event, or thing that happened; B is the Belief, or the thoughts that immediately run through our head; and C stands for Consequences - the emotions we feel and how we react as a result.

What Dr Ellis found was that the way people interpreted life events, and the things they said to themselves (B) had a huge bearing on how they felt emotionally and how they behaved (C).

The examples below show how different thoughts about the same event can impact on our feelings and behaviour. Do you think more like Tim, Laura, Mel or Dave?

Example 1 Activating event

You are working hard for a looming deadline. Your boss asks you for the second time that week how the report is going and reminds you that she would like to read it before it goes to the clients.

Tim

Belief - "She thinks I am useless and not capable of doing this on my own. She thinks I am being really slow and should have finished this by now."

Consequences - Feels stressed, worried and sad. Cannot concentrate on the report and end up making unnecessary errors. Do not sleep well that night.

Mel

Belief - "Phew! This is an important project and I am glad that she keeps checking in and will read this through before it is sent off."

Consequences: - Feel reassured and supported. Carry on working on the report, check it through before sending to the boss for review

Example 2 Activating event

You have had a bad day. On your way home you see a friend you haven't seen in a few weeks across the street. You look up and wave and he seems to just ignore you.

Laura

Belief - "Why would he have just ignored me? I must have done something to upset me. Or maybe he just doesn't like me that much."

Consequences - Feel sad and quite down. Make no plans for that evening. friends. Avoid seeing or calling him for a while. Don't call any other friends

Dave

Belief - He seemed really distracted and looked a bit out of sorts. I hope he is ok.

Consequences - Feel fine - a bit concerned. Call him when you get home to check he is ok.

2 Challenging our thoughts

Tuning into to our beliefs or thoughts (B) is unfamiliar territory for most of us. Usually, an event (A) will trigger some kind emotional response in us that will then influence our behaviour (C). More often than not - unless we take the time to stop and reflect - we are either unaware of our thoughts about the event (B) that triggered the emotion, or we leave our interpretation unchallenged.

It might be, of course, that our interpretations are correct and the way we feel and act in response is appropriate. But by tuning into the things we say to ourselves (B) more systematically and carefully it enables us to challenge those thoughts thatareirrational or unhelpful by asking ourselves questions such as:

• What evidence do we have that our thoughts are true?
• What are other possible alternative explanations?
• How helpful is this thought for me?
• If this thought is true:
• • What is the worst that could happen and how likely is this?
  • What is the best that could happen and how likely is this?
  • What is honestly the most likely thing that will happen?
  • What can I do to address it?

This can stop us from getting into negative places or negative spirals unnecessarily - and enable us to take control of how we choose to respond.

From Example 2 above, Laura could challenge herself by asking herself what evidence she has that she has upset her friend or she could think of what might have caused him not to notice her - perhaps he wasn't wearing his glasses or has been under a lot of pressure at work and so was pre-occupied. By thinking these alternative thoughts she is likely to feel less down and is more likely to make contact with her friends.

Why not try the A-B-C model using examples from your day, or an event that has been on your mind recently? You may find it helpful to write it out as in the example above. In describing the activating event (A) be sure to stick to the facts of what actually happened - it is easy to include our thoughts.

Keep practicing - good habits take effort but they are hard to break too!

3 Spotting the patterns

If you become adept at tuning in to the way you think about things and interpret events, you might start to notice that you say the same kinds of things to yourself over and over again.

Perhaps you are someone that always blames yourself. Or that always blames others when things go awry. Or someone that thinks they are not good enough, that others are always better than them. Perhaps you are prone to worrying about things all the time - even things that might not, and often do not, happen.

As the examples in the A-B-C table above demonstrate, each way of interpreting an event has an impact on our emotions and behaviour. If we develop particular unhelpful thinking patterns, it is likely that particular emotions will also become familiar to us. For example - people who blame themselves will be more likely to experience feelings of guilt or sadness, whereas people who tend to blame others will feel more anger. People who feel they aren't good enough are likely to feel sadness, embarrassment or shame.

So. It is a good idea to be particularly wary of your 'stock phrases'. They might not always be wrong, of course - but it is wise to learn how to spot them quickly and to challenge them when they pop into your mind. This can help you to avoid getting stuck in unhelpful downward spirals.

More info

Meditation is an ancient tradition that has been scientifically studied and shown to have a big positive impact on our minds and bodies. It's easy to learn, but needs regular practice. It's worth trying - as once you've learnt it, you'll truly have a skill for a happier life.

Why do it?

Scientific research has shown that meditation has many benefits for our well-being, including:

• Increasing our ability to withstand stress
• Making us feel more rested
• Helping to relieve and reduce pain
• Lowering our blood pressure
• Increasing our immunity.

What's more, regular practice over time can literally change the structure of our brains so that we are able to experience more positive emotion.

But that's not all, there is evidence that meditation can also help improve: our ability to focus, our level of alertness, our memory, our academic performance and creativity.

Practicing meditation has been shown to help us get in touch with our feelings and over time it can increase how happy and optimistic we feel as well as our sense of spirituality. It can help us accept who we are and increase our sense of fulfilment. It can also help us build empathy and compassion and so help improve our relationships with other people.

Wow! Surely something with so many potential benefits is worth trying?

Where to start?

1. Learn a basic technique (such as the one below). A great way to learn is from one of the online guides or audio downloads. There are lots available. Alternatively, try a class. Search online for beginners meditation or mindfulness class in your local area. Learning this way can be helpful if you have questions and gives you encouragement to keep going.
2. Have a go. Having learned the basic idea, make time to sit comfortably and start practising the technique you've learnt.
3. Keep it up. Try to find a few minutes to meditate at the same time every day if possible. You can build up your time gradually. Remember that it doesn't always go well, and that's part of the process. It takes about three weeks to develop a reliable habit, so stick with it - the benefits really are worth it!

A simple meditation

A simple way to start is to set aside 10 minutes when you won't be disturbed. You'll need some way of timing yourself - a kitchen timer or timer on your mobile phone is ideal. Here goes:

1. Set your timer for 10 minutes
2. Sit comfortably in a chair (a firm chair is probably better than an armchair). Have your feet flat on the ground and your hands relaxed in your lap
3. Remind yourself why you want to meditate today
4. Softly gaze ahead and take five slow, deep breaths (in and out counts as one breath). As you get to the last one, close your eyes. Breath normally.
5. Notice how your body feels. Are you sitting evenly? Does your body feel heavy or light in the chair? Just notice, no need to adjust or change anything.
6. Then notice any noises, near or far.
7. Come back to your body and starting with your head, scan down from top to toe. Notice how each area is feeling - your forehead, eyes, mouth and chin, your shoulders… right down to your toes. Just observe, No need to move. Observe any emotions you are feeling.
8. Now notice your breath and how it rises and falls, rises and falls, rises and falls…
9. Start to count: 1 on the in breath, 2 on the out breath, 3 in, 4 out… continue to 10. When you get to 10, start again at 1. Continue until the timer sounds. Throughout this time you'll find thoughts come to you. Just notice them and then come back to focus on your breath. If you lose track of your counting, just start again. It will get easier with practice.
10. On hearing the timer, let yourself breath normally and freely. Notice how your body feels in the chair. Notice any emotions you are feeling. Notice any sounds, near and far.
11. Now slowly open your eyes. Before you move, think: what are you going to do next…?

More info

One of the best tools we have is our own inner guidance. As we become more self aware, we can always find answers within to any given problem.

On a separate piece of paper, create two columns. Title the left column, “STUMBLING BLOCKS.” Title the right column, “STEPPING STONES.” In the left column, list 3 stumbling blocks you have in your life right now. If you could master them, your life would go more smoothly. Now, in the right column, turn those stumbling blocks into stepping-stones. Make a list of 3 things you could do to turn each stumbling block into a stepping-stone.

Take a look at the Five Ripple Areas in your life and evaluate how you are doing in each of these areas. Are they aligned? Do they match with your values?

If not, create some action items in each area to give them proper attention and alignment. Remember the Ripple Effect. Each area represents a ripple, and in order to have further outreach, we must have our inner areas and circles in order.

1. Source

2. Self

3. Spouse

4. Children

5. Community and World

Evaluate how you are doing in the following 7 areas in your life. Rate yourself from 1-10. In order to make changes in our lives, it is important to know where we are starting. Be honest with yourself. This will be a good starting place as you read the rest of the book. Each area presented below will be discussed in detail in book along with a number of tools and activities in plan to help you reach a 10 in each area of your life.

Body - Healthy eating, exercise, sleep, etc. 1-10:

Heart - Positive feelings of peace, love, joy, forgiveness and gratitude, giving and serving in your life. 1-10:

Mind - Reading uplifting and inspiring materials, having positive thoughts, affirmations, focus, intention, etc. 1-10:

Soul - Connecting to your Divine Source through prayer, studying scriptures, journaling, meditation, walking in nature, etc. 1-10:

Systems and Structure - Having clear systems and routines in your daily life to help your life run more smoothly. 1-10:

Discovering Your Purpose and Passion - Knowing what your strengths, abilities, talents, and passions are. 1-10:

Sharing Your Gifts - Actively sharing your gifts and talents with family, friends or community to bless the lives of others and make a positive impact in the world. 1-10:

We all need food and nourishment to survive, but as we properly take care of our bodies, then we can also thrive in our personal lives. It is important to get cellular nutrition. We can get antioxidants in our fruits and vegetables, but given the amount of toxicity in our environments, food and lives, that alone isn’t enough. For optimal health, we need to supplement our diets with high quality products. It is important that you use pharmaceutical grade supplements and the best quality to ensure that you are actually getting what the label says you are getting in the appropriate amounts for your body. It is worth doing your research on the quality of supplements you are using. Remember, you have just one body!

Our bodies need carbohydrates for the glucose they provide for fuel. The glycemic index is a numerical system that rates how fast carbohydrates break down into glucose and enter the blood stream. Low glycemic foods are slowly digested and absorbed, and there is only a gentle rise in blood sugar and insulin levels. Lowering insulin levels is not only a key factor in weight loss but the secret to long-term health.

Eat Whole Foods

It is a food that is in its natural state. You are getting the food intact with all of the vitamins, minerals and fiber to boot. There are so many health benefits to eating a whole-foods diet. Many studies suggest that individuals whose diets are primarily whole foods - vegetables, fruits and whole grains - also have lower risks of cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. It not only affects the health of the body, but it affects the mental, emotional and spiritual state of an individual as well.

Eat Raw Foods

You don’t need to give up on flavor, variety and texture when you eat raw, but you are opening up your world to so many more possibilities. Also, you will feel so great with increased energy and vitality. When we eat clean, natural and raw foods, we have more energy and feel more alive and vibrant.

For benefits that raw food brings please refer to “Additional Details” section of this course.

Find an exercise that you love!! If you enjoy doing it, then you will be more likely to follow through. It is important to get cardiovascular, flexibility and weight training exercise in for optimal physical well being. Some of exercises are Yoga, Zumba, biking and walking. A morning nature walk with a friend is good too because that is a great way to build friendships as well as allow an emotional release as you converse and provide a listening ear for each other.

Exercise improves your state of mind. Exercise helps control your weight. Exercise helps regulate hormones. Exercise decreases the risk of disease and other health conditions. Exercise promotes energy.

Water is the key to life on this planet, and our bodies are in desperate need of it. Adequate water improves metabolism, decreases blood pressure, and keeps a good flow going within our bodies. Inadequate hydration can impair the immune system and causes sluggish mental processing. The average adult human body is made up of approximately 60% water.

A quick way to figure how much to you need to drink daily is to take half your body weight in pounds, then drink that much in ounces (140 lbs; 70 ounces).

It is imperative to our health that we get adequate rest. This is the time our body needs to rejuvenate and repair. It is recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep a day. When we don’t get the rest our bodies need, we become tired, irritable, have problems with concentration and memory and are unable to tolerate stress well.

On a separate piece of paper, make two columns. In the left column, make a list of 3 things can you eliminate from your diet to be healthier. In the right hand column, make a list of 3 things can you add to your diet to be healthier.

Write out your feelings and put them down on paper. Just write and write until those negative emotions are discharged. It is okay and even desirable to experience the charged emotions as you are writing because this allows you to discharge and release it. It doesn’t matter what you write, but just the act of writing gets the emotion out of your body and onto paper.

Once you’ve written until you no longer feel the negative charge of the emotion, then simply crumple up the paper and throw it away or even burn it. As you do this step, say to yourself, “I release all of these negative emotions, and I replace them with love, forgiveness, joy and peace.” You may say a prayer to accompany the release. It is important to replace with the positive, otherwise you’ve just opened up a space within you that may leave you vulnerable to having other negative experiences come in, versus consciously choosing to fill it with the positive.

EFT combines the physical benefits of acupuncture with the cognitive benefits of talk therapy for a much faster and more complete treatment of emotional issues.

Although related to acupuncture, EFT does not use needles. Instead it is done by focusing in on specific issues and using the fingertips to tap certain meridian points on the body. EFT appears to balance blocks in the meridian system and can be effective in a relatively short amount of time, even minutes. The nice thing about EFT is that it can be done anywhere at any time and can provide impressive do-it-yourself results. You can look EFT up on YouTube and receive step-by-step instruction on how to use it.

Working with Children

you can use EFT for young children ages 5 and 7, if they have an emotional meltdown or get upset. Do some tapping on them while having them repeat some words of release and replace (for example, “I release all of my anger, frustration, sadness or worry and replace it with peace, happiness and joy.”) Usually this process results in a giggle fest and within a matter of a couple of minutes, the emotional upset is gone.

Another technique you may use on children to help release negative emotions is to draw a large heart on a piece of paper and talk to them about how their heart is feeling. Make them color out their emotions in the heart. They can scribble and just let out any negative emotions while they are coloring and you keep talking them through it.

You end by again drawing another heart and letting them decorate it to show how much better they are feeling. The two hearts would look very different. The later one is usually decorated and colored in lighter and prettier colors and they’ll put scallops on the happy heart or draw flowers. They can tell that after this little mini process, they do feel better.

“Let It Go” is what we must do to put down the extra emotional baggage that we are carrying around. Try any of following:

Forgive the Ones you have Grudge onto

When we hold on to any resentment, we are only hurting ourselves. It keeps us in a negative state and vibration, and we tend to attract more of that into our lives. Just to be able to accept “what is” is very liberating and allows us to let go and live in the present.

Put out Positive Emotions

We don’t necessarily attract what we want in our lives, but we attract what we are. For example, if you are constantly and continually giving out love, then you are going to be receiving love. If you are putting out negative vibes towards others then you’ll also get that back into your life. So, it seems obvious that we want to put out as much positive into the world as we can.

Send Out Love

Try an experiment today. Go throughout your day and think, say and do as many loving things as you can. Then check in to see how you feel and where your emotions are. It is a sure way to raise your energy vibration, lift those around you and just give you an overall warm and cozy feeling inside. When love flows in our lives, it opens up our hearts.

When we withhold our love, our hearts begin to shrivel and close. It is a form of protection from the harshness of life. It is easy to slip into that pattern. Start the experiment and witness the happiness of those you touch and watch the love flow right back to you.

When you are in the pit and darkest hour, you wouldn't believe anything positive about yourself. So, if you decide to recreate your life, then you would need to borrow from the admirable traits of other people that you looked up to. Think of people that had made an impact in your life and the traits that you admired about them. List two traits for each person. These are your affirmations. Once you have written them down, began to memorize them so you could recall them at a moment’s notice. Now you have a tool to use when your thoughts would begin taking you to a bad place. You could just rattle off your affirmations. You need to rewire your brain with new and good thoughts and beliefs. By repeatedly saying them and focusing on them, you could ingrain them into your subconscious brain which would then help you become that person again.

On a separate piece of paper, make two columns. Title the left column, “Negative Self Talk.” Title the right column, “POWER DECLARATIONS.” In the left column, write out any negative statements that pop into your mind about yourself. In the right column, counteract them by making your POWER DECLARATIONS. These are the exact opposite statements written in present tense. For example, “I am not good enough,” and directly across from that statement, write the TRUTH IN PRESENT TENSE – “I am strong, capable, and am deserving of all good things in my life.”

One of the most effective ways to use our thoughts is to create our positive intentions. We do this by stating our goals, ideas, wants, desires and choices in the affirmative. Get detailed about a specific intention. Write it down; visualize it; focus on it; imagine it happening. Then get busy doing what needs to be done. Something powerful begins pulling all the energy in the universe to bring about your specific desire.

Creating a dream or vision board is a fun and powerful way to create the life you desire. It is a visual representation of what you want your life to be. You take pictures and words that represent your desires and place them on a board. Then you look and focus on it morning and night for a few minutes at a time. As you do, imagine in your mind these things actually coming to pass. Feel the anticipation and excitement when they do.

When we tie our emotion into our thoughts, our intentions become even more powerful. Also, simply repeatedly focusing on the images imprints them into our subconscious, which is the powerhouse of our brains. It becomes a combination of the power of the subconscious, the law of attraction and simple reminders for the action steps we need to take to bring about the results we desire.

Your board should include all areas of your life that you want to improve. It may include health and fitness, relationships, spirituality, personal development, travel, career, goals, dreams, etc. Have fun dreaming, discovering, cutting, and creating your Dream Board and manifesting your desires!!

Another fun tool is to write a movie script for your life five years down the road. You write out a very detailed day of what your ideal life looks like. Be specific about where you are, who you are with, what you are doing and the impact you are having. When we get the negative thinking and emotions out of the way, anything is possible!!

It is important that we clear our mind, continually. Otherwise, we are mixing and compounding our old problems with new problems.

One way you can do this is to be completely still. So, remember a time in your life that brought you great joy. Just try to hold on to that thought for a period of time, especially if your mind starts taking you to a negative place. You need to stop it in its tracks. This is really the first step of meditation, that ability to slow down your mind, breathe deeply and come to a place of peace.

Another essential tool for clearing your mind is to accept the past and what is. Once you do this, you will become empowered to move forward and create whatever life you desire.

When we hold onto regret, guilt, sadness, anger or despair, it is impossible to move forward and rebuild our lives. We all make mistakes, and we must be loving and forgiving of ourselves. There is no point in worrying about the past or mistakes we may have made. By simply accepting what is and finding your happy place, you’ll have much more peace and contentment.

It is essential to our happiness that we remove any negative thoughts about others or ourselves. It does us no good at all. In fact, it is harmful. David Shaw, in his groundbreaking book, The Bug Free Mind, states that the more negativity one has, the bigger the ego. Our goal is to remove our ego and surrender. That is when and where you’ll find your true peace and power from within.

The best way you can do meditation is to go to a quiet place. Lie down, empty out all of your thoughts, and breathe deeply. It will teach you in a very personal way how important it is to quiet our minds and deeply connect with the Divine. It truly is transforming your life and understanding.

I would highly encourage you to begin keeping a record or journal of inspiration and spiritual experiences you have. It is as if it is opening up a continual door of revelation.

This is a state that you are in where you are not quite in deep sleep but you aren’t fully awake either. It is a place between the unconscious and consciousness. It is a state where you can be taught great and marvelous things if you go to bed with a desire and question in your mind. When you pray and ask these questions, you will be shown and taught things may be in dreams. There are many different type of spiritual gifts, and dreams is one of them.

How do you come closer to God and put Him first in your life? I say that you start by putting Him first in your days. The early morning hours are considered sacred. It is during this quite time that you can connect best with your Higher Power. Your head would be much more clear and the busyness of the day hasn’t begun.

Other ways you may connect with the Divine include listening to uplifting music, walking in nature and simply having a prayer in your heart throughout the day. I treat Him as my constant companion, and I know that by partnering with Him, I can do all things through Him.

Fill your heart with gratitude for what you already have in your life. Answer the questions below. Get into a habit of either recording daily a few things you are grateful for or simply say them during your quiet meditation time.

Three great things you love about your physical body are:

Three people that have had a profound impact on your life are:

Three things you love about where you live are:

Three gifts or talents you’ve been given are:

Three ways you’ve been lucky in your life are:

Three ways that your life is abundant and prosperous:

Marie Forleo, a mentor and founder of the popular online Business School says to schedule everything on your calendar. If it is not written down and scheduled, it is not real. I have found it very helpful to use both my iPhone calendar and a paper calendar to keep my schedule. I like my iPhone because it will send me reminder notices on my phone before a scheduled event. Since I am very visual, I also like to be able to see a paper calendar with everything scheduled to help me see the bigger picture.

CPR stands for Categorize, Purge and Rearrange. Moving is a good excuse to really go through your things and reorganize, but most of us don’t move every year. The reorganization is helpful, but the key really is the purging. Every item we have in our home should bring us some type of joy and happiness. If we are holding on to things that have no meaning or purpose and don’t necessarily add joy to our lives, appreciate the item for the use you’ve had of it over the years and allow it to bless someone else’s life who could use it more than you. This is an incredibly liberating process. Just sit back and watch: as you create more flow and space in your home, your life will change for the better.

One of the most powerful tools is simply writing to get ideas and thoughts out of your brain and onto paper. This creates space in brains for more ideas to come as well. Make a list of everything you need or would like to do. Then set five year, one year, quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals. When you lay it out like this, you can see that you can have it all - just not all at the same time!

Once you get things written out and can see a bigger picture, everything becomes more doable. You can enjoy the journey, live in the present moment, and focus on one thing at a time. It is much more likely that you will accomplish something if it is written down. In fact, only around 3% of the population actually writes down goals. Once a goal is written down, it gets programmed into your subconscious brain, especially if you focus on it. You are then much more likely to accomplish it.

As you participate in this activity, you can pace yourself in a realistic way that works best for you. You don’t need to beat yourself up for not getting more accomplished but just understand that there is a perfect time to do everything.

Five, three and one-year goals help you to see the bigger picture and how to fit your desires and interests into your life. Quarterly goals give you three months to work on a larger project that you’ve been meaning to do but never find the time. Monthly goals are just smaller items that need a shorter time frame. You repeat the process for your weekly and daily goals.

Create SYSTEMS – Save Your Self Time, Energy and Money

On a separate piece of paper, make two columns. Label the left column, “AM” and the right column, “PM.” Create your AM and PM routines - Learn to book-end your days.

This is simply a checklist of items that you can do to begin and end your day. It creates structure and really helps get your days off to a good start. It also brings it around full circle as you end your days. Some of the things you may list for your AM routine are: meditation, visualization, affirmations, writing morning notes, personal prayer, exercise and nutritionals. On your PM routine, you may make a plan for the next day, have personal prayer, meditation, visualization and affirmations. You should be able to end your day filling your brain with the positive affirmations. It is a great way to relax and have a more peaceful sleep. It may not work out perfectly every single day but it is about progress, not perfection.

There are so many things that need to be done in a week that when you divide up your tasks into specific days, it just feels more organized in your brain. Everything will get done, and it helps reduce stress. We all have many demands on our time, but there are certain things that need to be taken care of or our lives can begin to fall into chaos.

There is a lot of freedom here, and you won’t always follow it perfectly, but it is a framework for getting the things done that you need. When you put this type of structure to your weekly schedule, you will be able to keep up on your busy life as well as make sure the essential things are getting done and that you are spending the quality time you want with your family.

What are your strengths? Sometimes it is easier for others to help identify our strengths for us. What do people say that you are good at? If you don’t know, ask some family members or close friends to help identify what your strengths are and make a list.

What is it that you love to do more than anything? There are certain things that we feel passionate about and other things that are of absolutely no interest to us. People rarely excel at tasks they don’t enjoy doing or feel passionate about. One of the key indicators of this is level of enthusiasm. What do you do for sheer enjoyment? When we do what we are wired to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don’t care about something, it is unlikely that you will excel at it.

Everyone is born with specific, natural gifts and abilities. When we use our natural gifts and abilities in our lives, we are using our God-given talents to bless others. It is important to recognize these gifts and tap into the power they have to bless and change lives.

We are each so unique! There are introverts and extroverts, people who love routine and those who love variety. There are thinkers and feelers. Some people like to work alone while others are energized by people. There are detailed oriented people and others who are visionaries. There is no right or wrong personality. Our personality will affect how and where we use our gifts and abilities.

Our life experiences really mold our character and us. Think of your family, educational, spiritual and even painful experiences. It is usually the most painful experiences that we go through that will direct us to our purpose. Aldous Huxley said, “Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you.” What will you do with what you’ve been through? Don’t waste it. Use it to help others!

When we become clear on what we are meant to be doing in this world, life really becomes exciting. This is where the fun really kicks in, as time doesn’t seem to matter anymore. We do what we love and what we are good at. This is called living in your Zone of Genius.

• Choose a Time

The best time for meditation is early in the morning, immediately after waking up, or just before going to bed.

• Pick a Place

Choose a place where you can be at peace without being disturbed. You can also make the place more relaxing by dimming the lights, lighting an incense and playing some soft, calming music in the background.

• Decide the Length of Your Meditation

It is important to set a goal as to how long you expect yourself to meditate. If you have never meditated before, then it would probably be a good idea to start with as little as 5 minutes. As you begin to get more comfortable with your practice, you can build up the duration to 10 minutes, 15 minutes and later onto 1 hour. Advanced practitioners meditate for one hour or longer. However, it is imperative to take things slowly, as your body and mind are adapting to some acute changes in your lifestyle.

• Adopt a Comfortable Posture

Sitting in the right posture is extremely crucial for your meditation practice. It is recommended that you adopt a posture which is easy to maintain for the length of your meditation. Keep your spine and your neck straight. There should be no slumping or slouching, arms and shoulders should remain relaxed. Keep your eyes closed for the entire duration. You can sit cross legged, or even on a chair if that is more comfortable to you. However, try to either sit cross legged, or in a kneeling position resting the weight of your body on your heels.

While it is not highly recommended, you can also meditate while lying on the bed. It is best to meditate lying down before going to sleep if you decide to do your practice on the bed.

• Keep Your Stomach Light and Relatively Empty

As you progress with your practice, you will realize that it is easier to meditate when your stomach is relatively empty. However, you should obviously not be starving, as a grumbling stomach can pose grave interference to your meditation. But make sure that you don’t sit down to meditate right after a heavy meal, as it will make it very difficult for you to sit still and focus your mind.

• Do Some Warm Ups

Before starting your meditation, it is advisable that you do some gentle stretching and some mild form of exercise, like surya namaskar.

• Deep Breathing

Start your practice by taking a few deep breaths. As you inhale, your stomach and chest should expand. As you exhale, your chest and abdomen should contract. Focus all your attention on the in-breath and the out-breath.

• Keep Smiling

Try to keep a gentle smile on your face while meditating. However, at no point should this be forced.

• Slowly Bring Back Your Awareness

Do not jerk yourself out of meditation! Slowly bring back awareness by moving your fingers and your toes. Rub your palms together, generating some heat. Take your palms to your eyes and after some time slowly and calmly open them.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

It is recommended that you practice sitting breath meditation whenever you feel stressed or emotionally overwhelmed.

The Practice

• Adopt a comfortable position to sit in a quiet and peaceful place. You don’t have to keep your back ramrod straight, just make an effort to maintain good posture throughout the session.
• Do not stress as that would be counterproductive to the benefits you are trying to reap from your practice.
• Close your eyes and rest your palms either on your knees or in your lap.
• Allow yourself to simply become aware of your body and mind. If you can feel tension anywhere, then gently suggest that body part to relax. As you bid the tension leave, say, “I relax my ____. My _______ is completely relaxed.”
• Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to feel completely centered and grounded. As you take the next breath, focus on how the air is entering your nose.
• Imagine that the air that is a refreshing green in color. Feel how the air touches your nostrils.
• Visualize the air passing through your lungs and spreading to every organ of your body. Every organ, every body part this fresh, green– colored air touches turns vibrant and healthy.
• Now, imagine that all the negativity and blockages inside you are present in small debris of brown color. Collect them together and, with a deep exhalation, release them out.
• Practice as many rounds of this meditation as you like. Notice how your stomach and chest expand each time you inhale fresh air and notice how your chest and stomach contract upon each exhalation.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

The Practice

• Comfortably lie down in your bed on your back. Adopt the corpse pose by separating your legs, shoulder width apart with toes falling apart to the sides. Arms should be by your side and facing towards the ceiling.
• Allow yourself to simply become aware of your body and mind. If you can feel tension anywhere, then gently suggest that body part to relax. As you bid the tension leave, say, “I relax my ____. My _______ is completely relaxed.” Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to feel completely centered and grounded.
• As you take the next breath, focus on how the air is entering your nose. Imagine that the air that is a refreshing green in color.
• Feel how the air touches your nostrils.
• Visualize the air passing through your lungs and spreading to every organ of your body.
• Every organ, every body part this fresh, green– colored air touches turns vibrant and healthy.
• Now, imagine that all the negativity and blockages inside you are present in small debris of brown color. Collect them together and, with a deep exhalation, release them out.
• Keep practicing until you fall asleep. Focus your attention on how your stomach and chest expands each time you inhale fresh air, and how they contract upon exhalation.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

The Practice

• Make sure that you walk with your spine erect and your chest pushed out.
• As you take a step forward, inhale deeply. As you step the other foot forward, exhale completely.
• This meditation sounds deceptively simple and yet can be challenging to practice, as you will have to find a matching pace for your breath and your walk.
• Do it at a pace that comes naturally to you and is comfortable for you.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

The Practice

• You can record this meditation in your own voice and play it during your meditation session.
• Sit comfortably with your back straight and close your eyes. Inhale and exhale deeply. With each inhalation, breathe in health, happiness, joy… With each exhalation, breathe out tensions, worries, diseases, negativity.
•  Continue for four to five breaths. Allow your body to completely relax.
•  Let there be no tension anywhere. If you wish, you can make any final adjustments to your posture.
• Bring back your awareness to your breath. Notice how with each breath you are becoming more and more deeply relaxed.
• Feel the relaxation gently spreading to all body parts in a soothing blue light. Inhale and exhale. Release all tensions and worries.
• See yourself in a beautiful garden with trees all around you. Your feet are bare and you can feel the soft grass underneath them. It’s a lovely sunny day and you can feel warm sunshine on your face and on your skin. Notice the lovely flowers in pink, blue, lilac and yellow all around you.
•  The beautiful fragrance of the flowers, the chirping of the birds and the sound of children playing is filling your heart with joy and happiness.
• With every breath that you are taking, you are absorbing the vitality, the greenery, the fresh fragrance, and the joy of your surroundings.
•  You tell yourself, “I am so happy. My life is perfect. I love myself and everything in my life.” Your heart becomes filled with an abundance of love and profound joy. You feel grateful for everything that you are experiencing at that moment and you know that everything in your life is turning out for your highest good. You say to yourself, “I am strong. I am happy. I am wonderful. I am at peace.”
• Slowly bring back your awareness… Move your fingers, move your toes… Rub your palms together, gently place them on your eyes and slowly open your eyes.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

• Choose a quiet, peaceful spot where you won’t get disturbed by anything.
• You can light some incense and play some soft music on the background if that feels nice to you, but this is, by no means, necessary.
• Sit down in a comfortable posture, keeping your back straight.
• Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
• Begin observing what thoughts are coming up with each inhalation.
• Observe how the thoughts are affecting your emotions and your body.
• Simply observe. Do not ask why a particular thought is coming up.
• Witness it as if it was happening in someone else’s mind. You are just watching, not pondering or mulling over the thoughts. You are simply perceiving whatever is coming up, there is no judgment, no effort to make anything go away.
•  However, if you feel that you have become stuck in a particular thought, then gently suggest to your mind “thinking” and bring it back to the present.
• You can practice this meditation from anywhere between 2 minutes to 30 minutes.
• Any time is a good time for practicing mindfulness meditation!

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

• You can also practice this meditation by closing your eyes and then allowing yourself to become aware of everything that surrounds you using all your senses.
• What is it that you are hearing, what is it that you are smelling, how does the fabric under your skin feel, what is the taste inside your mouth right now, what is it that you can see with your mind’s eye?
• You can practice this meditation as often as you like for as long as you like.
• This meditation helps you connect with your current reality by disconnecting the mind from the past and the future. It helps in developing a deeper appreciation for everything that you have right now.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

• Find a quiet, peaceful place.
• Sit comfortably with your spine erect.
• Take a few deep breaths to center yourself. Now, focus on the point between your eyebrows.
• Take a deep inhalation and with the exhalation, loudly pronounce “OOOOOOOOOOOmmmmmmmmmmmmm.” “Mmmmmmm” is pronounced in a hum and should be produced by closing the mouth.
• “OOOO” and “mmmm” are pronounced in a 2: 4 ratio. Remember, that “OOOO” is said out loud by circling the mouth and keeping it open. “mmm” is hummed with the lips pursed together.
• Practice at least five rounds of Om chanting to feel the benefits. You will immediately feel the vibration of Om in each body part.
• This is an excellent meditation for becoming calm and peaceful. It is also easy to do, as your mind is completely engaged in the chanting of the mantra.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

• Simply align each breath with a silent chant of “OOOOmmmmmmmm.”
• As you inhale chant Om, as you exhale chant Om. You will be astonished by the powerful transformative results constant silent chanting of Om will bring into your life.
• Do it as often as you can. Whenever you find your mind straying, bring it back to focus on the breath and on the chanting of Om.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

• Sit comfortably in a quiet, peaceful place.
• Keep your spine erect and focus on breathing deeply.
• After a few deep breaths, take your attention to your left toe. Silently say in your mind, “My toe is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Move your attention to your left foot, “My foot is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.”
• Come up to your left ankle, “My ankle is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Move your attention to your left shin, “My shin is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Moving up to your left knee, “My knee is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Move your attention up to your left thigh, “My thigh is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed. Move your attention to your right toe, “My toe is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Move your attention to your right foot, “My foot is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Come up to your right ankle, “My ankle is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Move your attention to your right shin, “My shin is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.”
•  I am completely relaxed.” Move up to your cheeks, “My cheeks are completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Move your attention to your nose, “My nose is completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Move up to your eyes, “My eyes are completely relaxed. I am completely relaxed.” Repeat this several times in your mind while feeling that the relaxation is deepening more and more with each breath. Remain in this deeply-relaxed state, focusing completely on your breath. Enjoy the peace and tranquility you are feeling.
• If any disturbing thoughts come to your mind, then gently bring your mind back. Recall the happiest moment of your life and allow your heart become full of joy.
• Relive that moment as if it was happening in the here and now. Enjoy and cherish the experience as it is happening right here at this moment!
• When you are ready to come out of the meditation, first bring your awareness back by gently moving your toes and fingers.
• Then slowly interlock your fingers together and stretch them above your head. Turn to one side with your eyes still closed and slowly sit up. Rub your palms together and slowly open your eyes.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

• Just close your eyes, sitting in a comfortable posture with your back straight.
• Take a few deep breaths to center yourself and to release all tension from the body.
• Mentally repeat to yourself, “I am completely relaxed. I am at peace.” When you are done with the process, slowly come out by first moving your toes and your fingers.
• Rub your palms together and place them on your eyes. Slowly open your eyes and make sure that you carry the joy and happiness you feel from knowing that your dream has already manifested.

Please refer to the book for more details on this activity.

Awareness is the key. The moment that you catch yourself procrastinating, complaining or just feeling uncomfortable simply follow the process listed below.

Feel It. When you feel uncomfortable or find yourself putting off doing what you know you should be doing, take a moment and feel it. Simply pause, take a breath and ask yourself, “What am I feeling in this moment?”

Release It. After taking a moment and seeing just what you are feeling try to pin point where you feel it and give it a label. For example, I am feeling anxiety and I feel it in my stomach area. Do not complicate this. Once you have identified the feeling take a deep breath and release it to the universe.

Relink the feeling to a positive anchor. After the release simply replace the feeling with a positive affirmation. The ‘I Am…’ affirmations work best with this exercise. Let’s say that you had a feeling of anxiety about talking to your boss. After the release simply affirm, “I am strong and confident!” and then go to it.

What this powerful technique does is reprograms the subconscious on the spot. We procrastinate when we step outside the comfort because of our programmed fears.

Make a list of all the tasks that you need to complete. Make sure that you list all the due dates for your tasks so you can make sure that they will be completed in time. You definitely don’t want to miss any deadlines whether it’s for your own personal projects or for something you’re working on for your job. Missing deadlines looks bad to everyone involved.  

Look at the tasks and organize them based on the dates that they are due. Next, categorize the most important tasks first. By working on the most important tasks first you’ll be able to get them completed faster and you’ll also be able to make sure that those projects are done well.

If you are working at a job that provides you with a number of tasks every day then you should know how to add new tasks. Consider the due date of each new project and then organize them based on the importance of the task.

This will allow you to accomplish everything the right way and it’s also going to ensure that you don’t miss anything. You don’t want to miss out on a deadline or skip over an important task.

• Make sure that you’re getting around 7-8 hours every night because this is going to help you get the perfect amount of rest for your brain.
• Just remember that you need to sleep about the same time every night as well.

This way you’re going to feel more awake during the day and more capable of accomplishing tasks.

If you’re going to work on a new task you need to focus on it a lot. Think carefully about the project you’re working on. Make sure that you work on only one project at a time then you’ll be able to get them done more quickly as well as getting them done more accurately.

A good habit is something that helps you to accomplish the goals that you have in life. It’s something like, working on one task at a time, making lists, staying organized and avoiding wasted time. These things are good habits and they ensure that you get a lot more done.

Use good habits frequently and continually develop additional ones as you go about your life and your tasks for personal or work needs.

• You need to make sure that you are limiting the amount of time that you spend on activities that are not improving your abilities.
• You need to make sure that you are setting time limits such as 20-30 minutes for fun and relaxation.

When you do this you’ll be able to give your mind the rest that it needs but you won’t have to worry too much about the fact that you’re wasting your time. When you’re limiting your activities you get more out of the entire process.

Limit the amount of time you spend on your required activities. When you work too hard you end up burning out.

Space out the amount of time that you work. Limit your required activities to a specified amount at a time. Of course you need to make sure you’re working at your job all day but outside of work you’ll need to make sure that you are balancing the amount of time that you spend doing fun activities and doing required activities. You will want to limit your activities to around 20 or 30 minutes so that you get enough done and you get it done in a quick and positive way.

Make sure that you are not wasting your time too much, which means you need to watch out for the tasks that are doing it. Make sure that you are spending an adequate amount of time working when you need to.

So, whenever you find yourself distracted from your work consider what it is that is distracting you. That’s going to ensure that you get back to work more quickly and that you don’t spend too much time waiting around to get your work done. This will keep you from getting distracted continuously. By identifying the things that make you waste your time you can then limit your time with them.

Once you have identified the tasks that are taking too much time out of your day, limit the amount of time that you spend on them. Make sure you limit the tasks that you are doing so that you’re able to get some of your fun activities into your day while also completing your work at the same time. Make sure that you limit those wasted tasks completely.

​You will want to limit your tasks that are not required to around 20 or 30 minutes each block of time. As a result, you’ll be able to make sure that you are getting through even more of your work and still having some fun at the same time.

When you organize your tasks properly you’ll be able to see which ones should be completed first and which ones you can come back to at a later time. Make sure that you work your way down the list.

After all, you’re not going to be able to give as much attention to each task if you are trying to tear yourself from one to the next too much. You’ll end up distracted, stressed and probably a little confused about what information should go where.

Work your way through every task slowly and carefully because this is going to allow you to get where you want to be personally and professionally. When you work with one task you’ll be able to devote all of your time and energy to that one task. You can also be sure that you have enough time and attention to devote to the task. 

If you spend a set amount of time on one task you will actually spend more time and effort trying to do several things at once. That’s because you have to spend some time working hard at your tasks and you’re likely to get confused when you’re trying to work from one task to a different one. Instead, complete the first task completely and then move on to the next task. You can then devote the same type of attention to the next task.

Make sure that you are eating right. That means getting plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as taking vitamins. Make sure you get all the vitamins and minerals that your body desperately needs in the most natural way possible. That way, you’ll be able to improve your health continuously and your entire body is going to be at work building healthier bones and getting rid of illnesses that come your way through stronger immunities.

Another great way to stay healthy is to make sure you’re taking some breaks and not overworking yourself. Make sure you’re not getting too stressed. Stress will break down your body and your immunities, making it much more likely that you will end up sick. All you need to do to combat this is to take a few breaks, get some rest, eat right and make sure you’re getting at least a little bit of exercise every day. You don’t even have to do much, just make sure you’re walking or engaging in some other activity you enjoy.

Taking breaks will help to reduce the levels of stress that you’re experiencing. It’s also going to help you relax and enjoy yourself. When you walk away from your work and do something that you enjoy it will help you feel better about getting back to that work later on. Not to mention, when you come back you’ll be fully refreshed and ready to work even harder and with a whole new outlook on your work. You’ll be able to accomplish a lot more by taking breaks than you would be able to if you just kept working straight through.

When you are overworked, STOP accepting more projects or tasks or responsibilities. That’s the only way you’re going to be able to devote as much time and energy as you want to your many projects. Remember that when you’re able to organize your projects and you are able to tell when you have too many it’s going to improve your ability to carry them out skillfully.

This will translate to bigger responsibilities and even promotions at your job. Of course, that means you’ll need to learn how to organize different projects. So make sure that you’re looking at your work and compiling a list to determine whether or not you have enough work or too much.

Make sure that you take breaks properly. If you’re taking too many breaks or you’re spending your time relaxing and doing things you won’t be able to accomplish as much as you should. This means that you’ll fall behind in your work and you’ll be completely reversing anything that you may have benefited by taking a break.  

Instead take several short breaks. You should try to work for around 30 minutes and then you can take 5 minutes to get up, walk around, stretch out and get back to work. This will give your brain a little time to refresh and relax. You’ll get to breathe and look away from those papers or that computer screen. Now, if you want to take a long break you’ll generally need to work a little longer. Try to work for a couple hours (while still taking short breaks) and then take a half hour away from your work. This will help you get rid of some of that excess stress (plus it lets you have a little fun).