Are You Too Stressed?
Is your stomach all tied up in knots? Do you have trouble concentrating or remembering things? Do you have trouble falling asleep, or do you sleep too much? You can handle a certain amount of stress, but when you get overloaded with stress, it lowers your ability to function. That is when you need stress relief ? and you need it fast. These 12 stress busters will show you how you can reduce stress, and some of them work in an instant.
Stress actually takes the joy out of life. It saps your energy. In its extreme, stress can immobilize you. Stress also aggravates physical illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, back pain, and many others.
If you are stressed at home, it also affects your work. If you are stressed at work, it affects your relationships with your family. You aren't much fun to be with when you're all stressed out. Instead, you can be grumpy, irritable, angry, impatient, distracted, jumpy, and impulsive. This in turn makes other people tense and uncomfortable.
Stress is caused by the anxiety that comes from fear, and many of these fears are caused by your unrealistic expectations. To alleviate the stress you need to determine whether your expectations are creating peace of mind or causing anxiety.
For example, if you expect life to be without problems, expect that relatives will get along just because they're related, or expect that your work will always be perfect, you're being unrealistic, and you're creating your own stress. Try having only one expectation - be yourself, do the best you know how, and accept your limitations.
If you are still experiencing stress after you have evaluated and changed your expectations, try these stress busters.
A Dozen Stress Busters:
1. Look for humor in the situation. You can pretend you are making a TV sitcom. You can imagine difficult people as very small, wearing diapers, or clothing from a different era. In your imagination you can make them very skinny or short and fat.
2. Create a safe haven in your mind by thinking of a place in your life where you were happiest. Take a couple of minutes to visualize yourself in that happy place. When you are ready to return to reality you will have calmed down, and you will be able to think more rationally.
3. Choose a cassette tape of music that has a calming effect on you. Keep it with you so you can use it at a moment's notice.
4. Start your day on a positive. Listen to motivational audio tapes every morning. Then, several times a day take a few minutes to read inspirational books, poems, and quotes.
5. Call a friend. Sometimes just getting things off your chest can relieve your anxiety. It is also helpful to join a support group for people with similar problems.
6. Focus on your major goal and do something to move it forward. You will feel a sense of accomplishment, and your stressful situation will occupy a smaller place in your life.
7. Do something that is fun. Having fun is how we recharge our battery. If stress has drained our energy, it is important to schedule activities that are fun for you so that you can recharge.
8. Spend time with nature. Take a walk in the park. Look at the trees swaying in the breeze. Watch the squirrels chase each other from tree to tree. Nature has its own way of putting things into perspective. Just by realizing that there is an innate intelligence in all living things can help you to let go and let nature do its part. If you are a religious person, turning to God can help you be at peace with any situation.
9. Change what you can control in the situation and accept the rest. For example, your stress may involve other people. You may have tried to talk about a stressful situation with the other people involved, but nothing has changed. One thing you can control is how you respond to what others are doing. Study your situation and change one aspect of your own response to a more peaceful response.
10. Susan Jeffers, in her book, "Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway," says that you should ask yourself. "What is the worst thing that can happen, and could you handle it?" Just knowing that you can handle the worst possibility will lower your stress.
11. Create a peaceful corner at home where you can have quiet time. Decorate it with your favorite pictures, stuff that make you feel good, and fresh flowers.
12. Do something physical. Either do some exercise, play a sport, or clean out your closets, weed your garden, rake the leaves, wash the windows, etc. When you do anything physical it reduces stress.
If none of the above works, get help from a professional who can give you expert guidance.
In short, stress is created in your mind by your own fears. A more peaceful mind will lead to a more peaceful perception of your situation, and the result will be lower stress. Just by changing the way you think, you can lower your stress even if nothing else changes.
If you look at every stressful situation and ask yourself, "What can I do that will create peace of mind instead of stress?" you will start replacing the stress in your life with serenity and happiness.
Are you stressed and unhappy at work? The real problem may be different from what you think it is. That is why the author, Harriet Meyerson, founder of The Confidence Center, gives you an Employee Morale Assessment to pinpoint problem areas, a Confidence Quiz to help you become more successful, and an Employee Morale and Confidence Tips newsletter. They are all F.r.e.e on her web at http://www.confidencecenter.com
Copyright Harriet Meyerson. At The Confidence Center we work with companies who want to raise employee morale and confidence ? on a shoestring budget. We offer seminars, telephone seminars, books, eBooks and many more resources.
* Editors, you have permission to reprint this article in your newsletter, or post this article on your web with a live link please.
recurring maid service Buffalo Grove .."Learn how to turn frustration into fascination. You will learn... Read More
Something the successful business person needs is - lots of... Read More
Managing stress is not easy if you don't have the... Read More
On a beautiful summer day years ago, I went water... Read More
I'm so excited that I have discovered this secret today.... Read More
"One day I'm a mother, One day I'm a lover,... Read More
Get at least 15 minutes of sunshine daily.Daily Exercise -... Read More
The National Center for health statistics reported that in 1997,... Read More
According to the StressPulse survey by ComPsych Corporation completed at... Read More
Insomnia is usually the result of the modern way of... Read More
Stress relief and managementRecognizing stress symptoms can be a positive... Read More
Why is it that some people become totally stressed when... Read More
Q: We recently had someone come to our company to... Read More
"Let your mind be quiet, realizing the beauty of the... Read More
With almost 50% of workers complaining that their jobs are... Read More
Here's an amazing quote from Time magazine:"At birth a baby's... Read More
As Montaigne said, "he who fears he will suffer, already... Read More
Use these simple tips to minimize stress in your day... Read More
If you have recently lost health insurance coverage through your... Read More
If you have never tried combining your breathing exercises with... Read More
Many people recognise the warning signs that stress may be... Read More
The moment I read the story I'm about to share... Read More
Of all the forms of stress in today's world, computer... Read More
What do you do when you wake up in the... Read More
I hear from many people that they see ever increasing... Read More
premium house cleaning Glenview ..My grandmother, a feisty and athletic woman in her younger... Read More
David Bowie once sang, "Ch-ch-changes, tryin' to face the strain."And... Read More
As tools for change are discussed, one tool - that... Read More
Stress affects different people in different ways, but affect them... Read More
To be a safe and predictable person for those around... Read More
Looking for some quick stress relief?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker,... Read More
Do you feel tense and anxious at work? Do your... Read More
1)Excessive worryNo, I'm not saying "don't worry, be happy."Well-used worry... Read More
Of all the forms of stress in today's world, computer... Read More
Stress and anxiety can prematurely age our mind and body.... Read More
Of all the sources of stress in our lives, faulty... Read More
?And holding it way down inside you like an old... Read More
Self-Care Strategies:Substantial breakfast daily Regular sleeping habits (minimum of 7... Read More
Feeling stressed? Who isn't!! In today's society, feeling "stressed out,"... Read More
I have yet to see a scientist talk about the... Read More
So, you've recognised that you are suffering from stress and... Read More
Whenever we think of 'stress', negative thoughts come into our... Read More
If you're like most people, you have your bouts of... Read More
Part 1: Recognize the importance of family stress managementJoe and... Read More
Think back a few years to the nine coal miners... Read More
A friend has this quotation on his office wall: "I... Read More
"Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make... Read More
Q: We recently had someone come to our company to... Read More
Have you ever noticed how we keep falling into the... Read More
Have you ever noticed what occurs when you are suddenly... Read More
Stress Management |