Newsplus,Kamal Kandel
“My computer Crashed at work, my boss was being difficult and I got stuck Twelve Tips to Reduce Stress in traffic on the way to pick up my son from school”—Caroline greenwood ,Surprising new stress-busters that’ll take the tension out of your day, Woman’s World ,May 30,2000
Haven’t we all been there? We have got an important call to make, but we are waiting for one more piece of information that was promised to us two hours ago. Time! It always comes back to time. There’s never enough time. There are so many times to do and so many little times in which to get them done. Reports are due. Project deadlines are coming up. A major client hasn’t paid your latest invoice and there are bills to be paid next week. Stress is closing in on all of us. Stress is affecting not only the way we do business, but our bodily health at the same time. While we cant make stress go completely away, there are something we can do to reduces our stress levels and makes us happier and productive, which reduces our stress level and makes ……………and so on and so on.
“As health problems go, health disease, cancer and obesity get all the limelight. But we should pay just as much as attention to another serious health issue: stress”.
Here are twelve things anyone can do (Yes, even you) to reduce Stress:
· Replace the phrase “I have to …….”with “I get to……” –small business writer Don Doman, author of Out of Work? Get into Business and Look before You Leap: Market Research Made Easy, says that when he’s feeling overwhelmed and has too many things to do, he starts using the phrase “I get to.” “Even the most miserable of tasks seem easier and less stressful if you get to do them. Its kinds of like a reward. Oooeee, I get to make cold calls today. It gives you positive feelings.” By removing that feeling that you “have” to do something, you have reduced some pressure and stress.
· Cut out the coffee, hot chocolate and soft drinks –caffeine can cause anxiety and makes things more stressful. So, you might wants to limit your trips to star bucks when you are suffering from stress.
· Keep toys on your desk- you can keep “transformers” near the phone. A transformer is the plastic robots that changed their shape depending on which way you’re turned them and moved their body parts. We can play with them while it was on the phone. It gives us something physical to do and mental at the same time, and helped reduce anxiety.
· Write down your stressful situation- By putting your thoughts down on paper (or in the computer) you can transfer your emotions from your mind to something more tangible. After you’re done with the writing you can crumble up the paper and throw it away, or light a match to it and let your troubles go up in smoke.
· Tackle the most stressful tasks first- As we become more tired, our stress defenses go down, so it’s best to handle the most stressful events when body is more alert and rested.
· Exercise – I have a “Thigh Master” that I use to exercise my upper body and my thighs when I’ve been hunched over a desk for too long. Getting away from the desk and exercising for just a couple minutes can reduce stress remarkably. If you can get away for a walk, that’s even better. Think about pleasant thoughts and not about your problems—that helps, also.
· Get some oxygen into your body by breathing deeply- Headache expert Dr. Jeffry Finnigan in his book Life Beyond Headaches says that one of the main keys to a healthy body is getting oxygen, which we can’t do if we’re all slumped over and stressful. Take a few minutes that with each outgoing breath I am becoming calmer and less worried and stressed. If you can stop and breathe deeply for ten minutes a couple times a day, you can reduce your stress dramatically.
“Breathing becomes short and shallow when we start stressing out,” says Deborah Johnson, Ed.D,an assistant professor at Baylor University in Waco,Texas. “The quickest way to break this tension loop is to start drawing air deeply into your lungs, which allows oxygen to flow throughout the body. You should feel a difference almost immediately.”
--from soothe your stress spots, Fitness, November 1998
· Eat a sweet- When you’re feeling really stressed, take a minute really stressed, take a minute and eat a bite or two of candy (watch out for chocolate, which has caffeine in it). Researchers have found that stress levels go down when we consume sugars.
· Make yourself at home – Personalize your workspace. Surround yourself with photographs of home, posters from favorite’s movies or plants and flowers. The familiar, homey-objects, help relax tensions.
· Drink some orange juices – Scientists have discovered that vitamin C can reduce the production of stress hormones. Eat an orange, drink some juice, take a 200 mg. supplement, or eat other foods rich in vitamin C like broccoli, strawberries, grapefruit and cantaloupe.
· Sing a song – This tip does double duty, music and singing relaxes the body, and by singing you breathe more deeply. Depending on your voice, however, you might create more stress from the people around you.
· Watch a funny Video – Laughter like singing gets more oxygen into our lungs. So watch something that gives some belly laughs. Blazing saddles always works for me. I know most of the lines, but so what? Mel Brooks says the essence of humor is anticipation and playoff. Just like reducing stress.
· Find out more about stress. Read a book, listen to an audio book and watch a video. You’ll see that you are not alone and that there are many ways to overcome stress and the way you handle a stressful situation.
No matter what kind of work we do, stress is part of our lives. We can reduce our stress levels, but we cannot eliminate it. We can learn to control it and live with it, however.
Haven’t we all been there? We have got an important call to make, but we are waiting for one more piece of information that was promised to us two hours ago. Time! It always comes back to time. There’s never enough time. There are so many times to do and so many little times in which to get them done. Reports are due. Project deadlines are coming up. A major client hasn’t paid your latest invoice and there are bills to be paid next week. Stress is closing in on all of us. Stress is affecting not only the way we do business, but our bodily health at the same time. While we cant make stress go completely away, there are something we can do to reduces our stress levels and makes us happier and productive, which reduces our stress level and makes ……………and so on and so on.
“As health problems go, health disease, cancer and obesity get all the limelight. But we should pay just as much as attention to another serious health issue: stress”.
Here are twelve things anyone can do (Yes, even you) to reduce Stress:
· Replace the phrase “I have to …….”with “I get to……” –small business writer Don Doman, author of Out of Work? Get into Business and Look before You Leap: Market Research Made Easy, says that when he’s feeling overwhelmed and has too many things to do, he starts using the phrase “I get to.” “Even the most miserable of tasks seem easier and less stressful if you get to do them. Its kinds of like a reward. Oooeee, I get to make cold calls today. It gives you positive feelings.” By removing that feeling that you “have” to do something, you have reduced some pressure and stress.
· Cut out the coffee, hot chocolate and soft drinks –caffeine can cause anxiety and makes things more stressful. So, you might wants to limit your trips to star bucks when you are suffering from stress.
· Keep toys on your desk- you can keep “transformers” near the phone. A transformer is the plastic robots that changed their shape depending on which way you’re turned them and moved their body parts. We can play with them while it was on the phone. It gives us something physical to do and mental at the same time, and helped reduce anxiety.
· Write down your stressful situation- By putting your thoughts down on paper (or in the computer) you can transfer your emotions from your mind to something more tangible. After you’re done with the writing you can crumble up the paper and throw it away, or light a match to it and let your troubles go up in smoke.
· Tackle the most stressful tasks first- As we become more tired, our stress defenses go down, so it’s best to handle the most stressful events when body is more alert and rested.
· Exercise – I have a “Thigh Master” that I use to exercise my upper body and my thighs when I’ve been hunched over a desk for too long. Getting away from the desk and exercising for just a couple minutes can reduce stress remarkably. If you can get away for a walk, that’s even better. Think about pleasant thoughts and not about your problems—that helps, also.
· Get some oxygen into your body by breathing deeply- Headache expert Dr. Jeffry Finnigan in his book Life Beyond Headaches says that one of the main keys to a healthy body is getting oxygen, which we can’t do if we’re all slumped over and stressful. Take a few minutes that with each outgoing breath I am becoming calmer and less worried and stressed. If you can stop and breathe deeply for ten minutes a couple times a day, you can reduce your stress dramatically.
“Breathing becomes short and shallow when we start stressing out,” says Deborah Johnson, Ed.D,an assistant professor at Baylor University in Waco,Texas. “The quickest way to break this tension loop is to start drawing air deeply into your lungs, which allows oxygen to flow throughout the body. You should feel a difference almost immediately.”
--from soothe your stress spots, Fitness, November 1998
· Eat a sweet- When you’re feeling really stressed, take a minute really stressed, take a minute and eat a bite or two of candy (watch out for chocolate, which has caffeine in it). Researchers have found that stress levels go down when we consume sugars.
· Make yourself at home – Personalize your workspace. Surround yourself with photographs of home, posters from favorite’s movies or plants and flowers. The familiar, homey-objects, help relax tensions.
· Drink some orange juices – Scientists have discovered that vitamin C can reduce the production of stress hormones. Eat an orange, drink some juice, take a 200 mg. supplement, or eat other foods rich in vitamin C like broccoli, strawberries, grapefruit and cantaloupe.
· Sing a song – This tip does double duty, music and singing relaxes the body, and by singing you breathe more deeply. Depending on your voice, however, you might create more stress from the people around you.
· Watch a funny Video – Laughter like singing gets more oxygen into our lungs. So watch something that gives some belly laughs. Blazing saddles always works for me. I know most of the lines, but so what? Mel Brooks says the essence of humor is anticipation and playoff. Just like reducing stress.
· Find out more about stress. Read a book, listen to an audio book and watch a video. You’ll see that you are not alone and that there are many ways to overcome stress and the way you handle a stressful situation.
No matter what kind of work we do, stress is part of our lives. We can reduce our stress levels, but we cannot eliminate it. We can learn to control it and live with it, however.
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