Posts Tagged ‘stress’
Is Workplace Stress Necessary?
One of the most difficult forms of stress to avoid is workplace stress. You have to go to work and once there you run across many stressing situations. But stress is not totally necessary. As with other forms of stress, there are ways to manage the stress found in the workplace. And if you cannot avoid it, then try to manage it.
Workplace stress is often manifested by everything needing to be completed today. As an example, your boss has already given you dozens of things to do, each with equal importance. Of course, there isn’t enough time to do all of them justice. And in addition, your boss comes and asks about a report or project completed sometime ago and when you get that, here is more work to do. It appears never ending but it is manageable.
Begin to manage the stress by focusing on one task at a time. If you attempt to multi-task you will not be successful as it causes you to constantly change your focus. This takes time and makes extra demands on your brain as you change your thoughts from one task to another and back. Maintaining your focus on a single project helps to keep your thoughts and energy concentrated instead of being scattered by multiple projects
One of the biggest distractions is your coworkers. Someone is invariably asking for your opinion or time to help them with their projects. If possible, fend off these time wasters to prevent loss of focus. Learning to say “no” can prevent distractions. “No” can be highly effective though it may be better to say “No, not right now”, or “After I am done with this”. This may give you time to complete what you are doing. And by the time you finish, the coworker may have found a solution of their own, but if not, then you can easily help them.
Sometimes your concentration just runs out causing all types of difficulties. You find yourself reading that paragraph for the tenth time and still don’t know what it meant, or you have been staring at the computer screen for who know how long and still don’t know what it means. Your brain is shutting down and you are becoming ineffective yet the deadline looms. Now is the time to distract yourself by getting up to get a drink, go to the restroom or take a short walk around the building, anything to get your mind off the task for a minute or so. When you return to the project you will be more effective and have lowered the stress level.
There are various exercises you can do while at your desk to help in reducing stress. Get a little stress ball and squeeze it regularly and do some stretching exercises while at your desk. When you work your muscles it helps maintain circulation and keeps you alert and aware. You won’t manage a full body workout sitting at your desk, but any amount of exercise will help to keep you focused.
Lastly, examine your work environment to make sure it is comfortable for you. Is it too noisy? Is your desk the proper height? Are you comfortable? Is everything ergonomically correct? If you want to work without undue distraction you need to be comfortable to prevent more stress. Therefore, your work space needs to be set up just right for you. If you address the little things in your work space you will be able to work more consistently and confidently.
Stress in the workplace is a part of working. But, with proper management, it is possible to minimize it. When you do that work becomes more pleasant and you end up being more productive. Take care of yourself and the area around you first and the stress will not control you.
Tags: Home, manage, management, managing stress, managing stress successfully, Sports and Gaming, stress, stress management, stress management techniques, Stress Management tips, successful, successful management, successfully managing stress, work
How Do You Deal With Suprising Panic Attacks
the general public with nervousness states are simply more alert and aroused than the general population. The chemical processes which underlie anxiety are complex but essentially lead to the body being put into an optimum state of preparedness. One way of having a look at tension is the body goes into this state of preparedness without a rational external reason. For many anxiousness sufferers there is a straightforward cure which activates an attack.
To start with, one must look at simple factors which pre-dispose sufferers to panic episodes. Being hungry or beat can regularly be a factor and simply eating regularly and getting plenty of sleep is one cure similarly, some people report that they’re more prone to these apparently spontaneous panic attacks after partaking of alcohol the day before.
Sometimes, spontaneous panic attacks are not really spontaneous. There’s a great deal of research which shows that sometimes the arousal occurring when one gets angry can be misinterpreted as hysteria and occasionally a panic episode may actually be a feeling of hate which presents itself a little later after the original event which caused the problem. Sometimes, there are more factors that may produce nervousness which are not so obvious.
However, some panics seem to be really spontaneous. The first thing to do is to keep a diary and record these panics, trying to also not what may have come before them in order to isolate a cause. Second, keep a note of what you drink and eat. In some cases, panic may be triggered by the intake of alcohol ( as discussed previous ) or tons of powerful black coffee. If a diary keeping exercise doesn’t reveal a cause, think about strategies of continuously reducing your base’level of arousal’. Though things like relaxation coaching and Yoga may be helpful, it is worth considering adding regular methodical exercise to your routines. There’s a great deal of proof which shows that routine exercise, a minimum-of 20 minutes, three times a week, can reduce states of high arousal. It’s also worth looking at your pattern of respiring and seeing whether or not you are hyperventilating. It could be that you are respiring rather fast from the top of your chest and, some tell-tale indications are presence of pins and needles, yawning and sighing, feeling knackered or having muscle cramps. The cure for this malady is slow, but not deep, diaphragmatic respiring. The ‘No Panic’ help-line will help you, if needed, in learning some simple respiring exercises.
Finally remember that panic can do you no real harm. Glaringly, thus one wants to take a look at how one thinks about such panics and whether there is a pattern of catastrophic thinking. Therefore, one might reply by asserting hysteria puts the body into an optimum state of readiness, one’s heart muscle is in an exceedingly healthy condition during increased arousal. Or one may say I’ve had these panic attacks on many occasions and i have had the same though and I am still alive! Such straightforward self-help strategies can often be successful however, if spontaneous panic and catastrophic thinking is a problem that may not reply to self-help methods you should consider asking for a referral to an appropriate cognitive behavior specialist and, again, it may be worthwhile asking the help-line for advice. .
Tags: alternative medicine, anxiety attacks, depression, Fitness, heath, Mental Health, Panic Attacks, Psychology, self improvement, social issues, stress
Hot tub chemicals
Buying a hot tub is a exciting investment that will bring you pleasure for years to come. However many people wonder how much maintenance is involved in keeping a hot tub clean. All through this article I’ll explain the basics of keeping your hot tub clean and safe for everyone to use.
Whether you’re buying a hot tub long line, or from a retail hot tub store, the person helping you with your purchase should be able to fill you in with the basics of how to keep your hot tub clean and clear. However once you walk out the door and no one is there to answer questions maintaining a hot tub can’t seem to be a little tricky side.
Starting with a clean and clear fresh water, and a clean tub shell is one of the most important parts about maintaining clean water in your hot tub. After your hot tub is full, some ways you can help keep the water clean and safe are by adding chlorine, bromine, scum out, star bright, and stain and scale defense chemicals.
Many chemicals added to your hot tub need to be done on a weekly basis. However it is a good idea to check the balance of your pH on a daily, or every other daily basis. Doing this will ensure that your hot tub does not get out of whack so far that you cannot get it back into balance without emptying your hot tub.
If you do not like the smell of chlorine, there is ways around using it. There is another chemical on the market called bromine that comes in a cartridge format will self dispense itself into your hot tub for up to 60 days. If your hot tub does not have the option for a bromine cartridge, you can buy it and tablets and in a granule form as well. Remember only to use one of the other only chlorine or bromine there is no need to use them both. If neither one of these chemicals works for you, there are organic ways of keeping your hot tub clean and clear also
Tags: Design & Remodel, family, Fitness, Health, home improvement, Hot Tub, life, relaxation, spa, stress, theropy
Your Stress Management Tips
Stress is part of everyone’s life and can cause problems with your health. Finance and money are frequently among the first of the stresses that most people feel. However, families and work are also a frequent cause of stress and tension. Use the following tips to ensure that you deal with your stress in a healthy way.
Examine the source of your stress.
See if you can make changes in the areas of your life where you are feeling stress.
Find ways to relax such as massage, deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
Incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle.
Prioritize your tasks and list them. Completing this list and checking things off will give you a sense a satisfaction and reduce your stress.
Sugar, fats, tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol will put stress on your body and will affect the way that your body and mind copes with stress. Eat a healthy diet.
Getting enough sleep is really important.
Talk with someone if there are things that are bothering you. This can include friends, family, professional counselors, and support groups.
Find someone who needs your help. Helping others can give you a sense of purpose.
Take some personal time. This can include reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, or any other personal time that you enjoy.
Recognise and deal with your anger.
Take a vacation, no matter how short a time you can afford to get away.
Dont take on too many tasks at one time. Learn to pace yourself.
Remember that nobody is perfect.
Try not to judge others harshly.
Always try to see the amusing side of any situation. Laughter is the best medicine.
Move your head from side to side and rotate you neck in a circle to reduce the tension in your neck and jaw.
Try setting goals using the SMART approach. You can set small goals and work carefully and realistically towards them. Unless a goal is realistic it will add to your stress. Practice by setting a goal using the SMART approach. This is the way to set SMART goals:
SPECIFIC: Pick one small goal and write it down.
MEASURABLE: How will you know when it is done?
ACHIEVABLE: How long will it take to finish it?
REWARDED: When you have finished, how will you reward yourself
TIME-LIMITED: Can you set an achievable deadline?
Laugh at stress. Laughter is your body’s natural stress-release mechanism. Rent your favorite funny movie or record a TV show that you know makes you laugh. You can keep the recording on hand for those stress emergencies. Go to the library and borrow a book that you know will make you laugh. Or read the daily comics in the newspaper.
Cope with stress by going for a walk. If the stress is at work, go for a walk at lunchtime. Walking will give you time to look at the situation that is causing you a problem. Any other exercise will also help with stress relief.
Tags: exercise, Fitness, Health, manage stress, stress, stress management
Tips to Manage Your Stress
Stress and tension are part of most people lives and threaten your health in many ways. Stress can come in the form of accidents, financial difficulties, problems at work, family issues, and poor health. The way to manage stress has a lot to do with your mental, emotional, and physical health. The following are some ways that you can manage the stress in your life:
Try to find out what is causing your stress.
See if you can make changes in the areas of your life where you are feeling stress.
Find ways to relax such as massage, deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
Exercise or other physical activity will help you deal with stress
Practice time management. Put your tasks into a priority list. When you make your list take into account yourself, your family, and your job. Using a check list will give you satisfaction when you complete a task.
Avoid sugar, fats, tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol to help your body and mind to cope with stress.
Getting enough sleep is really important.
Talk with someone if there are things that are bothering you. This can include friends, family, professional counselors, and support groups.
Find someone who needs your help. Helping others can give you a sense of purpose.
It is important to relax by reading a book or listening to music. Time spent with a hobby you enjoy is a great stress reliever.
Anger can be very stressful. Examine the causes and take action to remove them.
A short holiday will help you deal with stress.
Don’t take on too much at one time. Learn to take it easy.
Perfection is impossible – don’t even try for it.
Remember that being judgemental is likely to do you more harm than the people you are judging
Laugh whenever you can, even at yourself now and then.
Move your head from side to side and rotate you neck in a circle to reduce the tension in your neck and jaw.
Practice realistic goal setting using the SMART approach, set small and realistic goals to accomplish the tasks you have to do and reduce your stress. Try setting a goal using the SMART method:
SPECIFIC: Pick one small goal and write it down.
MEASURABLE: Can you count it or check it off a list?
ACHIEVABLE: Make sure it is not too big.
REWARDED: Reward yourself when you reach your goal.
TIME-LIMITED: In order to be a SMART goal it must have a realistic finish date and time.
Learn to laugh. The best stress reliever is laughter. Make sure that you have a funny movie or copy of a sitcom that always make you laugh for the times that stress threatens to overwhelm you. Read a funny book or comic, talk to someone who will make you see the funny side of life.
Another good way to deal with stress is to walk away from it all instead of sitting down for another cup of coffee on your coffee break, lunch hour or when you are sitting at home. A short stress-relieving and energizing walk will help you cope with immediate stress by giving you a chance to step back and think about something else for a few minutes. And the exercise will do you good! Consider starting a walking club at work so that you can have company while you walk during your lunch hour.
Tags: exercise, Fitness, Health, manage stress, stress, stress management
Simple Stress Management
Relaxation plays in a key roll in leading a healthy happy life. Without relaxation it is difficult to stay on task, make good decisions, and be productive. Relaxation also has many physical benefits which include lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension, and increased blood flow to muscle groups to name a few. Some people think relaxation takes hours, but relaxation can take place in as little as ten minutes a day.
Some people think relaxation needs to be something extreme such as a seven year sabbatical or a three month vacation, this is not the case. The key is to find something you enjoy and teach your mind new tricks! Relaxation can happen anywhere, at home, in the office or while driving.
There are many ways in which you can relax. Finding your method is really your biggest obstacle, but it is easy, just think about what you enjoy most. Maybe you like listening to music, reading, meditating or walking. Any of these activities can be a relaxation method and can be scaled down to as little as ten minutes.
Something simple like watching TV, listening to music, surfing the web and reading offer a break from regular day to day situations. Books can create a world completely different from your own as can a good movie or song. Each of these activities help your mind escape into a visually exciting place.
Meditation can help you learn to control your body’s reaction to stress through reflection and deep breathing exercises. These techniques must be learned and practiced regularly to insure maximum results. You can achieve full relaxation through ten minutes of meditation, and most people have ten minutes to spare in their busy lives.
The gym or fitness classes have an appeal to many as well. Some like to run, walk or lift weights in order to relax. Others might prefer a cycling, kick boxing or tai chi class. Running and walking burn off built up energy and are a great stress reliever, however not everyone wants to run a marathon. For them there are other classes and their purpose is relaxation, such as yoga. Many people choose to skip the classes and gym all together and simply walk their dogs in the park which offers equally as much stress relief.
Your body will tell you what it likes and what it doesn’t like, you just need to learn to listen. Take note of what worked and what didn’t while you were practicing different relaxing techniques. If one doesn’t work don’t be afraid to try a different approach. Make sure to keep yourself motivated by reminding yourself you will be healthier and happier in the end and think how nice it is to do something enjoyable.
Teaching your body something new is always a challenge, however once you get the hang of it, it is like riding a bike, your body won’t forget how. It is important to find an activity which you enjoy and know you will stick with, but you must make a conscious effort to remind and train your body to relax while performing this task. It may take time, but in the end the rewards will be fantastic for your mind, body and lifestyle.
Tags: addiction, family, Family and Friends, Fitness, health fitness, health wellness, hypnosis, Illness, quit smoking, stress, tobacco, treatments, weight loss
Reduce Fatigue In 5 Natural Ways
What are the causes of fatigue?
There are many different reasons for people experiencing fatigue. It can be as a symptom of a number of health conditions, including viruses or bacterial infections. Fatigue can also occur as a result of stress. The problem is a common one with the numbers of people reporting this issue rising constantly.
Could fatigue be caused by stress?
After exploring and discounting health conditions there are some natural approaches that can be helpful. If other illnesses have been discounted the cause can often be stress in one form or another. If the stress is unresolved the condition could develop into a chronic one such as M.E. (Myalgic Encephomyalitis) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Prevention is better than cure!
It is estimated that over 2% of the population is now suffering from ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There are techniques that can be learnt to reduce stress naturally. These techniques can reduce fatigue when used regularly whilst also helping to prevent the onset of a chronic condition.
How can relaxing help when I am fatigued?
For some people, the thought of relaxing feels pointless when they are attempting to improve their energy levels. The point is, when the system is under stress, there is a constant switched-on tendency. This activation of the stress response is a major factor in the cause of fatigue.
What can I do to reduce fatigue?
A fatigued system can benefit from regular deep relaxation of the mind and body. This type of relaxation is different to the kind we experience whilst sleeping. There are many forms of focused relaxation techniques that are easy to perform. Guided relaxation recordings can be helpful for some.
Focussed breathing techniques
Through Chi Gung, Yoga and Tai Chi, breathing practices have been used for thousands of years as part of eastern traditions. Breathing practices have been proven to have many physiological benefits by Western medical science more recently. When experiencing stress and anxiety people tend to breathe in a shallow way. More stress can be caused by this poor quality breathing leading to more fatigue.
Self-applied acupressure
The use of acupuncture in reducing stress is proven to be effective. The acupuncture studies show that acupressure can be more effective in some cases for conditions such as stress and anxiety. There are forms of acupressure that use tapping techniques in a self-applied form. Specific points on the head and body can be tapped using the finger tips in order to reduce fatigue causing stress.
Do you need more water?
Dehydration is common and can be a cause of fatigue. In order for our system to operate at optimum levels, adequate water is needed. Drinking too much tea and coffee can cause us to lose water due to their diuretic nature. Extracting water from sweet carbonated drinks takes considerable effort from our systems. Fresh drinking water is a good replacement for our regular drinks and can be taken warm or cold.
Are you eating the right foods?
Avoid sweets, chocolate and other processed sugary foods as a pick-me-up. These might increase energy in the short term, but cause a dip in energy soon afterwards. If you are looking for something sweet, try fresh or dried fruit. Foods containing complex carbohydrates including wholegrain, oats, muesli, and brown rice are beneficial. These break down more slowly than the simple carbs in sugary foods and provide a more steady stream of energy.
In summary
There are many forms of fatigue producing stresses that are unavoidable. We live in a world of over stimulation and constant communication. In order to reduce fatigue, we need to take time-out to nurture our systems. Just a few minutes a day using natural techniques for reducing stress will help.
Tags: fatigue, Fitness, Health, health and fitness, Illness, stress, tiredness
