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SPELL SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE>
SPELL SUCCESS - MANAGING STRESS
Spell SUCCESS E-Zine
by Peter Colwell © 2007
ISSUE 15
Welcome to the "Spell SUCCESS" e-newsletter, a publication
designed to give you insights and ideas for more effective
living. Thank you for being a subscriber and reader. Please
feel free to forward this newsletter to family, friends,
and colleagues who are interested in self-improvement!
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THOUGHT TO PONDER
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"The secret of health of both mind and body is not to mourn
for the past, worry about the future or anticipate troubles
but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."
BUDDHA
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MANAGING STRESS
Recently, I have been preparing a new talk which I will be
presenting to various groups over the next several months
on Dealing With Stress During Changing Times. I suppose the
talk could also be called Dealing With Change During
Stressful Times. Studies have shown that one of the leading
causes of stress in people’s lives is change, or
transition.
Change can take the form of a job promotion or transfer,
corporate downsizing or restructuring, a marriage or
divorce, the birth of a newborn, or the passing of a loved
one. Change can be good, bad, or neutral, but one thing you
can bet your money on is that whether you like it or not
(and whether you do anything or not) CHANGE WILL HAPPEN!
Stress comes into play when expectations increase,
uncertainty looms, or events spin out of control. Even
"good change" can cause stress. Have you ever planned a
wedding that involved no stress whatsoever? Or landed a new
job but felt some anxiety about your new responsibilities?
Or plunged into parenthood wondering how you were going to
juggle parenting, job responsibilities, and everything else
in your life?
Knowing what comes next – or what to expect - in our daily
lives gives us a sense of ease and comfort. But when the
routine changes, or goes away altogether – stress can begin
to creep into your life.
A couple of months ago, while riding on the interstate to
work, I felt myself suddenly overcome with thoughts of fear
and anxiety. The feelings were intense and gripped me
(luckily I was not driving!). I felt overwhelmed,
overworked, and unsure at that moment how I was going to
manage my workload, family responsibilities, financial
obligations, and keep up with everything. It was quite
honestly a frightening feeling. Luckily, those feelings
passed in a matter of minutes and I was able to shake them
off and get my bearings again.
The very next day, on the same road to work (at
approximately that same time), I began to have similar
feelings of anxiety and uncertainty about the future. Being
unaccustomed to these types of feelings (and the intensity
which with I felt them) I knew I had to do something to
address this problem. I did not want to develop "Morning
Anxiety" or a chronic case of worry and stress.
I spoke with a couple of colleagues of mine, explained what
I had experienced, and talked through some of the issues
and concerns I was having. They reminded me of the
importance of living in the moment and being fully present
with my thoughts. They offered suggestions, such as deep
relaxation and meditation to clear my mind and connect with
an inner peace. I put these suggestions into action
immediately and my anxiety went away. I realized that
stress had been building up and that I had not been taking
the time to slow down, clear my mind, and release the
stress from my mind and body.
Sometimes, we need to be reminded of the things we already
know!
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EIGHT WAYS TO AVOID BURNOUT
- Admit that you are "on the verge" of burnout.
- Tell your superiors, coworkers, HR, family, friends how
you’re feeling.
- Take an emergency mini-vacation (even a 3-day weekend
will do!).
- Leave work at work; shut off PDA’s, cell phones, etc.
- Consider meditation or secluded relaxation (at least 15
minutes a day).
- Lose yourself in a good movie, book, musical CD, morning
jog, massage, etc.
- Call on (or develop quickly!) a support team (co-workers,
friends, family).
- Make health and fitness a TOP priority in your life.
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How do you keep your anxiety in check? Learn to put things
in their proper perspective. This is easier said than done,
of course, but it’s a skill you can cultivate. It requires
persistent and daily application until it becomes second
nature to you. Here are four strategies for overcoming
anxiety and stress:
AWARENESS
Acknowledge your anxiety and determine what external and
internal factors are causing it. Write them down.
AWAKENING
Realize the adverse effect anxiety is having on your life
(i.e., sleeplessness, headaches, indigestion, ulcers, and
chest pain).
BENEFITS
Consider (and write down in a journal or notebook) the
benefits of a peaceful, stress-free existence.
SHIFTING
Change your pattern. Slow down if you’re getting "burned
out." Or, get busy if you’ve been lethargic and sedentary
for too long.
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"The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or
largely freed, from the domination of outward conditions."
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
Stress can hit any one of us at any time. When it strikes,
recognize the signals and take immediate steps to alleviate
it. Your health and well-being depend on it!
See you next time,
Peter
Peter Colwell motivates others to motivate themselves!
Peter is the author of Spell SUCCESS in Your Life, a
popular motivational book that has been published in
several languages worldwide. Peter offers professional
keynote speeches, seminars, and workshops to corporations,
associations, and nonprofit groups.
For more details about his book and speeches, visit
http://www.PeterColwell.com.
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