Journey of Hearts 

These suggestions are but a small sampling from The Little Book of Calm, by Paul Wilson. With over 150 suggestions in this pocket sized calming break, I have tried to find those which seemed to resonate the most with me, but as Mr. Wilson suggests, "When you feel troubled simple let this book fall open, let your intuition guide you and you will see the most effective way to find calm at that particular moment."

1. Waste some time
Hard-working people never waste time on frivolous, fun filled activities. Yet, for hard working people, any time spent this way is far from wasted.

2. Pretend you believe
Regardless of what you know, bu pretending to be absolutely calm and relaxed, you will fool your subconscious into believing you are calm and relaxed.

3. Worry when the time comes
Most worries are future based. They revolve around things that, in most cases, will never happen. Concentrate on the present and the future will take care of itself.

 

4. Single out Simple Pleasures
Approach something with your full attention and an open mind, and you'll find pleasure and complexity in it. A bunch of grapes, a glass of water, a field of grass or a sky of clouds. All of such things can lead to calm.

5. Jettison the Past
There is seldom any rational reason for having regrets about past deeds or events. Because the past does not exist in any way other than in your memory. When you recognize this lack of reality, you can be calm.

6. Steal 30 Seconds
When you're tense, go somewhere quiet--even the bathroom will do in a pinch--and take thirty seconds to gather your thoughts, and work out how you're going to become calm.
They could be the most useful thirty seconds in your day.

7. Levitate
Stand straighter and taller than you believe feels natural, with an imaginary thread attached to the top of your skull lifting you a few millimeters above the ground. The higher above the ground you feel, the close you will be to feeling calm.

8. Paint the Town Green
Plants pour oxygen into the environment while soaking up carbon dioxide and pollutants. Keep plants where you work, sleep, and live and you'll enjoy more oxygen. The more oxygen you can get, the calmer you will become.

9. Play a calm role
Pretend you are calm: adopt the characteristics of a calm person, pretend that others see you as a calm person, and in no time you'll be a calm person.

 
10. Control only what you can control
Be rigorous in differentiating between what is achievable and what is a waste of time. Then devote your energies only to those tasks you can achieve (pass on the others to someone else).

11. Plan your worries
 Put aside a certain amount of time each day--at the same time each day--which you devote to sorting through your worries. When the time is up, STOP WORRYING.

 
12. Know when to withdraw
There comes a time in every struggle when determination serves no purpose and becomes an end unto itself. Knowing when to move on to the next issue is a skill possessed by many calm people.
 

Paul Wilson wrote The Calm Technique as a no-nonsense guide to meditation. The book became a great success with a diverse audience from teachers of meditation, and stress management counselors to medical practitioners and psychiatrists. What became apparent is that those who needed the Calm Technique the most were not the over stressed business executives or the seekers of higher consciousness, but rather those who were too worried, stressed or distressed, those suffering from every day stress and anxiety but didn't have the time. Hence came  Instant Calm.
You can also visit their website at the Calm Centre, http://www.calmcentre.com.
 

  The Little Book of Calm by Paul Wilson. Published by NAL/Dutton, December 1996.

This book from world-renowned relaxation expert Paul Wilson, offers more than 150 simple, common-sense tips that will help even the most overwhelmed among us take a minute to unwind. Readers will learn to handle life's stresses, big and small, with a clear, calm head. It is full of advice to follow and thoughts to inspire. Perfect pocket size to carry with you to steal moments of peace and tranquility, any time, any place.

Instant Calm by Paul Wilson. Published by NAL/Dutton, April 1995.

This book is about crisis control, about restoring your sense of well-being when things go wrong. Within the pages of this book are over a hundred of the most powerful calming techniques known, from the wisdom of ancient civilizations to the discoveries of modern research. The techniques include meditation, acupressure, self hypnosis, psychotherapy, aromatherapy, exercise, diet and music. Instant Calm contains immediate, effective methods of relaxation, and practical strategies for dealing with emergencies, and long-term remedies for eliminating stress, tension and negativity.