Healing your body is an entire concept that involves your mind, your soul, and your body. If you separate your mind and spirit from your body you will find that you three unique but isolated entities that, although they try to function independently, need each other to be healthy, strong, and happy. It is your spirit that is the binding force between your mind and body. Therefore keeping your spirit strong is of vital importance when it comes to your overall health and wellness. It is this “keeping the spirit strong” that is the focus of this final chapter.

There are many things that you can do to keep your spirit strong, vital, and alive. Perhaps the biggest obstacle that you have to overcome is consistence and practice. It is easy to fall back into the old patterns of your life that don’t work and perhaps have brought you to a place in your life where you are unbalanced in your personal life, your relationship, and your career. Keeping your spirit strong means that you must constantly monitor what it is that you are doing, decide if you are doing the right thing, and take steps to change it if necessary.

This is because every part of us is actually not a separate bit, but an extension or part of the ‘whole’. We are not a collection of parts. We only name them to help identification, but in reality the muscles, tendons and ligament of our posture all interconnect, overlay and are pretty much inseparable. And if we did manage to separate them…..and this is the main point……they would be completely useless without the support and integration with the whole.

Our body and mind works as a whole. Take any task you like and see if you can identify it as either entirely physical or mental. Is skiing a purely physical task, or horse riding, walking or writing a letter? Our musculature couldn’t operate without the control and guidance of our brain which in turn fires the muscle spindles and circulates oxygenated blood. And is calculating an arithmetical problem a purely mental activity? We couldn’t do that without sufficient blood pumped from our heart and loaded with fresh oxygen from our breathing lungs. All activities are both mental and physical; without either we die. Our emotions are just as inextricably connected to every cell in our body.

· Understand where your stress is coming from.
· Take a close look at your life and see where you can make changes whether it be at work, at home, or your health.
· Find ways to relax such as massage, deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
· Incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle.
· Practice time management. Put your tasks into a priority list. When you make your list take into account yourself, your family, and your job. Using a check list will give you satisfaction when you complete a task.
· Eat a healthy and balanced diet. Avoid sugar, fats, tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol as all of these items will put a strain on the way your body copes with stress.
· Make sure that you get enough sleep and rest.
· Talk with someone if there are things that are bothering you. This can include friends, family, professional counselors, and support groups.
· Get out there and volunteer! Helping others can give you a sense of purpose.
· Take some personal time. This can include reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, or any other personal time that you enjoy.
· Practice anger management. If you feel that you have problems dealing with you anger find a support group that you can join.
· Take a vacation, no matter how short a time you can afford to get away.
· Don’t take on too many tasks at one time. Learn to pace yourself.
· Don’t try to be perfect in everything that you do.
· Try not to be too critical of others.
· Laugh whenever you can, even at yourself now and then.

When your body is under stress the tension will often accumulate in your neck and jaw. Take a few minutes to gently and slowly move your head from one side to the other and then from front to back, moving in a slow circle.

Set small and smart goals for yourself and then work carefully and realistically towards achieving them. Keep in mind that unrealistic goals never seem to be reached and this can add to your stress level. Try to set just goal for yourself this week by using the SMART approach:

· SPECIFIC: Pick one small goal and write it down.
· MEASURABLE: Can you count it or check it off a list?
· ACHIEVABLE: Is it realistic? If not, make it smaller.
· REWARDED: Reward yourself when you reach your goal.
· TIME-LIMITED: Set a specific, realistic date to finish or achieve your goal.

Laugh at stress. Laughter is your body’s natural stress-release mechanism. Rent your favorite funny movie or record a TV show that you know makes you laugh. You can keep the recording on hand for those stress emergencies. Go to the library and borrow a book that you know will make you laugh. Or read the daily comics in the newspaper.

Another good way to deal with stress is to walk away from it all instead of sitting down for another cup of coffee on your coffee break, lunch hour or when you are sitting at home. A short stress-relieving and energizing walk will help you cope with immediate stress by giving you a chance to step back and think about something else for a few minutes. And the exercise will do you good! Consider starting a walking club at work so that you can have company while you walk during your lunch hour.

Taking care of the physical balance in your life is important in maintaining all aspects of balance in your life. When you take care of your physical body you’re better prepared to face the mental and spiritual challenges that come your way. There are many ways that you can take care of the physical part of your life such as a well balanced diet and exercise. According to Covey there are three physical areas that you need to focus on: (1) endurance, (2) flexibility, and (3) strength.

The social and emotional aspect of the balance in your life focuses on the relationships that you have with the other people in your life. The healthier your relationship is with those others the more successful you are in your own life.

As discussed earlier, your value system is one of the strong elements of your success. When you focus on the spiritual balance in your life you’re able to renew your commitment to this system of values that makes you unique from others. You’ll need to make time to balance your spiritual life with the other parts of your life. One of the ways that you can find this balance is by reinforcing the personal mission statement that was discussed in chapter five, since it’s this mission statement that renews your goals and dreams.

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. Covey suggests the following as some ways to implement mental balance in your life: (1) keep a daily diary of your thoughts and feelings, (2) read material that is educational and enlightening, and (3) limit the amount of media that you allow to reach you, such as television. Other ways that you can take care of your mental health are mediation and visualization, as discussed earlier.

The more self aware you are of all the above areas of your life the more successful you’ll be in attaining your health goals. When you find a balance between your personal and your professional life you’ll be able to put your focus where it belongs at the right given moment. It’s this personal awareness that will give you the confidence to excel at what you love doing and reach your goals.

Find activities that are going to help you relax and take time to breathe. You might want to consider meditation as a method of relaxation that will clear your mind for a short time so that you can think clearly. Another method of relaxation that you might want to consider is visualization. Visualization is a great technique for relaxing while at the same time reaffirming your goals and dreams.

No matter you decide to do in your personal time make sure that you understand the importance of making time to relax and enjoy the things that you like doing.

One technique that you can use to attain this balance in your life is a tool called “mind mapping”. Mind mapping was developed by Tony Buzan and is the process of learning by using key words and images. Your mind doesn’t work in a linear fashion and mind mapping will help you to remember things associatively so that you can achieve more balance in your personal life as well as manage the projects and goals that are important to you. There are many different types of software on the market that will help you learn and manage the process of mind mapping such as MindGenius and MindManager.

One of the ways that you can determine how much personal and business balance you have in your life is by taking a look at the “wheel of life”. The wheel of life lets you use a balanced life chart that asks you specific questions about the areas of your life where you are most active. Based on your score you can determine how balanced your life is. There are eight categories of the wheel of life that include:

· social
· spiritual
· physical
· family
· financial
· professional
· community
· mental

You’ll be able to find out if your life is in balance or if there are parts of your own life wheel that need balancing.

Another thing that you can do to find and maintain balance in your life is to “clean your house” by taking care of the things that you have that are unfinished. This means wrapping up those loose ends that you’ve been avoiding for whatever reason. When you have unfinished business in your life it creates a chaotic feeling of unbalance that affects all areas of your life and prevents you from being as productive as you could be. These unfinished tasks can be as straightforward as physically cleaning your house to finishing that sales report that you’ve been avoiding for weeks.

Once you’ve identified the areas of your life that need cleaning, sorting, and completion you need to find the feeling of purpose that is going to inspire you to take the time and make the effort to change. You need to know that your purpose for balancing your life and cleaning your house is to clear your mind and give you the room to concentrate on what’s important in your personal and your business life. When things are in place, both physically and in your mind, you’ll have more success as your work towards your goals. Your purpose should be clear: to make room for the important things in life as you reach your goals.

There are several ways that you can reduce the worry about situations and events in your life. The key is finding a process that works for you. The goal is to clear your mind and consciously realize that tomorrow is the time to tackle problems and tonight is the time to sleep.

One technique you can try is the practice of writing down all your worries and concerns before you retire for the night. Keep a notebook available for just this purpose. List in point form those things that you are worrying about. Make note of which of these items you can deal with tomorrow. Have a decisive plan of action for what you are going to accomplish tomorrow. This will make you feel positive that tomorrow you will take care of certain items on your “worry list”.

Make a separate list in your notebook that contains only those things in your life over which you have no control. Firmly tell yourself that these items are beyond your power.

Once you have completed your two lists it is time to close the notebook and repeat to yourself that you will not think of these worries until tomorrow. If, during the night, you find yourself thinking about any of the items in either list make a mental note to catch yourself and sternly remind yourself that the covers of the notebook are closed and cannot be opened.

Another technique for keeping daily anxiety and worry out of your thoughts while you try to fall asleep is to keep a daily diary. Make sure to include all your worries and fears in your diary along with the events of the day. The goal here is to actualize your feelings in writing so that you can be free of them in the evening. The act of physically writing is the key here to acknowledging that you are worried while at the same time giving yourself permission to rest and deal with these feeling tomorrow.
You can reduce the effects that worry and stress can create for your body by using some of the other methods for achieving relaxation described in this book. You may want to consider a combination of soothing music and yoga to clear your mind. Or perhaps reading quietly will keep your mind from wandering back to the stressful thoughts you had during the day. Once again, the goal here is to relax and prepare you for a night of restful sleep.

You will probably never eliminate anger from your life, and given the importance anger plays in self-protection, you probably don’t want too. However, by using the right tools and techniques, you can control your anger and use it constructively to improve your quality and enjoyment of life.

While it is normal and healthy to experience anger, how we react when angered can have a significant impact on our relationships, our work, and our health. A Chinese proverb states, “By controlling the anger of a minute, you may avoid the remorse of a lifetime.” But how does one control anger, especially when it seems to be such an automatic response? Anger management experts suggest the following:

· Understand why you get angry: Anger is an emotion that helps us to defend ourselves in the face of threat. If you become angry it is because something has occurred which has been perceived as a threat to your physical safety, or more frequently, to your psychological well-being. Usually it is easy to identify the events that lead us to experience anger. It is more difficult to identify why we perceive these events as a threat. Think about the last time that you became angry. Review the events that led you to feel this way. Now, think about how you may have perceived these events as a threat. Perhaps the actions of another person made you feel unimportant, worthless, or invalid. Once you have acknowledged the threat, you are better able to defend yourself.
· Take ownership of your anger: A common belief is that our anger is the direct result of the actions of others. This belief implies that your anger will not go away until others change how they are acting. The fact of matter is that our anger results from our perception that events in the environment are a threat to us. Maybe you’ve noticed that the exact same event evokes an anger response from you sometimes, but not others. Much of whether you experience anger depends on whether or not you perceive these events as a threat. In other words, we create our own anger (just as we create our own happiness, sadness, or any other emotion). This means that we are in control of how much anger we experience. By changing your perception of a situation, you can control how angry you feel.