Great idea generators to help you find ways to relax
By Frederic Baker | April 8, 2008
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- Give someone a gift
- Share a story with someone
- Watch a river or look at a body of water
- Go to lunch with a friend
- Take a walk with your camera and take pictures
- Write a letter to someone
- Exercise
- Smile
- Breath deeply
- Stretch
- Give someone a hug
- Go on a hike
- Take a long shower
- Take a warm bath
- Sit and do nothing, not even think
- Take a nap
- Go fishing
- Do something you like, but haven’t done in a while
- Go to a movie or rent one
- Sit outside
- Laugh
- Learn something new that you are interested in
- Work outside in your yard
- Hold your pet
- Sing in the shower
- Read the cartoons in the newspaper
- Look at old pictures of yourself
- Plan your dream vacation
- Go shopping
- Listen to ocean waves or relaxing music
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Help for dealing with major life changes both positive and negative
By Frederic Baker | April 6, 2008
Major work and life changes are common: promotions, relocations, divorce, parenthood, and numerous other events. Whether these changes are welcome or unwelcome, all can be extremely stressful unless we learn how to adjust to them. Taking the time to recover, refocus, and regenerate following life changes can help us survive, and even thrive.
Recover
After a life change, you need to regain your sense of balance and routine. Your situation may be, at least for now, stressful, challenging, or unfamiliar. You may have symptoms, such as headaches, backaches, or depression. To begin your recovery, it will help to step back from your new situation. Plan a weekend getaway or take time just for yourself. Mini-breaks, such as going to the movies, can help you gain distance and perspective. Exercise and sharing your feelings with others are excellent stress reducers which can help you get back on track.
Refocus
If you’re able to look at “the big picture,” you’ll gain greater peace of mind about the change. Take time to think about what has happened, why, and what it might mean. You might realize that your feelings are mixed. For example, if you’ve been promoted, you might be pleased with the higher salary, but uncomfortable about supervising your friends. You may feel sad or angry about having to let go of familiar people and routines. With time, those feelings will change. Talking to trusted friends, family members, a counselor, or human resource professional may speed the process.
Regenerate
All change is stressful for your body and your body needs time to heal. Get extra rest, avoid alcohol and cigarettes, and eat properly. Try to increase your circle of support–connect with new people or reinforce old friendships.
No one can escape change. Accepting the fact that change has taken place is important. When you take steps to recover, refocus, and regenerate, you’ll find acceptance easier. These steps will help you successfully make the change part of your life.
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Calming The Commute
By Frederic Baker | April 4, 2008
If only there were a better way to start—-and end—-the work day than the daily commute. For most commuters, it’s 30 to 90 minutes of start and stop, noise and exhaust fumes, surrounded by drivers as stressed out and anxious as they are. And, those are the good days, when an accident doesn’t tie up traffic for five miles and cause you to be late to work again. Some workers have gone to great lengths to counter the daily commute by carpooling, using public transportation, telecommuting some of the time, or switching to work that’s closer to home. If you don’t have those options, you can still avoid being a helpless victim of commuter stress.
Before You Start
Get ready for the morning commute by getting a good night’s sleep, eating a nutritious, filling breakfast, and leaving on time–or better yet, a little early, since nothing is more stressful than having to fight the clock as well as the traffic–to get to work on time.
Begin the evening commute by consciously leaving your work-related frustrations behind.
Behind the Wheel
Before you turn on the ignition, take a few deep, slow breaths. Picture the tension and aggravation going out with each breath. Do this again whenever heavy traffic or some insensitive road hog starts getting you hot under the collar.
While driving, notice how your body reacts to stress–the tense neck and shoulders, the white knuckles–and consciously relax those muscles that you notice getting tense. Since you’ve given yourself plenty of time to get to work, you won’t need to build up your stress level with constant lane changes and jockeying for position. Use slow times–red lights and stopped traffic–to slow yourself down. Give yourself permission to just drive–don’t try to read, dictate, or solve problems.
Use Commute Time Creatively
Put a positive twist on the time you spend commuting. Almost everyone complains that they don’t have enough time for themselves. Make this “you” time: listen to music you enjoy, and try to relax. Think of the car as a refuge from the pressures and demands of everyday life.
To Keep Calm — Try Tolerance
Let’s face it. Not many people can drive as well as you. Cut lousy drivers some slack. They’re not out to drive you personally insane. In fact, they’re just trying to get to work like you are. Here’s where a sense of humor can be a godsend.
Keep a Safe Distance
Tailgating is a sure prescription for stress—-and accidents. When you’re tailgating, you have to be constantly braking and speeding up to avoid a collision — not good for your health. When someone’s tailgating you, just move out of the way. Try not to get emotionally involved.
Take Care Of Your Posture
Sit forward enough so that your lower legs are bent at a 45-degree angle from your thighs and your arms are comfortably bent. Set your seat as upright as possible; try a back support if your back gets tired. Once you get to work or home, do a few neck and shoulder stretches to work out the kinks.
You’re In Charge
Remember, you can’t do much about traffic conditions, but when it comes to how you choose to respond to the daily commute stress–you’re in the driver’s seat.
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10 Tips For Time Management
By Frederic Baker | April 2, 2008
1. Make a list, prioritize the items, and check things off as you get them done.
2. Review your list from time to time. Is everything on the list necessary?
3. Ask yourself, “What’s the best use of my time right now?” Then, do it.
4. Be willing to sacrifice “perfection” to get things done.
5. Learn to say “no” to demands that don’t benefit you.
6. Whenever possible, delegate.
7. Don’t waste time on minor decisions.
8. Arrange your work time to keep interruptions to a minimum.
9. Be realistic about what you can accomplish during a given period.
10. When is your energy at its peak? Plan your work for those times and use your less energetic times for leisure or a nap.
***Not all time management tips work for all people. Which tips from this list have you found helpful in the past? Which ones are you willing to use today to help you manage your time? Try to be open-minded about trying new techniques — you never know what will work until you’ve tried it. Do you have any of your own time management secrets to add to the list?
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When Money Worries Boost Stress
By Frederic Baker | March 31, 2008
It’s hard to feel in control of your life when you have money worries, and that leads to increased stress in any situation. The key to decreasing money-related stress is to take steps to get in charge of your finances.
Know Your Financial Picture
For starters, make a list of your basic monthly expenses, including food, utilities, house payments, insurance, car expenses, clothing, taxes, debt payment, and entertainment. Balance this against your income. Now, you have some hard figures about the gap between what you have and what you need. Sometimes, money problems can be averted just by setting a realistic budget and sticking to it. You’ll certainly be in more control of your finances than someone who knows only that more money goes out than comes in.
Help Is Available
If your expenses seem hopelessly out of balance with your income, get outside help. One of the most useful resources available to people facing financial trouble is Consumer Credit Counseling Services, a national non-profit organization that provides free- or low-cost advice to people who want to improve their financial situation. You can usually find the location and phone number of a local branch of this organization in the phone book. Your bank, credit union, or employee assistance program at your company may also be able to provide financial counseling. You can also try community service organizations, such as family service agencies and religious service agencies. They may be able to refer you to financial counseling that is free or low in cost. Check the community service pages of your phone book.
Take Action To Reduce Stress
Taking action toward getting in control of your finances can provide enormous relief all by itself. Other ways to control stress are to learn and practice proven stress reduction practices, such as deep breathing, meditation, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. Regardless of the seriousness of your financial problems, you’ll be in better shape to deal with them if you’re in good mental and physical condition.
Topics: Stress Reduction | No Comments »
