Our lives are filled with daily transitions, both large and small. Some transitions, such as changing our brand of coffee, are small, and don’t require that we change our lives around too much. But other transitions are huge and take a lot out of us. Though these changes are a part of life, if we have to change jobs, or deal with the loss of a loved one, they can sometimes just be too much to handle.

So it’s important that we make every effort to simplify our lives as much as possible, and keep things around us as stress free as we can.

Give Yourself a Break

Whatever you do, don’t be hard on yourself. Life is hard enough already without you adding to it. Don’t complain about your body, your hair, or anything about yourself at all! Don’t focus on poor health or a plentiful backside, but rather on all the gifts you posses. Are you a good listener? Are you a safe driver? Are you compassionate and empathetic? Focus on what you like about yourself, and any changes that you think may be necessary, focus on those with love and kindness. Would you be harsh with a friend for being overweight or impatient? No! So as kindly as you would speak to a friend – speak that kindly to yourself too!

Take a Personal Retreat

I know, I know, life can be very busy sometimes. But remember, we are trying to be kind to ourselves. You work hard and you know that you deserve a personal retreat. So don’t be stubborn, don’t make excuses, and don’t wait for someone to do it for you. Take yourself on a mini vacation. What are the things you enjoy doing for yourself? Has it been so long that you can’t remember? Try reading a book outside in the sunshine or at a favorite coffee house, get a massage, go for a walk while listening to some of your favorite music or books on CD, hang out at a bookstore, spend the weekend at the beach or lake or even hide-away at home with some favorite movies and favorite .

Take a Deep Breath

Yes, breathe deeply. Good breathing is so powerful that there are whole holistic therapies based on breathing. One of the easiest breathing techniques is to simply breathe in (a nice full deep breath) for a count of four, then hold your breath for a count of four, then exhale for a count of four. Repeat this process ten times. The counts can be increased – personally I do counts of six. If you do this breathing exercise in the morning, afternoon and evening, you will be amazed at how much better it makes you feel.

Clear the Clutter

Clearing our clutter is about one of the simplest things we can do for ourselves. Dirty dishes piling up around us, dirty laundry, clutter piled up around our bed – all these things take away from our peace of mind, whether we are aware of it or not. If you have a mess, and can’t handle the thought of tackling the clean-up, hire someone to do it for you, or enlist the help of a friend or family member. And remember, you don’t have to de-clutter all at once, and you certainly don’t want to add to your already existing stress, so just start with one corner, and take it a piece at a time.

Know when to ask for help

Sometimes we just need to talk to someone. But we want to take care not to turn a simple vent into a pity party. The more we complain without taking any steps to make things better in our lives, the more our focus is on what is bothering us. To reduce the stress in our lives, we need to remember to focus on the things that are already good. If you simply can’t deal with the situation, call a friend, family member, minister, life coach or therapist. There is no reason you should have to go through anything alone.


Transitions will follow us around throughout our lives, and there is simply nothing we can do about that. However, we can change our reactions to any stressful events by treating ourselves gently and lovingly and reminding ourselves that we are worth every step it takes to manage those stressful situations.