Indeed, there is more than one way to skin a cat. This also applies when you feel like tearing your hair out from anxiety, grief, frustration and even stress. It is a mental state of conditioning, much like that bittersweet pill sliding down your throat, causing you your inner sense of self and sanity. Merely considering it can drive almost anyone over the edge.
It is rumored that those who are proactive are already living on the edge.
As one stressed out individual to another, believe me, I know how it feels as well as the variations of stress. Coping with you own life, whether or not the problems belong to you, can tear away at what little joy and happiness, that you may carry once you are out the door. We cannot blame them, since they have their own reasons, much like we have our own reasons for permitting stress to weigh upon us. If stress is a mind thing, what is bothering you anyway?
Stress can be managed in various ways, and can eventually removed from your life. Here I will attempt to divide this into a 7-day course for you, however, it may be slightly taxing on the body and mind.
Day 1 – Acknowledging Good Stress
You can make stress your friend! Based on the natural fight or flight response, this burst of energy can enhance your performance at just the right moment. Many top sportsmen are not totally relaxed before a big game. Therefore, you can use stress wisely in order to push yourself a bit harder for those times it counts the most.
Day 2 – Avoid Stress Sneezers
You can become infected, by the indiscriminate sneezing of stressed out individuals.
However, you can protect yourself by recognizing the stress in others, while limiting any contact with them, as stress is contagious. On the other hand, you may want to play doctor stress and then teach these other individuals how to manage their stress better.
Day 3 – Learn From the Best
When everyone around seems to be loosing it, who are those who remain calm? What type of attitude do they possess and what are they doing differently? What language do they use and are they experienced or trained?
Figure this out from afar or sit down with them and chat. You can learn from the best stress managers and then copycat what it is they do.
Day 4 – Practice Socially Acceptable Heavy Breathing
Trick your body into relaxing, by using a heavy breathing technique. For a count of seven, breathe in slowly, and the for a count of eleven, breathe out. Repeating this 7/11 breathing technique, until your heart rate begins to slow down, things once again feel normal as your sweaty palms begin to dry.
Day 5 – A Red Light for Stressful Thoughts
You can possibly tangle yourself in a knot of stress, all by your lonesome, by thinking, if this happens, then this other may happen and then we are all sunk! Remember, many of these things may never happen, so stop wasting your energy, with needless worry.
Turning on a red stop light can stop stressful thoughts in their tracks. Sure, something may go wrong, however, how likely can that be, and just what can you do for prevention.
Day 6 – Know Your Hot Spots and Trigger Points
Interviews, meetings, presentation, offering negative feedback, tight deadlines, the list could go on, however, my heart rate just increased while writing these out.
Make you very own list of stress hot spots and trigger points, while being specific.
– Are you only stressed when in a particular audience?
– Is one type of project more stressful than another?
– Are you drinking too much coffee?
You gain powerful information when you know what causes your stress. You can then take action to make life less stressful.
– Do you need more resources?
– Do you need new skills?
– Is it time to switch to decaf?
Day 7 – Burning Your Candle At One End
No exercise, a poor diet and lack of sleep can make a mess of your mind and body. Sure, it is kind of obvious, however, it is well worth mentioning, since these things are most often ignored when you think of stress management techniques. Mind your mom and do not burn your candle at both ends.
Being stressed is a bummer, however, it should never hinder us from finding our inner peace of mind, that we all search for. On the other hand we could all load up and go to the Bahamas and then bask in the sun of summer.
Hi Reed,
we all can you pointers this time of year to de-stress. Looking forward to reading more about your course over the next seven days.
thanks
Eric
I would add this tip for new marketers…
Focus on one or two products to market and ignore all of the latest and greatest – they typically aren’t and suck up both your time and your money
You work hard for your money so don’t just give it away and your time is irreplaceable… Being stingy with these will greatly reduce your stress and regret…
I think day 5 and 7 are two of the most important. I have seen far too many people who get worried about what might happen and then they get completely stressed out over nothing. I never worry about what I have control over, because if I can control it, then why would I worry? And I never worry about what I have no control over it, because worrying will not change it, so I may as well do something more productive.
And the exercise and diet thing is very important. I have seen far too many people who try to work from home and end up just sitting around all day and they never get out and do anything. Often they also do not eat properly because they are too focused on trying to run a business. This definitely makes them stressed out.
Take a break people! Stop worrying about everything and just spend some time relaxing and forgetting about everything else in your life. It not only destresses you, but it makes you more productive.
Great post Reed.
Shawn Horwood
http://top5-workathome.com/blog/
Hey Reed,
what a Blog, for whom ?, what for ? Did you hear your Mom Hey son is your baby running against you? Go to my site and look around if you could find something against stress or not.It is useless to speak about stress when there is none. A marketer under stress is a wonder, cause everything is running on auto. Concentrate on your cash cows not a flock (or bigger for the gurus a heard) take the milk to town. The only stress you have is to collect the fallen coins, but where is the stress.
Peter
I agree. Relax. What is meant to be will be. I have a page on a stress-free Christmas.
http://www.squidoo.com/last-minute-Christmas
Thanks.
Hi, nice article – I will try these methods out to try and save what hair I have left!!
Thanks keep it up!!
If a situation has me stressing I try to change the things that I can to make it better. Those things I can’t change I put in Gods hands. I found that he does a Great job at handling for me things I can’t handle alone.
Merry X-mas to All…
Stress is good to keep your adrenalin moving and make use in positive way as you mentioned.The problems if you can not handle stress and becomes unrelax, this is the point of where you have to calm your mind and keep focusing on what you are doing, by practice meditation, I think we can all control our stress and fear
Ari Lestarionos last blog post..10 Tricks To Avoid Flu and Survive During Cold
Stress who’s stressed? Working two job trying to start an online business. who’s stressed?
Thanks for the great thoughts Reed.
We all need to unwind and get rid of stress at times.
When you know how to do what you want to get done helps. If it’s things around the house check out my blog at Home Renew all
Dave the How to guy
Daves last blog post..Top 16 Hand tools for jobs around the House: part 1
Nice tips and the 7-day course should be excellent. For me there’s a few things that really help reduce stress in most situations:
– Focus on the solution and a postive outcome, not the problem and POSSIBLE “dire” consequences. Keeping busy and mentally or physically engaged solving the problem really helps you not to stress
– Ask yourself what’s the worst that can happen? Is it really SO bad? Betcha if you put your mind to it you CAN handle it. If you think over your life you’ll see all the things you have already handled – take confidence
– Borrow the strength of others to help you through, mentally, physically & emotionally. Pay it back when they need it, or pay it forward to others.
– If all else fails, there’s ALWAYS chocolate! While you enjoy it, give yourself a little break to recharge.
Lyndalls last blog post..At home in Oz
Hi Reed,
It is true we all are under various
kind of stress – some of one type
some other. It is all good that one
of us has come with open mind with
good remedy and motivating us to
face everything with courage. Best
of your blogs!
Thanks
subroto
Hi Reed,
Stress is a necessary evil in order to succeed in anything that we do. Without it, no work’s going to get done!
It’s not really about de-stressing as much as managing it, in my opinion.
Asher
Ashers last blog post..Success University – Napolean Hill Foundation: Think And Grow Rich Revisited
Hi Reed,
Stress can be positive (eustress) as well as negative (distress) and we actually need both types of stress in our lives.
One of the issues about this time of year is that people tend to try to do too much and end up completely exhausted. Remember that you don’t have to do it all. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.
On the matter of catching other people’s colds, etc. naturally if you’re around someone who has a cold you’re more likely to become ill. However, people generally have an expectation that they will automatically become ill if they happen to get caught in such a situation.
This belief in itself will increase the likelihood that you will become ill. Practice excellent self-care to keep your immune system in tip-top condition and you’ll be able to ward off many illnesses.
Finally, regarding the tip for day 4 I think “deep breathing” is a better term than “heavy breathing” in this instance. Deep breathing really does help to calm the body as well as help the body cleanse itself of toxins.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Nickolove
Nickolove Lovemores last blog post..How to Make 100 Dollars Per Day Online
Reed, a timely article here, as I feel stress building for the special day of commercial gift splurging… good points given. I’d just add one word: meditation. There’s a way to accelerate meditation: holosync.
Geoff Dodd
Australia
Are you stressed because of your “life plan” no working, or were you stressed while trying to implement it, or could it be something else?
Learn to laugh – first, at yourself and then, WITH others. True laughter and a sense of humor are wonderful stress reducers.
Stress should be at tolerable level,otherwise one’s health and happiness will be affected adversely.
A very timely topic for the way the economy is and the time of year. Every one is different and what works for destressing one person may not work for another. I am a believer in doing deep breathing at the time of stress. Yoga would be a good alternatre.
Practice Socially Acceptable Heavy Breathing was a great tip. It too easily slips my mind although doing it can instantly lower my stress level…
Reed,
Were you feeling the stress of the holiday season? I noticed a trend in your posts! ;o) I really like your day 2 and day 5 tips. I’ve never heard the term “stress sneezer” before. Did you coin that one? It’s great! I may have to use it myself. I would equate that with emotional vampires, or borrowing someone else’s offenses. Definitely a common method of adding stress to our lives! Great tips to live by. Thanks!
Happy New Year!
Cheree
http://blog.WealthBuildersSite.com
Cherees last blog post..WebProsperity — This Could be the Most Important 7 Minutes of Your Life!
Very good article. I know I need to learn how to de-stress. Since it is a new year, I will make it one of my resolutions.
Exercising is a great way to destress and rejuvenate our minds.
I’m sure this technology will be explored as much as possible and what better way to explore it than by letting the people tell you exactly how they feel about it by testing driving it.