I recently received this e-mail message about stress management (author unknown)?
------------------------
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. "In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
-------------------------
What burden can you put down to help you reduce stress? Notice that I did not ask if you had stress. I assume you do. The question is, what are you doing to manage or reduce it?
I'll bet that you can identify something generating stress in your life right now that you've been carrying for a while ... something that was probably stressing you a month ago, or even a year ago. So what are you prepared to do about it? Here are five tips to help you reduce stress.
1. Identify what is burdening you right now. What do you hate about your life? What are you tolerating? By stating what you hate or are putting up with in your present circumstances, you can then identify what you want. As you answer this question, consider each of the categories mentioned below. Make a thorough list and be specific. This list is for your eyes only, so spill onto paper whatever you hate about your present circumstances, without trying to sugar-coat how you are feeling. Here are some examples:
* Relationships: I hate feeling like I always have to be right. I hate how my son never wants to spend time with me.
* Health & Wellness: I hate being 20 pounds overweight. I hate getting so out-of-breath when I take the stairs. I hate that I am so stressed that I cannot fall asleep at night.
* Financial Health: I hate how I always defer my tax returns because I am so disorganized with my financial records. I hate how many tax deductions I forfeit because of my lousy record-keeping practices.
* Environment: I hate how my office is cluttered with piles of paper. I hate that I waste so much time looking for things. I hate how much money I waste because I have to buy something I have but cannot find. I hate that I cannot park my car in the garage because of all the junk stored in there.
* Work: I hate regularly working past 5 PM and on the weekends.
2. Deal with unresolved issues. Is there something in your past that you have not dealt with ? psychological barriers, untreated disorders, unfinished business from your childhood, unresolved relationships, addictions, or depression? If so, seek professional assistance to clear a path for a new beginning. Without first dealing with these obstacles, you may sabotage your efforts or find major resistance to making the changes you desire.
3. De-clutter and create order. Creating order in your home and work environment may help you to gain clarity as you explore the horizon of some new directions in other areas of your life. Here's my definition of clutter: Anything you own, possess, or do that does not enhance your life on a regular basis. It's hard to make room for something new amidst all the clutter ... whether that clutter exists in your physical environment, on your calendar, or in your head.
4. Move from complaints to solutions. Look at your list of things you hate (above), and design a vision around what you want and choose for the future. Create a chart that includes the complaints, solutions to achieve your vision, and projected dates of completion.
Tried everything and still cannot find a solution? Ask someone else to help you brainstorm a solution, or make peace with it and quit thinking of it as a problem.
Eliminate excuses that are undermining your vision. For example, if you feel like you have to work late, examine the excuses that are undermining your desire to leave the office by 5 PM. Are you staying late to catch up with e-mail or to meet deadlines? How can you eliminate the excuse? Build in time to handle those activities during regular work hours.
Commit time to take positive action. Carve out protected time for working on an important project that would otherwise not get done until the 11th hour (after hours or on the weekend). For large projects, break them into smaller "bite-sized" projects.
5. Get support as you change behaviors. In order to create new behaviors which will get and keep you at the enhanced level at which you wish to function, you may need support. An accountability partner or personal coach can help you:
* Reflect back what you say you want so you can hear yourself.
* Clarify what it will take to get you from where you are to where you want to be.
* Build in accountability check-ins (without judgment) around the actions you choose to take.
Identify the level of support you need in order to reach the goals you've identified, and then ask for help.
Copyright 2005 Kathy Paauw
Wouldn't you love to stumble upon a secret library of ideas to help you de-clutter your life so you can focus on what's most important? Kathy Paauw offers simple, yet powerful ideas, on how to manage your time, space, and thoughts for a more productive and fulfilling life.
Visit http://www.orgcoach.net
Twin Lakes rental limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIf you've recently experienced loss or are going through a... Read More
For those of you who have been living in a... Read More
Here's a fun little experiment:Take a few seconds and look... Read More
The right amount of stress can be good for you,... Read More
One question that is not asked enough by people under... Read More
ResentmentsA wise friend once said that holding onto resentments is... Read More
Have you recently moved or started a new job? Do... Read More
As Montaigne said, "he who fears he will suffer, already... Read More
Q. I've suffered a few setbacks and disappointments in the... Read More
In my experience, most of us spend a lot more... Read More
Of all the forms of stress in today's world, computer... Read More
When it is all said and done, do you feel... Read More
With how busy we keep ourselves on a day to... Read More
Preparing for sleep the night before is the place to... Read More
This summer, get away, without going away. Take a mini... Read More
Too much driving, too much shopping, too much rushing around,... Read More
... Read More
Stress is more than just unpleasant. It's dangerous. Try these... Read More
IntroductionTime magazine called stress the "The Epidemic of the Eighties".... Read More
File this one under the category of "watch your language."The... Read More
I am worried. I have been biting my nails for... Read More
Top Ten Ways to Reduce Your Stress at Home1. Create... Read More
I have yet to see a scientist talk about the... Read More
"Let your mind be quiet, realizing the beauty of the... Read More
Every day we are faced with a situation where our... Read More
West Dundee Lincoln Stretch limo rentals ..Deceiving? You bet they are. How? Without your even knowing... Read More
Q. I wonder if you could help me with a... Read More
This is a tool to measure the amount of stress... Read More
Are you looking for stress relief? No drugs, no meditation?... Read More
So many of us live a stressful life. Unfortunately, when... Read More
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour... Read More
... Read More
The best way to reduce your stress is to really... Read More
We function at our best when we are free from... Read More
Do you have stress in your life?......I know you answered... Read More
To be a safe and predictable person for those around... Read More
Think back a few years to the nine coal miners... Read More
A grandfather, whose grandson came to him angry at a... Read More
In a hectic world, it's all too easy to reach... Read More
Traffic jams. Toddler tantrums. Deadlines at work. Money troubles. Too... Read More
Health Impacts of StressStress is a funny concept, try to... Read More
"When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not breathe,... Read More
Learn to have healthy relationships:This subject could fill an entire... Read More
Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today's... Read More
Stress. The word brings to mind many different definitions doesn't... Read More
The fast pace of life is taking toll on every... Read More
Loneliness and separation are the real illness of our times.... Read More
An excellent stress reducer can be something as simple as... Read More
Caring for a chronically ill loved one can be one... Read More
Are you a person who has a keen imagination, a... Read More
Stress Management |