Stressproof your life
We are now working longer hours than any other country in Europe. A survey by the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) Work-Life Balance Campaign and Management Today magazine paints a poor picture of working conditions in the United Kingdom.
Symptoms
Let''s take a closer look at stress. The clinical definition for stress is when pressure exceeds our perceived ability to cope. It is different from pressure. Pressure can be energising. It motivates us to do things, we can enjoy racing to the finish line. If you experience more than three of the following thoughts, behaviours or feelings you are probably feeling a bit stressed:
- Increased alcohol or caffeine consumption
- Anxious
- Low
- Unable to concentrate
- Out of control
- Irritable comfort eating
- Reduced work performance
- Accident proneness
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Tension headaches
- Indigestion
- Skin complaints
- Rapid weight change
If you do find yourself auditioning for a part in High Anxiety take the following seven steps:
1. Stress is an invitation to change something
It''s time to ring the changes. Stress is like a red light that appears on the dashboard of your car. It is a signal telling you that you are "running on empty" and are out of balance. Whenever you are feeling stressed, recognise that your body is telling you to make a change for the better. If you do not take action, you will receive louder and more frequent signals. Recognise stress as a sign that your work/life balance is under threat - use it as an impetus to act.
2. Success with stress starts with inner listening
Listen to your stress; don''t block it. What is your stress trying to tell you? Are you working too many hours? Are you not giving yourself enough rest? Are you over-worrying? Listen for information. What is your stress trying to teach you? Be ready to learn something. How is your stress trying to help you? Be open to receive a great gift. It pays to listen fast because otherwise the messages just get bigger and louder. Schedule some quiet time to listen carefully to the symptoms that you''re experiencing.
3. Ask for help
At The Happiness Project we have a saying: If you are alive you need help! Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. You win no extra points for not asking for help. In fact, all you get is extra struggle, extra pain, extra burden and extra stress - all unnecessary. Living solo, without help, is pride before a fall. It is not wise or clever. On your own you are destined to mountain-climb over molehills and never reach your true peak. Without help, is it "you against the world", when it could be "you and the world". Make sure you ask someone you trust and respect for that extra support - now.
4. Discover the fear
Stress always operates with its accomplice - fear! The trouble with fear is that it''s frightening! This is even more the case if you refuse to look at it. Fear plays tricks on your mind. It will dress you up as a victim of the world. Yet you are not a victim. Through taking responsibility for yourself you transform your experience of the world. The world becomes your friend and you can relax. The most important thing to remember about fear is that it is yesterday. It is always referencing the past. For example, I have coached financially well-off people who habitually overwork, not because they need to but because they once had no work, or because they grew up poor. Discover the fear that is driving your stress. Is the fear a fact or is it False Evidence Appearing Real?
5. Take action
A colleague once said: "The universe rewards action." There is no doubt that once we start taking action to stress-proof ourselves, it has a ripple effect. We begin to feel "in control" of our lives again. We start to see things with a fresh perspective. Our energy and zest for living returns. The key to taking action is to start small. When stressed it''s tempting to try to change the whole of our lives, which simply leaves us paralysed again. A good question to ask yourself is: "What is the next step to take that will make a measurable difference to my stress levels?" Write it down. When are you going to do it? Decide a definite time and then act.
6. Relax, Relax, Relax
It''s a crazy business. I know that when I relax I handle stress well. The trouble is that when I''m stressed, relaxation is the hardest thing to do! We must find a way. This is the beauty of exercise, which I don''t need to tell you about. As you know, when we do regular exercise it truly makes a difference. But you have to listen to your body. If you''re exhausted then maybe it''s going to be more beneficial to rest, rather than work out. The one technique always available to help you relax is relaxed breathing. A normal, healthy breathing pattern tends to falter and collapse at the sight of stress, so learning how to control your breath is very often the first step towards successful stress-proofing. Try the following exercise to enjoy calm breathing within 60 seconds:
- Breathe deeply (use the bottom part of your lungs)
- Breathe slowly (six to eight breaths a minute)
- Listen to the sound of your breath as you inhale - the air coming in through your nose
- Listen to the sound of your breath as you exhale - the air coming out through your mouth
- Repeat for 60 seconds
7. Have fun
Woody Allen once said: "Most of the time I have no fun, the rest of the time I have no fun at all!" Fun is probably the last thing on your mind when you''re stressed but bringing back the fun helps you to see stress differently and to conjure up solutions. The traditional response to stress is "fight or flight". By choosing the "fight" option you may decide to tackle the stress head on and try and go the full 15 rounds. Often this option involves working even more hours to combat the stress, which can only compound the problem. Opt for the "flight" option and you decide to remove yourself from the stress. Taking a long haul flight and staying on a desert island may seem appealing but won''t deal with the real cause. Choose the "frolic" option and let fun back into your life. Meet up with good friends. Watch your favourite funny movie. Play some sport just for the fun of it. Have a massage. Do whatever makes you feel good to be alive again!
Courtesy of Fitness Professionals UK
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