This is a idea. I had to learn to leave work at work in order to have a less stress load. Sometimes we overwhelm ourselves and don't realize it.
Kerry ,
You made me want to go right out and get some aromatherapy oils. I usually recommend some more ideas but you seem happy with what your are doing. Best of all it works for you.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Some of the ways that I handle stress at work is aromatherapy oils. I have a specific blend called Peace and Calming. I drop some on my wrist and rub it together and put it up to my nose and breathe deeply. I then wipe it across my neck pulse points and through my Aura. When ever I walk in a room someone always remarks about how good I smell. I love to use meditation and visualization to feel more connected with my body. As you can probably guess, I am the Massage Therapy Instructor! :)
Monica,
Bringing work home and brining the stress of work home is defnitely not a good thing. We should have a balanced life of good heatlh habits, recreation, exercise and spiritual rejuvenation.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I stopped using the computer at home and working from home altogether. Not bringing work home has been a great way I've reduced stress.
Michael,
Positive motivation and focus has been good practices to keep the stress from taking over. We have stress that motivates us and if it doesn't become excessive we are rewarded by the accomplishments.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Something I try to remember when I feel stress at work is that I always do the best that I can. That usually knocks the edge off any stress that I feel.
Jeff,
it is interesting you refer to centering yourself. Dealing with stress is the ability to balnace yourself with good health habits, exercise, mental acitivity and spiritual rejuvenation. Your ability to breathe and step back is a great reaction to stress.
Dr. Gary Carlson
The easiest way for me to handle workplace stress is to simply stop and breathe. Giving myself a mental break and reminding myself that I'm capable of handling almost anything that comes my way prevents my self talk from spiraling out of control. When I get home I take 15-20 minutes to center myself and put all of my work thoughts into their proper place. Once this is done I'm ready to take on my kids without any of my work stress spilling over into my family life.
Sandra,
A sense of humor is important for our health. Laughing is a healthy medicine for all of us. When we can lead a balanced life with mental activity, exercise, healthy eating and spiritual rejuvenation we can approach each day stronger.
I am a bicycler and know what you are talking about when riding.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I always try to bring my sense of humor to work, to lighten the mood a little. There is a special effort I put into communicating to colleagues and students and that is a positive outlook, always find the silver lining. My personal stress reducer is running, I never feel so free as I do when I run.
Sophia,
If you can stepping back from a moment to clear your thoughts and set aside any emotion is a great technique. Many people so this in many different ways. Going for a walk, exercise, reading, meditation, rest and others are all great ideas to focus.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I find that taking a "time-out" for a few minutes helps me "de-stress". It doesn't have to be for long periods of time, if time doe not allow, just long enough to "walk-away" so that when you return you do so with a more positive outlook.
June,
Your techniques are excellent. It is a good habit to find yourself in when you can work through decisions without emotion and rely on trusted co-workers. Meditation is an age old technique that has been used for centuries. I am sure you have experienced great resolve in using these approaches.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I use mindfulness techniques and during a break I would meditate. This resets the autonomic responses to a stressful workplace.
I also find that talking through a crisis with coworkers can at times facilitate a more objective evaluation of the crisis. I try to take a step back and hear other perspectives, and often times a team approach generates more options for approaching a problem.
Dr. Jeff,
If we can control our behavior and then understand others behavior we have a chance of combating stress. Your final step was the best to use. We can control only what we can and the rest we must try to understand.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I have utilized the "stop, breathe, reflect, and choose" process a lot in my interactions with colleagues at work. In one meeting, a statement was made by a staff member about my department during an all campus meeting. I took it personally to a point of leaving the meeting early. After I got to my office, I reflected upon the statement and chose to confront the colleague about the statement only to discover after his explanation that he actually was talking about something entirely different. I had to stop, I took a breadth, reflected upon the statement and chose to seek clarification which I got.
Cara,
You are accomplishing your stress relief by communicating with someone you trust and stepping back by walking. A balance in your life keeps things in the proper perspective.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I have handled workplace stress by making sure I take a walk before I start my day with a co-worker. We talk about anything, but work and enjoy our daily cup of coffee together.
Asmir,
Stepping back with relaxation and exercise are all good stress release techniques. The balance in our life from health, recreation, physical activity, mental activity and spiritual rejuvenation are all good habits to balance your life.
Dr. Gary Carlson
