Stress Less

By Zelda Greenberg

Stress is a funny thing. Do you think you hide your emotions well? When you are stressed your family can pick up on the clues very quickly. Did you know your customers and total strangers can pick up on this too? Usually when you are in a stressful situation it’s fairly obvious to those around you.  Total strangers can see it on your face and hear it in the tone of your voice. How can you effectively deal with the stresses that are natural in your daily life?

We all know problems don't always go away - at least not as quickly as we want. So what can you do to turn things around? Have you experienced a set back or obstacle that weighed heavily on your mind? Is it affecting your work? Can people detect something in your voice…your behavior? What stress are you facing today and how can you turn stress less? There isn't a person alive that doesn't experience a difficult situation. Learning how to cope better so the burden isn't too heavy is how you can release some of your stress.

When you lift up a glass of champagne for a toast the glass is filled and it's a joy to hold - not so burdensome. Suppose you keep that glass raised high in the air for say an hour...your arm is going to get kind of tired. Try to keep the glass raised for a few hours your arm is going to give out...might even turn numb. Stress is just like that, the longer you hold on to it the more troublesome it becomes.

What would happen if you put that problem down -even if for just a little while? Sure the problem might continue to exist but for just awhile your load isn't quite so heavy. It's okay to let go and take a rest - leave your troubles in the office or just take a break from the situation.

Once you have had a little rest you will be ready to re-enter and tackle the stressful situation with more gusto and a renewed positive attitude. And sometimes with a little time the stressful situation goes away completely!  

Often the stress we have is caused not by us but by others placing their priorities on us. Others send us their urgent email and we rush to answer. People call us during the day to chat and throw us off schedule. There are many stress producing situations. Here are some ideas to help keep your life a little less stressed.

Focus on the things that are your priorities not everyone else’s.  Concentrate your thoughts and energy on the things that matter most to you. Ask yourself what really matters. Don’t let distractions get your attention. Once you rid yourself of the distractions you can focus more clearly on the issues that are of importance to you. Now you can think clearer to find solutions

Relax and learn to walk away. Take a walk outside, step into a different room or environment. Take a break from the situation…it will be there when you get back or perhaps it will go away completely. Time has a way of curing many problems. Thinking about a negative situation only exasperates the issue. Take a hot bath or do stretching exercises. Practice deep breathing exercises. Take in a long slow breath and then exhale slowly. Stretch the muscles in your neck and shoulders. You will be concentrating on relaxing and taking your mind off the stressful situation.  Learn to relax and think calmly and logically.

Hobbies are great ways to get your mind off your troubles. Pick up a model to build or a canvas to paint or read a good book. Working on a new project takes concentration and a hobby gives you pleasure.

Now you have a few ideas to help you live a more stress less life. You can get creative and come up with many other ways to release the stress in your life. Try these simple and pleasurable remedies to help you cope with stress and before you know it you will be refreshed and ready to tackle the tough situations that pass through your life and that glass that was filled with stress yesterday might just be a little less heavy today.

Read other articles and learn more about Zelda Greenberg.

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