The following are five stress management secrets that will allow
you to fulfill your career, business, and life ambitions while living a
happier life:
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Set Realistic Goals
Many times, I ask people, “What do you want in
your career?” Frequently, I receive an answer stating what they don’t
want. They do not realize that this is not the same as focusing on what
they want to include in their career. If you don’t have a clear, concise
vision of what you want in your career, business or life, you can easily
be lead down a path which will cause stress for you in the future.
Set clear goals in several areas of your life:
family, health, career, finance, and spiritual, among others. By setting
realistic goals in each area, you will create balance in your life, have
a clear direction of what you want to accomplish in each area, and
reduce your stress level because you will have purpose.
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Master Your Attitude
We can choose to have a positive attitude or we
can choose to have a negative attitude. The choice is all ours. A
positive attitude will create more opportunities and leave you refreshed
at the end of the day. A negative attitude will close opportunities and
leave you tired and stressed at the end of the day.
During downturns and challenging times,
negative attitudes become the norm. Make it a choice to start your day
on a positive note and carry that attitude through the day. “Check
yourself” throughout the day to ensure you are taking actions that
guarantee a positive result. Also, protect your positive attitude when
interacting with others. Use your goals and positive affirmations as
motivators for success.
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Master Stress by Focusing on the Big Picture
During chaotic and challenging times, you will
be tempted to be pulled into activities and tasks that are not important
to the overall big picture. Then, you will ask “Where did the time go?”
or “Why didn’t accomplish what I needed to do today?” These small or
unimportant tasks create a stressed state of mind. Prioritize each and
every day so that you maximize your productivity and are ahead of other
employees in the same situation. Master your time management skills by
taking a time management class, reading a time management book, or using
a time management software package, such as Outlook, to keep you on
track towards achieving your success goals. Remember, this is an
investment in yourself, and the knowledge gained goes with you wherever
you go in your career.
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Master Stress by Managing Your Work Style
Organize yourself for career success. Do you
like to have piles of paper on your desk and jump from pile to pile
without accomplishing much? Do you allow any distraction distract you
from accomplishing more in your career? If you do, it doesn’t get
better during very challenging times. It becomes worse.
Take the appropriate actions to manage your
work style and manage stress. If you have piles for paper on your desk,
remove them from your desk and place them out of your line of sight.
Put these piles behind you if necessary so that you can concentrate on
the task at hand and achieve more in less time. If you are easily
distracted, make your work area distraction proof. Turn off the Outlook
e-mail notification bell, turn your desk so that it doesn’t face the
door, and control when and where you are willing to have conversations.
By taking these simple steps, you can easily relieve your stress level
at the office.
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Master Stress by Living a Healthy Lifestyle
When we are confronted with challenges, we tend
to go for “comfort” food. Comfort food makes us feel good but isn’t
nutritious. These foods are counterproductive when we are faced with
challenges, and actually increase our stress levels. Fried foods, foods
high in sugar, and dairy products can increase stress levels and
decrease productivity in the long run. Fruits, broiled chicken, and
plain yogurt with fruit added are much healthier choices and help to
keep stress levels down.
Make it a part of your healthy lifestyle
program to exercise 3-5 times a week. It can be as simple as taking a
walk around the office building or the community in which you live.
Concentrate on stretching and breathing techniques that reduce stress,
increase your thinking ability, and help you become more energetic and
gain more energy to face challenging situations. By implementing a
rigorous exercise program, you will deter the onslaught of hypertension,
which can lead to other illnesses.
Follow these five powerful stress management secrets and you will
be able to make stress work for you in challenging situations.
Suggested reading:
Take Time to Create a Life Balance Sheet for Success
Words to Live By – Six Ways to
Breathe Life into Your Day
It’s the Most Wonderful
Gift of the Year
Five Ways to Reduce
Environmental Stress (Part Two)
Set Yourself
Stress-Free
Set Yourself Free
Five Ways to Reduce
Environmental Stress (Part One)
Ed Sykes is a
professional speaker published in the areas of leadership, change management,
stress management,
customer service and teamwork. He works with business and government
organizations who want to reach the next level of success and individuals who
want to perform at their best. You can email him at esykes@thesykesgrp.com,
call him at (757) 427-7032 or visit his Web site at
www.thesykesgrp.com.
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