QuickTips for Managing Stress

[Guest guest]

Rick and I are in Buffalo, NY, for the next few days leading a stress

management training program. So it seems fitting that we send you

a few tips to manage your stress this week. This is a combination

belated Friday QuickTips in place of HeartBeats for this week. Enoy!

Here are your QuickTips for Managing Stress:

“I’m so stressed out!” “I just can’t relax.” Sound familiar?

Everyone experiences stress from time to time. Some of it is

due to the little hassles of every day, like forgetting files you

need for work, having an argument with a co-worker, or

having too much to do in too little time. Stress also occurs

with the big things, like divorce, illness, and loss of a job.

When you’re feeling stressed, you don’t think as clearly and

your problem solving ability goes down. By learning to

de-stress you can maintain a healthier body, mind, and spirit.

1. Breathe fully! When under stress most people breathe

very shallowly. Remind yourself to breathe fully by putting

post-it notes around.

2. Consciously let your shoulders, neck, and back relax.

Most people store tension in these areas and then experience

headaches or back pain.

3. Take a few minutes to go on a mental vacation,

remembering some beautiful place you’ve been or imagining

a place you’d like to visit.

4. Practice deep easy breathing several times a day or

join a yoga or tai chi class.

5. Tell yourself, “This, too, shall pass.”

6. Stressful thoughts create stress in your body. Instead

of saying to yourself, “I’ll never get everything done!” say

to yourself, “relax, breathe, all the important things will

get done.”

7. Give up trying to change other people. Focus on changing

yourself. Ironically, when you give up trying to control others,

they often spontaneously improve their behavior.

8. Decrease the time you spend watching TV and you’ll have

more time for relaxation exercises, reading, listening to music,

or other fun activities.

9. At the end of each work day, spend a few minutes listing

the top six priorities for the next day. That way you don’t have

to think about them at night. Make sure you start the next day

with those priorities.

10. Use clear communication at work and home. Ask for what

you want and need.

For more on stress management, go to our Taking a Breather

site for a relaxing slide show and more tips and resources.

http://www.takingabreather.com.

Have a great week!

Love and blessings, and Rick

Heart Inspired Presentations:

http://www.heartinspired.com

Inspiring people the world over to a higher level of thinking

about who they are, what they've got, and how to bring

themselves more fully into to the world.

Inspiring people the world over to a higher level of thinking about who they

are,

what they've got, and how to have a more powerful positive impact on the world

around them.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress

A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group, that discusses ways to

cope with the stresses of daily life. Come aboard! PJ and Gang