Dealing With Stress

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="05bfd5a3.jpg"> <div> <B>Dealing With Stress</B></div> <div> <B>347-LOVE-ART  (347-568-3278)   Toll Free 1-877-512-3333</B><B>     Email: </B><A HREF="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:mike@mikealbin.com"><U><B>mike@mikealbin.com</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="05cd2043.jpg"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike Albin.Com "><U>Mike Albin.Com </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wd.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Web design"><U>Web design</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="ma.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Articles"><U>Marketing Articles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="sr.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Show Reviews"><U>Show Reviews</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mt.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marketing Tools"><U>Marketing Tools</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="l.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#777777" TEXT="#080000"> <div> This months question comes from several artists so I thought I should address this issue.  With the economy being soft and our expenses of doing shows going up, how do you deal with the stress and anxiety of investing so much time and money getting to a show and having no guarantees of success?  There are so many things that can go wrong, break-downs, weather, theft and vandalism.  Stress and feelings of anxiety can be overwhelming at times.  The further we travel to shows, the more time and money we invest to get there.  That can translate into more stress, anxiety and worry about how well we will do there.   It gets a bit scary for me sometimes also.  Having a great wife that takes care of my emotional side is a great help and companion.  I know a lot of you are out there on your own, doing everything by yourself.  Feeling of stress and anxiety are very common.  </div> <div> We all have different ways of dealing with stress, some are healthy and some not so healthy.  Alcohol and drugs are not the answer, try to find healthy outlets for your stress.  Below are some things to try, some may work for you and others may not.  Practice the ones that offer the most relief and in time you’ll get better at it.</div> <div> 1)  Focus on positive thoughts and the positive things in your life.  Make a list of these things and repeat that list over and over.  It’s called affirmation.  Take a deep breathe and think about everything that’s going right in your life, things that really make you feel good.  Keep repeating the list and soon you should feel better.</div> <div> 2) Learn to relax your body with progressive muscle relaxation and visualization.  Progressive muscle relaxation is relaxing each group of muscles one at a time until your whole body is relaxed.  It takes practice but it can be a real help.  Visualization is imagining you are in your happy place like on a relaxing beach or in the backyard hammock.  Close your eyes, not while driving, and picture yourself on the beach.  Try to think of the sounds and smells of the ocean.  Spend 30 minutes doing this and you should feel better.</div> <div> 3) Exercise.  Working out can be a great way to burn off anxiety and stress.  Go for a walk and get some fresh air, this is also a great time to think about how lucky you are and repeat the list from step one.  Don’t do anything too strenuous, heart attacks can be really depressing.</div> <div> 4) Talk.  Confide in a friend or family member about how you feel.  Other artists are going through exactly the same things, they make great comfort buddies.  </div> <div> 5) Distract yourself.  Books, movies or music are great ways to turn off worry and distract your mind.  Yoga, meditation or prayer are powerful ways in combating stress and anxiety. </div> <div> 6) Diet.  Watch your caffeine and sugar intake.  Certain foods can have a negative reaction on your body.  Stress can bring on eating things that are not good for us and those things can further the stress.  It’s a vicious cycle. </div> <bR> <div> I hope these help.  There are lots of other healthy ways to deal with stress.  If you find yourself being overwhelmed and nothing seems to help please seek professional help from a councilor or therapist.  Don’t let it eat at you.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>