November is
Stress Reduction
and Mental
Health Month!
Stress Management
It may seem that there’s nothing you
can do about stress. The bills won’t
stop coming, there will never be more
hours in the day, and your career and
family responsibilities will always be
demanding. But you have more control
than you might think. In fact, the
simple realization that you’re in control
of your life is the foundation of stress
management. Managing stress is all
about taking charge: of your thoughts,
emotions, schedule, and the way you
deal with problems.
Since everyone has a unique response
to stress, there is no “one size fits all”
Stress management starts with
identifying the sources of stress in your
life. This isn’t as easy as it sounds.
health.
Your true sources of stress aren’t
always obvious, and it’s all too easy to
overlook your own stress-inducing
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. To
identify your true sources of stress,
look closely at your habits, attitude,
and excuses.
There are many healthy ways to
manage and cope with stress, but they
all require change. You can either
change the situation or change your
reaction. When deciding which option
to choose, it’s helpful to think of the
four A’s: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.
solution to managing it. No single
method works for everyone or in every
situation, so experiment with different
techniques and strategies. Focus on
what makes you feel calm and in
control.
You can increase your resistance to
stress by strengthening your physical
Exercise regularly. Physical activity
plays a key role in reducing and
preventing the effects of stress. Make
time for at least 30 minutes of exercise,
three times per week. Nothing beats
aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up
stress and tension.
Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished
bodies are better prepared to cope with
stress, so be mindful of what you eat.
Start your day right with breakfast, and
keep your energy up and your mind
clear with balanced, nutritious meals
throughout the day.
- Article by Helpguide.org, Stress
Management
TEAM MEMBER OF
THE MONTH
Name:
Heidi Engler
From:
Long Beach, CA
Why?:
Heidi recently took the
Service Desk Lead
position and has
quickly taken the reins
and been a huge
asset to the LFC staff.
She goes far above
and beyond her
duties to help make
the LFC the premier
health and fitness
facility it is. Heidi is also
a personal trainer
here and continues to
excel at training a
few members each
week.
LifeFit Center News & Notes
 Trial Weekend Day – We will be open
on Saturday November
9th
from
 LifeFit Center Closed:
Mon. Nov. 11th: Veteran’s Day
Thurs. Nov. 28th & Fri. Nov. 29th:
8:30am – 3pm. Bring friends and come
work out and receive up to 10 LifeFit
Thanksgiving
 The Benefits of Kranking with Tony
Club Points (5 points for coming & 5
Nunez
points for bringing a friend).
On Friday Nov. 22nd at 11am, Tony will
give us a lecture on the benefits of
 Meditation and Energy Balancing
Kranking, using the KrankCycle.
Workshop with Meghan MacRae
Listening to music can
also be a great way to
reduce any stress!
On Wednesday Nov. 13th from 12 – 130,
Remember you get 5 bonus LifeFit Club
Meghan will go over the chakra energy
points for attending lectures & workshops!
system and the energy field. You will
learn how to prepare and experience
multiple types of meditation.
How do you relax?
Director’s Message – Ayla Donlin
November is Mental Health/Stress Reduction
Month. What do you do on a daily or weekly basis to
reduce your stress levels and live a mentally healthy
lifestyle?
positive relationships, meaning, and
accomplishment? Are there areas in your life that you
need to change or re-assess so that you can experience
more PERMA in your life?
When we think of mental health, we often think of the
negative aspects of mental health like stress, anxiety, and
depression. In the 1990’s, a movement termed positive
psychology started to gain popularity. Positive psychology
posits that mental health is more than just the absence of
mental illness or the negative aspects of mental health, but
the ability of humans to thrive and flourish. Martin
Seligman, considered one of the founders of positive
psychology, recently published a theory of well-being
called the PERMA Well-Being Theory. PERMA is an
acronym which represents five elements that contribute
uniquely to well-being. P is for positive emotion; the
regular experience of joy, passion, peace, love, and many
other positive emotions. E is for engagement; experiencing
a sense of losing time when participating in an activity. R
is for positive relationships; the support network that an
individual has surrounded themselves with. M is for
meaning; feeling a sense of being connected to something
that is bigger than the self. A is for accomplishment;
striving to achieve goals and plans.
If you are currently experiencing a high volume of
negative emotions or feel like you are in a “down”
mood, one of the best ways to pick yourself back up is to
generate gratitude. Gratitude is the #1 most easily selfgenerated emotion. In fact, activities focusing on
gratitude have been demonstrated through research by
Lyubomirsky and her colleagues to increase happiness
and well-being. How perfect considering that November
is Thanksgiving Month!
What activities do you do or what people do you surround
yourself with to experience positive emotions, engagement,
I have two gratitude activities to suggest for you:
1. The Gratitude Visit: Identify someone who you
are particularly grateful for or who did
something you are grateful for. Write a letter
to them expressing specifically what you are
grateful for, and then go deliver it to them in
person (or via e-mail or phone if you are too far
away).
2. Three Good Things: Write down three good
things that happened recently and to what you
attribute those good things happening.
LifeFit Center @ The Beach ● www.csulb.edu/lfcbeach ● (562) 985-2015