Keep the Stress out of Thanksgiving--Be Grateful

Thanksgiving will be here in a couple of weeks. It's a good time to remember to take care of ourselves and keep stress to a minimum. Here are some stress-reducing tips:

• Be grateful for what you have. At the beginning of each day, reflect on your blessings and the people who complete your life.
• Don't let little aggravations overshadow the important ones.
• Count the things that are going right in your life, not those going wrong.
• Take a break when you feel yourself getting stressed. Don't wait until you are overwhelmed.
• Keep close to family and friends during this and other holidays.
• Burn a candle with one of the wonderful stress-reducing fragrances like lavender or vanilla.
• Take a mini vacation in your mind.
• Enjoy yourself.

Remember Thanksgiving is about being thankful. What are you giving thanks for 

Happy Fall, All

The last week of summer is winding down. Autumn begins Monday, bringing with it Fall Fix-Up season. It’s also a great time to fix-up things in our lives such as these:

• Personal relationships
• Workplace relationships
• Time management issues
• Home and office organization issues
• Careers
• Eating and exercise habits
• Social habits
• Online presence

You can find tips for time management, organization, workplace relationships, and career help in my former blog posts and on my website www.carolsilvis.com.

Where will you begin?

Evaluating and Keeping in Balance

As summer winds down, it’s time to reap what has been sown for the season. Did you accomplish what you wanted? Think of what you have been reaping with your goals, plans, ideas, and daily activities. Have they been moving you closer to your hopes, dreams, and aspirations? Now is the time to take a look at your harvest and separate the good from the bad. Keep what is working and amend or get rid of what isn’t with an eye always on that future goal/dream.

Don’t forget to find time for the things that are important to you as well as those that are necessary. Attend to that part of you that likes to be nurtured by reading, writing, meditating, visiting friends or relatives, and so forth. Only when we have balance in our lives can we achieve our best. Balance is best attained by attending to our physical, mental, and spiritual selves.

Balance Your Personal and Professional Life

Take time this Easter to enjoy family and friends and to renew yourself spiritually. Living a balanced personal and professional life is crucial to your successful well-being. Too much attention to your professional life to the exclusion of your personal life will cause you to miss out on important "self" time. Too much attention to your personal life and not enough on your professional life will cause career stagnation. Develop a routine that personally fits your life plans and make corrections when it is out of balance.Take steps to maintain a healthy physical and mental balance.

• Practice good time and stress management.


• Get and stay organized.


• Maintain a positive attitude.

When you think of balance, consider all areas of your life, including work, family, friends, health, finance, spiritual, hobbies, and everything else that fits into your life. Balance in all areas of life is a key to contentment

Enjoy the Holiday Season

The holiday season is once again upon us. It seems it comes around more quickly each year. Perhaps that is a clue that our lives are too busy. This holiday season, take time to enjoy the companionship of family and friends. Children grow up and move away, parents and other loved ones pass on. Don't look back one day and regret not having enjoyed the precious moments.

Take time to enjoy the holiday season.

• Listen to your favorite Christmas carols and holiday music.


• Enjoy the festive decorations.


• Bake cookies and fudge.


• Instead of thinking about all you have to do, sit back and relax for a few minutes.


• Visit shut-ins and the elderly.


• Dress in your holiday attire and accept those party and dinner invitations.


• Spread cheer wherever you go.


• Adopt an animal from a shelter.


• Attend to your spiritual side.

Balancing work, play, spirituality, and health is the best way to enjoy the holidays and every day.

Tis the season. Slow down and enjoy it.

Keep Your Life in Balance

Another holiday weekend provides us with another chance to balance our professional life and personal life through rest and relaxation. Here are some tips to keep your life in balance not only during a holiday weekend, but also throughout the year.

• Develop a routine that allows just the right mix between time spent on your personal life and professional life. Too much time or too little time spent on either can upset the balance needed to live your best life.


• Create a daily plan.


• Focus on the tasks you absolutely have to do and downgrade the rest according to how necessary it is to complete them.


• Forget about things you cannot change. Banish irrational and pointless worry.


• When problems arise, step back and look for solutions. Do not let problems paralyze you.


• Ask for help when you need it.


• Keep work and ambitions in check--balance them with family, friends, hobbies, and interests.


• Take a breather. Sit quietly and focus on your breathing for several minutes.


• Keep company with people who lift you up, not those who tear you down.


• Do your part in taking care of your health by eating right and exercising.


• Let go of anger and grudges that erode your peace of mind.

Never lose sight of what is most important to you. Take time to relax and enjoy family and friends this Fourth of July. And remember the servicemen and servicewomen who sacrifice for us.

Take Time to Enjoy

Take time this Easter to enjoy family and friends and to renew yourself spiritually. Living a balanced personal and professional life is crucial to your successful well being. Too much attention to your professional life to the exclusion of your personal life will cause you to miss out on important "self" time. Too much attention to your personal life and not enough attention to your professional life will stagnate your career. Develop a routine that fits your lifestyle and make corrections when your life is out of balance.

• Take time to maintain a healthy physical and mental balance.


• Practice good time management and stress management techniques.


• Get organized and stay that way.


• Maintain a positive attitude.

When you think of balance, consider all areas of your life, including family, work, health, wealth, spiritual, hobbies, and everything else that fits together to make up your life plan. Balance in all areas of your life is the key to a contented life.

Putting a New Year in Perspective

I am ending the year with some tips for keeping your life in balance.

• Take stock of your activities to be sure you are spending sufficient time in all important areas of your life--work, family, spiritual, and extracurricular activities
• Renew relationships with relatives and friends you have not been in touch with for a while
• Purge excess belongs and donate them to charity
• Meditate
• Exercise
• Create a workable budget
• Volunteer
• Devote time to your hobby or favorite activity
• Start a gratitude journal and write in it daily
• Read a few good books
• Listen to uplifting music
• Be flexible
• Let go of worries and stress
• Keep a sense of humor
• Share with others
• Establish priorities and eliminate things that do not add value to your life
• Strike negative words from your vocabulary
• Forgive
• Take it one day at a time

Happy New Year!