Ted, These are all great approaches and work well for other instructors. I should note that it's not always possible for instructors to jump in an do a bunch of new things at once. If this describes you, you might consider starting with just once of these things and working your way up.
Dr. Melissa Read
Mark, Nice! That sounds like great exercise in the summertime any nice way to center yourself for the day. I imagine in the winter this routine can be a bit tough. Sometimes when we live in cities with extreme weather conditions, we've got to mix things up a bit.
Dr. Melissa Read
I will take coping "breaks" for stress relief, get adequate sleep and discuss stress factors with close friends & family.
The way I deal with stress is by working out. Normally, the solution or how to deal with the stress comes to me during my workouts. I figured this one out a long time ago.
A long run followed by a nice warm bath does wonders for me when I need to reduce stressors from my life :)
I walk to work in the morning after a train ride into the city. Chicago at 5:30 in the morning can be relaxing in the spring and summer, ( except for the weather this season).
To deal with my stress I excercise regularly, I eat well and get plenty of sleep. I also make sure to make time for me to keep my social life active so I don't feel like its "all work and no play". No one likes a being dull. :)
Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. I also find when I am able to turn everything to my Lord and realize that everything is in His hands it takes the stress off of me!
One of the things I will do is take a "time out." Sometimes just walking away and "destressing" helps the situation.
I'll be evaluating what my stressors are and looking for new ways to cope with or manage levels of stress.
Crystal, That sounds like a healthy approach and I completely agree. Negativity in others has a big impact on our own outlook and can cause us to experience stress when it close proximity to it. We've got to stay focused on the positive and positive people in our lives. It's too easy to let others drag us down.
Dr. Melissa Read
Shawn, That sounds like a wonderful outlook. Sometimes, the amount of stress we experience is really set by the expectations we have of ourselves and others. If we are reasonable with our expectations, we can breath much easier.
Dr. Melissa Read
I have a very care free type of attitude towards the things in my life I know I can't change. This helps me cope with those stressors. I realized along time ago to stop and take a deep breath then let things go and deal with them to the best of my ability and the rest will take care of it self.
I would like to walk to relief my stress, but because of my solar sensitivity it prevents me to do outdoor activities. So I will spend more time stretching, breathing, and walking on a treadmill. Also, I will listen to the classical music station on the way home to keep mind off from work and relax my brain.
Also, I like the idea of riding a bike which it gives me the illusion of I am moving away from the stressors faster than I actually am.
My way of coping with stress is watching real world crime investigations. They give me an opportunity to observe how other think and I love sharing the stories with my classes.
You always have those few people who are just plain negative about everything, and there is nothing you can do to change them. Negativity leads to tension/stress in that environment. I have learned to separate myself from them whenever possible, thus eliminating any chance of me being unnecessarily stressed.
Tim, Sounds like you have a lot of positive coping mechanisms that help you deal with stress. I like the way you mention keeping the mood light. Some of us to realize how important this can be and how much of a difference it makes.
Dr. Melissa Read
Bernadette, Cycling is such a wonderful outlet! It's great because we can connect with others who have a similar interest and discover so many new places outdoors together.
Dr. Melissa Read
To reduce the stress I like to take a hot bubble bath, talk to my husband about my stressful day or put my stress into an imaginary box in my head. I use this 'stress' box at work to put home stressors in, so I can focus on my job, then when I get home I decide when to take them out and deal with them. Vice versa at home for work related stressors. In the future, I plan on getting back into more exercising and stretching. It's nice to see everyone posting about how good a simple bike ride or short exercise routine makes them feel. I'm motivated now to incorporate exercise back into my life. I don't know why I stopped doing it in the first place...stress I guess. LOL. Also I used to have my students do stretching exercises in the morning to start our class, in the future I'm bringing that back, to help them and me to deal with our stress during the day.
I love cycling!!! Any form of exercise leads to stress relief. Spending quality time with my family and friends, whenever possible, is helpful as well.
