You will continue to hear me talk about the importance of maintaining balance in your life. Your health is one critical aspect of success. A healthy body will give you the energy and focus you need.

It is often the first thing that slips, and I hear many reasons; “I’m too busy”. “I work in the city”. This really is about attitude, so I thought I would make a short video showing how if you decide too there are plenty of options to keep fit even if you work and live in a city

I have done a fair amount of exploration of mediation in my travels through India and going on several Vippassana Retreats. 10 day silent retreats with 10 to 12 hours a day. Of course, through this I have met many people who have been interested in meditation. So what is the value of meditation and can it help you be a more successful person?

For me, it represents one of the most effective and powerful techniques out there. It helps with balance, stress, connection, decision making, finding out how you are; yet it is one of the most difficult things to sustain and prioritise. Even more ironic is that the people that would often most benefit from it are the very ones that are most resistant and/or less capable of maintaining practice.

In the modern world, it is symbolic of our general expectations of life, as mediation is not an instant fix, it requires self discipline and the desire to look after yourself.

So, if you have never considered meditation then please do! If you have then please continue as it is worth while!! This goes for me too!!!

Stress management is a critical aspect of modern day living.

Today’s blog covers the subject of the difficult problem of reacting positively to stressful situations.

Do any of the following sound familiar when you are under stress or pressure?

- you start comfort eating
- exercise goes out the window
- alcohol and letting loose increases
- heart rate and anxiety levels increase

This is what I call the downward stress spiral, as it further increase your inability to deal with stress and reduces your effectiveness. So what to do?

The problem comes in that often the things that are most beneficial to you are the things that are the least that you feel like doing, so try the following.

1) Make a list of the things that you know are good antitodes for you personally e.g.

- meditation
- walking on sand
- relaxing bath
- cinema etc

2) Now, here is the trick. You must begin to do these things as soon

as you are aware that you may be heading into the danger zone

. Once you are in the danger zone, it becomes extremely difficult to break the downward stress cycle

Try it next time and warch your wellbeing and effectiveness skyrocket!!

I will be discussing balance in the next blog while I keep on this theme.

Until next time this is Mark from www.KeysToSuccessClub.com

P.S. Remember to focus on effective stress management