From outward appearances, Richard looked the part of a successful up and coming mid-level executive, which he was. But, despite his success, he shared a common malady with people from all walks of life. “Frankly,” he confessed, “I feel like my life has become Chinese fire drill being conducted on a treadmill stuck on its fastest speed.”
Richard was one of six individuals during a five day period who told me about stresses brought about by career pressures, personal challenges and family problems. Here are a few other comments I heard during that week:
“I just feel like I’m coming a part at the seams…”
“I can’t concentrate…”
“Half the time I can’t get motivated…”
“I’m tense all the time…”
“I get so stressed out by work that I become short with my wife and kids…”
From all indications, all this wonderful technology that has made it easier for us to communicate, entertain ourselves and do our work has created higher levels of stress. The cell phone, email, and text messaging have made us accessible 24/7, making it harder to leave work behind and just take an afternoon or week-end off. Add to that the accelerated pace of doing business in the twenty-first century; economic pressures, and trying to balance work, family and personal time and it is little wonder that problems with stress are becoming, in the words of one mental health report, “epidemic.”
A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reveals that:
- 70-80% of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related and stress-induced illnesses
- Stress contributes to 50% of all illness in the United States
- The cost of job stress in the U.S. is estimated at $200 billion annually, including costs of absenteeism, lost productivity, and insurance claims
Stress Is Making Us Sick
Stress has been proven to be a cause of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and many allergies. It also has been shown to manifest itself in other ways, including tension, migraine, headaches, upset stomach, change in appetite, tightness in chest, back, shoulders, aching jaw, tight forehead, shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, constant low grade fever, rashes, hives, skin irritation, fatigue, sleep disturbances, feelings of anxiety, muscle tension, anger, inability to concentrate, and depression.
Stress hormones suppress the body’s ability to produce and maintain lymphocytes (the white blood cells necessary for killing infection) and natural killer cells (the specialized cells that seek out and destroy foreign invaders), both crucial in the fight against disease and infection. This means that the body is less capable of fighting disease and infection.
It is obvious that we cannot eliminate stress from our lives in our fast-paced, competitive culture. But it is possible to successfully manage stress and in some instances reduce our stress levels.
Five Steps To Managing Stress
Step One: Practice Environmental Control. Research indicates that a key factor in managing stress is the perception of how much stress a person is under. By taking better control of areas of life we can control, we are able to reduce the amount of perceived stress we are under. Become better organized, learn to prioritize critical, important and non essential activities and projects—then focus on the most important things first. Plan your work before you leave the office, this way you feel more in control—then work your plan when you come in the next morning. Discipline yourself to concentrate on one thing at a time--don’t try to multi-task several critical things at once.
Step Two: Practice Situational Control. Know what your limits and don’t hesitate to delegate to others. Learn to say “No” when you reach your limits. As far as practically possible, avoid or limit time with individuals who tend to stress you out. Naturally, some of these people will be coworkers or customers, but by being prepared for your encounters with them, you can often find ways to better control both the tone and content of your contact with them. Don’t subject yourself to gloomy relationships. Replace negative friends and acquaintance with people who more are upbeat and positive about life and its possibilities.
Step Three: Practice Emotional Control. There are times when no amount of planning, preparation and organization can avoid unexpected challenges or upsetting incidents. When we are blindsided by such things, we need to be sure not to make a frenzied response. Remind yourself that while you can’t control what happens around you, you can control how you respond. When we react in a frenzied, emotional manner it increases our stress levels. This in turn slows down our ability to think clearly and respond in the most effective way to the situation. How, you ask, can we avoid a frenzied response to unexpected, stress producing situations?
Step Four: Practice Mental Control. The way to avoid frenzied responses, as well as reduce normal stress levels throughout the day is through taking control of your thoughts. Thought control has been proven both clinically and experientially and is based on the psychological fact that the mind cannot hold more than one conscious thought at a time. There are several effective methods, among them are thought replacement (deliberately cancel out negative thought responses with affirmations of hope, confidence, etc.); momentary meditation (intentionally recall some place you’ve visited where you felt immersed with a sense of peace and tranquility. Picture that place in your mind, hold the image and allow yourself to experience the warmth and calmness you experienced); Word Therapy (close your eyes and slowly say—out loud if possible—words that create mental images that produce a calming effect. A few of these words are, tranquility, peace, calmness, serenity, stillness, quietness, harmony. Pass these words, and others you think of through your mind several times, you will begin to feel your tension and stress being replaced by a sense of well-being and composure.
Step Five: Practice Spiritual Control. Lest you think I am shoving religion down your throat, let me make it clear Mayo Clinic also suggest this type of control. Among their suggestions, reading a sacred text and reflecting on it, prayer, and listening to sacred music. Learning to practice spiritual control helps surround us with a sense of faith, hope and renewed confidence. Most of these spiritual controls can be practiced anywhere you find your stress levels building.
Have a GREAT and PROFITABLE Week!Richard was one of six individuals during a five day period who told me about stresses brought about by career pressures, personal challenges and family problems. Here are a few other comments I heard during that week:
“I just feel like I’m coming a part at the seams…”
“I can’t concentrate…”
“Half the time I can’t get motivated…”
“I’m tense all the time…”
“I get so stressed out by work that I become short with my wife and kids…”
From all indications, all this wonderful technology that has made it easier for us to communicate, entertain ourselves and do our work has created higher levels of stress. The cell phone, email, and text messaging have made us accessible 24/7, making it harder to leave work behind and just take an afternoon or week-end off. Add to that the accelerated pace of doing business in the twenty-first century; economic pressures, and trying to balance work, family and personal time and it is little wonder that problems with stress are becoming, in the words of one mental health report, “epidemic.”
A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reveals that:
- 70-80% of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related and stress-induced illnesses
- Stress contributes to 50% of all illness in the United States
- The cost of job stress in the U.S. is estimated at $200 billion annually, including costs of absenteeism, lost productivity, and insurance claims
Stress Is Making Us Sick
Stress has been proven to be a cause of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and many allergies. It also has been shown to manifest itself in other ways, including tension, migraine, headaches, upset stomach, change in appetite, tightness in chest, back, shoulders, aching jaw, tight forehead, shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, constant low grade fever, rashes, hives, skin irritation, fatigue, sleep disturbances, feelings of anxiety, muscle tension, anger, inability to concentrate, and depression.
Stress hormones suppress the body’s ability to produce and maintain lymphocytes (the white blood cells necessary for killing infection) and natural killer cells (the specialized cells that seek out and destroy foreign invaders), both crucial in the fight against disease and infection. This means that the body is less capable of fighting disease and infection.
It is obvious that we cannot eliminate stress from our lives in our fast-paced, competitive culture. But it is possible to successfully manage stress and in some instances reduce our stress levels.
Five Steps To Managing Stress
Step One: Practice Environmental Control. Research indicates that a key factor in managing stress is the perception of how much stress a person is under. By taking better control of areas of life we can control, we are able to reduce the amount of perceived stress we are under. Become better organized, learn to prioritize critical, important and non essential activities and projects—then focus on the most important things first. Plan your work before you leave the office, this way you feel more in control—then work your plan when you come in the next morning. Discipline yourself to concentrate on one thing at a time--don’t try to multi-task several critical things at once.
Step Two: Practice Situational Control. Know what your limits and don’t hesitate to delegate to others. Learn to say “No” when you reach your limits. As far as practically possible, avoid or limit time with individuals who tend to stress you out. Naturally, some of these people will be coworkers or customers, but by being prepared for your encounters with them, you can often find ways to better control both the tone and content of your contact with them. Don’t subject yourself to gloomy relationships. Replace negative friends and acquaintance with people who more are upbeat and positive about life and its possibilities.
Step Three: Practice Emotional Control. There are times when no amount of planning, preparation and organization can avoid unexpected challenges or upsetting incidents. When we are blindsided by such things, we need to be sure not to make a frenzied response. Remind yourself that while you can’t control what happens around you, you can control how you respond. When we react in a frenzied, emotional manner it increases our stress levels. This in turn slows down our ability to think clearly and respond in the most effective way to the situation. How, you ask, can we avoid a frenzied response to unexpected, stress producing situations?
Step Four: Practice Mental Control. The way to avoid frenzied responses, as well as reduce normal stress levels throughout the day is through taking control of your thoughts. Thought control has been proven both clinically and experientially and is based on the psychological fact that the mind cannot hold more than one conscious thought at a time. There are several effective methods, among them are thought replacement (deliberately cancel out negative thought responses with affirmations of hope, confidence, etc.); momentary meditation (intentionally recall some place you’ve visited where you felt immersed with a sense of peace and tranquility. Picture that place in your mind, hold the image and allow yourself to experience the warmth and calmness you experienced); Word Therapy (close your eyes and slowly say—out loud if possible—words that create mental images that produce a calming effect. A few of these words are, tranquility, peace, calmness, serenity, stillness, quietness, harmony. Pass these words, and others you think of through your mind several times, you will begin to feel your tension and stress being replaced by a sense of well-being and composure.
Step Five: Practice Spiritual Control. Lest you think I am shoving religion down your throat, let me make it clear Mayo Clinic also suggest this type of control. Among their suggestions, reading a sacred text and reflecting on it, prayer, and listening to sacred music. Learning to practice spiritual control helps surround us with a sense of faith, hope and renewed confidence. Most of these spiritual controls can be practiced anywhere you find your stress levels building.
Robert Hidde bob@confidentliving.com
This edition of Monday Morning is excerpted from Robert Hidde's new booklet "Simple Steps To A More Vibrant Life" to obtain a copy, email your mailing address for a complementary copy.
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