Reminders
Yesterday I got a physical reminder of why it’s important to keep stress levels low by finding ways of coping with stress better. Most days I do this fairly well, but yesterday there were a number of issues at work and people I either needed to get information to, or get information from, or get in contact with, or help with probems etc. By the end of the day I was physically exhausted, even though I hadn’t done anything more physically active than being on vacation was! No, all the stress and the adrenaline had left me feeling quite weak and shaky. Not good!
The situation was taken care of fairly quickly by arriving home, having some food for my blood sugar levels, and relaxing for a little bit, but it is a nice little reminder of how much can go wrong physically if you let stress issues go for too long. One stressful work day where I didn’t pay attention to my stress level caused this, I don’t want to know what weeks or months of slacking on my stress-coping techniques would do to me!
Oh gosh! My stress levels seem to peak every day…what do you do to lower them?
Susan, what works to reduce stress is different for everyone, but generally when I’m at work I can do it by doing a little mental exercise where I make myself put what I’m stressed about in perspective and then it usually helps to find and see something silly that makes me smile. (That’s why I have a few silly things around my desk..) If it’s not a work sitiuation usually a little physical activity will do the trick, a nice long walk, especially if I bring my camera along. Something that combines the physical activity that is good for stress relieve and the oportunity to do something that I just plain enjoy can de-stress me pretty quickly.