11.
Know your stress hot spots and trigger
points
Presentations, interviews, meetings,
giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines…….
My heart rate is cranking up just
writing these down!
Make
your own list of stress trigger points
or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only
presentations to a certain audience
that get you worked up? Does one project
cause more stress than another? Did
you drink too much coffee?
Knowing
what causes your stress is powerful
information, as you can take action
to make it less stressful. Do you
need to learn some new skills? Do
you need extra resources? Do you need
to switch to de-caffeinated coffee?
12.
Eat, drink, sleep and be merry!
Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise
wreaks havoc on our body and mind.
Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning
as it’s often ignored as a stress
management technique. Listen to your
mother and don’t burn the candle
at both ends!
Avoid
using artificial means to dealing
with your stress. That means don’t
automatically pour a glass of wine
when you think you’re getting
stressed out and don’t light
up a cigarette. In actuality, alcohol,
nicotine, caffeine, and drugs can
make the problem worse. A better idea
is to practice the relaxation techniques
we’ve given you. Then, once
you’re relaxed, you can have
that glass of wine if you want.
13.
Go outside and enjoy Mother Nature
A little sunshine and activity can
have amazing ramifications on your
stress level and will enhance your
entire outlook towards life. Your
improved attitude will have a positive
effect on everyone in your family
and/ or circle of friends; things
which seem overwhelming will soon
become trivial matters, causing you
to wonder what the predicament was.
Not
only will you be less stressed, you
will be healthier, happier, and more
energetic; ready to face whatever
obstacles come your way.
14.
Give yourself permission to be a 'kid'
again
What did you enjoy when you were a
child? Draw; paint; be creative. Play
with Play- dough, dance, or read.
Play music, allow yourself freedom
to express yourself without worry
that you're not keeping with the image
of who you are 'supposed' to be. Just
relax and enjoy yourself. We all have
a little child in us and it's a good
idea to allow expression of the child
within from time to time.
If I might say so, this suggestion
is excellent and very therapeutic.
I speak from experience. I can tell
you that there is nothing more satisfying
than buying a brand new box of 64
Crayons – the one with the sharpener
in the box – and coloring away
in a coloring book. My grandson loves
it when I use this stress buster!
15.
Don't set unrealistic for goals for
yourself
Many of us set ourselves up for defeat
simply by setting unrealistic goals
for ourselves. For example, if you
are dieting, realize you cannot lose
40 pounds in one or two months.
Or maybe you are trying to reach a
goal of obtaining a particular job
position; whatever your goal is allow
sufficient time to reach your goals
and realize occasional setbacks may
occur.
If
you reach your goal without any delays,
you will be even happier with yourself
for arriving quicker than you planned,
but don't expect it. In fact don't
expect anything; expectations and
reality are often two entirely different
things.
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