How to Reduce Your Stress Quickly and Easily

STRESS - perhaps the biggest challenge we face today ... not the causes of it but the stress itself with all its 'fallout' such as high blood pressure, poor sleep, anxiety and so many other things.

Graduates of the Silva Method courses have a real advantage when it comes to handling stress, it's effects and the situations that have led to it.

For those of you who may have forgotten and for those of you who haven't yet taken Silva courses, let me offer a process that I know works well.

First, identify a thought that's causing or feeding your stress. Usually this is a thought about situations over which you have no direct control.

    Write down this thought, just the thought.

Now draw a big X through the statement and write Cancel, Cancel over it. Yes, it's messy but we're not producing an artwork here!

Using an introductory phrase such as "I love how I feel when ...." or "I wonder how glorious it is going to be when..." or I can't wait to experience..." or an equivalent phrase....

     Now write down a statement that is the direct opposite of the first, stressful thought. This is a thought that produces a calmer, more happy feeling.

Then it's time to use your Silva programming skills to change your feelings at an even deeper level AND to change the stress-inducing situation.

Express gratitude for your new experience. 

When you finish, take a deep breath and enjoy a very large smile. Really feel GOOD - physically, mentally and emotionally - as you know that you're on your way to a better and better life! 

If you need some help doing this, send me an email. I'd love to help!

Better & Better,

Barbara Hawkins

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Take The Gratitude Challenge

The Brighter Side – Take The Gratitude Challenge

by FinerMinds Team  December 1, 2010

30 bloggers + 21 Days = delight, beauty, love and a whole bunch of other cools stuff. Check out what happened when the company Tiny Prints challenged bloggers to take up three weeks of gratitude.

How "Thank You X 5" – Giving Thanks - Feels Good

So let’s begin …


Grab a paper and pen or a new document on your desktop, then list these five things:

1. Health

2. Relationships and Family

3. Work/Career

4. Fun-Time

5. Stuff

Now, for each of these five parts of your life, list at least five things you’re grateful for. If you want to go totally wild and list more, go for it! The more things you find to feel grateful for, we promise you, the better you’re going to feel.

Once you’ve got your list, send us your five favorite “Woohoo, hallelujah, thank you, thank you, thank you!” favs.

Here’s our top five:

1. Health

As one FinerMinds reader likes to remind himself when life seems less than ideal: We’re all still “walkin’ talkin’ seein’ and peein”.

2. Relationship and family

Between the FinerMinds team, we’ve got 8 healthy parents, two happy, healthy kids, four loving partners/spouses, a good handful of wise elders and too many inspiring friends to count. We also have all of you – the FinerMinds community – and for that, on this and every day, the FinerMinds team is truly thankful!

3. Work/career

Well let’s face it, a career focused on mind-blowing awesomeness is nothing to sneeze at. We know how fortunate we are to have careers we enjoy. But none of us here started with the ideal, so we’re thankful, too, for all of the jobs that supported us and gave us the skills we needed to do what we’re doing now.

4. Fun-time

Let’s see … birthday parties and beaches, good jokes and kind gestures, awesome comments and bad jokes that make us laugh anyway. Oh! and we can’t forget roller coasters and ice cream!

5. Stuff

The internet and iPods, reliable cars and cozy slippers, safe drinking water, sunshine, walkin’ shoes and of course, turkey dinners.

Your turn!

We know sometimes the holidays can bring people down. We also know that down can turn to UP with a thanks-giving rampage!