Monday, Nov 1, 2010Stress Management Tips

We live in a world where multi-tasking and making lists are the norm; where maximization of your work output is the expected minimum; and where even your play time has to be entered into your schedule.  Enough!  Let’s use some stress management tips to start removing stress and still remain productive and successful.

Looking at Loyalty

There are cultures out there where the loyalty to the company comes first.  There is a new vocabulary word introduced to the Japanese language in the last 50 years that means “dropping dead from overwork.”  Good heavens! I don’t think it’s a good idea to be loyal to the company first.

I was once asked “Who is making lists out there where your name, your considerations, your wishes wants and desires are cared for as a priority?”  At the time, I had to say “It doesn’t exist.”  I was then told “I highly suggest you create one and become it’s administrator.”

It is wise to be loyal to you, first and foremost.  If you honor your own wishes, wants, and desires, you will do a grand job for your company; you will be nurtured enough yourself so that your family is well cared for by you; and you will be living a wholesome life.

I have had many argue that they should NOT be first on their list.  If you are one of those, I ask you “Who has a list where you are considered first?”  This is an enormous burden to place on some other in your life.  Ask yourself honestly:  would YOU like to be responsible to take care of, to figure out, and to fulfill someone else’s dreams?  Of course not.  So then, you take care of your own.

Removing Items From Your Schedule Is Removing Stress

Now that we’ve got you where you belong, in first place, you can begin to get realistic as to how much you can logically accomplish for others:  your boss, your family, your friends. And remember, saying “I can’t” is not sinful.  It may be the simple truth. I want to make a strong point that doing LESS may well be the key to accomplishing MORE enjoyment in your life because doing MORE work may not get you there.

• What are you doing at work that simply does not exist in your Job Description? Have you used a mistaken sense of generosity to be making lists of tasks that simply aren’t your responsibility, or truly belong to another?  Have you seen that other as less-than-capable as you, so you “just did it yourself?”  Consider teaching them how to do it, and let them stand or fail on their own accomplishments, vs. stressing yourself out doing their work because you thought is was generous.

• Do you answer every single phone call that rings into your office or your home?  One efficiency technique is to decide which precise time slot you will use to answer phone calls.  If you use a voice mail system, let it pick up your messages.  If you have a secretary, let her get the calls. You can get more work done more efficiently without phone call interrupts.

• Don’t interrupt your at-home exercise sessions to answer the phone.  Stay on that treadmill and if the call is important enough, they will call back. If you stop exercising to answer the phone, you may not finish your exercise session, and it’s important for you.

• Only buy permanent press fabrics so you no longer have to iron.  Remove them immediately from the dryer and hang them up so there aren’t any wrinkles.  Imagine not having to iron!

• Five course meals are wonderful, but they don’t have to be cooked.  Assemble healthy ingredients that include all the basic food groups, and go have a picnic.  It’s a nice thing once in a while not to have to wash the dishes.  Just throw the paper plates away and know your family is well-nourished.

Can you take an honest look at your current schedule and see how removing stress items can help you enjoy life more? Hopefully, these stress management tips will get you started in the right direction.

“People with clenched fists cannot shake hands.”  ~ Indira Gandhi

“I know that making lists can be beneficial in terms of helping us figure out what’s important. But if, as many of us did, you got carried away with your lists, you may have to reconsider and cut your lists back to more realistic proportions”.  ~ Elaine St. James