Tag: stress

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How To Stay Positive In Stressful Situations

 

Sometimes nothing seems to turn out the way you had planned, no matter how hard you attempt. Regardless of where the stress is stemming from, it is essential to equip yourself with resources to rise above the negativity and stay positive. Maintaining a positive attitude can help alleviate stress and assist in accomplishing your objectives.

In difficult times, it can feel impossible to think positively when things are falling apart. However, negativity breeds negativity affecting your emotional and physical health. The more you view your situation in a negative light, the more stress and anxiety you will feel.

When you feel like you have hit a dead end, and start to sense any negativity, stop! Here are a few tips on how to remain positive even when you are in challenging situations:

 

  1. Count your blessings

Regardless of how rough things are, if you think about it, you have lots of things to be grateful for. Whether it’s having a job when a lot of people are jobless, having a supportive family, or simply being in a good health. By revisiting everything you have in your life, you can’t hold on to the negativities. You will feel confident, proud and positive.

There are countless things in your life that you can be thankful about, many you may dismiss as important. Five years ago, I participated in a 100-day gratitude challenge –  it was so impactful that it lasted for four years and the blessing were many to my outlook and things I attracted into my life (one was a new car). Every day, write down at least three things you are grateful for each morning and evening – you can work up from there.

  1. Reward yourself

When you achieve something, regardless of how little it is, pat yourself in the back for the job well done. The list of ways that you can reward yourself is endless. You can reward yourself with new opportunities to explore or learn something new, such as taking up a new hobby or going to places you have been wanting to (theme park, art gallery, restaurant, etc.).  You can even take your friends out for coffee. A positive attitude can hardly arise if you don’t even feel great about yourself.

Begin to notice people and events in your daily life and recognize actions that either you have taken towards someone else or that are done to you, no matter how small; examples include someone letting your out in traffic, holding the door for you, giving you a compliment, or helping you out in some way. This helps to recognize your worth that needs to be remembered and recognized.

  1. Exercise regularly

Another great way to manage stress and remain positive is by exercising on a regular basis. If you don’t exercise, try to find something that you enjoy doing such as swimming, biking, playing golf, playing tennis, or going for a walk. Breathing exercise can also help alleviate stress; breathing has been proven to help manage stress, and is one of the best ways to calm the brain and body quickly. Movement has also been shown to ease stress and anxious feelings quickly; easy ways to move, especially if your are at work, is to march in place or take a short walk.

  1. Take time out

If all you think about is work, you can easily be overwhelmed by stress. Be sure to give yourself time off and read a book, listen to music or do whatever it is that you find relaxing. You can also go out with your family and friends. Give yourself permission to veg on the couch of take short breaks during the day – go eat your lunch outside or ideate.  Having time-outs will help you remain focused and positive when you are at your work station so you can dive into the work in front of you with more ease. You will ultimately thank yourself for it.

How to always stay positive in a challenging environment takes awareness of the stressors and retraining the way you think. While you will not alleviate stress overnight, following these simple steps will help you develop and maintain a good attitude about your work and your life. The benefits will be many.

 

If you or your team are feeling stress, why suffer – reach out to learn about our stress management program and services to live stress-free. Take control today to avoid problems in the future.

 

 

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Got Stress? 5 Ways to Feel Calmer Quickly

5 Way to Feel Calmer Quickly

Feeling panicked and over-worked? Stressed out all the time and struggling to focus? You just described pretty much the majority of the population.

Unfortunately, being stressed and burned-out is rapidly becoming the ‘new normal’ in a world where we have too much to do and not enough time to do it in. The good news is that with the ubiquity of this issue, there is also a large array of options when it comes to treating and solving it. Here are five ways you can feel better almost instantly:

Breathe

One of the best ways to feel calmer is to breathe – deep breathing, or belly breathing – as this calms the mind and body quickly. When under stress, we often will take in short breaths which stops air flow and leads to panting and more stress. Also, cortisol is released which increases anxious feelings. Taking your breath in, using the 4-7-8 method (in slowly for a count of 4, hold for 7, then out slowly for 8) becomes an instant calmer; the more you practice, the more automatic this becomes.

Organize

You can go Marie Kondo on your home, or you can just do a little spring clean. Whichever you choose, you’ll find that having a more organized space can instantly help you to feel better about your current predicament.

It’s been said that when our space is messy or disorganized, it can lead to anxious feelings so clearing out can help you feel more in control and relaxed. If you only have five minutes, then just clear your immediate area. It’s often enough.

Eat

If you’re feeling very anxious, it might well be because you have allowed your blood sugar to drop. Something as simply as eating a meal can help to boost it back up and significantly improve your mood again. Our moods are tied extremely closely to what we eat, due to the link between our blood sugar and the release of cortisol and serotonin (the stress and feel good hormones respectively!).

There are some foods that help to regulate blood sugars and help our brain, such as fish, fruits and vegetables, turkey, and sweet potatoes. Just watch on using food as a coping skill.

Go for Walk

Walking helps to engage the ‘default mode network’ – the network of brain regions that spring into action whenever we’re not doing something highly active. The result is that your mind wanders and you feel calm and creative. Fresh air and scenic views will do the rest. A five minute spin around the block is all it takes. If you can, walk in areas with trees as they give off oxygen, which helps as a relaxer.

Meditate

Just five minutes of meditation can be more than enough to help boost your mood and help you to feel better. The aim of meditation is to calm your brain by focusing on something other than the negative thoughts you’re currently experiencing – even if that ‘something else’ happens to be nothing at all!

Meditation is not to take the thoughts away but it is geared so you don’t have to do anything about them. Just set a timer for five minutes, and make an effort to focus on the ins and outs of your breathing. It’s that easy!

Exercise

Another way that you can overcome stress and anxiety is to exercise. This stimulates the release of serotonin, not to mention being extremely good for distracting yourself!

Again, five minutes might well be enough. Just take a moment – do leg lifts in your chair, dance, push-ups, arm curls with light weights, march in place; these are all great ways to get the blood circulating and feeling better in no time.

When you start to feel stress creeping up on you, use these five methods to relax and feel better quickly; the more you keep doing them, the more mastery and good habits you will create to take back control and be able to handle those stressful days.

 

“It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.” (Hans Selye)

 

 

If you’re ready to get your stress under control, reach out to take back the control. We also work with leaders and teams, and do training on stress management and well-being so call today to get started (before it’s too late).

 

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Understand Work Stress Burnout And Take Back Control Today

Work stress today is very prevalent at all levels; prior to the pandemic, work stress was high but, since, work stress is out of control. According to the American Institute of Stress, 80% of workers feel stress on the job. I am sure that number is higher in certain industries, such as restaurants and retail.

The effects of stress can be very detrimental to one’s health and well-being, the effects which can be long-lasting. You may be experiencing the symptoms of work stress burnout no matter your age.

Symptoms of Work Stress

In order to manage stress, you need to understand what the symptoms are before you can take control of it. The symptoms will vary by each person, but there are some general ways stress presents itself. Here are some questions to answer:

+ Are you feeling a lack of personal achievement and satisfaction at work? This is one of the early warning signs.

+ Is going to work a time-consuming drudgery and work itself a day-long bore?

+ Do you get frustrated more easily and/or getting angry with work, your coworkers, your boss or customers?

+ Do you find yourself tired, both physically and mentally?

+ Are you having frequent headaches, backaches, eye strain, or neck pain?

+ Having problems sleeping, either falling asleep or frequently waking up?

+ Are you having trouble eating – either too much, reaching for foods with sugar, or not eating a lot due to an anxious stomach?

+ Do you have racing thoughts that seem to permeate areas of your day?

+ Are you feel anxious during the day, or worry about the future? Have heart palpitations or chest pain?

 

If you answered yes to these, you’re not alone. You are experiencing the effects of stress and may be on the downhill slide to burnout.

You may not be aware of the severity of these symptoms as you may ignore them or attribute them to some external factor. But they can creep on your slowly, taking its toll on your physical and emotional health.  Others may not  understand what you are going through, as burnout is extremely personal in nature – you are having the crisis, not them.

There are emotional and physical symptoms associated with what you are going through.

Emotional symptoms of stress at work…

The emotional symptoms usually show up as the first sign of burn out. You may often feel an unrelenting stress, lack enthusiasm, have a sense of loss of control as well as experience an unexplainable grief.

You may want to blame those around you for the way you feel, but this rarely resolves the inner turmoil that you are experiencing.

In severe cases of work stress, many people experience a sense of total detachment and wanting to escape the situation; the more they have these thoughts, the more detached and shut down they can become.

This feeling often results in a loss of productivity and creativity. It also fuels negativity and cynicism, with a quickness to get angry and blame others. Over time you may find solace in detaching yourself from others by isolating from your team members; however this will not resolve the issue.

One of the biggest effects of prolonged stress is feelings of guilt and shame – this list could go on, but many feel guilty for not working as hard or contributing as their teammates, or just for not being ‘strong enough.’ These types of thoughts and feelings only add to one’s stress level, which the spiral down continues.

 

Physical Symptoms that accompany job stress…

Work stress also affects your body. The feeling of “never being able to do enough” may drive you to work extensively long hours in an effort to catch up.

Physical exhaustion may take the form of headaches, physical shaking from head to foot, inability to think clearly and being unable to relax. Pain can show up in other parts of your body, such as you neck, eyes, hips – we each hold stress in differently. You might find your hair falling out and you are more susceptible to colds and illness due to your immune system being compromised.

Physical exhaustion also causes you to lose your natural communication ability, so communication between your spouse and children, your boss or co-workers may sometimes become explosive; you might have the opposite effect with withdrawal behaviors – not speaking up, being overly agreeable despite not wanting to.

There is also the possibility of experiencing gastrointestinal problems; you may find comfort in food or alcohol as a way to cope, or you may feel an aversion to food due to a ‘nervous’ stomach.

 

Is there a solution?

Yes there is. You need to gather information and make a lifestyle change. Making the determination to deal with stress is the first step. Understanding the concept of stress, such as through the American Institute of Stress (http://www.Stress.org) will help as awareness is the key.

Another step is to be more aware of the symptoms you are experiencing, i.e. know your body. Begin to notice when you have aches and pains, when your routine veers from its normal, when you detach or become aggressive in your behaviors towards others – this is when you, then, are able to stop the feelings and learn to use good coping skills that will lesson stress and its effects.

Stress can be managed but, if you’ve been under its effects for a while, it can take time to begin to feel more relaxed and able to handle your job. Write down you stressors to see how you can go about managing them so you can enjoy your work again.

 

 

If you are having difficulty with workplace stress, reach out to get help as we have programs that can help you and your team survive and thrive so their performance, productivity, and satisfaction are at their highest. Help is available – just reach out.

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Tips to Stress-Less During the Holidays

Tips to Stress-less During the Holidays

unsplash holiday image

Holiday time can be quite stressful, with shopping and baking and trying to find that “perfect” gift.  Add to this decorating the house, writing Christmas cards and either hosting or attending holiday parties. All while either working at your job or on your own business. The combination equals stress and anxiety that can take the spirit out of the season.  This holiday can be a little more stressful for some due to worry about money.

 

To top it off, trying to balance it all can lead to more worry and stress, whether you are aware or not. Those little voices in the background may be screaming “it’s not enough” or ‘what will people think’ or, yet, you won’t be able to get everything done – Christmas will be ruined.’ I’m sure you can identify and, perhaps, have even more of these types of thoughts.

 

If you find yourself struggling to stress-less this holiday season, here are some tips to help you survive and enjoy the season:

 

  1. Make a list of all the tasks you need to complete, such as Christmas card list, gift list, food, etc.  Have specific action steps and completion dates. Start by penciling in events on your calendar to help yourself manage your time effectively.

Having a schedule for how you will balance between your work activities and holiday activities will make your schedule less stressful, as you will know what to do and when. When you check-off completed tasks, you will more of a sense of accomplishment which will lesson any overwhelm you may be experiencing.

 

  1. Set a limit for spending and how you will pay for your purchases. Overspending will only add to your stress, as will maxing out your credit cards so you avoid the new year credit card blues. Consider opening a Christmas Club account with your bank or a credit union so you will have the cash next year.

 

  1. Look for deals- look on line and the circulars in the paper. Look for coupons and specials. Many stores have special deals, such as buy one, get one, etc. (be sure to look at the fine print). See what you can make, or have someone else (i.e. Etsy) – homemade gifts take time and effort and are more meaningful.

 

  1. Plan your destinations and times – it is less crowded during the day or evenings as opposed to the weekend. If possible, go late at night to stores that are either open 24 hours or have late evening hours.  You may find good deals then, as stores will be looking for sales at that hour. Set aside a couple of hours a week to do your baking, decorating or gift-wrapping.  You will get a lot accomplished.

 

  1. Take time to debrief – have a good meal, exercise, watch a holiday movie, take a walk, or practice deep breathing, anything to relieve your stress and get your energy up. Focus on what is meaningful to you.
  2. Learn to say no – know your boundaries; don’t overtax yourself too much.  Say no when you feel overly stressed or pressured into doing things you don’t want to do. You can only do so much – over-giving never leads to getting back so know your limits and honor them.

 

  1. Have fun by being with friends or family, listening to Christmas music or watching holiday movies.  Take a drive and look at the decorated houses or stores. Take time to truly enjoy the season which can give new meaning to it.

 

  1. Give back – there are many people who are in need and you can make a difference by either volunteering your time to a charity or making a donation. Remembering the spirit of the season can be the best stress-reliever of all. Giving to others take the focus off of your issues and ‘all those tasks’ won’t seem surmountable.

 

This year, I’m vowing to stress-less; I didn’t over-decorate, which makes me appreciate how my house looks and feels; I am not going to over-spend on gifts this year, as I’ve done in the past; and I’m having to remind myself daily that things will work out fine. Try these tips and see how they help you to truly enjoy the ‘reason for the season.’

 

 

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Be Accepting of Yourself While Striving for Greatness

There is absolutely no way for you to be successful and reach your goals until you accept who you are. You have to like yourself and what you do before anyone else will.

The world detects how you feel about yourself and often simply shares the opinion you have about who you are. It is said that what you put out is what you attract; so, if you are not kind and compassionate to yourself, then you will be coming from a low level of vibration which will show up in all areas of your life, especially in your work.

When you are at a lower level, stress and anxiety are free to creep in which can lead to a host of mental, physical, and emotional troubles. Productivity and time management decline, behavioral issues may arise (i.e. irritability, conflict, etc.), and disengagement to some level occurs.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you realize it or not, you do have control over your thoughts and actions so you step into your greatness. You must be yourself and free yourself in the process.

You are an individual who is unique. Your talents and abilities, you intelligence and interests, you opinions and tastes, make you who you are. There is no need to hide a part of yourself or alter a part of yourself for the sake of conformity. True success is about freedom and all truly successful people are individualists who have, more or less, accepted and glorified who they are. You should do the same.

At the same time, being yourself does not mean glorying in mediocrity. You need to be the very best version of yourself possible. This means that you have to work at being you.

You have to put the time into self-improvement. If you want to be great, you have to take daily actions that lead you there. Acceptance is not an excuse for laziness, cowardice or fear. Life is a privilege. It is a gift.

The gift and the privilege of life is that you get to be yourself, the best self you can possibly be. Use the gift; take advantage of the privilege that you’ve been given every day. Take time to breathe, to plan, to visualize, and to work on becoming the best version of you so you become great.

 

            “To increase your effectiveness, make your emotions subordinate to         your commitments” (Brian Koslow)

 

Don’t squander the chance. Let your own unique light shine forth. This is the light that will illuminate the path to real success in life. It will also be the light that attracts other people to you and shines the way to greatness.

 

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