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Stress Management Ideas
If stress management ideas are not pursued, then productivity in the workplace may suffer; management pressures can increase; illness causing sick days can get out of hand, and negative effects on the brain can occur, such as loss of memory, learning, and concentration. 70% of visits to doctors are caused by stress, as are 85% of serious illnesses. |
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Stressful World, Stressful People
No one should have to work in an overly stressful environment, because employers should recognize where stress is becoming an issue for their staff and take steps to reduce it. If stress management ideas are not pursued, then productivity in the workplace may suffer; management pressures can increase; illness causing sick days can get out of hand, and negative effects on the brain can occur, such as loss of memory, learning, and concentration. 70% of visits to doctors are caused by stress, as are 85% of serious illnesses. These are truly shocking figures and suggest that stress management is an option that must be explored more thoroughly by employers and employees alike. There are also risks such as litigation against employers, loss of reputation, and bad publicity. A lot of management time is also devoted to dealing with the negative impacts of stress. Thus, there are good sound business reasons for stress management ideas to be put to use.
Laughter Is The Best Medicine
Humor is one of the best devices for relieving stress and can be practiced at work between colleagues and management. Laughter produces positive chemicals in the brain that help relax and cheer people up. Humor also helps distract the mind from stressful issues. After a few jokes, most people will noticed a marked difference in their mindset and be that much more amenable to work. There are all manner of sources of humor in the workplace that won’t get in the way of your workload, from gags told by colleagues to the Internet.
Exercise – The Ultimate Destressor
All manner of psychological distress can be alleviated through a good bout of exercise. These days, psychiatrists value it so much that they instruct depressive and stress cases to take a brisk walk outside. To get the best from a walk, you will have to leave the building and change your environment. Make sure you breathe in some fresh air and get those lungs working as you stride. All this will relax you as you stimulate your senses. You can feel even better by jogging in the park during your lunch hour, as this will generate endorphins in the brain, which in turn make you happier in yourself. Suddenly, whatever stress or time management challenges you are up against will seem less daunting.
To Sleep Perchance To Dream
If you can fit it into your work schedule, then take a nap – this is one of the best stress management ideas you can act upon. Only 10-30 minutes of deep sleep will make you feel immediately re-energized and recharged the very moment you wake up. A lunchtime snooze is more practical for those who work at home, as long as you can get it into your head that you are doing something to help your long-term productivity rather than just being lazy. In non-Western parts of the world, a nap is a perfectly acceptable aspect of the working day, but in Europe and America, it is still frowned upon and not encouraged by business. If you can’t enjoy a stress-reducing sleep, then try a brief session of self-hypnosis combined with deep breathing. You can conduct this activity at your work desk or even in the bathroom. In the warmer periods of the year, you can try this in the local park for some al fresco stress relief.
Stress Reducing Vacations
There are many health benefits to taking vacations, specifically from the point of view of stress. Research tells us that middle-aged men who don’t go on vacation for five years in a row increase their risk of a heart attack by 30 per cent. When you compare that statistic with the finding that 32 per cent of paid vacation time is used to do non-vacation activities, the conclusion is clear enough: take a vacation regularly to reduce stress. A few ideas for active people who wish to alleviate their stress: mountain biking in Crested Butte, land of epic trails and excellent local beverages; camping and rafting at Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park; hiking the Appalachian trail. For those who prefer more sedentary vacations: beaches, health spas, and country residences might fit the bill more.
Stress Management Ideas Online
http://www.businessballs.com/stressmanagement.htm - the most comprehensive guide to stress management ideas, applying to the UK and US.
http://www.medicinenet.com/stress_management_techniques/article.htm - medically approved advice for all.
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/pages/reduce-stress---take-a-vacation - good suggestions for stress-busting trips and vacations.
http://www.hypnos.info/cds/cd09.html - excellent advice, especially on meditation and self-hypnosis, very useful tools indeed.
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/5491/1/Take-A-Stress-Relief-Vacation-For-Self-Renewal.html - some great advice on vacations to alleviate workplace stress.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress - some worrying statistics about stress that are nonetheless worth reading about.
Conclusion: Take A Step Back
In the final analysis, beating stress is not something that comes easily to everyone all the time. It may require quite a concerted effort to make time to relax and take stock. Given that we live in such money-obsessed and workaholic societies, you may have to ask yourself some serious questions about what your priorities are. It may be that you will have to sacrifice some of your material benefits and comforts in order to take a drop in pay in return for a quieter and less work-obsessed life. Remember that quality is usually much more important than quantity. It’s no use having all the material advantages of modern Western society when you have no time to enjoy them and must make yourself miserable with stress in order to earn the cash to pay for them. Don’t be pressured by other people – colleagues, line managers, friends, or family members. You should think about yourself and your own health, acting on the stress management ideas that will suit you and work for you, whether this is exercise, humor, sleeping, or taking regular vacations. You have to decide which methods best suit you, your life, and your daily schedule, because one size will never fit all in the rather unique conditions that work-related stress present.
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