one of the stressor is driving in traffic, as mentioned finding an alternate route will be great idea to reduce that stress.
I feel that I’ve learned to cope well with factors related to stress. I do all of the recommended activities involved in living a stress free life…Sharing, exercise, breathing, stretching, getting enough sleep. All have proven to be very beneficial and have helped me to be very successful.
What I feel I will do is exercise more. Trying to do 15 minutes a day. I am a very active person. Also what I have do in the past is lay down and go trough each major muscle in my body. Tighten each muscle and then relax the muscle. I found my whole body gets relaxed and most of my stressed is relieved.
Keep doing what I already do; workout, go for walks in nature with my dog, do yoga, go into my hot tub, meditation, and get massages.
I have learned from this module that dealing with tasks and issues before they become stressors is an effective way to reduce the overall stress level
Reorganize more demanding tasks when I am more rested. Exercise more--stretch--breath. Stay away from too much chocolate.
It would behove me to share some thoughts with supportive family/friends around me and get some suggestions on how to reduce stress or possibly eliminate the stressor of my list.
As an instructor, be well-prepared for class and arrange materials for easy identification and proper use.
Mark, Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have some really fun ways of relieving stress. Motorcross is not one that I hear of that often, but for those who love it, it can be a wonderful outlet. I like how you balance this with breathing techniques too. Motorcross is not always available to us when we really need it, but breathing is.
Dr. Melissa Read
John, So true. Short breaks can do wonders and sometimes, they are all that we instructors have. Even just taking a break to walk to the water fountain can help us take a mental break that makes us better when we return.
Dr. Melissa Read
Jennifer, Sounds like you have found some healthy coping mechanisms. I'd be curious to learn more about the kind of music you are listening to. Instructors seem to come in two varieties. There are those who seek peaceful music to relax. However, there are others who prefer loud music that matches their mood.
Dr. Melissa Read
Rhonda, Sounds like a great plan. Brief periods of exercise can work wonders. Some instructors think that you need to spend a lot of time exercising every day to see the benefits. That's not necessarily true. Short bursts work too!
Dr. Melissa Read
I use regular exercise as a means to eliminate or reduce stress. For example, when running, I am able to clear my mind and focus on the positive things I want to accomplish during the day.
With the high pace of our curriculm, taking short breaks through the day does reduce some of the stress.
I would practice motorcross on my 4 wheeler, stress relief with a secondary benifit. Being that it would relax me by practicing, I would also be more relaxed on the track.
Also focusing on breathing would help energy level during a race. If you don't practice good breathing tecnique you unkowingly hold your breath during high stress points during the race. Carrying breathing techniques into everyday life definately helps all high stress situations.
I personally like to take a walk or listen to music or both.
Listening to my favorate songs helps me to relax and put things into perspective.
I need to incorporate more opportunities for brief periods of exercise and to eat better.
Carrie, It sounds like you have landed in the right profession! Teaching can be very rewarding. Instructors who can use it to reduce the stress they experience have a major advantage.
Dr. Melissa Read
Oddly enough, teaching helps relieve most of my stress. Other than that, I try to go on a 2 1/2-3 hour hike at least once a week. I am going to try harder to incorporate more exercise into my daily routine. Exercise helps in so many ways.
start back up on my exercise/walking regieme
Taking breaks is the coping mechanism I use most. I like the idea of exercising but I have to work on it.
When I was a younger man I learned biofeedback and have since used that to ease stresses in my life. This is done by controlled breathing and by controlling ones own heart rate, in these states of meditation it is easy to find relief from the few stressors that come into my life. Having faced cancer, not much gets in the way of my finding calmness and tranquility in my daily life.
