Rumination can raise blood pressure, lead to negative coping mechanisms such as binge eating, and elevate levels of the stress hormone cortisol—which in turn is linked to increased tummy fat. In addition, it reduces the ability to concentrate—not good at work.

Once you notice such intrusive thoughts, try distracting yourself mentally or physically. Chat with an upbeat friend. Write in a journal. Be particularly mindful of what’s going on around you right now, not the past.

Experts suggest replacing negative self-talk. Say “Stop!” silently or aloud when you start brooding, and repeat a positive affirmation such as “I am at peace now.” Or turn “I can’t deal with this!” into the proactive question “How can I handle this?”

Another technique? Set aside some worry time for the end of the day. Just don’t obsess if you forget to do so!

Namaste.

Psychotherapist F. Diane Barth says we need to learn to “separate our own experience from someone else’s; sometimes, especially in moments of vulnerability, this distinction can get lost.” In other words, it’s not always about you.

When you are faced with another’s negativity, these strategies might help:

• Remind yourself that they are probably reacting to their own situation, not to you. You are just the nearest target. They want resolution of their problem. Focus on solving it.
• Admit your mistakes, but don’t let unwarranted criticism affect your self-esteem. As long as you act from a place of integrity, you can sweep away others’ judgments like so much dust.
• Lighten up. Know that everyone goes through similar situations. Bond over them with friends by laughing about things afterwards.

In summary, breathe deeply and refrain from knee-jerk emotional reactions. Look at the big picture. Get the facts. Then respond calmly to the situation. Maybe all it takes is compassion for another’s runny nose.

Here’s a zen-like stress-relieving technique you can try without anyone knowing you are doing it: relaxation breathing. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your belly and chest to expand as air goes deep into your lungs. Hold for a count of five. Then, slowly, to a count of seven or even ten, breathe out through your mouth. Do this three times.

If you are alone, or in a noisy environment, you can try Darth Vader breathing. In yoga, they call it ocean, or ujjayi, breathing, but Darth Vader sounds more fun, no? Try it now, if you like. First, get used to the proper sound. Breathe in through your nose, and then breathe out with your mouth open and your throat partially closed, as if you are fogging a mirror. Next, breathe in again, and once you’ve started the foggy out-breath, close your mouth and breathe through your nose instead. Finally, make the Darth Vader sound throughout your next out-breath. You can also now keep the throat constricted on your in-breath, too. Your in-breath should be the same length as your out-breath.

Note to skeptics: Yes, scientists agree relaxation breathing actually does work. To paraphrase Harvard Medical School, when you breathe shallowly, you don’t take in enough oxygenated air, which leaves you feeling anxious and short of breath. In contrast, with deep abdominal breathing, you get the right mix of incoming oxygen and outgoing carbon dioxide. This slows your heartbeat, calms you, and lowers or stabilizes your blood pressure, and strengthens the diaphragm.

For more information, here are a few online resources:
Harvard Medical School: http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update1006a.shtml
Yoga Journal: http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/768
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHyZLtnobkU&feature=fvwrel

Namaste.

Stress can be invigorating, such as when you are competing in a sport or planning a big vacation. But too much of it can negatively affect your health, manifesting in subtle ways. Signs include:

• headaches, tense muscles
• feeling irritable, sad or guilty
• trouble sleeping
• difficulty concentrating (brain fog)
• restlessness
• change in weight or appetite
• listlessness, loss of energy
• procrastination, avoidance
• reduced interest in things you used to enjoy

If you ignore your stress signals for too long, you may experience burnout. Health Canada says stress can affect the immune system and is considered a risk factor in heart disease, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, and some bowel diseases. Stress also makes it harder for diabetics to control their blood sugar. So what can you do to reduce the effects of stress?

Check this blog for tips on everything from yoga and reframing negative thoughts to dealing with procrastination. In the meantime, you can Google “Health Canada managing stress” for their suggestions. Namaste.

Related posts:
What does it cost to self-publish a book?
Self-Publishing in Vancouver: Tips from a Freelance Editor/Proofreader

Gio, as he calls himself, interspersed his motivational message with magic tricks. There was the bowling ball that somehow fit inside his briefcase, the card tricks, and the sleight of hand. But the real magic was in his talk about how anything is possible. What I took away with me — along with a full tummy and a great goody bag from BCBusiness magazine – is listed below. I must give full credit to Giovanni for the points written down here. They are either direct quotes taken from his speech, or my paraphrasing of them.

• Ask yourself what it is that you eat, sleep, and can’t get enough of. What is your passion? For me, it’s reading about others’ spiritual paths, talking about spirituality and making my own spiritual discoveries. I could do that all day. (And, hey, do you have a book on the topic you need edited?)
• When you are planning your goals, include that one huge dream goal of yours. Professionally, for me, that would be editing the manuscript of the next Deepak Chopra or Eckhart Tolle.
• Set your goals high. Make your ceiling your floor, stand on it and get on top of your potential.
• Know that “no” is not an option. In Giovanni’s words, “Life is too f-ing short.” Find a way to get it done.
• Tell everyone what you are going to do next, ask them to pass it on to everyone they know, then do it. There’s power in getting your message out to the world. And it helps if there are dozens of people willing to hold you accountable.
• When you have a setback, AND when you have a success, reset your goals. When you are successful, celebrate for a day or a week, then reinvent yourself. Don’t rest on your laurels. When you fail, wallow for a time if you must, but then reinvent yourself. Make a new plan. If you change nothing, nothing will change.
• Write it down. Getting back to the title of this blog post, write down your goals in order to be successful. Make the invisible visible. I don’t know how many times lately I’ve gotten the message that there’s something to be said about extracting what’s rattling around inside my brain and committing it to paper. I guess writing things down gives them a physical existence, or at least gives me something more substantial to work with.

Again, all credit goes to Giovanni Livera for the points above, and for this final message: “It’s the little things that you do in the middle of the day that go a long way.” Including committing your goals to paper. And that’s how writing leads to success. For more info on Giovanni Livera himself, go to giovanniexperiences.com.

Related posts:

http://www.zeneditorial.com/vancouver_editor/writing-about-what-you-dont-know

SFU has joined with CBC Vancouver’s North by Northwest and The Vancouver International Writers Festival to hold a humour writing contest. They say if you can make them laugh the hardest, you’ll win all of this:

Two tickets to the Symposium on the Book (humour) on July 18th
• Two complete sets of books from each of the authors at the symposium
• Two nights at the Delta Suites Vancouver
• Passes for two to an event during the Vancouver International Writers Festival
• A year’s subscription to The Walrus magazine
• A year’s subscription to The Globe and Mail
• The latest book from esteemed designer Robert Bringhurst (CCSP Press)
• Dinner with the authors and panelists in the symposium

The winner, announced July 14th, will have their piece read on air by North by Northwest and published on Books on the Radio and the SFU Summer Publishing website.

Mail, email or drop off your 500-700 word essay (fiction or non-fiction, previously published/printed or not), labelled SYMPOSIUM CONTEST, to one of these addresses (one entry per person) by 5 p.m. Monday, July 5th, 2010:

SFU Summer Publishing Workshops
3573-515 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
Email: pubworks@sfu.ca

North by Northwest
CBC Vancouver
Box 4600
Vancouver, BC V6B 4A2
Email: nxnw@cbc.ca

The Vancouver International Writers Festival
202-1398 Cartwright St.
Vancouver BC, V6H 3R8
Email: viwf@writersfest.bc.ca

The Great Little Publishing Company’s contest has five writing categories: novels, poetry, children’s, non-fiction and short stories. There are fifty prizes to be won, ranging from a $3,750 publishing package to publication in the Great Little Publishing Company’s anthology series.

It costs $15 to enter; the entry fee includes a $30 gift certificate, presumably for the Great Little Publishing Company’s services. The contest runs until October 31st, 2010, so there’s plenty of time to get your entry in. For details, rules and regulations go to GreatLittlePublishing.com/writers-contest.

Geist magazine is holding a giant clearout of books Tuesday, June 29th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in preparation for their move to the new Woodward’s building. The sale is being held at 200 – 341 Water Street in Gastown, above Suraj Fashions and Gifts.

Geist says used and review books collected over the last eight years are available from such authors as Michael Crummey, Kathleen Winter, Dave Bidini, Judy Fong Bates, Drew Hayden Taylor, Mona Fertig, Colm Toibin, Leon Rooke, and A.L. Kennedy. There are some coffee table books and non-fiction titles as well.

For more information call 604-681-9161.

Many of these classes are new for 2010. Some would be more appealing to an editor such as myself than to a writer, but you just never know what might be of interest to an author slaving over a hot keyboard. More summer workshops are mentioned in my earlier Zen Blog post, How Do You Write and Publish a Book?

Screenwriting: an Interactive Workshop July 16 (new)

Finding the Funny: Humour with a “U” July 17 (new)

The Secrets of Syntax July 7 (new)

Authors and Editors: The Partnership and Process July 9

Usage: Woes and Myths July 23

Fundamentals of Grammar July 21

Punctuation and Mechanics July 22

Find out more about these courses at sfu.ca/pubworks.

Related Zen Blog posts:
How Do You Write and Publish a Book?

Smith printed 2,000 copies of Edith’s War and launched the book this spring in Toronto. As of June 7, 2010, Smith’s blog indicated the total cost to create and market the book had reached $14,026. (Smith spent $2,000 on copy editing and $4,300 on printing, by the way.) That means it cost him approximately $7 to make each 380-page copy. Considering his paperback is available on the chapters.indigo.ca website for about $15, Smith should start making money once he sells the first half of his 2,000 copies… unless his marketing costs keep climbing.

To follow Smith’s ongoing self-publishing adventure, and to see what he spent on self-publishing his book, go to www.edithswarselfpublish.com/Site/Home.html.