The 45 Essential Strategies for Stress Relief!

‘The 45 Essential Strategies
for Stress Relief!’
by
Carole Spiers MIHPE MISMA
World Authority on Corporate Stress
Carole Spiers Group
International Stress Management &
Employee Wellbeing Consultancy
www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.com. 2005
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Lighten up
Turn those dark thoughts
into sunny days. Always look
on the bright side of life.
Laugh your stress away
someone
Watch a funny video, read
a light-hearted book or speak to
a friend who makes you laugh.
Establish a balance
Realise most events in your
life will fall somewhere
between very positive and
very negative – find your
personal balance.
Surprise a friend or loved one
Take home a bunch of flowers, write
a
sage,
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
send a ‘thinking of you’ text
message or just make a phone call
to let someone know you care.
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Think positively
Write your problems down on
paper and deal with them one
by one.
Make every day special
Have fun!! Don’t take life
too seriously. Enjoy today as
if it was your last.
Try to be upbeat
Even when things go wrong,
try to take away some
learning and look on the
bright side.
Dial a friend
Make an effort to overcome
sadness and loneliness.
Isolation can cause loss of
confidence and leave you
unable to cope with your
stress, making you more
vulnerable to sickness.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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Keep anger in check
Try and deal with your anger.
It can be a major factor in causing
a heart attack!
Shake a leg
Exercise is great for beating
stress. Do some stretching
and breathing exercises
every day.
Have a ‘happy memories’ file
Gather together favourite
pictures, stories, quotations
and jokes that make you laugh
or smile.
Grab some zzzzzzzs
Lack of sleep leaves you
moody, angry and depressed.
A good night’s sleep is
essential to help you
recharge your batteries.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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Don’t beat yourself up
Accept that mishaps are routine and
normal in everybody’s life. Develop
a more positive outlook on life. Don’t
blame yourself for everything that
goes wrong.
Mix with fun people
Spend time with friends who are
naturally optimistic and have high
self-esteem. They are likely to
have lower stress levels.
Take a break
Give yourself a treat. Go shopping, or do
something that you really enjoy. It can
leave you feeling good for days
afterwards.
Take care of your spirit
It may mean no more than
taking a walk in the country or just
quiet, reflective time out of your day
to contemplate something more than
life’s everyday problems.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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Chill out
After a long day at work, go home
and take a bath. Light some candles,
put some essential oils in the water
and just lay back and enjoy.
Get a pet
Animals are a man’s best friend!
A pet can play a vital role in stress
relief. Just watching or stroking it
can be very relaxing.
Don’t overspend
Think before you buy! Being in
debt is a sure-fire way to increase
your stress levels!
Plan a vacation
Take regular breaks and some time
out. Don’t just save up your holiday
for a two week break – plan some short
breaks as well.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
Page 6 of 17
Create a diversion
Indulging in a hobby or sport
that you really enjoy is a great way
to get away from it all and forget all
your troubles. Pure escapism!
Yes…No…Maybe
Dithering makes you less efficient,
causing more stress by creating
stress-building feelings of guilt, anger
and low self-esteem. Stress gets
worse, the more you procrastinate!
Write it down!
Have a ‘to do’ list. Review it daily.
Relieve stress by thinking about
the task in hand and not overloading
your brain with unnecessary thoughts.
Eat, drink but don’t get too merry!
Food and drink can help to relieve
stress. However, remember a glass of
wine may relax you but too many will
only make your problems worse.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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De-clutter your life
If you are surrounded by
chaos, establish a routine
and spend some time getting
rid of clutter. Free up space in your
mind and free up your life.
Work-out not wear-out
Get physical but choose an activity
you enjoy or it won’t stand the test of
time. Work out or walk out, swim or
ride a bicycle. Exercise will help you
protect yourself against the physical
effects of stress.
Eat your way to contentment
Eat at regular times, avoiding sugar
and fats. If you are stressed out,
try foods low in fat and protein
and high in complex carbohydrates.
Try and eat your meals with friends
and family.
Relax your mind – meditate
Find a quiet place to be alone. Sit
very still and count your breaths,
keeping them slow and natural. Try
counting to 10, over and over. This
will slow down the mind and relax
the body.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
Page 8 of 17
Let off steam
Trainers are all you need! Find a steep hill
and start walking slowly to warm up and
then gradually quicken the pace. After 10
minutes you should be gently perspiring.
Swing your arms and get your whole body
moving. After 15 minutes head back at a
comfortable walking pace. Work that stress
out of your system!
Modify your thoughts
Replace your negative
thoughts with ‘stress-busting’
actions.
…and at work
How comfortable is your chair?
Muscular tension can be caused by
uncomfortable furniture or bad use
of good furniture. This can give you
backache. When working at a computer
make sure that the monitor and
keyboard are correctly positioned.
Take regular breaks to help prevent
headaches and eyestrain.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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Take humour to the office
Create a ‘humour break’. Share
stories, news clippings and
books that make you laugh,
with your colleagues.
Learn the art of delegation
If you do not learn to delegate you
will become overloaded with
unfinished tasks, making you stressed,
less productive and isolated by your
over-the-top expectations. Give clear
instructions for what is to be done and
make sure all your team knows who is doing what.
Give praise and thanks
Giving positive feedback for a job well
done will not only make the person you
are praising feel good, it will make you
feel good too!
Stressful meeting technique
When you are in a stressful
meeting and the temperature
is rising, suggest a short break and
take in some deep breaths of
fresh air before reconvening.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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Be decisive
Being decisive means being in control
and therefore alleviating stress.
Assert yourself
Express your feelings, disagree with
others when you feel differently, and
give, as well as accept, compliments.
Remember, be assertive not aggressive!
De-clutter your desk
If you work in a mess of clutter and
dirty coffee cups then clean up your act!
act, as this can cause unnecessary
stress. Disorganised surroundings
usually means a disorganised life.
Find an oasis of calm
Use meeting rooms separate from
the main work area if you need to
concentrate or meditate.
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
Page 11 of 17
Organise
Chunk your time into 2-hour
blocks
.
Don’t become a servant to email
• Exit email when focusing on a specific
piece of work
• Turn off all alerts for the arrival of new
messages
• Dont use email outside certain
working hours
• Tackle email in targeted bouts
• Use rules to send newsletters and alerts
directly to folders for reading in quiet moments.
Find time for yourself
Put 20 minutes ‘me time’ into
your diary
Be punctual without stress
Allow extra time for commuting
+ 30 minutes
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
Page 12 of 17
Do have fun
Have ‘one arrangement free’
weekend every month
Be strong
Learn to say ‘no’ to
unreasonable demands
© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
Page 13 of 17
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© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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© Carole Spiers Group - www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk 2011
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International Stress Management & Employee Wellbeing Consultancy
Gordon House, 83-85 Gordon Ave, Stanmore, Middx. HA7 3QR. UK
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 8954 1593 Fax: + 44 (0) 20 8420 7618
Email: info@carolespiersgroup.co.uk Website: www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk
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