We all have times when it is hard to relax. You may have a lot on you mind, feel overtired, or just can't seem to get to sleep. Instead of using alcohol or t.v. to help you sleep (both of which often cause you to have a poorer nights sleep), try these yoga poses, from an article in Women's Health , instead. You will reap both the emotional and physical benefits. And, you might actually have fun doing it.

It is day two of 2014 and some of you may have already broken your new year resolutions- if you had the time or energy to make resolutions at all. With the holidays behind you, you are starting to think about work, school, kids, bills, and feeling the anxieties of your real life start to creep back in. The anxiety can start to suck the energy and enjoyment out of your life.

Today is a busy day. You know you have a lot to get done and not enough time to do it all. You start your work day with a quick read of the e-mails in your inbox, but that quick read soon leads down a rabbit trail of distractions. Your friend sent out and e-mail with a video link to some music video about a fox on YouTube.

It feels like we live increasingly busy and yet increasingly isolated lives. Our lives are filled with so many activities involving interactions with so many people, and yet rarely do we stop and make deep connections with any of them. How can you stop? The to-do list is too long. Who has time for the luxury of quality time with friends? For me, I sometimes feel guilty taking time away from my family, or my job to just hang out with friends.

It felt like the theme of the day for my clients yesterday was stress. The teen with so much school work she was up until midnight, the twenty-something worried about what her boss thought of her work performance, the middle aged man stressed out about the self-destructive choices his adult son was making.

When clients come in to my Houston office complaining of feeling depressed or anxious, one of the first questions I ask them is about how they are sleeping. Inevitably, they are having trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep. I think we have all had the experience of lying in bed, feeling more anxious every time we look at the clock, wishing we could just fall asleep. But, we can't. Ugh. Sleep deprivation takes it toll one hard night at at time.

Sometimes this does not feel like the most wonderful time of the year. There is so much to do, the weather is gray, and there are food temptations galore. So, you may be feeling a little bit stressed out. Here are some quick tips to help you beat the stress, and actually enjoy the holiday season.