Reducing Stress
Julie Bartkus
Motivate Teachers in Minutes: Reducing Stress According to the American Institute of Stress - surveys and research reports that have been collected over the past two decades reveal that: * 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress
* An estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints
* A three-year study by a large corporation showed that 60% of employee absences were due to psychological problems such as stress
* Nearly half of all American workers suffer from symptoms of burnout, a disabling reaction to stress
All these numbers reveal that workplace stress is common. The effects that stress has on people physically are common as well. The American Institute of Stress reveals that: * Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death, including heart disease,
cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide
* 75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress related complaints or disorders For more information from the American Institute of Stress please visit www.stress.org. The great news is that although there may be many factors that contribute to the stress you feel daily - there are ways that you can be proactive in reducing the bad stress you feel. This includes a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise and getting a good night's sleep. In the absence of these factors you will lower your tolerance for dealing with workplace stress effectively. Larry Lipman, a former high school teacher shares his top ten list for reducing stress in what can be a very stressful profession -- teaching. Larry is a success coach who facilitates fun team building programs for large and small organizations. Larry has made it a part of his mission to find the most effective and immediately applicable stress reducing techniques possible. He attends stress reducing conferences, learns the most up to date techniques and then puts the expert's tips to the test and shares what he believes to be the most effective tips with his audiences. Here's a summary of Larry's top 10 list of stress reducing techniques: 1. Avoid the victim stance. The quickest way to become stressed is to become "the victim" of any given situation and blame others. The quickest way out of a stressful situation is to be accountable and focus on solutions to the challenges you face. 2. Stay in the moment: GAIN PERSPECTIVE. Avoid worrying about future events. Stay focused on where you are right now and find joy in this moment. Studies show that many of the things we worry about never come to pass - so don't work your stress up by worrying about future situations.
3. CHUNK. Take baby steps (small chunks) when working on accomplishing a task. Sometimes the full task can feel overwhelming. Larry recommends when you're faced with a task that stresses you out just dive in and accomplish one small chunk of it and the process of completing the task will seem less stressful. 4. Let go of "control" issues and the need to be perfect. Learn to delegate and/or learn that the only thing you have control of is yourself and your reaction to situations. Become aware of what you feel you have to control, take a deep breath, pause, and let go if the situation is truly out of your control. 5. Vocabulary words. This is Larry's favorite. Words determine our moods for the day and ultimately our destiny. Change the words you use and you'll change the way you feel. Replace the word PROBLEM with the word CHALLENGE. Replace the word BUT with AND. Replace the word LAZY with STORING ENERGY. 6. Bring puppies to a nursing home. When you touch someone else's life in an amazing way you will feel amazing. Change the focus from yourself to someone else.
7. Keep in mind work loads are cyclical. Keep in mind that bad days or bad hours will pass. Don't generalize and think that your whole life is horrible because of one stressful situation. Be grateful for the blessings that you have in your life.
8. Take your breaks - mentally & physically. If you can't leave your physical space for a break, take mental breaks as often as you need them. Utilize your senses (sight, smell, and sound) to help you gain a new perspective. Use pictures, aromatherapy, and your favorite music to help you transform your mood. Keep a "happiness box" close by your workspace.
9. When you leave work, leave your work behind. Refrain from extensive venting about how horrible your day was. Look for the positives and take those thoughts home with you as opposed to the negative thoughts that will drain you if you continuously dwell on them.
10. When all fails, remind yourself that you chose this job. If you can remember this, it puts you in perspective and kicks out stress a little bit at a time. Be proud of this profession and remember that every day you have the opportunity to make a life-long impact on the life of a child. My full interview with Larry is featured in the "Reducing Stress" link below. It's a great audio program to listen to with your entire team.
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