Reduce Stress & Center Yourself

An awareness and a willingness to tune into your body. i like the suggestion...Did you think so? 1 Today's lifestyle is ruining our health. As many as two-thirds of us are overweight. At work, we sit at computers or by phones for way too many hours. We eat on the run and grab what's fast and cheap. You can teach yourself to de-stress, center, and change how you react. You know it's needed when you're forgetting things, tripping over yourself, and messing up at work or home. This can be consciously corrected. 2 What's stressing you? If it's that stack of work in front of you, move it behind you and out of your field of vision. The only project that matters for now is the one in front of you. Concentrate on that and block out the rest. "But the boss keeps coming in," you might say. You allow yourself to be interrupted for the boss but not for anyone else. "Not now," you say to your co-worker facing divorce. "I have to get this done now and without error. Let's have lunch on Friday." If he persists, get up and leave. Get herbal tea or go to the bathroom. It may be rude to leave, but you tried polite and polite didn't work. 3 If you find you're still making mistakes and feeling stressed, pull back in your chair, and take a five-minute "think break." Close your eyes and feel your breathing. Consciously slow down your breath. Done enough, this in itself will calm you. You may want to put your back to the door and sit with an open file in front of you. You visualize your last walk in the park. Should the boss walk in and interrupt, tell her you're thinking about a solution on the whatever project. Then ask for suggestions. "How would you recommend I handle this?" 4 During lunch, go outside with your healthy packed-the-night-before lunch, preferably in the sunshine. Lean up against the building, close your eyes, be aware of your breathing and the sun warming you. You are centering yourself. Then eat slowly and carefully, concentrating on the taste of your food. Wheat crackers and yogurt might be a good suggestion. When in bed at night, do the same centering routine to put yourself to sleep. If there is a knotty problem looming, your subconscious may not let you relax completely. However, a solution may come to you in the night. Keep a pad/pencil by your bed, and write down your idea. De-stress yourself again, and go back to sleep. Writing it down gives you permission to take it off your immediate concerns list, allowing you to relax. 5 If you cannot escape a houseful of fighting kids, go outside for a few minutes and relax yourself, particularly if you're screaming at those kids. Consciously breathe in the night air. Think about your last walk on the beach - no matter how far away. After five minutes, you will calm.It's all about putting yourself in charge of your body and your reactions. Solutions will come. The next day, make that call and put the most critical solution in motion.

Posted by lina at 12:19 PM