 5 tips for less stress and more happiness | |
Long workweeks and crazy hours have
become as common as voicemail and
Palm pilots in today's workplace.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported in 1999 that three in ten
managers and professionals worked 49
hours or more in a week.
Likewise, the National Study of the
Changing Workforce, states, "Jobs have
become more demanding- more time
consuming and more hectic- making it
increasingly difficult to achieve a
balance."
But don't despair; even if you feel
chained to your desk, simple stress-
relief strategies can ease day-to-day
tension. The following five tips
alleviate stress and integrate much
needed breathing time into the hard-
working woman's regular schedule.
1. Arrange to telecommute regularly or
on occasion.
Lots of companies are warming up to
this once-radical idea, which allows
the at-home worker to be in charge of
her schedule and eases stress by
providing a chance for high
productivity on her own terms.
2. Utilize lunch breaks for personal
recreation.
Short timeouts during the day, whether
they're brisk walks around the block
or trips to the gym, can help reduce
stress and improve functioning the
rest of the day.
Even a throwing a Nerf ball around or
doing five minutes of yoga can let the
air out of an over inflated schedule.
3. Capitalize on minor holidays or
floating vacation days.
Easily forgotten holidays such as
Columbus Day or a floating vacation
day away from work really can make a
difference in your stress level- if
you know how to make the most of those
24 hours.
Sleeping late is great, but the trick
is to put the PRIORITY on stress
reduction, and take purposeful steps
in that direction.
4. Take minutes out of every hour to
stand up and stretch.
Small breathers that involve simply
getting up and moving around can
improve how the body and mind feel,
in turn alleviating stress. The body
simply wasn't designed to sit all day
long, day after day, so NON-desk time
is crucial.
5. Make use of flex time and flexible
scheduling.
In today's office culture, a majority
of companies allow employees to tailor
their schedules according to their
individual needs, as long as eight
hours of work get done.
Taking ownership of your time cuts
down stress by allowing you to have a
more flexible timetable for taking
care of life's obligations.
Talk to your boss about the
possibilities of a flexible schedule,
and come prepared with a list of why
it would work.
Although the areas above focus on
de-stressing while holding a full-time
or part-time job, there are other ways
you can de-stress while working from
home either in a home-based business
or doing the most tiring of all jobs-
being a stay at home mom!
Here are 5 tips that can help you
right away:
1. Move around!
According to many psychologists,
motion creates an emotion in all of
us. You might notice that when you are
idle, it is easier to become
depressed. Your heart rate slows, less
oxygen travels to the brain and the
air flow from your mouth to your lungs
slows.
The challenge for you today is to get
up right now, no matter how you are
feeling, and walk around at a fast
pace. Even jumping up and down will
help. It all may sound a little silly,
but the results speak for themselves.
Try it now and tell me it doesn't
work like magic.
2. Smell the Roses!
So... How do you do THAT exactly?
Well, there are many ways. Invest some
money into a trip that you've been
dreaming about for some time. Visit a
country with lots of exotic places to
jolt your imagination and spur your
creativity.
Human beings, especially women, need
to detach from their daily activities
and venture out a little bit into the
big world.
3. Get Some Good Company...
A lot of working women or stay-at-home
moms develop a nice network of
acquaintances but most of us only have
a few true friends. This isn't because
you're an introvert but rather because
women, on a whole, can be very
selective about who enters our
universe.
Once you develop a close group of
friends who you can call, use that
telephone or pop by their place when
you are feeling down. Ask their advice
or their input. While their
suggestions may be helpful, putting
your issues into will make you feel
better.
4. Help Others With Their Issues...
When you help others cope with
problems in their own lives, it can be
very therapeutic. You usually end up
engrossed in the situation and you
will be surprised at how many people's
problems are worse than those you may
be facing.
When you are down, DON'T curl up in
bed and let your depression and stress
take over. Get out of your house and
help somebody. There are many
charitable organizations that could
use a helping hand right now.
There are usually soup kitchens or
shelters in your nearest city that
accept volunteer assistance for things
like making beds, serving meals, etc.
Helping somebody else can be one of
the best de-stressors in the world.
5. Laugh, Laugh, Laugh!
We've all heard that laughter is a
good internal medicine. It relieves
tension and loosens the muscle and
will cause your blood to flow to the
heart and brain. More importantly,
laughter will release a chemical to
your body that rids the body of pains.
So if you are sitting at home thinking
that you could use a good dose of
belly-shaking laughter, what are you
waiting for? Go out to a comedy club
with your friends or rent some really
funny movies.
So, whether you are at work or at
home, there are many ways to relieve
stress and simplify your life.
To find out more about how you can
improve the quality of your life,
check out my breakthrough book, "Get
Gorgeous Now."
This guide will give you practical
tips for maximizing your inner and
outer beauty potential... and for
becoming a more confident woman.
Achieve your relationship goals, your
career goals, your family goals, and
your PERSONAL goals using this proven
set of foundational tools.
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Life is precious. Live it while you can! | 
