OTHER TOOLS FOR MANAGING STRESS
Introduction to Stress Management Tools
Stress is felt when we perceive that we do not have
the resources to deal with a particular situation. This
includes not having sufficient money, time, energy,
or capability.
By utilising a number of stress management tools and
techniques, we effectively take back control of the
situation and "fool" our brains into believing
that we are in total control.
Smile - sure its fake, but it work.
Smiling releases the stress in the facial muscles and
it does amazing things to the physiological triggers.
Go for a walk and smile at those you pass. It makes
you feel good and those you smile at.
Interrupts - sometimes we need to
remove ourself either mentally or physically from the
stressful environment and do something totally different.
When i recently had a situation beyond my control that
diverted my ability to focus on my work, I took the
day off and spent it on all those extra household chores
that I don't normally get time to do. I changed my phone
plan, arranged for an appliance repair, water blasted
my driveway, cleaned and polished my car and tidied
my garage. At the end of the day I was so pleased to
have all those tasks done, my body had a good physical
workout and although the situation still remained I
had diverted my physiological responses to prevent all
those stress hormones playing havoc.
Anti-Stress Nutritional Supplements -
I cannot over emphasise what an impact boosting your
Vitamin C, Vitamin B , L-Tyrosine and Magnesium can
do to quieten those frazzled nerve endings.
Music - they say music is great for
the soul. It really is mood altering. Just avoid those
love ballads if your stress is a relationship breakup!
Contact Others - write down the names
of three people you haven't spoken to in a while. Phone
them or arrange to meet and avoid discussing the stressful
situation. Plan your conversation topics before you
arrive to help with this. Offer to help someone else
with a task. Focus on them instead of yourself and feel
the satisfaction of giving in the process. Remember
to smile! Even on the phone, smiling changes the tone
of your voice.
Exercise & Massage - both help
to relax body tension. I generally avoid sports such
as golf or tennis on these days. The explosive muscle
response required, when your body is tense, can lead
to injury. And your golf swing really is not good when
you are stressed. Yoga, running, pilates, a work out
at the gym are all good body diversions. I love putting
on some good music and just dancing. Sounds crazy -
but really, I just don't care about that at the time,
I just want to feel good.
Meditation - this art is worth learning
BEFORE you get a stress situation.
Simple "How to Stop Worrying and Start
Living Exercise"
[Adapted from Napoleon Hills book]. I have found this
book to be one of the most powerful things I have ever
read. The core tools I extracted, which proved invaluable
were:
- Live in Daytight Compartments - take one day at
a time. Don't think about tomorrow, just set todays
goals and strive to reach them.
- Do the 3 step analysis on all problems. Write down
the answers to:
- What is the worst possible outcome
- Accept that outcome mentally
- Write an action plan to resolve the problem.
- Get the Facts, Analyse them, Make a Decision then
Act Upon it. Use the 6 honest men to analyse problems:
What, Why, When, How, Where and Who
- KEEP BUSY AND MOVE!!!
- Write out your worry and file it for two weeks –
then check to see if its still there, if it is, file
it again.
To conclude, I want to share a wonderful gift given
me by a special friend. I was going through a difficult
time in my life, and my friend gave me three sealed
envelopes with instructions to open them only when I
was in complete despair. I imagined that they included
some joke or funny story to help interrupt my thinking
pattern. I did go through those moments and each time,
I resisted opening an envelope. I asked myself, do I
want to use up one of my special gifts now, or is my
current situation not really that bad. The real gift
turned out to be knowing that whatever my life felt
like at the moment, there were people out there who
cared about me enough to go to the effort to put these
special gifts together. Thank You Richard. Your gift
lives on!
Keep Reading :
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Response Methods to Stress Management
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