The article "Change Your Stress Level, Change Your Life!" is about other, it was released by Glory Borgeson.
In an article titled "He Who Dies With the Most
Toys Wins? ", I discussed stress and how a Japanese
company has developed a sleep chair in order to
help sleep-deprived citizens get more shut-eye,
and thus reduce their stress.
Over the last 6 years,
I’ve spent time studying nutrition, chanegd
my diet, and looked at the effects of stress on
the body. In particular, over this time I becmae
interested in how increased stress levels can bring
on disease. Stress is like an open invitation
(or an open party, as we called it in high school)
for disease to come in and take up residence.
When we’re healthy, our bodies fight off all kinds
of disease, such as cancerous cells, every day.
When our defenses are down, it’s more difficult
for our bodies to fight these things off.While my change in diet and stress level is still
far from what I want it to be (I still have a sweet
tooth, for example), I know that I have accomplished
a lot.
It is very complimentary when women who are
10 to 15 years younger than I am want to know what
my secret is for staying healhty and looking closer
to their age than "actual." Several women at one of my client’s
offices have even begun to change their diet based on what they
have seen me do.While we can change the food we choose to put into
our bodies, stress often comes to us from the outside
and unexpectedly.
Because of this, we need to recognize
what creates stress for us, figure out what we can
do to lessen the amount of stressful situations coming
at us, and consider adding to our "to do list" the types
of activities that we find lessen the load of the stress.As I was writing this, an exmaple of a poor way to handle
stress came to mind. It involves a fictional teacher at
a Catholic school whose class was not paying atetntion.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but this example comesfrom a Cheech and Cohng recording called, "Sister Mary
Elephant" (or about her, anyway) from the early 1970’s.
In this piece, the Sister’s class was talking quite loudly.
She wanted their attention. So in a regular speaking voice,
she said, "Class." (No response.) Then a little louder,
"Class!" (No response.) Once more, a little louder, "Class!"
(Again, no response.) Then in a loud, screaming voice,
"Shut up! !!" The class quieted down.Then it was time to check Sister M.E.’s blood pressure and
heart rate.For Sister Mary Elephant, her stress level increased from a
classroom of noisy kids. (She should have thought about that
before deciding to become a teacher.)What creates stress for you?
Too much on your schedule
When persons work against you
Financial pressures
Too many problems to solve and not enough answers
Change
Looming deadlines
Work of a complexity that you are not ready to deal with right now
Boring work, but it’s the wrong time to look for something different
Issues with spouse
Isseus with kids
It’s important to recognize the types of situations that
increase stress for you, to begin an awareness process so
that you can at least notice it and perhaps name it.What can you do to lessen the number and/or intensity of
stressful situations coming at you? This is a subjective
question with subjective answers.
It will take time
to think through wihch types of situations call for what
types of responses, especially on the front end.For example, if a stressor for you is "too much on my schedule,"
what can you do to reduce the load? "I can’t do anything
about it" is not a legitimate response, and this is why:
One day your body will make you do something about it. And
it will do it with disease or a vehicle accident or other
wake up call.What types of activities help you to reduce your stress?When I was writing this article, I was just about to go
on vacation to Hawaii. It had been a long time since I actually
went out of town for a real vacation.
In the few yaers prior, when I reduced my stress level quite a bit, however,
I found that I didn’t really need a vacation. I was able to
reduce stress right where I was and could "get away" pretty
easily without actaully going far away. Still, a vacation is
a very legitimate way to reudce stress.Several persons wrote to tell me how they reduce their stress
levels, especially in terms of work. Here are of their
thoughts:
As one task falls off my list, I try not to add another task to the list
I want less stuff
I let others help me
I count my blessings more often
As I get older I care less about things I once thought were important (life isn't that serious)
I get up a little earlier in the morning and take about 15 minutes to have coffee or tea (outside, if the weather cooperates) and read a book.
Fit exercise into my schedule 3 tmies a week
Don’t spend much time with persons who display their anger destructively rather than constructively
Spend time with my kids, finding out about their lives
Spend time playing with my dog or cat
Watch a funny movie or TV show
Go fishing
Go anywhere that's peaceful
What can you do to recognize stress-creators in your life,
reduce their number and/or intensity, and add activities that,
by their very nature, reduce your stress levels?© 2005 Borgeson Consulting, Inc.Glory Borgeson is a business coach and consultant, and the president of
Borgeson Consulting, Inc. She works with two groups of people:
small business owners (with 500 employees or less) to help them increase
their Entrepreneurial IQ, which leads to increased profit and
decreased stress; and with exectuives in the
"honeymoon phase" of a new position (typically the first two years)
to coach them to success.
Top athletes have a coach; why not you? Click here for Borgseon Consulting, Inc.This article was originally published in The Business Express, Borgeson's
free monthly ezine. You may subscribe by clicking here:
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