Cool Your Jets Man-Stress Management Tips

Cool Your Jets Man
By John Thurman

The words of sage advice come from the perennial ten year old, Bart Simpson. Did you know that research completely backs up his famous phrase?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, one of my new heroes for his work in Haiti, recently penned a great article, “A Step-by-Step Longevity Plan”, Men’s Journal, Feb. 2010. Dr. Gupta has three basic recommendations for “cooling your jets,” or quieting your mind.

Have a purpose. Research indicates that people who retire early die early, if they are not able to find something meaningful to do with the second-half of their lives. 

Dr. Gupta says, “I believe this has to do with a positive attitude associated with goals. I live my life by three goals for staying motivated:
 Make to-do lists - have your goals, action plans and timelines in a visible place. Be sure to include exercise, quiet time, and family/relationship time. You will find doing this helps relieve anxiety and helps you sleep better.

Schedule “think time.” Think about your problem or “opportunity for excellence” before a long walk or run, then let your mind dwell on it. As you think about it, set short-term goals regarding ways to manage the issue at hand and be 100% sure of what you can accomplish. You will begin to discover solutions as you work on focused problem solving time.

Focus on one thing at a time. Most of us are fairly inefficient as multitasks, so make sure you pace yourself.

A Point to Ponder

Pray. A study from the American Journal of Public Health shows that, all other lifestyle factors being equal, the mortality rate for nonreligious people is twice that of their religious peers. Researchers believe that the faith religious people have in a higher power puts them at ease, thereby decreasing health issues associated with stress, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.
Here is an old standby if it has been a while since you prayed.

    Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name.
    Thy Kingdom come,
    thy will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven
    Give us this day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us.
    And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
    For Thine is the kingdom,
    The power and the glory,
    Forever, and ever.
    Amen