The Mental Emotional Health Blog

• Yes, regular sleep is important.
• With all the diet fads and programs out there that are unsuccessful, start your own program by expending more calories than you ingest.
• Eat breakfast.
• Find time to read.
• Find time to listen to good music.
• Give yourself some “me time” twice a day.
• Compliment at least 2 people every day: yourself and someone else.

All of the anger management strategies and skills in the world are worthless unless you use them.

A few days ago, I added an entry on Tips for Decreasing Anxiety. But sometimes it’s easier for people to focus on avoiding something rather than trying to accomplish something. With that in mind, here is a list of ways you can really increase your stress and anxiety levels (in other words, these are what to avoid).

Tips for Increasing Anxiety and Adding Stress to Your Life

• Dwell on something all day and night without making any plans to change the situation.
• Criticize yourself for not being successful in 100% of what you did today.
• Neglect your nutrition and rest regularly.
• Don’t ever go for relaxing walks or work out.
• Skip showering or bathing.
• Don’t set any goals in your life.
• Set goals that are so ridiculous you won’t be able to achieve them until you are 110 years old.
• Vent your problems to people that have spread gossip about you based on what you confided in them at other times.
• Eat your lunch as fast as you can, and don’t allow yourself to enjoy any of it.
• Drink caffeine in large quantities throughout the day and evening hours.
• Complain to yourself every single minute you aren’t able to fall asleep.
• Add several topics to every simple conversation you have. 
• Don’t ever pray.
• Smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco regularly.
• Be critical of yourself anytime you happen to look in a mirror.
• Spend more time trying to motivate yourself than actually doing what you need or want to do.

Now, in case you want some tips for bringing down anxiety and stress levels, here’s the link to the other entry:   http://mentalemotionalhealth.com/2008/02/22/tips-for-decreasing-anxiety/ .

In general, patience is a virtue. In parenting, patience is a necessity.

For a healthy relationship, it isn’t necessary for a couple to resolve all of their differences. But they do need to be able to move forward together despite differences.