Stress Reduction Tips
Eat Right. This is so important. You need your energy if you are “doing too much.” Even if you don’t have the time to eat right sometimes, you should still take you’re your vitamins. So find yourself a good antioxidant multi-vitamin and take it every day.
Drink lots of water. You have heard this over and over – 8 glasses a day. You need to stay hydrated to have energy and to flush out all those antioxidants caused by stress.
Breath. How often when you are stressed do you actually hold your breath? This is the worst thing you can do. Take a deeeeep breath and let it out. All of a sudden things seem better
Stretch. Most people carry their stress in the neck and back which can really make you cranky at the end of the long day. So wake up and stretch those neck and back muscles for 10 minutes. Stretch another 5 minutes in the middle of the day and 10 minutes when you get home.
Work out. Nothing like thirty minutes on the Stairmaster to get the endorphins flowing and your brain clear of stress.
Smile. Also, relax your face, open your jaw and move it around. Start to feel the muscles loosen and then settle on a neutral uplifting position. Scientists have proven that the physical act of smiling creates positive feelings in your brain. How is that for a quick fix?
Soak in the tub. Just imagine all those cares and worries melting away in the heat and washing down the drain. Calgon take me away!
Light a candle. Or if you can, build a fire in your fireplace. Just watching the flames trickle and flick randomly around the logs (or the candle) will help connect you with nature and disconnect you from work.
Listen to Music. Really listen to it and pay attention to the rhythm, the instruments, the words. Depending on your mood – sometimes you want it loud and upbeat, sometimes you want it soft and soothing. Music can help you escape your immediate reality and places you in another world without a To Do list. Classical music is a good recommendation that will also help you exercise your mind.
Be nice. Do something nice for someone and notice how good you will feel.
Think about the Universe. There are 150 billion stars in the sky and a billion other galaxies in our Universe. There are stars exploding into supernovas and collapsing in black holes. There is beauty and mystery in the infinite. Now think about the problem facing you. Doesn’t seem so humongous anymore does it?
Walk on the beach. The soothing sound of the water lapping on the sand will wash away your troubles. Think about how the tides may change but things fundamentally stay the same and the sun will always come up tomorrow.
Walk in the woods. Enjoy the majestic trees and the delicate plants and appreciate the harmony of life. These plants are breathing in our carbon dioxide and turning it into oxygen so we can then breath it again; a nice a simple symbiotic relationship.
Go to a Library. Being surrounded by peace and quiet can be wonderful all by itself, but you are also surrounded by thousands of years in knowledge.
Wear comfortable clothes. What is the first thing you do when you get home after work? Put on comfortable clothes right? What about wearing comfortable clothes to work.
Look at pictures of happy memories. Looking at favorite pictures of your fun-filled adventures is bound to put a smile on your face.
Slow down. Your brain may be whirling at a hundred miles a minute, but you need to slow down to truly relax.
If you are can learn to integrate these stress reduction tips into your career management plan as well as the other advice tidbits mentioned in this section, then you will be well on your way to thriving in your career!