Top Stress-Busters

When your stress levels go up, your enjoyment of life goes down. Plus, stress can create a wide variety of physical and emotional problems such as:

• Increased blood pressure, heart problems and nervous tics
• Irritability, constant fatigue and disturbed sleep
• Lowered immunity, headaches and muscle aches.

So, what can you do about stress?
You can start by correcting those bad habits that cause added stress in your life. Here are some of the more common habits – and some helpful ways to correct them:

if you’re disorganized – you may be irritated every time you can’t find something you need. To correct this bad habit:

• Use lists and notes to write down the things you need to do – it’ll help keep you organized, focused and on top of things
• Avoid clutter by tidying up your home, your desk and your car – this will make it easier to find important items without going into a frenzy
• File important papers when you receive them, instead of heaping them in different piles and shred them when you don’t need them anymore
• Store your car keys and cell phone in the same place every time, so you can easily find them – it’s a small way to rid yourself of frantic runarounds.

if you’re constantly running late – you’re likely to feel agitated, bothered and possibly anxious each time you get to your destination. To correct this habit:

• Plan ahead by scheduling enough time to get to any meeting or appointments
• Write down appointments 15 minutes earlier than they’re scheduled. Add in extra time for traffic problems or last minute phone calls.
• Trick yourself – set your watch ahead a few minutes.

if you’re procrastinating too much – you’re likely to be worried about getting important things done on time. To correct this habit:

• Do the 20-minute challenge. Take 20 minutes to work on a project, doing as much as you can, and then give yourself permission to quit after 20 minutes is over. If you do several of these challenges every day, you’ll be surprised how much you accomplish.
• Make your “big” projects more manageable by breaking them down into smaller tasks. You can use a group of “20-minute challenges” to finish a big project in smaller steps.
• Create “to do” lists, and as you complete tasks, update them constantly.

if you’re a perfectionist – you’re likely to be taking on too many extra tasks and responsibilities. To correct this habit:

• Let go – understand that perfectionism makes you want to be in control all of the time, and this brings you lots of extra stress. Try this: On less important tasks, let others take the lead role while you play a supporting role.
• Delegate tasks – here, you won’t even be playing a supporting role. Instead, you’ll give up the entire task to someone else. And try to be okay with any task’s end results, even if they’re not quite up to your perfectionist standards. You can help lower the stress from your life by following these tips. It’s important because by lowering your daily stress, you’ll have more energy, sounder sleep and a better mood throughout the day.

Source: VitaJournal April 2008 pg 6.