50 New Years Resolution Ideas

Many of us look at the new year as a reset button and that is a great way to look at it. There is ALWAYS a way to improve your life. If you want a better life it is about making a bunch of tiny steps in the right direction. Below I have written a list of ideas on what you can do to head your self in the right direction! Remember there is ALWAYS hope.

1. Have a cleaner house.
2. Take steps to get more organized.
3. Go to school.
4. Work out more.
5. Spend more time with your kids.
6. Repair a broken relationship.
7. Go to counseling.
8. Work harder on your marriage.
9. Look for a career you can be passionate about.
10. Get a pet.
11. Quit smoking.
12. Quit drinking.
13. Quit doing self destructive things to yourself.
14. Invest in healthy friendships.
15. Socialize more.
16. Go to church.
17. Start a new hobby.
18. Tell people you care about them more often.
19. Join a group or a club.
20. Volunteer.
21. Deal with your past traumas.
22. Be friendlier.
23. Get out of your comfort zone more often.
24. Write a bucket list and do it!
25. Find someone to help.
26. Take better care of your health.
27. Take better care of your car.
28. Face a fear.
29. Get in touch with a long lost friend.
30. Allow yourself to show your emotions to a trusted friend.
31. Do something that you would be proud of.
32. Quit procrastinating.
33. Work on improving your self esteem.
34. Decrease your depression.
35. Decrease your anxiety.
36. Get your anger under control.
37. Learn how to cook.
38. Drink more water.
39. Get toxic people out of your life.
40. Eat healthier.
41. Read more.
42. Follow a budget.
43. Donate money to a good cause.
44. Read more to your kids.
45. Pay down debt.
46. Listen to more music.
47. Find a student to mentor.
48. Give more compliments.
49. Recycle more.
50. Laugh more often.

Make sure you tell someone what your news resolution is so they help hold you accountable!

Connecticut School Shooting

I want to start by letting you know I am intimidated to write on the subject of the Connecticut school shooting because I know there is a tremendous amount of emotions tied to this event. The act in and of itself is heart breaking and horrendous. All over the country people are afraid to send their children to school. I myself was nervous walking into the high school this week for a session with a teen. I think people can wrap their heads around teens shooting teens out of revenge even though it is still horrible, but an adult shooting school children is a whole other level that sends terror down many of our spines.

I would like to make a very important point. The news had indicated that this shooter may have had Aspergers. Any one reading this: do not generalize your fear from this situation onto all people with an Autism diagnosis. Just because someone has this same diagnosis does not mean they are dangerous. 

A diagnosis isn't a reason to be afraid of people. People can manage a diagnosis well and you would never know they even have it.  It is more important to look at symptoms. Warning signs that some one needs help includes:

• a social person becoming very anti social
• suddenly losing interest in loved activities
• talk of hurting self or others
• sleeping excessively
• often angry 
• feelings of hopelessness
• a person who is bullied a lot
• a person who does a lot of bullying
• cutting self
• running away from home
• outbursts of violent or rebellious behavior
• break down of home life

If people have symptoms on this list it does mean they are necessarily going to shoot up a school, but it does mean they could benefit from counseling and they are in an at risk position. Counseling can do a huge amount of preventative work in preventing harm to self or others. Therapy can reduce depression on average by 85%. If you know some one who you feel is at risk please get them in to see someone.

If you are interested in finding a way to help the people in Connecticut follow this link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/connecticut-elementary-school-shooting-how-to-help_n_2302760.html

101 WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS

Courtesy of the Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

Get up 15 minutes earlier Prepare for the morning the night before Avoid tight fitting clothes Avoid relying on chemical aids Set appointments ahead Don't rely on your memory ... write it down Practice preventive maintenance Make duplicate keys Say "no" more often Set priorities in your life Avoid negative people Use time wisely Simplify meal times Always make copies of important papers Anticipate your needs Repair anything that doesn't work properly Ask for help with the jobs you dislike Break large tasks into bite size portions Look at problems as challenges Look at challenges differently Unclutter your life Smile Be prepared for rain Tickle a baby Pet a friendly dog/cat Don't know all the answers Look for a silver lining Say something nice to someone Teach a kid to fly a kite Walk in the rain Schedule play time into every day Take a bubble bath Be aware of the decisions you make Believe in yourself Stop saying negative things to yourself Visualize yourself winning Develop your sense of humor Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better today Have goals for yourself Dance a jig Say "hello" to a stranger Ask a friend for a hug Look up at the stars Practice breathing slowly Learn to whistle a tune Read a poem Listen to a symphony Watch a ballet Read a story curled up in bed Do a brand new thing Stop a bad habit Buy yourself a flower Take time to smell the flowers Find support from others Ask someone to be your "vent-partner" Do it today Work at being cheerful and optimistic Put safety first Do everything in moderation Pay attention to your appearance Strive for Excellence NOT perfection Stretch your limits a little each day Look at a work of art Hum a jingle Maintain your weight Plant a tree Feed the birds Practice grace under pressure Stand up and stretch Always have a plan "B" Learn a new doodle Memorize a joke Be responsible for your feelings Learn to meet your own needs Become a better listener Know your limitations and let others know them, too Tell someone to have a good day in pig Latin Throw a paper airplane Exercise every day Learn the words to a new song Get to work early Clean out one closet Play patty cake with a toddler Go on a picnic Take a different route to work Leave work early (with permission) Put air freshener in your car Watch a movie and eat popcorn Write a note to a far away friend Go to a ball game and scream Cook a meal and eat it by candlelight Recognize the importance of unconditional love Remember that stress is an attitude Keep a journal Practice a monster smile Remember you always have options Have a support network of people, places and things Quit trying to fix other people Get enough sleep Talk less and listen more Freely praise other people

Free or Cheap Christmas Gifts

A big cause of stress around Christmas time is not being able to afford presents. So to help ease the stress here is a list of cheap to free Christmas gifts.

1. Decorate an ornament yourself.

2. Use old clothes to make stuffed animals.













3. Make something yummy.

http://sctosf.com/pecan-pie-bars/

4. Offer to clean their house or organize their basement!

5. Offer to change their oil.

6. Offer to babysit.

7. Offer to dog sit.

8. Offer to wash their car.

9. Make pine cone fire starters.

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/doityourself/ht/Make_Pine_Cone_Fire_Starters.htm

10. Collect all of your favorite recipes.