Stress Management Made Simple And Easy...Just Follow Cliff Kuhn M.D.'s Foolproof Formula

Stress management is a hot topic; stress-relatedbecause it only increases our stress! It reduces
illness and suffering is at an all-time high inthe effectiveness of humor's natural medicine to
America and increasing every year. Cliff Kuhn,zilch.A more pernicious error occurs. We begin to
M.D.'s work with the powerful natural medicine ofthink that the avoidance of whatever we fear is
humor has uncovered the primary culprit behindthe same as having fun. Joy becomes
your unhealthy stress symptoms, as well as thesynonymous with the avoidance of fear.
solution to simple, healthy stressThe Absence Of One Thing Does Not Indicate
management.Astronomer-mathematician PtolemyThe Presence Of Its OppositeIf this sounds
(85-165) devised a theory of planetary motionsridiculous to you let me put it in more familiar
that placed the earth at the center of theterms that have become acceptable where your
universe. The sun, moon, and planets revolvedhealth is concerned. With rare exception we have
around the earth in the Ptolemaic universe. Thisagreed in our society that health is synonymous
notion was accepted for approximately 1,500with absence of symptoms. Do you really believe
years. More on this in a moment...Shelly was inyour health is merely the absence of your
such need of stress management that she wassymptoms? My Fun Factor prescription teaches
unhappy much of the time. Shortly after sheyou that, not only is the absence of symptoms
became my patient, I was able to help Shelly seenot synonymous with health, but also that you
that, just like Ptolemy's theory, she was castingnever have to fall for that lie again.You never
herself as the center of the universe, therebyhave to settle for second-rate health! You can
causing unmanageable stress levels in her life. Weuse your powerful natural medicine of humor to
began a regimen from my Fun Factor prescriptionstave off seriousness' debilitating
that afforded Shelly proper stress management,effects.Therefore the issue becomes balance. Fun
reintroduced joy and happiness, and brought herbalances fear. The ultimate question is not, "Are
life back into balance.Shelly's problem wasyou without fear?", but "Is your fun in balance
common; I see more and more people each daywith your fear?" If you're not 100% certain of a
who suffer from unhealthy levels of stress."yes" response to the later question, then you
Whether it is sleeplessness, weight gain, moodneed to STOP - RIGHT NOW - and take the last
changes, hair loss, worry, agitation, or any otherstep in my Fun Factor stress management
of the myriad symptoms commonly associatedformula to ensure that your life is as healthful as
with stress, stress-related illness and suffering isit could be.Step Three: Tell the TruthThe final step
at an all-time high in America and increasing everyin your Fun Factor stress management formula is
year. Luckily for you, my work with the powerfulthe Fun Commandment, Tell the Truth. This
natural medicine of humor has uncovered theCommandment refers more to self-integrity than
primary culprit behind your unhealthy stressit does "cash register" honesty. Getting in the
symptoms, as well as the solution to simple,habit of telling yourself the truth will cement
healthy stress management.My medical practice,humor's powerfully positive effect over your
involving decades of work with chronically andstress. Your stress management becomes
fatally ill patients, has clearly identified the causesecond nature when you are honest with yourself
of our painful stress symptoms - seriousness.each day, because you can then immediately,
Seriousness means taking yourself too seriously;easily, and simply apply steps one and two to
seriousness means over-reaching - takingyour life.Telling yourself the truth, for our
responsibility for things beyond your power, suchpurposes, focuses on knowing when your stress
as the outcomes and results of all your hardlevels are rising. As we noted in step two,
work. Consequently, you're positioning yourselfeveryday activities normally produce a baseline
incorrectly as the "center of the universe."level of stress and this stress is usually alleviated
Seriousness causes so much pressure thatby your daily routines (for example, when you
effective stress management, which I will teachexperience the stress of hunger, you eat). Step
you in this article, becomes impossible.Thethree in my Fun Factor stress management
antidote for your seriousness, and yourformula teaches you to recognize the signs of
foundation for healthy stress management, is theunhealthy stress and take corrective action
natural medicine of humor. Humor's incredibleimmediately.Here are some simple stress
power is harnessed to maximum impact throughmanagement techniques to apply when your
my unique Fun Factor prescription. Based uponself-honesty reveals rising stress levels:1. Start
my Fun Commandments, which were forged inyour day off by singing in the shower at the top
unison with some incredible patients of mine, myof your voice. Make up your own song that
Fun Factor prescription is capable of producingincorporates the idea that you are embarking
such profound positive change to your health andupon a glorious day in which great things are going
personal success that you will soon have peopletop happen to you. Can't sing? Good! Can't
whispering, "Is she always this happy?"In thisrhyme? Who cares? The words are for you
article, I will explain how my Fun Factoralone. This is not a contest. Be as off-key as you
prescription can be directly applied to your stress.need to be...unless you are Placido Domingo.The
You will be amazed at how much lighter andimportant thing is to be loud (your inner ear has
happier you feel, with each passing day, as youto hear it), upbeat and convincing. The
put the following Fun Commandments to work insubconscious believes what it is told. Start your
your life. You are about to discover that theday by telling it that it will be a great day and you
natural medicine of humor produces flawlesswill be more than halfway to producing exactly
stress management, putting an end to yourthat result. Think of your singing not as singing but
painful stress symptoms.The Fun Factor Stressas a stress relief game played before stress has
Management FormulaStep One: Laugh witha chance to rear its ugly head.2. Travel to work
YourselfMy first stress management Funalone, along the same boring route every day?
Commandment is: Laugh with Yourself. ThisMake up a game to play as you look out the
Commandment is not about humiliation orwindow of your car, bus or train. For example,
self-denigration, it is the ultimate in self-respecthow many dogs will you see on the way to
because it teaches you to appreciate yourwork?Try to guess before you set out and see
"perfect imperfection" and to find gentlehow close you are when you arrive. Reward
amusement in your foibles. And, when it comesyourself every time you guess correctly to within
to stress, there is plenty of amusement to bea certain number. Drivers: limit yourself to dogs
found which will greatly aid your stress(or green elephants) you see through the
management.Here's the first amusing thing aboutwindshield only. This game does not work well in
your stress: you can't live without it, yet toosubways; there are no green elephants in
much is bad for your health. Like many of thesubways.3. Have a routine job? One that you find
essential things in life: we need a certain amountboring? Does it produce stress symptoms, such
of stress to survive, yet too much can kill us. Foras drumming your fingers or tapping your toes?
example, we die if we are without water forPerhaps you need to introduce fun into your
more than a few days; but submerge us in waterworkday.For example, if your job is to make
and we die a lot sooner.It is said that we can dieidentical widgets each day, how could you do
from boredom. I don't think there is any scientificsomething different to give variety to what
evidence for that theory, but one thing is certain -otherwise could become a monotonous task?
stress relieves boredom. Ending boredom, indeed,Could you, for example, place each new widget
could be considered a form of stress relief. Anrelative to the others so that together they
amusing paradox, no doubt!Without stress, also,make a pattern, or spell the name of your
we might not eat. Hunger is a form of stress oursweetheart? How many do you make an hour?
body needs occasionally to remind us we needCould you make one more than that the next
food. Stress causes the adrenal glands to work.hour, safely and with the same excellent quality?
Athletes would not perform at their best withoutMake a stress-relieving game out of your work
stress-induced adrenaline. Every activity causes aand it will feel less like work and more like fun.4.
certain amount of stress. So does inactivity. InSmile. You feel stressed? Smile. It is a simple
fact, to be completely stress-free we would haveactivity, so simple that even infants can do it. Just
to be dead - not a highly recommended stressfor kicks, count how many times you smile in an
management technique!The idea that stress is ahour. None, you say? Then this stress relief game
killer is exaggerated, which is also humorous. Toois even easier for you, and more important than
much stress can be a killer, and it is against tooit is for those who smile all the time. (No wonder
much stress in our lives that we need to guard.they don't feel the same degree of stress that
Fortunately we are equipped with the finestyou do!)Your smile doesn't need to be a broad
possible stress management mechanism: thegrin that suggests to those around you that they
natural medicine of humor and the ability to laughneed to call the men in white coats. But it should
with ourselves. Far better and safer than Valium,be more than a mental smirk; your facial muscles
it is our built-in stress management system.Asshould be aware that they are smiling.It is possible
you learn to laugh with yourself you will becomesimply to paste a smile on your face without any
like an athlete - who can have fun running the milereason other than you want to smile. After a
or the marathon and still turn in peakwhile, your subconscious will take over, lighten
performance. In fact, since too much seriousnessyour mood, and the smiles will come easily and
can tighten muscles through negative tension,naturally.It's best, if possible, to think of something
laughing with yourself may even enhancethat can give you a genuine smile, a reason you
performance. This Fun Commandment workscan talk about if called upon to do so. Each of us,
wonderfully on many levels.Step Two: Choose Tono matter how depressed, has something in life
Motivate Yourself With Fun, Not FearStep two into celebrate.5. Recognize that stress is a choice.
my Fun Factor stress management formula isWe can accept it and put up with it, and the
one of my newest Fun Commandments.damage it can cause our bodies. We can avoid it,
Motivating yourself with fun rather than fear is abut that could be a difficult choice; especially if it
crucial step that allows your commitment to laughmeans quitting the only job we know in a tough
with yourself to fully impact your healthy stressjob market. That choice might easily create
management.This brings us to the only true choiceworse stresses. Or we can deal with it and
you have in life. Will you be inspired by fear or bydefeat it.That is not as difficult as it might sound if
fun? One choice is all we have for our health,you make up your mind to use my Fun Factor
wellness, and fitness - fear or fun. It all boils downprescription in everything you do. That doesn't
to that. It is your responsibility to choose one ornecessarily mean, laughing, joking and playing the
the other.The question is, which is the responsiblevillage idiot - though all those activities can relieve
choice? Which of the two is a powerful medicine,stress too. You can have fun without ever
which will give you health and motivate youcracking a single joke.A game of tickle with the
greater success, sustaining you over time? Thechildren or grandchildren can be fun and bring
natural medicine of humor gives us theenergetic screams of delight from them and you.
answer.There is no doubt that both fear and funTouch football or, for the less energetic, lawn
are potent stimulants to behavior over the shortdarts or horseshoes can be fun. For others, it's a
run. So the question becomes one of sustainability.walk, socializing with friends, admiring the beauty
Will fear or fun best help us sustain our excellencearound us or following a hobby - especially if it is
over time? Which of the two is a powerfulan engrossing one.Attitude Is EverythingThe key
alternative medicine that you can learn to use foris to recognize stress symptoms when they
your greatest health, wellness, and fitness?occur, recognize what's causing them, and use my
(That's a trick question, by the way)Let'sFun Factor formula for healthy stress
Encounter A Man-Eating Bear!The fear of beingmanagement. Since fun is the best natural stress
eaten alive motivates us to run as fast and as farreliever known, it makes good sense to
as we can when chased by a bear. There is littleincorporate my Fun Factor stress management
to no fun in that experience. It is purely fearful,formula into your daily life.But don't get obsessive
but the energy it provides maximizes theabout it. Don't be stressed by removing stress. Be
possibilities of sustaining life for that moment. Forcontent with removing some of your stress, and
the moment, in such a life-threatening situation,with taking the edge off it so that you function
fear seems to be an efficient and productiveas a healthier, happier and more productive humor
choice. Though full of stress, it relieves us of thebeing. After all, perfectionism produces
immediate threat!But let's take it a step further.stress.Shelly, by the way, has learned to take
Having survived my wilderness encounter with theherself much more lightly now and she does not
bear, I return to my home in an urbansuffer nearly as many stress symptoms. The
environment. The next morning, as I start out forparadox she loves is that taking herself less
work, I run desperately for the car, quicklyseriously actually permits her to take her
jumping inside and locking the doors.When I arriveresponsibilities more seriously than ever before!
at my workplace, I race into the building. Before IThe natural medicine of humorr, supercharged by
get down to work I suspend my bagged lunchmy Fun Factor prescription, has allowed Shelly to
high above my desk, roping it to the lighteasily and simply manage her stress and enjoy a
standards. I insist upon all doors being locked andlife others have started to envy.Just as Polish
secured. When asked why, I answer, "I'm merelyastronomer Nicholas Copernicus disproved
doing what got me through my wildernessPtolemy's earth-centered universe in the 16th
experience over the weekend. I don't want to becentury, so the natural medicine of humor
eaten by a bear."You'd think I was over-reactingdisproves that you must suffer from being the
just a wee bit, and you'd be right. You could saycenter of your universe. Remove yourself from
that my stress relieves my anxiety, but mythe pressure and stress of a life where
anxiety is based on a lie conjured and sustainedeverything revolves around you...start using my
by my fear! Not exactly the greatest of stressFun Factor stress management formula, and the
management techniques.The Three Biggestrest of my Fun Commandments, today!Clifford
Dangers Of Our "Run-From-a-Bear" StressKuhn, M.D., America's Laugh Doctor, teaches
Management Techniques1. We live our lives aspeople and organizations to be more healthy and
though every day was an emergency; as thoughsuccessful through the use of fun and humor. A
a bear is chasing us all the time. This ispsychiatrist, and the former associate chairperson
unfortunate for three reasons:2. We now knowof the University of Louisville's renowned
that such a constant state of "wariness" orDepartment of Psychiatry, Dr. Kuhn now
agitation breaks down our coping mechanismsdispenses his prescription for turbo-charging your
over time. It is impossible to sustain thehealth, success, and vitality from On his website
fear-based behavior without breaking down oryou will find tons of fun, free ways for you to
burning out.3. Of all the stress managementmaximize your sense of humor, and enjoy a life
techniques, this is the absolute worst to chooseothers will envy.