Learn to be proactive not reactive in your situations.

•    Positive stress occurs when you feel in control
•    Negative stress occurs when you feel out of control and helpless
•    You can be the hero of any situation; avoid the victim mentality.
•    You feel stressed when you don’t feel you are being respected and treated with dignity. Respect is the right of every human being.

Stress Tips at Work

1.    Personal space.  It is powerful to claim you personal power, boundaries and energy with your personal space.  Make sure your desk has pictures of loved ones or fun vacations.  When you are stressed these pictures become a guided imagery that calms your body and creates peace and centeredness. Create personal calming space with mementos, statuary, your childhood baseball cards or your child’s clay statue.

2.    Relax with your Senses.  Think of how you can enhance your senses.  Sight. What colors are around you?  Keep something with your favorite or energetic color near you, maybe a small throw or pillow, or cloth under your pictures.  You may keep a shawl on a chair or repaint your walls.  Paintings or a great piece of colored fabric on your wall can create calming color.  Smell.  Keep bottles of essential oils in your desk or in your office.  Peppermint picks you up, lavender calms you down, citrus can just make you feel fresh and happy.  Whatever resonates with your sense of smell.  Taste.  Keep some small low-calorie mints or a box of Altoids on your desk for a quick pick me up.  Most have under five calories.  Sound.  Background music is calming and can produce serotonin, the healing calming hormone.  Or you might use a nature sound machine.

3.    Take “wellness breaks” twice a day, for at least five to 10 minutes each time.  We know from research the connection of our minds and bodies.  Every thought and emotion releases neurochemicals into your bloodstreams  Here is a list of things you can do on your break.

CHAPEL/YOUR PRIVATE TEMPLE:  You can use this time for spiritual growth, a time for inspiration and motivation.  Guided Imagery tapes (relax you and provide healing, lowers blood pressure and create greater immunity in your body),  Meditation:  Use a meditation tape if you are not driving a car.  We have consistent studies of the health benefits of meditation.  It lowers blood pressure, increases your immune system, increase memory and creativity),  Diaphramatic Breathing (deep abdominal breathing increases oxygen to the body, clears the brain, creates healing rhythm in the body, instant calm, and as we deeply breathe, the body increases the production of serotonin, practice breathing regularly daily, at each red light, or at your regular exit, pick a certain cue, and take deep breathes regularly at that spot), Prayer (Send light, healing or love to others during your commute, to coworkers, other on the commute, your family.  We have good science on the efficacy of prayer.  Dr. Larry Dossey has been conducting and reviewing literature on prayer study for many years now.

SING:  Some people have either always loved to sing and others may have always wanted to sing but have a bad voice and were ashamed to sing in public.  This is your big opportunity to have your own 'choirloft'.  Singing is great for your health.  Singing increases your immune cells.  Singing increases the oxygen in your body, exercises your mouth, neck, chest, stomach and lung muscles, and singing shifts your mental attitude to optimism.  Studies show a protein used by the immune system to fight disease, Immunoglobulin A , increased 240 percent while singing, indicating enhanced immunity.  A study at the University of Frankfurt found anti-stress hormones increased significantly while singing.  In studies singers report improved lung capacity, high energy, better posture and enhanced feelings of relaxation, mood and confidence.

COMEDY CLUB:  The Science of Laughter. Researchers found that laughter has a healthy effect on blood vessel function.  They discovered under ultrasound artery diameter increased by 22 percent during laughter and decreased by 35 percent during mental stress.  The magnitude of change seen in the endothelium, the lining of the blood vessel, is similar to the benefit seen with aerobic activity.  Laugh regularly, 15 minutes a day for your vascular system.  The participants watched a 30-minute funny movie. Play tapes or CDs of comedians that you find funny and enjoy.

CONCERT HALL-SYMPHONY:  Listening to music changes the release of neurochemicals into our bodies.  Listening to music increases serotonin and other healing hormones in the body.  Calming soft music decreases physical responses, such as heart rate and respiration, music induces and maintains relaxation, shifts mood.  Energetic happy music can stimulate physical responses, such as increased heart rate, respiration that results in more energy. 

COUNSELING CENTER:  Your commute becomes an opportunity to change habits and learn new practices to improve the quality of your life.  You can learn to heal your mental health in the privacy of your own car, or in the privacy of your earphones attached to a CD or tape.  Learn how to heal your -- ANGER, FEAR, PHOBIA, DEPRESSION, DIVORCE, PARENTING.  Choose an area you want to learn about or you want to change in your life.  This could be the first step on your path to better mental health, which you can partner with a therapist or work on it in your own commute time.

PRODUCTS-RESOURCES:  I have been a professor of world religion and studied a variety of spiritualities and cultures.  Almost all cultures, religions and spiritualities use physical tools to RE-MIND, OR make people RE-MEMBER.  Beads are used in Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and many other religions.  Used with hands, around necks, or as bracelets, these are reminders to come home to your body, mind and soul.  You can have travel mugs, breathe beads, key chains or even a shawl the remind you to relax, get balanced, and come home to your self.

STRETCH:  Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Gong.

WEBSITE:  Go to a Web site that relaxes you.  There are many available.

WATER:  Get in touch with water.  Go to a fountain and touch the water or go into the restroom and put your hands and wrists under warm water if you want to calm down or cold water if  you want to be stimulated.

4.   Dealing With Tense Work Relationships - Be Proactive, Not Reactive

•    Breathe: take a couple deep cleansing breaths. 
•    Repeat an affirmation:  1-5 words that bring you back to yourself
•    Remember you have a choice, you are not the victim, you are the hero.
•    Listen to the person and mirror the person:  “Did I hear you say you don’t like this paper?”  You respond, “If you don’t like the paper you should do not use this paper.”  Then walk away.  You are in control and have maintained your power and respect.

Written originally for w2wlink.com by Dr. Kathleen Hall.