Now You're Talking

Linda Blair, author of Straight Talking, gives some tips on overcoming stress.

Stress.  It seems no one can escape this scourge of modern life.

Even school children nowadays frequently complain that they're 'stressed out'!

Therefore, I guess it's not surprising that the most frequent question I'm asked is how to reduce stress levels.  How is it possible to minimise the pressures that lead to anxiety and panic attacks, that interfere with your powers of concentration, and that regularly rob you of sleep?

To answer that question, you need to start by switching your focus.  The real problem isn't 'out there'.  It's not so much the stressors you need to change as it is your reaction to those stressors.  Changing your focus will help you immediately, because it allows you to feel you've regained some control over the way you feel. That is, even when you can't change the stressors themselves, you can choose how to react to them.

In my book Straight Talking, you'll find lots of suggestions to help you deal more effectively with stress.  These suggestions are, however, only intended as templates--that is, they're starting points from which you can then design more precise methods to help you in your own life.  To illustrate what I mean, let me describe two such suggestions.  The first one is taken directly from my book.  The second one, on the other hand, I've modified so it can help someone who's feeling overloaded by demands at work, or who's feeling unable to cope with a busy household.

1.  Paced Breathing

The noisiness of modern life is itself a stressor.  Learn to take regular breaks from the constant interruptions to your thoughts.

Once each day, turn off your phones and computers, and ask not to be disturbed for five minutes.  Alternatively, set your alarm five minutes earlier than usual and start the day with this exercise.

Find somewhere comfortable to sit or lie down.  Close your eyes.

Breathe in slowly through your nose, counting 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004.

Now breathe out slowly through your mouth, counting 1004, 1003, 1002, 1001.

Do this 40 times, and then slowly open your eyes, stretch out, and return to your normal activities.

2.  Regaining a sense of control over your life:  Prioritise and Simplify

Set aside 15 minutes each week.  Start by writing down everything you hope to achieve in the coming week.

Next, organise your list according to importance--the most important or pressing item is first; the next most pressing item is second; and so on.

Wherever necessary, break each item into steps such that no one step will take you more than two hours to accomplish.

Rewrite your list, making each step an item in itself.

Put your list somewhere you can see it often.

Tick off each item once you've completed it.

Aim to tick off the top three to five items each week -- all the rest are a bonus!

Posted 20/05/2008 11:18:26 by Linda Blair with 0 comments.