Edition 9

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STRESS MANAGEMENT III
Dr. Marcus Manns
Managing stress is a daily activity. We
have learnt in the last month, we must
reduce the stress in our lives. Much of
the stress in life is self-imposed
because of daily choices. Follow these
stress minimizing guidelines in order to
find the way to leading healthier,
happier and more productive lives.
Analyzing our schedules and daily tasks,
let's distinguish between the things we
should do and those we must not do.
Then we can prioritize and even
eliminate the non-essential items.
Saying “no” to someone's request does
not make us mean. Most of us are willing
to take on more whenever we can, but
when we do, we run the risk of becoming
overwhelmed and not delivering.
Avoid Negative Nancies: If someone
consistently causes stress in our lives and
we can't turn the relationship around, we
must limit the amount of time we spend
with them or end the relationship
completely.
If we can't avoid a stressful situation, let's
try to change it. Ask yourself, ”What can I
do to change things so the problem
doesn't persist.” Often, this involves
changing the way we communicate and
operate in our daily lives.
If the evening news makes us
anxious, let's turn the TV off; If
traffic get's us tense, let's take a
longer, but less-traveled route.
Instead of bottling them up, if
something or someone is bothering
us, we must find an open and
respectful way to discuss it. We can
also share our concerns with a
trusted friend or a professional.
This will help us address and
eliminate the stress associated with
the challenge sooner rather than
later.
If we get upset over a particular topic,
let's take it off our conversation list or
we can excuse ourselves when the
topic comes up.
If we ask someone to change their
behavior, we must be willing do the
same. Hopefully we can find a
happy middle ground.
Accept the fact that we live in an
imperfect world. People make
mistakes. Let go off anger and
resentment. Free ourselves from
negative energy.
Many things in our lives are out of
our control often unavoidable. In
such cases, the best way to cope is
to accept things as they are.
MANAGE YOUR TIME
Our emotional well-being is as important as our physical
health. Take time out to meditate or sit still for a few
minutes throughout the day to clear our minds and relax.
People with good emotional health have an ability to
bounce back from stress and adversity. This ability is
called resilience.
Be proactive. Poor time management can cause stress. Being stretched too thin
or running behind makes it hard to stay calm and focused. Plan ahead and don't
over-extend yourself.
Always remember that stress will always be with us. What we have to do is manage it.
Next month we'll take our final look at stress.