You know I’m addicted to Squidoo. Well, I’m also addicted to breathing. I’ve just put together a page at Squidoo about my favorite way to chill out. It’s deep breathing, or abdominal breathing, and it really helps me! I’ve been using this simple breathing technique for years, and it helps me relax and stress less.

It’s been especially helpful when I’m going crazy over misbehaving children or computers, during medical crises, and the typical circus that is modern life!

You can do it wherever you are, without any equipment, and it only takes a minute. If you’re curious, I put the instructions here: Learn to relax and reduce stress just by breathing deeply.

Just think; if we all take one minute to breathe and relax, we can reduce the global stress level a bit, and the world will be a happier place! Shall I insert rainbows, butterflies, and singing birds here? Cheers!

photo credit: Fort Photo

I read in the Reader’s Digest that gratitude can help you be more healthy, less stressed, and more optimistic. People have been studying how gratitude affects a person’s well-being, both physically and mentally, and it seems to be quite a powerful force for good. Not only does it help a person feel better personally, but people who live gratefully are more likely to help others, which makes other people feel better, too. So it becomes a big, beautiful circle of gratitude. I like to think of myself as a grateful kind of person, but the scientists that did the study suggest keeping a gratitude journal. Apparently, taking time each day to remember and write down things for which you are grateful, helps you become a happier and healthier person. I will give this a try. And I will incorporate my gratitude journal into my blog. Feel free to comment and add your own “grateful moments” as well. Let’s all get happier together!