Do you suffer from stress or know someone close who does?  Are you looking for gifts for Christmas? Its the end of the year and buying for people who you know who can do with a bit of relaxation is easy with 8 ideas below.

Massage - Dr. Scholl’s DR6624 Toe-Touch Foot Spa with Bubbles and Massage.  A foot bubble bath and massage in one.

A book about a hobby or interest such as The Big-Ass Book of Crafts. I’m sure there is something in there for everyone.

Aromatherapy idea - Aroma Home Aromatherapy Microwaveable Hot Booties - Hot Sox.  How wonderful to have warm feet this winter and have the lovely aroma of pure essential oils.  I can feel the stress melt away at the thought. This would be my pick - family and friends please note

Music CD - The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album. It’s hard to believe the words  relaxation and Christmas can be used together but it does this time.

Comedy DVD - Mamma Mia! The Movie (Two Disc Special Edition).  Watch this lovely movie and sing along with them as this is a great stress reliever too.

Gift pack of relaxing tea - You’re My Cup of Tea Gourmet Food Gift Basket - a Great Gift For Her! Tea is so good for you so why not sit back and relax with a cup of tea,  and try some tea you may not have had before like the mango green tea.

Jigsaws and games - Puzzle 3D Eiffel Tower. You can imagine you are in Paris while you do it.  Well I would as Ive been to Paris and would love to relive that memory.

Oh and if its YOU that is stressed, then just go buy a new pair of shoes or an  Oversized ”Ashlee” Tote - Brown, Red, Black or Purple handbag.  That works for me!  You cant have enough shoes or handbags can you?

These are a few of my ideas and maybe you can come up with some more.  Enjoy Christmas this year and make it as stress free as you can.   Relax and enjoy the season.

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color

Guest post courtesy of Corny54, a friend of mine from Squidoo

Surround yourself with

1. bright colors
2. bright light
3. pleasant sounds
4. nice smells

********************

Spring garden

Corny is a man of few words but he has the right ideas about color.  I love the summer and am happier then, when the sun is bright.  I love Spring because of the smell of the flowers and the sound of the sea makes me start feeling relaxed instantly.  As you can see by my site here,  I love color and try and try and surround myself with it.

The picture at the right was taken at Tulip Time, a spring festival in the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia.  It was a beautiful day in the garden in spite of the rain, the flowers especially the beautiful tulips brightened up my day.

I highly recommend the following book and CD from Hay House as it will change your life starting in small ways.  It is Eliminating Stress, Finding Inner Peace Book with CD. Hay house is a leader in self help books of high quality that improve the quality of people’s lives.

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How to cure yourself of panic and get a normal life.

The following are tips for panic attacks that have worked for me. They include methods that you can use to help yourself to stay in control.

Stay in the present - don’t allow your mind to skip ahead to ‘what might happen if’. Concentrate on what is happening NOW.

Change your thinking and how you react to it. Realize that anxiety is affected by what you are feeling and its not life threatening. You have some control over yourself.

Don’t be self absorbed -join in a conversation, take in what’s going on around you, take a walk and appreciate the beauty around you. Try and concentrate on doing something. Distraction is my greatest ally in combating panic attack. We tend to over analyze our thoughts and negative self talk is our greatest enemy.

Feel good about yourself - don’t belt yourself up, accept who you are. We often feel stupid, failures or not ‘good enough’ but we are really our own worst enemies. If you ask the people closest to you they will not agree with your own self worth.

Breathe normally - I start with holding my breath for the count of 5 then let it out slowly then inhale for 5 counts etc. This stops my over-breathing which most of the time I am not aware I’m doing.

Don’t avoid situations or places that make you feel anxious. Take baby steps towards overcoming this fear e.g if you get anxious being enclosed in a lift, next time you have to take a lift just go one floor, then the next time go two floors and so on. Take your time, take as long as you need with each step along the way until you feel confident to take the next step. Like the tortoise you will get there eventually.

If you have a panic attack, accept what is happening to you, let it flow over you as you know it will fade and you will be ok. This is one of the hardest things to accept but when you do, you don’t have to fear having a panic attack again.

These final tips for panic attacks you can start right now. Cut down on caffeine and sugar in your diet. Try and eat properly, relax and do some exercise as often as you can.

How are you feeling right now. Let me know. Post a comment and tell me your story.

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