Stress Sucks.....Sometimes!

Can you profit from Stress?

Well, lets see..

Measure yourself right now on THE STRESS BAROMETER.

...Perhaps you feel as if there is too much pressure and demand on you? Maybe you are losing sleep worrying about work and responsibilities? Perhaps you are even eating on the run because of a busy schedule? Stress may be beginning to negatively impact your life and work... You would not be alone. Everyone experiences stress at some time or another - adults, teens... even kids. 

But there are things you can do to reduce stress and
even convert it to work for you.

Signs of Stress Overload

People experiencing stress overload may recognize some of the following symptoms:

• anxiety or panic attacks
• feelings of being under constant pressure, being hassled and hurried
• irritability and moodiness
• physical symptoms, like stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pains
• allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma
• too much drinking, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs
• sadness or depression
• insomnia

Everyone experiences stress in a different way. Some people may show anger and act out their stress or take it out on others. Some people internalize it and develop eating disorders or substance abuse problems. And some with a chronic illness may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.

Stress in the workplace

The slow and insidious effects of long-term stress on staff can directly influence business performance. Negative stress amongst staff can result in lower productivity, strife, conflict and stagnation. Extreme stress can make some people completely dysfunctional.

Workshop: Profit from Stress

MEASURE YOUR LEVEL OF STRESS ON THE STRESS BAROMETER 

Conversely, those who learn to positively respond to stress build teamwork, inspire innovation and create synergy in the workplace.

Managing staff stress is important in creating a positive and productive work environment.

How to Keep Stress under Control

What can be done to deal with stress overload or, better still, to avoid it in the first place? The simplest method of dealing with stress is learning how to manage any new challenge and the stress that comes along with it. Stress-management skills work best when they're used regularly, not just when the pressure's on. Knowing how to "de-stress" and doing it when things are relatively calm can help you get through difficult circumstances when they arise. Here are some tips that can help keep stress under control.

• Don’t over schedule. Consider trimming out/or combining an activity or two. Choose to tackle, say, the five most important things for today and leave the rest.
• Be realistic. Forget about being perfect - no one is. Don’t expect others to be perfect either.  If you need help on something, ask for it.
• Get a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep helps keep your body and mind in good shape, making you better equipped to cope with stress.
• Learn to relax. The body has a natural antidote to stress which is called the relaxation response. It creates a sense of well-being and calm. The benefits of the relaxation response can be activated simply by relaxing. You can trigger the relaxation response by learning simple breathing exercises and then using them when you're caught up in stressful situations.
• Treat your body well. Getting regular exercise help people manage stress. Eat well to help your body get the best fuel to function. Stress can easily lead to eating on the run or resorting to junk food or fast food. Instead, particularly under stressful conditions, the body needs its vitamins and minerals. Some may turn to substance abuse as a way to ease tension and although alcohol or drugs may seem to lift the stress, relying on them to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body's ability to bounce back.
• Watch what you're thinking. Your outlook, attitude, and thoughts influence the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best of stressful circumstances. Even if you're out of practice, or tend to be a bit of a pessimist, everyone can learn to think more optimistically and reap the benefits.
• Solve the little problems. Learning to solve everyday problems can give you a sense of control. But avoiding them can leave you feeling like you have little control and that just adds to stress. Develop skills and tools to calmly look at a problem, figure out options, and take some action toward a solution. Feeling capable of solving little problems builds the inner confidence to move on to life's bigger ones - and it can serve you well in times of stress.

Top 9 Quick fix Stress Relievers

Here are the ten quickest stress relievers that are most effective for the amount of work and time involved. Some can be learned as quickly as it takes to read this page, while others may take a little longer.

1. Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing is an easy stress reliever that oxygenates the blood, wakes up the brain, relaxes muscles and quiets the mind. You can do them anywhere, anytime and they work quickly so you can de-stress in a flash. All you need do is to take a very deep breath by filling up the lungs from the bottom upwards (the largest part of the lungs is near the diaphragm), hold the breath for 5 seconds and then exhale slowly. Repeat 7 times and already your pulse will slow and blood pressure will drop. Deep breathing triggers a natural relaxation response.

2. Meditation

Meditation builds on deep breathing, and takes relaxation a step further. The brain enters a rhythm that’s similar to sleep, along with some added benefits that you can’t normally easily achieve. This includes the release of certain hormones that promote health.

Simple steps to Meditation

There are many different types and forms of meditation. The simplest is Concentration meditation, with which we are concerned here. It involves concentrating the attention between and in front of the eyebrows and consists of a six-step method (R. Singh, 1996).

Step 1: Need about 10-15 minutes break, or longer.  Sit quietly and remain undisturbed.  A corner of the office or a room at home would be fine, as long as there is no passage for unexpected traffic and disturbances. Reduced light also helps for relaxation.

Step 2: Sit on a chair or couch that is comfortable.  Once you are sitting comfortably, take a few deep breathes and let go of any tension in your body.

Step 3: Close your eyes gently and concentrate on what is in front of you. Notice that even with eyes closed you become aware of “seeing into” a large dark space that surrounds you. (Open and close your eyes a few times to become aware of this way of seeing.)

Step 4: With eyes closed and relaxed, concentrate your inner attention into the space lying between and (approximately 25 cm) in front of your eyebrows. (This feels as though you are “tunneling” your attention into this region to find out what is there.) Keep your eyes relaxed and pointing straight ahead.  You may see all darkness, pinpoints or flashes of light, faces, or even nature scenes.  That’s fine.

Step 5: As you continue concentrating your attention, a parade of thoughts, emotional feelings and physical sensations will probably arise to disturb your focus.  Just keep returning your attention again to your point of concentration, no matter where you may have roamed in your thoughts. 

Step 6: The mind will begin to slow down as you continue to focus (and with practice) and you will soon become aware of inner lights and flashes. The frequency and intensity of the lights will stay longer, as your concentration increases. The lights may also grow brighter and change color.

You can stop when your time is used up.

3. Guided Imagery

It takes a bit more time to practice, but Guided Imagery is a great way to leave your stress behind for a while and relax your body. Some say it’s easier to practice than meditation. You can play natural sounds or suitable music in the background as you practice, to promote a more immersive experience.

4. Visualizations

Building on the techniques of Guided Imagery, you can also imagine yourself achieving your goals like becoming healthier and more relaxed, doing well at tasks, and handling conflict in better ways. An added benefit is that when visualizing yourself mastering a task, actually functions like physical practice, so you are able to improve your performance through visualizations as well!

5. Self-hypnosis

Self-hypnosis uses some of the techniques of guided imagery and visualizations, with the added benefit of enabling you to communicate directly with your subconscious mind. You can enhance your abilities, give up bad habits, lower pain, develop healthier habits, and even find answers to questions that may not be clear to your waking mind! It takes some practice and conditioning, but is well worth it. Learn more about using hypnosis to manage stress in your life.

6. Exercise

Many people exercise to control weight and get in better physical condition to become more healthy or physically attractive, but exercise and stress management are also closely linked. Exercise provides a distraction from stressful situations, as well as an outlet for frustrations, and gives you a lift via endorphins as well. This article can tell you more about the stress management benefits of exercise, and help you get more active in your daily life.

7. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

By tensing and relaxing all the muscle groups in your body, you can relieve tension and feel much more relaxed in minutes, with no special training or equipment. Start by tensing all the muscles in your face, holding a tight grimace ten seconds, then completely relaxing for ten seconds. Repeat this with your neck, followed by your shoulders, etc. You can do this anywhere, and as you practice, you will find you can relax more quickly and easily, reducing tension as quickly as it starts!

8. Music

Baroque music has shown many health benefits for people with conditions ranging from mild (like stress) to severe (like cancer). When dealing with stress, the right music can actually lower your blood pressure, relax your body and calm your mind. Music has a profound impact on body, mind and soul. Thirty years of pioneering research by a renowned Bulgarian psychiatrist, Dr. Barzakov, has proven that certain classical music will improve memory and comprehension, facilitate problem solving, speed up healing and aid in stress reduction! Then, University of California researchers at the Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory reported in 1993 that students raised their IQ's by as much as 10 points while listening to a Mozart! So can you! Baroque music is specifically noted for learning terminology, facts, figures, formulas, spelling words, vocabulary. It promotes relaxation, healing and restful sleep. Mozart's compositions stimulate mental performance of mathematics, analysis, organizing, planning, systematizing, exam preparation, lab and computer work.

9. Yoga

Yoga dates back over 5 thousand years. It combines the practices of several other stress management techniques such as breathing, meditation, imagery and movement, giving you a lot of benefit for the amount of time and energy required.