Ahhh, Stress…our worst enemy. We all have it. There is no avoiding it. Ideally we could just have zero stress and have wonderful, happy, smooth and simple lives.
But, we don't. Honestly, even myself- the C.T.F.O. queen-gets stressed out.

So, what do we do?

To be blunt: deal with it. Accept it. It's a part of your life and what you have to do is learn to manage it. And, a little bit of stress is actually healthy for us.

However, a lot of stress makes us sick.

As I stated in my book (and at probably every lecture I've ever given):

60-90% of ALL doctor's visits are for a stress related disorder.

You name it, stress causes it or exacerbates it.

What I'd like to do today is to remind you how to deal with stress. As we head into spring, it's time to let go and give birth to new.

New ideas. New habits. A new take on life. And, it's time to let go of the old. It's time to shed some layers and spring ahead in life.

Let's revisit an acronym in talked about in Chill Out and Get Healthy. No, not the C.T.F.O. acronym, the B.E.C.A.L.M. acronym.

If you recall, I discussed this B.E.C.A.L.M. approach as a way to de-stress your life. Let's break it down:

B= Be healthy. By this I mean–eat clean, sleep as much as you can and exercise. These are the essentials to a healthy life. Be healthy, it's imperative.

E= Express Yourself. Say how you feel. Do what makes you feel good. Even if it's going for a long walk to work through an issue on your mind or talking it through with a friend or journaling about what's going on… Just get it out. Express yourself and free yourself from negative emotions.

C= C.T.F.O. You all know what this means… Do I really need to spell it put?

A= Acknowledge Your Desires. Yes, acknowledge what YOU want in this life of yours. What makes YOU feel good. What makes your heart flutter or gives you the widest grin possible? So much of human suffering is because we don't live for ourselves more. I get that we can't abandon out responsibilities and I'm not saying to do so… But can't you find a little bit of time to do something for you? Take a deep breath right now and ask yourself, “what's one thing I could do for my life that would make me feel good?”. It could be as simple as taking a walk or even signing up for a course you've been dying to take or making a commitment to that Brazilian Butt Lift class at the gym. Tune in and ask yourself what you desire. Live a desire driven life. You deserve it.

L= Let It Go. Let it go. Let it go. Be easy on yourself. Chill. Stop holding onto things from the past or griping over the things you cannot control. Now I'm not saying to say “Screw it. I don't care.” I'm just saying to let things go and realize how precious life is. Be in the moment and be grateful. Let go of worry and be easy on yourself.

M= Make It Happen. Yes! Make it happen. You deserve it. This ties into taking time every day to C.T.F.O. and tuning in to acknowledging your desires, letting go of the things you can't control, be easy on yourself and making a desire driven life happen for you. Stress is a proven killer so take control of it and focus on living a life that feels good!

B.E.C.A.L.M. and manage your stress.