10 Simple Techniques To Relieve Stress and Anxiety
One of the biggest issues that small-business owners are faced with is stress. Now more-so than ever given our current economic climate.
What is Stress?
Stress according to Wikipedia is a biological term for the consequences of the failure of a human to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats, whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and elevated heart rate.
A certain degree of stress is healthy, it keeps us on our toes and drives us to achieve. In essence stress will cause us to lead more fulfilling lives. The difficulty is here however, is how do we create a healthy balance of stress because too much stress and anxiety is certainly harmful to your health and well-being? What techniques can we apply to encourage stress and anxiety relief in our lives? Stay with me for a short while and we’ll look at 10 simple ideas to initiate stress and anxiety relief at work.
How do we combat stress?
Tune Into Your Body
A simple idea it may be, but one that is the key to unlocking the box to the other stress and anxiety relief techniques that we shall examine. Be aware of the degree of stress that you’re experiencing at any one moment in time. First of all you need to know when your stress levels are rising.
Measure Your Stress Level on a Scale of 1-10. While you’re at home find a time when you are alone and when you can lie down with your eyes closed. Put on your favourite music for relaxing or just sit in silence, whatever works best for you. Just let your mind wander and do not seek to hold your thoughts, no matter how fleeting. After 10 minutes or so you should be aware of level zero stress.
This is the gauge for measuring all other stress levels. During the day check into the scale and not the level of tension that you’re feeling: are your shoulders hunched and tense; how does your gut feel, is it tight and churning; is your jaw clenched?
Take time to move
Movement is a great way to reduce stress levels. Just by getting out of your seat and moving around you will find that you will feel a measure of stress and anxiety relief. A brisk walk during your lunch break and a short jogging session at the end of the day will reduce tension. Generally aim to keep fit anyway.
Take time for deep breathing
Simply breaths deeply, inhaling through the nostrils, after holding the breath for a count of three exhale slowly through the mouth. 10-40-20 is a great deep breathing pattern. Take one long breath for 10 seconds, hold it in for 40, and then release for 20 seconds, the full 20 seconds. Force yourself to exhale stale air from your lungs.
Take time to use your minds power of imagery
This is another great way to bring stress and anxiety relief into the workplace. Just take a moment or two to imagine that you are somewhere else. Hear the sound of the sea, create the vivid colours of the sky in your mind, soar of to your favourite place and do not wait for that distant vacation; go there today. The more vivid the images the better this stress and anxiety relief technique will work. A goal picture works great too.
Take time to challenge your irrational thoughts
Be aware of you inner voice and the messages that it is sending to you. Often these thoughts are based on previous mind conditioning and the thoughts will be harmful and create unnecessary levels of stress. For example if you are under pressure to get something done by a particular time you may find yourself thinking” I must get this done or else I’m going to lose sales or go bankrupt and I’ll need to find a job!” This is probably not the case and if it is then you’re probably better of finding a job or seeking help with your business.
Take time to plan work into smaller manageable tasks
A large taks can be overwhelming and may need to be broken down into simpler easier to complete jobs. We meet more step by step targets this way and feel agreater sense of achievment after each step is finished. Give yourselfa reward for completing the smaller taks and do not wait for the final task before you give yourself a pat on the back.
Take time to reduce caffeine intake
Have you ever seen a two-year old completely wired after chomping through a few cookies or chocolate? Well that’s exactly what happens to all of us when we take in too much sugar or caffeine. However, unlike the little one at home we can’t very well run around the office making airplane noises, we just carry the excess stress.
Take time to have a play break
Some professionals keep “squish” balls, or stress balls, in their work space a simple squeeze is all that is needed for rapid relief of stress and anxiety. Other people take a few minutes to play online games, playstation or Wii.
Take time to Blow Off Steam – but fairly
Everyone needs to vent a little, confide in someone, or address issues head on. Just remember words spoken in anger can haunt you for a long time if they’re read or overheard by the wrong person. Don’t put anything in email you don’t want the whole office to see. Better yet, whenever sending an email to blow off steam, save it in your draft folder for 24 hours and re-evaluate the next day.
Take time to understand that a little stress is worthwhile
Remember that it’s natural to feel stress when you leave your comfort zone. Some stress must be endured as you expand your horizons, learn new tasks and earn new responsibilities. That kind of stress may not be much fun, but in the long run, it’s worth it!
Finally, if there is a function in your business that stresses you out, you’ll want to consult with an expert to overcome any obstacles or challenges you’re facing. Before you outsource anything though, remember, when you delegate or outsource, you’re still ultimately responsible for the outcome. Outsourcing is great, just make sure you’re not adding extra stress.
Your best bet is to sit down with an expert to deal with your stress. For example if Sales, Marketing, or your Small Business are stressing you, you’ll want to sit down with a Marketing Consultant or Small Business Coach and have them evaluate the situation. Better yet, do some preventive maintenance and do yearly business building assessments and sales & marketing audits to ensure that you’re on the right track.
Guess what I do?
I’m a Marketing Consultant and Small Business Coach. I put your business in the hot-seat and identify areas of improvement and ways you can get more done, in less time, with less stress. I conduct sales & marketing audits and business building assessments that form the basis of your new action plan moving forward. Simply put, I become your defacto sales and marketing department so you don’t have to worry about your sales & marketing efforts again thanks to my rock-solid, bullet-proof, cannot-miss marketing plan. For more information or to book, call 604.435.4459.
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