Posts Tagged ‘Stress’

Get Rid of Stress by Choosing Joy

Monday, June 10th, 2019

According to the American Psychological Association, 62 percent of Americans say that work significantly increases their stress. Imagine that—almost two out of three working Americans spend a third of their lives in an environment they consider stressful!

This is crazy! Life’s too short to live like that! So change things!

Now I’m not suggesting that you quit your job and go relax on the beach for the rest of your life. You’ll get a whole new kind of stress when the money runs out.

Instead, keep your job and choose to live happy. Choose against stress! Stress is your interpretation of events. You can be relaxed or crazed as you choose.

So you get a task that seems impossible. Why stress? It’s an opportunity to step up and knock it out of the park!

You have 20 phone calls to make in 30 minutes…why not do it with joy? It’s time to blow them away. How accomplished will you feel after the fact?

Attitude is a choice. Stress is a choice. Choose to live happily.

Get the chip off your shoulder

Sunday, July 20th, 2014

I’m willing to bet that everyone reading this has known someone with a massive chip on their shoulder. Maybe you’ve even been that person, who knows?

Well, you probably do—and those around you definitely do.

Have you ever noticed that people who walk around with a chip on their shoulder don’t seem all that eager to knock that chip off? They nurture it like a beloved child. As long as the chip is there, they can say “Woe is me” and embrace the victim role because someone has hurt them.

People can’t make you feel bad. You do that to yourself by interpreting their intent and keeping that chip where it is. We all do it—but it isn’t good for anyone.

Instead, change your interpretation of that remark or action that hurt you. There’s a good chance you can see it in a different light, one that helps you climb up out of that hole.

Better yet, talk directly to the person, even if it’s the CEO of the company. More often than not, you’ll find that the intention was not what you thought. Clear, honest, authentic communication benefits everyone.

Take NO Pride in Being Frazzled!

Sunday, July 14th, 2013

Far too many people in the workforce today wear their worn-out, run-down, bleary-eyed frazzle like a badge of honor, as if THAT’s the outcome that drives success.

It isn’t.

If you want to improve the quality of your work, boost your productivity and impress the boss, you won’t do it by showing your frayed edges at every opportunity. The key is to become a well-oiled machine, NOT an overheated engine. Only the first one is of any use in the long run.

I know what some of you are thinking: You can’t cut back. You are barely keeping everything together as it is. If you slow down, you’ll drop the ball. And you may be right. So the key isn’t to slow down—the key is to handle the speed better. And like a car running at high speed, that might mean doing a little maintenance.

First and foremost, take responsibility for your physical and emotional health. Get rest, eat right, and exercise. If you see a frazzled, sleep-deprived face in the mirror, consider it not as a badge of honor but a failure to maximize your abilities by taking proper care of yourself.

Second, every time you hear yourself proudly complaining about how worn out you are, STOP. Refuse to take pride in anything but results.

It takes some doing, since we’re so conditioned to relish our exhaustion. But once you do it and see your productivity and quality of life go through the roof, you’ll never go back to that tired old illusion again.

What if You HAD to Chillax?

Sunday, April 28th, 2013

Imagine that your doctor told you that your life depends on cutting your work time and effort in half. But you know you can’t afford to be any less productive. How would you do it?

This isn’t some wild hypothetical. Many people find themselves in this exact situation when a commitment to success results in high blood pressure, cardiovascular stress, and other serious physical side effects of working too much of the time in too high a gear. It can cut years off your life.

But when the physician sits these folks down, looks them in the eye and says, “You’ve GOT to cut back on your work, NOW,” they almost always say the same thing: “I can’t.”

What they mean, of course, is that they can’t drop any of the balls they are juggling. And you know what? They might be right. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do.

If you are in this situation yourself, the answer is to learn everything you can about productivity. There are countless books on the topic, as well as websites, DVDs, and audiobooks. Pick whichever format works for you. Learn what it means to work smarter instead of harder. Learn how to put systems in place that will multiply your effectiveness. Learn how to get rid of drains on your time and effort that aren’t adding a THING to your productivity. You will be amazed with your capacity to improve.

So why wait for doctor’s orders? Stress isn’t good for anyone. Get busy NOW learning what productivity is really about.

NO is not a four-letter word! Responding to stressful times.

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

Ask Roxanne!

Dear Roxanne,

I’m seriously losing it. Our staff has been reduced again, and I’m taking on more and more. I feel like the boss is counting on me, but I have never had so many plates spinning at once, and a crash is inevitable. What can I do?—Kristina W.

Dear Kristina,

Stop treating yourself like a machine, that’s what. Working hard is a terrific thing, but the human mind and body have limits. If you push yourself beyond those limits for too long, it becomes counterproductive. (more…)