Do you feel like you have so much to do and not enough time to get everything done?

When your life gets crazy, you can’t let the busyness take over your mind. You need to put yourself first to maintain your mental health.

Here are eight tips for keeping a clear mind:

1. Get organized. Your life can be much easier if you maintain a good level of organization. You’ll save time and gain a feeling of control over your circumstances. The time you save allows you the opportunity to take care of yourself with relaxation exercises or the pursuit of hobbies that you enjoy.

* Each day, create a to-do list. Rank your items from the most important to the least important. As you go through your day, attack the most important items on the list first. At the end of the day, you walk away with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you used your time in the most effective way possible.

2. Take time for yourself. Carve out time for yourself every day, no matter how busy you are. Give yourself permission to relax and enjoy these moments, even though you know that things remain undone. You must allow your body, mind, and spirit to recharge itself so you’re productive when you return to your tasks.

3. Find something you find relaxing. Everyone has their own activities that help them relax. Perhaps you feel pampered by a long, warm bubble bath. Or curl up on the couch and read a book. Find something that you enjoy, take deep breaths and relax.

4. Count to ten. If you find the stresses of life getting to you, catch yourself before lashing out or losing your cool. Instead, take a step back and count to ten slowly. This will allow you time to clear your mind and decide on the most effective and appropriate response.

5. Meditate. Meditation is a great way to calm your mind and regain focus when life seems out of control. With meditation, you learn to focus on deep breathing while you discover more about yourself.

* When you learn to focus on your breath, you’ll likely discover that your breathing is shallow during stressful situations. Learn to breathe deeply from your belly to feel a greater sense of peace in the midst of the storms of your life.

6. Exercise. Exercise is a perfect way to relieve stress and regain a clear perspective. A moderate amount of exercise each day is all you need for improved fitness. Find a type of exercise that you enjoy, and stick with it until it becomes a habit. Soon, you’ll hate missing a workout and have more energy throughout your stressful days.

7. Go for a nature walk. Find the time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Get your mind off of the many tasks you need to complete. Instead of thinking about the endless list of things you have to accomplish, become aware of what’s really important by really paying attention to the sights and sounds of your natural surroundings.

8. Take it one step at a time. Life often requires you to juggle many different situations at once. It’s overwhelming if you try to think of each one of those things at the same time.

* Focus on one task at a time and work at the task until it’s complete. Then move on to the next task. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, everything on your to-do list will eventually get accomplished.

Remember that you’re not alone. If you need to talk to someone else about your busy life, reach out to positive people in your life who truly care about you. Sometimes, just talking may help you to clear your mind of everything.

Try these ideas and begin to experience the peace you deserve today!

Have you allowed your emotions to bottle up inside you? Bottling up your emotions can create havoc with both your physical and your mental health.

It’s important to learn to master your thoughts, feelings and emotions. Learn to share them in a positive manner so that they don’t cause you or anyone else undue stress or harm.

One of the best ways to manage your emotions and improve your health at the same time is by expressing gratitude. You can find something to be grateful in almost every situation.

What are you thankful for right now?

Who matters in your life?

Can you name 5 things that you are grateful for?

Even when the world seems to spinning out of control around you, there are many things that you can be grateful for.

Share your gratitude with others. Other people may not know how much you appreciate them. You cannot know another person’s feelings or thoughts and shouldn’t assume they know yours. Tell everyone that means something to you – how grateful you are for them.

What do you think will happen when you share your heart felt gratitude with those you love? Can you see them smile? Can you see their eyes light up?

When you share your gratitude with others it helps your heart, mind and body thrive. A flood of chemicals are released into your body – It feels good! Both you and the receiver will benefit.

There are many physical objects that you may have that you are grateful for. Have you ever thought about sending a thankful message to the manufacturer? Customer service probably gets bogged down with complaints – How nice it would be for them to hear of your gratitude! Give them some of your gratitude and you’ll spread joy all around!

Sharing gratitude is easy and only costs you a little bit of your time. Here are some simple ideas to start sharing gratitude with others.

* Tell your loved ones you care for them
* Hug a friend who’s hurting
* Smile at a stranger
* Open the door for a stranger
* Offer a stranger a helping hand
* Make time to listen to someone who needs to talk
* Appreciate the beauty of nature
* Volunteer your services
* Greet everyone with a smile
* Wish all you come into contact with a “Great Day!”

Focus on What Really Matters

Many people are unhappy with their current circumstances. They may feel like they don’t have enough money, a good job, the house they want or the car they want. They don’t realize that the only way to change their current circumstances is to begin changing their thoughts.

You can begin to change your thoughts by being connected with what really matters. Be grateful for all that you have been given. Be grateful for your home, your bed, your carpet, your clothes, your car – EVERYTHING.

There will be obstacles and stumbling blocks in life, but there is joy all around you as well. When you tap into that joy, keep a positive attitude, and show how grateful you are, you’ll prove that you’re able to let go of unnecessary baggage. It’s a great feeling, and one that you can give yourself, today, right now. What a wonderful thing to be grateful for!

Do you wake up several times every night?

Do you feel tired all the time regardless how much “sleep” you got the night before?

Do you feel worn out ALL day long dragging yourself around all day?

Do you snore so loud that you disturb everyone in the household?

A “Yes” to any of these questions could mean that you have a serious condition called sleep apnea.

A person with sleep apnea stops breathing in the middle of the night for up to a minute. You will wake up and begin breathing again and promptly fall back asleep. Often times you don’t remember waking up at all.

What makes sleep apnea so dangerous?

The most obvious reason is that sometimes people don’t wake up. If you are in a very deep sleep, your body may not realize what’s going on and you’ll suffocate to death. This occurrence is similar to SIDs in babies.

A person that suffers from sleep apnea is sleep deprived. There are various stages of sleep which rests, rebuilds and revitalizes different parts of your brain or body. Not getting the required amount of sleep in each stage can create serious problems.

Each time you wake up and fall back to sleep it’s resetting yours sleep cycle. This means that you will get less of the later stages of sleep.

Sleep deprivation can decrease your reasoning skills, speech and other brain functions. This increases your chance of having accidents which could be dangerous.

The best way to diagnose sleep apnea is by visiting your doctor. If they believe that you may have sleep apnea they will have you participate in a sleep study.

You will stay at the sleep study site overnight. You’ll be attached to various types of equipment while your sleep and breathing patterns are closely monitored by medical professionals. This could be annoying or uncomfortable but they are important for a proper diagnosis. Sleep apnea symptoms can be mimicked by other disorders so the correct diagnosis is important so that you get the right treatment for you.

Once properly diagnosed, your doctor will recommend treatment depending on the type and severity of your condition. Mild apnea can often be treated by modifying your diet and sleeping habits. You may also be required to sleep with equipment like a specialized pillow or a device for your mouth. In more severe cases, you may require medicine or even surgery. Your doctor may also recommend you try more than one of these treatments to get the best results.

All this information about sleep apnea is probably making you a little worried, but you shouldn’t panic. Most cases of apnea are easily and effectively treated. Once your apnea is under control you’ll likely feel more energized, have improved mental capabilities, get sick less, and even lose weight. With proper treatment, you too can enjoy the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

Is it time to Spring Clean your mind?

Spring is here! And with it comes new beginnings.

What new beginning would you like in your life?

What would you change?

How do you want your life to be different?

Your dreams can come true – as long as you’re ready to spring clean your mind.

Just like your home – your mind can get chaotic with too much stuff! The clutter in your mind includes old ideas, old attitudes, old conversations, old dreams, old hurts and old habits.

Are any of these thoughts actually benefiting you now?

How do you spring clean your mind?

It all begins with choosing to purse a happier lifestyle that benefits both you and your loved ones. It means that you will need to be willing to get rid of anything that no longer works for you. When you let go of the old you are making room for new and exciting opportunities and challenges.

Your mental spring cleaning will require both a conscious choice and dedicated effort on your part.

The first step is to get rid of the weeds you’ve allowed to grow in your mind. Weeds consist of self-limiting beliefs, hanging onto your past and negative emotions. These thought patterns will only lead to more of the same. If you want your life to be different – It’s imperative that you change your thought patterns.

Why are you hanging onto the past?

You could be hanging on to positive or negative memories. Put the past in the past. It is gone. You cannot relive it.

• Clear out the self-doubt. You are worthy of achieving any of the dreams and goals that you have.
• Clean out the blame in your life. Blame is just an excuse for you not to take responsibility for your own life.
• Clean out the anger, hatred and jealousy. It serves no purpose. It does not harm anyone but you. Let it go.
• Throw away impatience and replace it with patience. Remember patience is a habit. Good things will come to you in the right times. Don’t try to rush them.
• Show love and kindness to everyone – even those that have hurt you in the past. Forgiveness washes your mind clear and allows love to flow.
• Stop procrastinating. All it does is set you up to be frustrated and scrambling around while playing “catch up”.
• Laugh! The world can be difficult and scary at times – Find humor in it. Laugh out loud a few times every day – even if you don’t feel like it.
• Maintain a positive attitude. You may not have control over situations or other people – but you can control your reaction and your attitude towards them.
• Count your blessings. Begin each day being grateful for all that you have and carry your grateful heart with you throughout the day.
• Make a list of at least 10 of your dreams. When stress starts to creep in, refocus your mind and energy on your dreams.

You only have a certain amount of space in your heart and in your mind. When you spend your time thinking, doing and reacting to things in the past, planning for and worrying about the future, you are not focusing on the present.

Live in the present.

Don’t miss out on your wonderful life by reliving yesterday or dreaming about tomorrow.

Most people realize that one of the major causes of insomnia is depression. Did you know that sleep deprivation can lead to depression?

When you’re worried and stressed about life it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. Insomnia sets in and you toss and turn worrying about the bills, the kids, the job etc.

You may be asking … What’s the link between insomnia and depression?

You may think a person suffering from depression sleeps all day because they do not want to leave their bedroom. That is rarely the case.

Studies show that more than 80% of depressed people do not get enough sleep. While they tend to get about 6 hours of sleep a night, it’s still enough of a loss to be considered sleep deprivation.

One of the indicators of depression is waking up in middle of the night and not being able to fall back to sleep.

Does this mean if you treat the depression that the insomnia will go away?

Probably not. Recent studies show that insomnia starts the cycle – not the depression.

Many patients with clinical depression report that insomnia began for up to five weeks prior to experiencing the symptoms of depression. Treating insomnia at its onset is believed to reduce the chance of depression.

Once depression sets in, it will begin to feed on sleep deprivation. Thus, a vicious cycle begins for the depressed person. They can’t sleep, which makes them more depressed, which results in lack of sleep …

Even though insomnia does not cause depression, current research is pointing to the fact that treating insomnia can actually reduce depressive episodes for a person diagnosed with clinical depression.

Research shows that depression affects the quality as well as the quantity of sleep. Depressed people often have a short and barely existent early stage of sleep. Their brain skips forward to REM sleep instead of going through the normal stages of sleep.

REM is the type of sleep that lets us deal with our emotions and convert memories. For some reason depressed people tend to stay in this stage longer than others.

People who are suffering from depression may convert memories incorrectly and store them negatively. Researchers believe that a person can have this type of sleep even if they are not depressed.

Their brain also tends to stay in this stage longer than non depressed people. Besides skipping important and vital stages of sleep, depressed people may get different effects from REM sleep than non depressed people. They tend to convert memories incorrectly and put them in a more negative light. Researchers also think that depressed people and their families have this type of REM sleep even if they are not depressed.

The exact relationship between sleep, insomnia and depression has not been completely determined. It is obvious that there is a definite link between the two conditions. If you are prone to depression and are experiencing insomnia, you should seek professional treatment immediately.

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.” Brian Tracy

Growing up, Mom always told me stories. Some of my favorite memories of her are her telling me stories and singing to me. A lot of the stories Mom told were motivational.

I have shared my favorite story from my Mom in the post

“Why are you the way you are?”

In Memory of my Brother, Michael Bass; 1955-2008
Remembering the Fun and the Good times – As well as the abuse we suffered.

An Abusive Father

Dad was not a very nice person. He never hit my mom and didn’t drink. He did however have a violent temper towards us kids. I could write a book about all the abuse my siblings and I suffered at his hands.

My brother Mike started drinking at age 14 to try to escape the emotional anguish. I turned to friends and my creative mindset. I wrote stories and daydreamed a lot. Mike and I could actually be the two siblings in “Why are you the way you are?”

Sadly, when you turn to alcohol, it makes it impossible to deal with the emotional anguish and get on with your life.

My brother was a Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Sober he was the nicest person. He had loads of talent. He was a great singer, and could play musical instruments. He handcrafted beautiful wooden clocks, tables, picture frames and pen holders to name a few. He could also draw.

Drunk he was a selfish, loud and obnoxious … From about age 21 to 45 he spent most of his life in prison – for stupid crimes he committed while drunk.

Every time he went to jail or prison he became a trustee within a month because he was sober. He often called me crying, “I don’t deserve to be in here. I don’t remember doing it. I was drunk.”

I would reply, “You do deserve to be in there. You chose to take the first drink.”

A Reason to Stop Drinking?

My brother met the love of his life in 1999 – Linda. This was right after his last prison stint. He became a model parolee that was honored in the local paper. He had finally stopped drinking – not so much for himself but for Linda. I think for the first time in his life he not only felt needed – but felt accepted for who he truly was.

Linda died of cancer in August 2007. Mike went right back to drinking. He drank heavier than he ever had. Sadly, he drank himself to his death in March of 2008. After a two day drinking binge, he tried running across the freeway and got hit by a semi-truck.

Looking back, I see that Mike never took responsibility for his own life. He always justified his actions because “It was the booze”. He justified drinking by blaming the abuse he suffered as a child from Dad.

He stopped drinking for Linda – Not for himself.  Linda was his self-worth.

Why do people drink or take drugs?

Usually to stop the pain. Not physical pain, but the pain from all the hurtful things that have ever been done to them. Every single negative emotion they have ever felt keeps repeating in their minds over and over again.

Alcoholism is like a vicious circle. My brother really wanted to do good. He wanted to be loved, respected and understood. He drank to escape the pain he felt from believing he was a failure. He believed he failed my mom as a son. He believed he failed me as he didn’t “take care of his little sister.” He failed his son, that he didn’t get to see grow up.

Because he drowned his sorrows with alcohol, he never dealt with his childhood. He never dealt with his feelings. He never confronted our Dad. He never forgave our dad. Thus he was not able to free himself as the pain.

I myself confronted my Dad. I told my dad what I thought of the horrible things he did, like breaking my ribs when I was 14. Or leaving my brother Mike and I in the middle of Arizona desert because we were arguing in the car. He left us there for about 2 hours. That’s a very long time for an eight and twelve year old.

I also forgave my Dad. I don’t think I was able to totally forgive him until he died in August 2003. Funny thing though, I always knew my Dad loved me, regardless of the horrible things he did and said.

Am I making excuses for Mike?

I sure hope not. I understood him. I understood why he did what he did. I think he even understood why. Just because you understand something doesn’t make it right.

After my brother died, I struggled. I kept wondering if I could have done anything different, if I could have somehow prevented him from turning to the booze after Linda died. I believe this was a part of my grief. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I could do nothing. This helped me to release the guilt I felt. I did not pour the alcohol down him. I never encouraged his drinking – nor did I hide it.

If you have a loved one that is an alcoholic, I suggest you give Al-Anon a try – Even if just for a few meetings. I know that Al-Anon helped my Mom cope.

If you have a drinking problem, check out AA -Alcoholics Anonymous. They understand and can help you gain control of your life.

I began writing this post about making excuses for our actions.  My brother was an expert at making excuses, and as I thought of him (maybe it’s because the last time I saw him was Thanksgiving of 2005) … Well, it became what you’ve just read.  If my brothers story helps just one person – then I am forever grateful I wrote it.

Be sure to read my next post “Stop Making Excuses and Learn to Live“

The key to improve your memory – is by exercising your brain.

Everyone knows that the key to a healthy body is Diet and Exercise. Many people obsessively work out every day to keep in tip top shape.

Why aren’t we just as concerned with our minds?

You’ve heard the saying “Use it or Lose it”, this pertains to our brains just as much as our muscles. If you don’t do daily activities to keep your brain in tip top shape – what happens?

You lose important skills. Particularly the skill of remembering. If you’ve been forgetting things – like where you put your car keys, your grocery list, your mom’s phone number … You need to start exercising your brain!

How exactly do you exercise your brain?

Sorry to say there’s no brain gym where you can go to strengthen it. Your brain needs to be challenged.

Here are 7 tips to improve your memory and to exercise your brain:

1. Read the Newspaper
Expand your knowledge. Know what is happening in the world. Keeping up with world events keeps your mind active. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that the spryest of our elderly people, are usually up on current events.

2. Read a Good Book
Reading a good novel while curled up in your favorite chair isn’t just relaxing – It helps keep your creative juices flowing in your brain.

3. Do Crossword Puzzles
Regularly solving crossword puzzles help you remember things by making you access simple memories – such as words. Try various types of puzzles that require you to use your language skills.

4. Puzzles
From good old fashioned jigsaw puzzles to the latest puzzle craze like Sudoku. This includes brain teasers like the Rubik’s cube and puzzle boxes and rings. A puzzle challenges your brain and exercises your brains deductive reasoning. Puzzle Master has a large and unique collection of wire and wood brain teasers and puzzles.

5. Learn Something New
You’re never too young or old to learn. Learning something new can be fun and invigorating. Learn to play a musical instrument, a new sport or a new hobby. Learning keeps your memory accessing skills limber.

6. Play Games
There are tons of games that make your mind work. From the game of Chess to some popular children’s games like Memory. There are tons of word games like Scrabble or Wheel of Fortune. Playing cards stimulates your mind too – whether you’re playing a solitaire, bridge or a game of go-fish. Games are a great way to get the family involved. You can get Scientific Brain Training online: Lumosity Brain Fitness Program. Only $6.60 a month.

7. Exercise
Yep, that’s right – good ole physical exercise helps keep your brain healthy as well. Walking an hour a day can help prevent or slow memory loss. You see there’s a double benefit for getting in your daily exercise – improve your body and your brain at the same time.

It’s never too early to be concerned about memory loss. Begin exercising your brain today – while it’s still sharp. You may not be able to bring your memory back, but you can keep it from fading.

Regularly working your mind has even been shown to ward off Alzheimer’s. So if you want to keep your mind sharp, be sure to eat right, get enough rest, and exercise regularly.