Are you staying awake at night because of stress?

End of January! Lots of expectations for the upcoming year. But also getting caught up with reality. Have I started off as I wanted? Will my business reach the goals? Why haven’t we heard from that client that seemed so interested? How will my economy turn out? It was supposed to be easier for each year in business – not harder!

Also in private life the questions start to stack. Will my kids succeed in school or will they be bullied? Will the older kids get any jobs and will my marriage last? Why does it seem like everyone else are so happy?

The questions in everyday life are endless. You want to scream:
“There is so much I want to do but I don’t know how and if it is even possible. The more I think about all this the more stressed I feel! How do I get out of this Rat race? I wish I could sleep at night! After a couple of hours I wake up again – each night! I am getting so tired! I feel like I am going crazy – and it is still only January! What can I do?”

You hit the nail perfectly in your shout out! You need to get your sleep back – since sleep is the source of life. The sleep gets you energy to tackle the other problems.

Let me give one effective tip for your sleep that I have used:
If you lay awake and your thoughts are tormenting you – start thinking of a mantra like: I am thankful for this nice and comfortable bed, I am thankful for this nice and soft pillow and I am thankful for this comforting blanket/sheet that tucks me in so nicely! Keep repeating that mantra and do your best to feel relaxed and comfortable as you say the words. If you keep doing this your brain will be occupied with these good thoughts and the threatening thoughts will be shut out. And that will make it possible for your brain to go back to sleep.

I learned this method when I was trapped in insolvency in one of my co-operations a few years ago. We lost a lot of money but even worse were the distrust in this affair. Nights were terrible with all and everything chasing me. But I decided to be a winner and that sleep was a prioritized subject. Helped me a lot and I did end up a winner.

Today I use this tip as a prioritized one in my mentoring. If you want to read more what I do please visit www.askdrannika.com

What are your thoughts on this? Do you have a good tip for your sleep? Do you have any good tips to share? Please comment below. I love to read your comments.
To your success – and keep smiling!

About Author:

I am a medical doctor, specialized in family medicine and health promotion and strategies. I have been a medical doctor in the Public Health System in Sweden for 25 years. The last couple of years I have changed focus from disease to health and have specialized in health promotion, work assessment, systematic health environment and other business related issues to be able to get the whole picture for my clients.

For more information: http://www.askdrannika.com

5 steps to keep your New Year’s Resolutions on track!

Halfway into January and with New Year Celebrations behind us, we have the rest of our life laying at our feet. And most of our New Year Resolutions are forgotten – or?

In most cases that is a fact!

We generally feel the euphoria of a new year – we see new possibilities – set new goals – make all kinds of promises – but then all of a sudden our daily life hits us and we are back in our old rat race. This is the life we know and it is easier to stay there than to do the changes.

Does it have to be like this?

No!

But why is it that it always happens? What is this all about? It is about your standards in life. You do your chosen rituals in life every day and you continue to do them the same way until you find a reason to change. 

It works like this! You first have to have a VISION – where do you really want to be – what do you really want to become? Then you have to have good reasons why you want that. You have to feel those reasons in your heart. You have to review and feel them every day!

It is about your standards – you don’t always get your goals but you always get your standards. That is the level you decide to be on. If you are stressed out, overweight, a smoker or anything else you might not want to be – but still always find excuses for not doing the change – that is the standard you set for yourself. 

So this is about raising your standards. You need to turn your “shoulds” into “musts”. Your “should stress less, lose weight, stop smoking or whatever” will never make any changes. You need to turn it into a” must” do these things. The “must” has to become a part of your identity – your new standard. 

We stay consistent on how we define ourselves – so if you can change the standard and stay consistent at the new level you can define yourself in a new way: ” I AM de-stressed, normal weight, a former smoker or whatever”. And you are not competing with someone else but with what you can be. What others can do is irrelevant. 

This is what you need to do:

1. Define what you want to improve?
2. Write down how it is today – what are the rituals that put you there?
3. How do you want it to be – be specific!
4. What are the rituals that will get you there – be specific
5. Start implementing those rituals and soon you will get to your new standards!

It is never too late to do changes, nor does it matter what you want to change. As soon as you start doing your new rituals other things in your life will automatically change and you will move towards the standards you want to have.

Next step is to tell the world what you are up to so people can hold you accountable for getting it done.

GOOD LUCK with YOUR new life!

What are your thoughts on this? What is a good life to you? What will your changes be? Do you have any good tips to share? Please comment below. I love to read your comments.

To your success – and keep smiling!

About Author:

I am a medical doctor, specialized in family medicine and health promotion and strategies. I have been a medical doctor in the Public Health System in Sweden for 25 years. The last couple of years I have changed focus from disease to health and have specialized in health promotion, work assessment, systematic health environment and other business related issues to be able to get the whole picture for my clients.

For more information: http://www.askdrannika.com

10 things to make 2015 and the rest of your life magnificent!

It is funny, isn’t it, that every New Year we want to make a new start. As if there is a start and end in the middle of life rather than life being just an ongoing process. Well, we humans need milestones in life to focus our story around and a new year is as good as any time for that purpose. I had been doing the same until I discovered that it didn’t matter when you make your promises to yourself – as long as you do what you promised. And I find it is easier to keep the promises if I make them in a context connected to the issue rather than to a fixed date.

The other day I heard about a study on longevity. It was based on the fact that more and more people are reaching the age of 100 years in Sweden and I found that interesting at a time when we are makeing resolutions for our own positive changes.

They had interviewed around 100 men and women about what they thought was the reason they had reached that age – what was the secret for each of them.

Surprise, surprise there is no mysterious secret sauce! It was much more modest – this is what they found out.

1. Don’t smoke / stop smoking
2. Be aware of your weight
3. Care for your social network
4. Care for your close connections
5. Laugh
6. Care about your sleep
7. Drink with modesty
8. Eat healthy food
9. Keep moving your body
10. Be positive

A 106 year old lady was interviewed about what she believed was the reason for her long life. With a smile, she replied: “Well, I have always cared basically about my health, no extreme fanatic things. I have cared about my family and friends even though many of them are dead now, but my memories are positive. I have been active and curious and I haven’t let hard times drag me down. When I have been ill, and I have had my issues, I have been careful to try to see it from a positive angle and I have always tried to smile even at hard times.”

As you see she is confirming the study on almost all points.

Some of you will disagree with this and that is okey. I am fully aware of the fact that genetics play a big part in longevity and health. Some people do all this and still get ill and die much younger. But I also know that 75 % of disease seen in a Health Care Center in Sweden is related to Lifestyle and only 25 % is from genetics. So, I see all of these facts as a chance to find the things that will help me as much as possible and contribute to a long and happy life. When my time comes I have at least tried my best and that is good enough.

Nothing above has been about stress, which is my main subject. But you know what? All of this is about stress. Taking basic good care of yourself is the best de-stress action you can take ever!

What are your thoughts on this? What is a good life to you? What will your New Year’s resolution be this year? Please comment below. I love to read your comments.

And what do you want me to blog about during 2015?

To your success – and keep smiling!

About Author:

I am a medical doctor, specialized in family medicine and health promotion and strategies. I have been a medical doctor in the Public Health System in Sweden for 25 years. The last couple of years I have changed focus from disease to health and have specialized in health promotion, work assessment, systematic health environment and other business related issues to be able to get the whole picture for my clients.

For more information : http://www.askdrannika.com