Monthly Archives: February 2008

Better Sleep for More Energy: 6 Tricks & Tips


Do you wish you had more energy? How are you sleeping?

If life is stressful, chances are that sleep suffers. You may simply not have (or make) enough time for sleep (if so, you know what to do!).

Or, once you do go to bed, the zzz’s just don’t seem to come as easily as you may have hoped for…

What to do?

Lots of things. Here are a few that have helped me during a lengthy episode of challenged sleep a few years ago, and still do when the need arises:

1. Outsourcing your worries: Don’t go to sleep with them (as if you could!). Write them down on a piece of paper, or into a notebook, and let the universe take care of them. At least till morning. No, seriously, you’ll sleep better almost instantly.

2. Make sure your sleep “environment” is the way you like it. Dark, quiet, right temperature, comfy bed.

3. Wear socks. I know that some people joke about other people wearing socks to bed, but when it comes to sleep, they may be just what the doctor ordered.

4. Consider earplugs if noise is an issue. The world’s best earplugs are made in Germany and are called Ohropax. You can find some on Amazon.com (expensive if you buy them there but worth every penny). You can also bribe any German friends you may have into sending you some.

5. Have a calming night-time routine. Hot chocolate (or milk), calming music, boring reading 😉 and maybe some deep breathing. In fact, trying to do some meditation once you go to bed may really help. Do one where you have to focus on your breaths, and breathe really slowly. Don’t worry if you keep falling asleep in the middle of it. That’s the idea!

6. Soothing music. Stephen Halpern’s Sleep Soundly is one option. Check back for another option that I’ll have to check on first.

To be continued at some point in the future and/or in my newsletter 😉


Easy Spiced Hot Chocolate Recipe! Yumm :-)

Easy spiced hot chocolate is my latest guilty pleasure. I generally use the sugar-free hot chocolate mixes as a base, but it will work just as well with the sugar-containing ones.

I got the idea when I found a curried sugar-free hot chocolate mix on Ebay — it was so overpriced, though, that I didn’t order it — and when I finally decided to buy one just to try it, it had become unavailable 🙁

So one day, I decided to experiment…

I often have a mug of hot chocolate in the evening — generally I get the sugar-free version, and I mix it with half low-fat milk (cold) and half very hot water. Because I like my mugs huge, I usually need two packets to get the right flavor and consistency.

But one day, I decided to add some spice to my hot chocolate. I experimented with various combinations, and found that my favorite is a little (1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon?) Garam Masala powder and a little (same amount) Spice Hunter Curry Powder. If you want things spicier still, you can use more (or less) and/or add cayenne pepper to taste.

Pumpkin spice mix works nicely too (a slightly different effect though). The possibilities are endless.

Yumm. And you know what? I discovered I only need one hot chocolate mix packet when I add the spices.

If you’d like to try it yourself, you might want to experiment with different spices to taste. You can mix them with the hot chocolate powder first, then add water and finally the milk, especially if you don’t like things clumpy. Experiment and enjoy.

BTW, a few days ago, I read to my great amusement that “they” have discovered to their great surprise (!) that hot chocolate mixes taste MUCH better if you add milk. They had to do a study to figure this out???

Meanwhile, have a great day, enjoy your hot chocolate or whatever you’re having, and if you come across a particularly good combination, please let me know at supportATmyfavoriteselfhelpstuffDOTcom.

P.S.: I finally tracked down a bag of that high-priced mix that inspired the whole thing, and you know what? I liked it a lot, but I liked my own mix even better!

You may or may not. If you want to try the special fancy curried mix, you can find it at www.eSutras.com (and it’s quite a bit cheaper there than it used to be on Ebay, though it remains a pretty premium-priced product).


Feeling Better — working yourself out of the dumps Pt. 3

Want to feel better? Especially when you have one of those days?

I still have them on a fairly regular basis (not nearly as often as I used to though). I guess they come with the territory when I insist on not playing things safe all the time…

So I have plenty of first-hand experience with working my way out of the dumps — and I’m happy to say that I’m MUCH better at it than I used to be. I get out of the hole so much faster, and I remember much more quickly that yes, I can do something about that, and then do it.

So if I supply you with self-help info, it’s because I have tested all those things myself. Obviously, as always, your mileage may vary, but there’s enough of a range that some of the tools should help. Just find your favorites… and/or add them to the ones you’re already using.

I also want to add, that these are not necessarily solutions to the problem that causes the stress. That will still need to be dealt with. However, it is much easier to deal with problems and challenges when one is not in the middle of a panic attack, so these tips along with any future ones are meant to help put you in a better frame of mind — so you will be able to achieve what you want to achieve much more effectively.

There’s also the issue of the Law of Attraction, another reason why it’s important not to wallow in misery lest you draw even more of it.

Here are a few easy and obvious techniques to start with (though there will be much fancier ones in upcoming parts of this series — as well as in my newsletter):

1. Chocolate. 😉 (I’m serious. It seems to trigger endorphins in the brain. Just be sure not to OD.)

2. A walk in the park (or on the beach, or anywhere else, preferably outdoors, that you enjoy)

3. A hug. If nobody suitable is nearby, try a phonecall with a friend.

4. A movie that makes you happy and/or laugh, preferably both. A few years back, when I went through chemo and got quite depressed at times, I prescribed myself a happy movie a day. It made a HUGE difference.

5. A first aid kit containing a collection of favorite comics, cartoons, and jokes

6. A good meal, preferably with a friend. But even a good solo meal can make you feel better (try fresh flowers for company). Consider having your favorite comfort food. That’s why they call it comfort food! Just see above.

7. Hot chocolate. Marshmallows or whipped cream optional

8. A hot bath or even a shower

9. A nap

10. Pet a cat (or dog, or bunny rabbit, etc.)

Okay, those were some of the basic ones. I’ve got lots more where these came from. In fact, I’m working on an ebook on the topic, and it’s getting closer to completion. But that doesn’t mean I won’t tell you more tips and techniques.

Look for Pt. 4 very soon, with a number of much fancier tools you may or may not have heard of.

Have a great day!

P.S.: For a much more elaborate technique for working yourself out of the dumps one step at a time see Pt. 1 and 2 of the series (just click on Abraham-Hicks in the categories list on the right and scroll down a bit. You can also find them under A Happier Life, but you’ll have to scroll all the way down AND go to “previous entries,” and then they’ll be near the bottom of the new page.

P.P.S.: For more out-of-the-dumps info, sign up for my newsletter, which features more detailed descriptions of some of my favorite techniques on reducing stress and on raising your vibration.


P.P.P.S.: Please note that these tips are not intended to replace therapy or proper medical attention if that is what you might need. They will make a nice supplement though even in that case.