Let’s face it one of the biggest challenges facing busy people today is how to fit everything you need to do into a day. From the demands of raising a family, meeting deadlines at work, giving quality time to a relationship, exercising, looking after your health and taking time-out each day for yourself it can be a struggle to find enough time to even get a good nights sleep.

 

There’s a ton of material already available on how to maximize your time and get more done each day through setting priorities, being more organized and planning for the future so let’s look at some more left-of-field strategies that’ll give you an even better opportunity to gain back precious time and energy while giving long-term stress relief.

 

Stress Management Tips to Save Time and Energy 

 

Waste Not, Want Not

 

We all have the same 24 hours a day at our disposal. The difference is how wisely you use it. Why waste a precious second on something that has no value or meaning in your life? The more you choose to use the time you do have that’s brings you joy and fulfilment, the more satisfying your life will be.

 

Live Each Moment Fully

 

What do you think is going to matter most when you’re laying on your deathbed looking back over your life? Will it be how many sales you made at work? Or how clean you kept your house? Or how many things you didn’t get done? Probably not! Make each moment count as you never know when your last moment will be.

 

Don’t Forget to Take Time-Out Each Day

 

No matter how busy or hectic your life gets it’s vital that you give yourself 5, 10 or 20 minutes a day just being with yourself. This time allows you to reflect on your day and do whatever it is that brings you joy or helps you to relax. Relaxation techniques that progressively relax the muscles of your body while calming your mind are well worth investing time in.

 

Stop Telling Yourself You Don’t Have Enough Time

 

The more you affirm what you don’t have, the more you will attract it into your life. One of life’s laws is that what you focus on you get. So when you focus on what you don’t have, you will have even less in the future. Instead, start affirming that you have an abundance of time and energy to get everything done that matters.

 

Stop Wearing a Watch

 

Put away your watch for the next seven days in either a cupboard or dresser.  I did this for a period of three months and by the end of this time my internal clock had me waking up in the morning, getting to appointments and being where I needed to be in perfect timing. At first, this may stress you out a little but after 7 days you’ll experience a deep sense of freedom at not having to be a clock watcher all the time.

 

A Stress Management Saying From The Wise

 

A wise man once said that money may come and go. If you lose your money, you can always make it back, but when you lose a minute, it’s gone forever. To live a life without regret is to know that you have followed the path of your heart and spirit without hesitation.

 

Don’t waste another moment letting the apparent lack of time be the reason you live a life of stress and anxiety. Stress is the biggest killer on the planet and you have the power to get rid of the majority of your stress just through learning some simple stress relief techniques to enjoy a happier, healthier, relaxed and more productive life.

 

To Your Great Life and Health,

Statistics don’t lie. Research suggests that work related stress is a killer. According to the World Health Organization, 80 to 90 percent of all illnesses are either directly or indirectly caused by stress.

In another study, researchers found that more than 50 percent of employees would be willing to take a day off work without pay in an effort to feel less stress at work and have more time with their families. 

Further studies have found that the majority of stress that people experience at work is directly related to work issues such as time management, deadlines, and dealing with difficult co-workers.

Fortunately, there are action steps that you can take on a daily basis to eliminate these stresses.

Here are some proven tips for relieving work related stress. 

Watch what You Eat

Avoid eating unhealthy snacks. Eating healthy food can increase your energy.  Reduce Your Caffeine Intake.  Drinking lots of coffee and sodas can increase your stress levels. If you can’t cut out caffeine beverages completely, try to alternate your caffeine intake with healthier beverages or snacks.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, so try to take a brisk 10-minute walk during the day, even if it means a walk around the office or building. Walking will help to get your blood moving and give you a mental break from your tasks. 

Stretch Your Body

Stretching helps to relieve stiff muscles, which can hold tension and make you feel more stressed.

Plan Ahead

Getting up 15 minutes earlier, and packing lunches or laying out clothes the night before, can help create a routine and get you organized. 

Breathe Deeply

When we are stressed, we have a tendency to take shallow breaths, which can result in feeling more tension. Start by inhaling deeply through the nose for a count of 4, and then exhaling slowly for a count of 8. This helps to release toxins through your breath. Concentrate on your counting and breath.

Get a Good Nights Sleep

Be sure you are getting enough sleep at night. Not feeling rested can add to your stress level and make you feel more overwhelmed. If you have been experiencing recurring sleepless nights, consult your physician for guidance.

Do Things You Enjoy

Try to do something you love every day to give yourself something to look forward to. Most stress arises due to feelings of life being out of control. By taking time to get yourself organized, and taking care of yourself, you can begin to gain control and ensure that your workday is as relaxed as possible. 

Eliminate Time-Wasters

Make a list of all the things that currently waste your time and reduce your productivity. These can include things like checking your emails, interruptions at your desk, talking too long on the phone, attending meetings, or on a personal level watching TV, getting up late and not prioritizing your day.

Then next to each time-waster write down what you can do to change that. Then put your plan into action today!

The end of Work Related Stress 

The bottom line in how to avoid stress at work is to do work that you love. Don’t be one of the 80% of people that stay stuck in work they hate. This is the worst thing you could do.

Find out what you’re passionate about and then go for it. If that means studying new skills, or finding out more information about how to get into your chosen field, then get started now.

To your great life and health!

A report compiled by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) shows indisputable facts that Work Related Stress is the highest cause of stress in today’s society.  The survey shows that one in four people view their jobs as the number one stressor in their life.  It also shows that three quarters of people believe workers have more on the job stress than a generation ago.

The report is a compilation of surveys by several key players in stress reduction and stress management including Northwestern National Life and Yale University. 

The causes of Stress at Work and Work Related Stress were:

—> Working conditions – The location, people you work with, environment, culture and terms of employment.

—> Worker characteristics - Individuals outlook, abilities, personality and coping style.

The NIOSH approach to Stress at Work is to find a balanced approach to the working lifestyle.  It can be defined in 3 basic categories:

—> A balance between work and family/personal life

—> A support network of friends and co-workers

—> A relaxed and positive outlook

Generally, focusing on third strategy will have a massive impact on the first two.  A good method to tackle stress is through relaxation techniques conducted on a daily basis as a method to release built up stress and anxiety accumulated during the day.  Different relaxation techniques including stress relief CD’s, relaxation breathing techniques, stress relief exercises, keeping a journal and physical activity are excellent methods for creating a more relaxed and positive outlook.  The greatest step you could take would be to complete a stress relief program.  An excellent stress relief program should gives specific methods of relaxation, a way of setting and recording relaxation goals and specific stress management techniques to learn and implement.  This combined with a greater respect for work related stress would decrease the overall instances of stress and help to develop a more focused, happy workforce.

Many of us dream to have a lot of it and very few of us have more than we think we need.  It’s one of the 3 main stressors that keep many people awake at night.  Whether you’re living beyond your means or wondering how you’re going to have enough income for retirement all comes down to Money.

When you’re feeling financial pressure it can affect so many other areas of your life.  It can cause stress at work, anxiety attacks, insomnia, arguments, alcoholism, gambling and relationship break-ups just to name a few.

But there has to be something you can do about it, to manage your money and experience real natural stress relief.

With that in mind, here are 5 money management tips for Stress Relief:

—> Understand your worth – before you can live within your means you need to understand what your means are.  Gather a record of all your money, assets, investments and current cash (N.B. although credit cards and lines of credit are additional resources to make purchases, when we tap into them we decrease our spending power over the long haul with bank charges etc.)

—> Track your income – Really take a look at your income.  Measure it over the last 4 weeks or even better the last 13 weeks (the number of weeks in a quarter). Average it out by totaling your overall income and dividing by the number of weeks.  (N.B. Don’t just take 1 weeks wage as an average as you may miss out on overtime, sick days, etc.)

—> Measure your expenses – Once you understand what you are worth and what your income is begin to measure where you money goes.  Carry a small notebook you can pop in your pocket or handbag and make a record of every purchase you make.  Do this for a month to get a real understanding of where you’re spending your money.  Record everything including bills, repayments, where you shopped and the amount you spent.  After the month prioritize your expenses into different categories; essential (food, shelter, rent or mortgage), utilities (heat, water, electricity), loans and leases (car loans), insurances ( home insurance, car insurance, life insurance) and discretionary expenses (other loans, credit card repayments and low priority expenses)

—> Manage Money – Calculating your average monthly income (13 weeks wages divided by 3) and minus your different expenses (if some of your expenses are yearly, then divide the amount by 12 to calculate monthly payments).  This will give you your disposable income.  Use this figure as a baseline for spending.  Ensure you keep at least this much of your wage aside each month (multiply it by 12 and divide by 52 to understand it weekly) and try to put aside a little more each week for that rainy day.

—> Learn to Relax – Financial stress can be a result of the feeling of discomfort over using other people’s money, being in debt, or concerned you may not be able to grow your wealth.  Whatever the case it is important to improve how you can handle money stress.  A good stress relief CD or other relaxation techniques like exercise, relaxation breathing techniques or stress relief programs can help build that threshold and show you how to release and handle unnecessary stress.

Remember, even if you’re stuck in financial stress and your living beyond your means you have the power to change it.  After all, money comes and goes but your health is important.

I remember when I was a child.  Days seemed to go on forever, there was always something to do and I was always getting up to some sort of mischief.

As I grew up, things definitely change.  I took on extra responsibilities, got a job, strived for direction in life and more of my life became about time, money and relationships. Everything starts to speed up and I seemed to have less time than before.

The stress monster can easily creep up on you and you can begin to feel the pressure of everyday life with deadlines, responsibilities, family pressures and stress at work. 

You know stress is always there though, in everyone’s life, but it’s a question of how you handle it.  Some of us deal with it by becoming aggressive and snappy at those around them or other negative responses.  If you handle it this way then your stress will continue to build up with really bad side effects.

There is another way.  By investing just 20 minutes a day using Natural stress relief techniques like Meditation, stress relief CD’s, relaxation breathing techniques, Yoga and Relaxation Programs will offer natural relief from any stress that builds up in your day.  The benefits of using different natural stress relief techniques are countless.  Some of the immediate benefits include:

—> Feeling happier

—> Improvement in Immune system

—> Lowering of blood pressure

—> Release of built up stress

—> Improved concentration

—> Feeling calmer and more energetic

—> Enjoying a more restful sleep

Natural Stress Relief has no negative side effects and makes you feel good.  Remember, there are different stressors in everybody’s life (in other words, things that push your buttons) but by using natural stress relief for 20 minutes a day they won’t affect you the same way and you’ll be able to tackle them head on.

The person that created the saying – “There’s only a few things to be sure of in life; death and taxes” needs to add traffic to it.   With roads filling up more and more, traveling to and from work can be really stressful. Many of us need some sort of stress relief just to cope.

Being late, feeling claustrophobic, or simply frustrated being stuck in traffic means some of us aren’t the most polite people to be around.  Have you ever been guilty of cursing at another person, cutting someone off or making impolite gestures? From impolite behavior right up to physical aggression, road rage works at several different levels which result in stress, anxiety and often poses a significant threat to the health and safety of everyone on the road. 

If you’re driving to work in the morning and you experience road rage on your way it can have an impact on your work and cause unnecessary stress at work.  If you experience road rage on the way home you may end up taking it out on your family and create a stressful environment in your home.

It may surprise many people but if you use effective relaxation techniques you can overcome the road rage associated with stress and anxiety which will help you to become a more polite and defensive driver.

Here are a few relaxation techniques to help make that drive bearable:

—> Listen to a Stress Relief CD – Listening to a good stress relief CD everyday will help you to stay calm and focused when you would normally feel quite stressed.  It will help you to release your stress in a safe manner.

—> Listen to Music, audio books or talk back radio – This helps you to take your mind off the congestion and frustration of traffic and makes it a little more bearable

—> Relaxation Breathing Techniques – This will help you to become more focused and centered when you are experiencing stress or frustration in traffic.

—> Time Management – If you find one of the reasons you’re experiencing frustration in traffic is because you’re late then focus on methods to improve time management

It’s important to find stress management techniques that provide natural stress relief before, during and after your stressful drive in traffic. You can do this by investing about 20 minutes a day to release and de-stress. After all, with our ever increasing population, traffic is here to stay.  How you handle it is up to you. As I said in the beginning – “There’s only a few things to be sure of in life; death, taxes and traffic.”

A great new trend is beginning to form in forward thinking companies in an effort to tackle stress at work head on.  Several independent studies showed when people followed another passion other than work that they were more focused, handled work pressure better, were more balanced and had less time off sick.  This was first targeted by several H.R. Departments looking for strategies to reduce stress related illnesses in the workplace. They discovered by encouraging people to have a secondary focus other than work not only improved productivity but also gave their workers a way of venting stress.

It’s understandable when you understand the concept of a hobby as a relaxation technique.  With so much pressure everyday to perform and with work related stress on the rise it can be really hard to switch off at the end of each day. A hobby helps you to take your mind elsewhere, where you can focus on something different for a while.  There are many different hobbies you can try from dancing to writing in a journal.  The key is in finding one that you feel passion for.  Combined with other strategies like stress relief CD’s, relaxation breathing techniques and stress relaxation techniques will ensure you will have a happy less stressful lifestyle.

A recent article by CBS News shows the better you cope with stress and more often you use stress relief techniques, the better your cholesterol level is likely to be.

The Study was released at the 115^th annual convention of the American Psychological Association and discussed the 716 men that took part in the Normative Aging Study.  The average age of most participants were 65 and were evenly spilt between white collar and blue collar workers.

The study asked them to rate 26 different coping strategies they used as stress relief techniques.  Some were unhealthy like blaming themselves for stress or isolating themselves from others.  But there were also other positive stress relief strategies like planning how to overcome it and seeking help.

It has been known for years that stress affects your cholesterol levels and the more you experience stress the worse bad cholesterol (LDL) is present.  Stress basically raises total cholesterol and also raises LDL Levels. 

What does LDL have to do with Cholesterol and Stress Relief? To give you the really short version of a long story there are two different types of Cholesterol, HDL (High-density lipoproteins) and LDL (Low-density lipoproteins).  HDL is composed mainly of proteins and only a small amount of cholesterol and is known as good protein .  LDL is mainly composed of cholesterol, has very little protein and is known as bad cholesterol. LDL is primarily responsible for depositing cholesterol within arteries that can cause heart disease.

So you now understand the importance of reducing your LDL levels but how does that stop stress?

We all experience stress everyday, and it’s about eliminating stress but more important it’s about is your ability to handle stress.  If you use effective stress relaxation techniques like a stress relief CD, stress relief program or other stress relief exercises you can change how you’re body handles the stress.  Interesting the strategies that show the greatest result are generally forms of natural stress relief The key is to find positive ways to reduce and handle your stress at work, with your family and other areas of your life.  If left unattended you may suffer a heart attack or even worse. 

Ok, I’m going to try to stay off my soap box over this one.  I understand as a reformed smoker it’s important to keep an open mind on the subject.  So does smoking actually help with Stress Relief?  When I think back I remember when I felt stressed and wanted to calm down my first thought was generally to light up a cigarette. 

The right answer on getting rid of stress may be some type of Natural Stress Relief, but for a smoker it isn’t always that easy, especially since smoking is an addiction.  So what actually happens to make you feel so good?  Nicotine is a type of stimulant and one of the main ingredients in Cigarettes.  It releases a chemical in the brain called Neurotransmitters that regulate your moods and help to make you feel better after every cigarette.  But the down side is after a period of time the good mood disappears and you must have another cigarette to replace that feeling.

So, smoking in affect causes stress, simply because you experience stress if you don’t have one, and places you in a position where you need to constantly top-up your nicotine levels to continue feeling good.  In other words, you become addicted.

Here are 3 reasons smoking causes stress:

—> Stress Relief is only temporary: You will need to smoke another cigarette after a while to stop your body from experiencing withdrawal stress,

—> Smoking doesn’t actually solve your problems: They’ll still be there until you deal with them,

—> Smoking actually causes stress on your body – Studies have shown once you give up smoking your level of stress actually decreases.

It also appears work related stress has an impact on smoking … A recent article release by ninemsn in Australia shows 70% of smokers start smoking when they start in the workforce.  Also, men working over 50 hours per week are twice as likely to smoke then other workers.  In this article Dr Tony LaMontagne found smoking rates were closely linked to Stress. 

What’s the answer?  There’s no simple answer.  Obviously governments, employers and unions need to find ways to offer stress relief techniques other than smoking for their employees. 

But if you’re an individual looking at giving up there are always a number of different options.  You can use patches or gum, or you could be a hero like me and just go cold turkey.  If you use the cold turkey approach you will need different natural stress relief techniques to help your body’s withdrawal symptoms and to control the existing stress in your lifestyle.  You could try a good stress relief CD, exercise, relaxation breathing techniques or many other different stress management techniques.  By making your environment smoke free you’ll reduce your stress at work and will over all feel better for it, I know I did.

Did you know that one of the biggest stressors in the world that I've come across during 15+ years of coaching individuals, groups and couples is the stress that happens in relationships.

From broken hearts and homes to not wanting to go to work just to avoid facing that person whom you'd rather choke than work things out with learning simple stress management skills is vital if you want to stay happy, healthy and productive.

Healthy relationships begin and end with you setting the ground rules for how others treat you. Here are some handy stress management tips to get you started: 

Set Boundaries.

Many people will walk all over you if you let them. Setting boundaries means deciding what’s ok and what’s not ok when it comes to how people treat you.One of the easiest ways to do this is to practice using the word ‘no’.  All too often we say ‘yes’ when we mean ‘no’. Just by letting others know that you have limitations on what’s ok or not ok will send them a powerful message that you are in control of your life. 

Take Back Your Power.

You are either in control of your life or you’re not, there is no in-between. This means that no-one has the power to make your life a misery unless you allow them to.  Start taking back your power today by affirming to yourself in the mirror each morning upon awakening and each night before retiring to bed, “I love and approve of myself”. Just this action alone will make a huge difference. More on Stress Management Techniques for Healthy Relationships