Running one's own business can be stressful. No fixed salary,
constant promotional efforts and sometimes the isolation of
being on one's PC all day can be a strain. Here are a few ideas
to implement each day before the stress builds up.

Remember it is much easier to nip something in the bud than to
deal with stress after it flowers into physical symptoms or a
bad mood. If you get into a funk sometimes it can last for days
and it's often hard to break free of it. When you can "catch"
the negative moment beginning you have a great shot at stopping
it from taking you down. I've found these helpful for myself as
well as my clients:

1) If you feel a certain "mood" beginning (ie depression, anger,
discouragement) try to do something physical such as go running,
swim or even clean. It's good to do something that will tune up
your nervous and glandular system. Even if you don't "feel"
like doing this, you will feel better after you do.

2) There are two breathing exercises from yoga that are very
helpful to cultivate a neutral mind. One is called "Alternate
nostril breathing" and the other is called "Breath of Fire". You
can learn these from a yoga class or video or feel free to
e-mail me.

3) Identify and write down the mental tape loops that you
finding yourself repeating. By knowing what these are you can
watch it instead of take it as your own identity. The more you
"see" the dramas the less you react from within them.

4) Keep a notebook of inspiring anecdotes, quotes and tips.
This helps to boost one's spirit and also to feel connected with
others that have dealt with similar feelings.

5) If you are on the computer for more than an hour get up and do
something that will shift your attention in order to gain some
energy. As little as 10 minutes of stretching could make all of
the difference in the world.