Handle stress with ease

Feeling overwhelmed with life? Work, bills, family drama getting you down? Learn some simple 

ways to regain control of your life and handle stress with ease. Amy Tang, a life coach and founder of Lights On has a few tips for better dealing with life’s struggles.

SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
Don't judge obstacles negatively. Instead, mold them into assets. Personal growth occurs when we face challenges. Just as an athlete becomes more fit by doing an obstacle course, you will become more robust by overcoming hurdles. As you move through obstacles, you develop persistence and perseverance. You gain wisdom and maturity. You learn to face challenges head on by maintaining clarity, remaining organized and being disciplined.

MEASURE SUCCESS.

Attach a growth chart to a wall or door. For every obstacle you overcome, put a mark at the next inch and label the obstacle you overcame. Within a year, you will be amazed by how much you've grown.

REFLECT INWARDLY.

Sometimes, the obstacles are not external, but internal. Ultimately, an internal lack of self-esteem and limiting beliefs create more external challenges. Doubting your worthiness and abilities makes it even harder to overcome the inevitable obstacles.

USE WORDS WISELY.

Your word is your wand. Allow your words to shift your internal belief system. For example, switch the saying "It's not easy!" to "Nice and easy!"
Below are some additional affirmations:
Easy comes, easy goes, easy always flows.
I move forward easily, effortlessly and powerfully.
Happiness is my birthright.
I deserve abundance, happiness and success.

GAIN EXPERIENCE.

As you learn to overcome obstacles, you become more confident about your future. Your successes are a true testament to the power you have to conquer future obstacles. You no longer need to prove you can move around blocks; now you know you can do it. Any time you feel blocked, you can truly claim with confidence, "It is OK. I've been around the block many times before."

Obstacles can be good things in the long run. According to Caroline Miller, author of Creating Your Best Life, obstacles are an important part of our human experience. "People need to overcome obstacles to have their highest quality of life. If you don't have major setbacks, followed by resilience in navigating some new paths for yourself, you'll never discover what you're made of. If you have too few obstacles, you don't develop wisdom or grit. If you have too many, it can break you," says Miller.
Most of all, staying positive is the key to handling obstacles with ease. "Become more resilient by reframing obstacles with a sense of humor, developing healthy stress responses such as meditation and exercise, and being in a positively contagious environment of go-getters," says Miller.