Go ahead and acknowledge you have stress in your life. Embrace that fact. Stress exists for all of us, and comes from a variety of sources – some of which we control, and others over which we have absolutely no control at all. I’m no sociologist, but it seems to me that stress is the main barrier preventing our personal happiness. If that’s true, then would you agree that breaking through that barrier could lead to significant improvement in your emotional health and well being? Would you also agree that when you are stressed, it is difficult (if not impossible) to recognize the positive? It’s as if one displaces the other, and you only have space enough for one of them. Stress and positivity cannot coexist. At least, that’s what I’ve been pondering today. Granted, there are different kinds of stress in our lives, but if we focus on emotional stress – that is something we can control 100%! 
How do you manage stress? We collected a small sample of ideas this morning during our training session, and the flip chart pictured captures many of those ideas. There are ways to shift away from stress while you’re at work, and ideas to implement while you’re at home. This list is far from comprehensive. What would you add? What do YOU do to relieve stressful situations in your own life?
The Other Three
- Exercise – done
- Meditate – done
- Kindness – done
Gratitudes
- Hearing about significant ROI for a client – after only ONE month!
- Watching my daughter mature and grow into a beautiful young woman
- Reconnecting conversation with Laura C
- Safe and uneventful business trip
- Youth leaders who love my daughter
- New random dishes to capture better photographs of my food
- Warm fuzzy socks
- Email from Nancy about her start to the Dopamine Challenge
- Laughing when I realized I was wearing 4″ heels while doing dishes, knowing there’s no social expectation (because I am so not Donna Reed)
Positive Experience
Accepting the fact that it takes a variety of communities, our modern-day villages, to create great people (I wrote about that here), I witnessed my daughter in one of her most significant community circles tonight.
She was a key participant in a church youth program this evening, and as parents we were able to attend. My daughter was given an assignment in advance, and on her own prepared a talk, which she delivered with better oral skills than many adults I know. She performed a duet with one of her friends, and her voice sang out with such sweetness, purity and clarity, I was proud of her confidence and ability to share her many gifts and talents with others. Immediately following the program’s conclusion, she hurried to introduce me to one of her favorite youth leaders, about whom she’s been telling me since July of last year.
If community is about creating quality individuals, I am certainly grateful tonight for the community of strong women my daughter is building around herself.
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Good topic today. Very applicable to my mornIng thus far. Still in my stress zone though….
I’m having trouble learning to meditate – any suggestions anyone ??
Exercise will have to be a learned behavior for me – how can I learn to like it? Why don’t I like spending time outdoors? Why does it seem like an insurmountable challenge?
Kindness: Giving my husband more positive feedback on the small things he has been doing lately.
Gratitudes for the Day (so far!)
1. Leaving work early to have a family night at home.
2. Slept late this morning but still made it to work on time. (Treated myself to an extra half-hour!)
3. Watched Patrick (son) get ready for school and NOT wear blue jeans (khakis and a polo!!)
4. Have not had a single soda all day long…..and choosing to keep it that way.
5. When sorting papers last evening – finding $35 worth of usable gift certificates that are not expired. (Tucked in an old Party-Lite file….from the days when I used to sell things!)
6. Setting some personal goals to improve my home.
7. Received a nice note from one of my husband’s cousins – a real feel good, that what I do DOES matter!
Enough for now!
Debra:
On day 2, Christie shared that she gets meditation from reading. Following her suggestion, I’ve been starting my days with a reading and then meditating on it. It slows me down in the morning and starts my day off with a positive.
Stress it’s said, whether negative or positive, can be harmful to our health over time. Bummer.
Sometimes when I’ve been really stressed, I’ve made myself sit quietly and feel where it is in my body. This simple act of being still and taking time to focus on where I’m carrying the stress, surprisingly allows it to dissipate.
Take time to recognize where you store stress (you probably already know), your neck, your back, your stomach. Really focus on the area then send calm, love, and deep breaths to relax the spot.
This can be a great thing to do at night when you get into bed. Release the day for a relaxing sleep and a refreshed tomorrow!
Stress is normal, especially in work environments. Identifying ways to alleviate that stress is important. Do any of the ideas on the flip chart look helpful?
A lot of people struggle with exercise. Perhaps we shouldn’t use that term because most important is being active. However you choose to do that is great. Taking an evening walk with your family is a wonderful way to connect at the end of a long day, and doesn’t require a gym membership!
Ahhhh, just reading your recommendation makes me want to release from the day and relax. I know I’ll be asleep in minutes as soon as I do! Great suggestions, Karen! Thank you so much!
I agree! I started looking for the “like” button! I will try that.