Stress management

One of the most important things I’ve found in losing weight is managing my stress level. When I get too stressed out, not only does my body constantly feel worn out but I also have a much harder time motivating myself to exercise. Then of course there is the food… when you’re stressed out all you want to do is eat. The past two months have been ridiculously stressful at work for a number of reasons, so I thought I’d come up with a strategy to manage my stress.

There are several ways to manage stress, and not one way works all the time so I’ve tried to divide it into a seven-day course for that won’t be too taxing on the body, as well as on the mind.

1. Acknowledge stress is a good thing
I need to make stress my friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy cause by stress will enhance my performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see an athlete totally relaxed before a big competition. If i can use stress wisely to push myself that little bit harder when it counts most I’ll be able to accomplish more.

2. I’ll avoid stress sneezers
Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before I know it, I’m infected too! There are just some people at work that can really get me going. I will protect myself by recognizing stress in others and limiting my contact with them. Or if I’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.

3. I’ll learn from the best
During a hectic situation, when people around are losing their cool, I’ll pay attention to who keeps calm.  What is their attitude? What are they doing differently? What language do they use? If I can’t figure it out from afar I’ll sit them down for a chat. If I learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do soon others will by copying from me. Plus insulating myself with the cool as a cucumber group has got to rub off on me a little.

4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing
You hear this all the time on TV as a joke but this is something I’ve learned from a gym instructor: I can trick my body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. If I breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Then I can repeat the 7-11 breathing until my heart rate slows down, and things start to feel more normal.

5. I’ll give stressy thoughts the red light
This is a big one for me. I find that it is possible to tangle myself up in a stress knot all by myself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’ll all be looking for a new job!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste my energy worrying needlessly? Besides, even if it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can I do to prevent it? As long as I do my best all the time I don’t need to worry about the “What ifs”.

6. Know my trigger points and hot spots
Meetings, interviews, angry sales guys, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines…. My heart rate goes up just writing these down! I need to identify my stress triggers. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get me worked up? Does one project cause me more stress than another? A big trigger is whether I drink too much coffee.

Knowing what causes my stress is powerful information, as I can take action to make them less stressful.

7. Burn the candle at one end
Another big mistake I make is working too hard, then just spinning my wheels. Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on my body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as I often ignore it as a stress management technique. I need to listen to my mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!