Creating Balance and Managing Stress in Your

Life

Lifelong Tools

Feeling fulfilled at work

• Identify your work stressors

• Determine which stressors you can control

•Time Management

•Positive workplace relationships

•Avoid negative gossip and complaining

•Set realistic goals

•Improving your job skills

Lifelong Tools

Reducing Work Stress

•Use stress reduction techniques

•Use breaks to relax

•Walk during your lunch hour

Spiritual Connection

•Spiritual Health Activities

•Helping others unable to help themselves

•Gratitude Journal/Daily Reflection

•Read something inspiring

•Mend a broken relationship

•Forgiveness, caring toward others, kindness, love

•Meditation

MEDITATION

A Powerful Tool for Reducing Stress

•Benefits of Meditation

•Releases stress

•Helps produce a relaxed state

•Creates deeper levels of relaxation and peace of mind

STEPS FOR MEDITATION

1. Find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. Sit in a chair with both feet on the ground. Your arms and legs should be uncrossed.

2. Slowly breathe in and out.

3. To quiet the mind, you can focus on a word or phrase such as Relax, Love, Peace. Repeat these to yourself or out loud during the time you are meditating.

4. Notice when your mind wanders and gently bring your attention back to your breathing

5. Gradually you’ll begin to feel more relaxed

6. Meditating just 10-15 minutes a day in the morning and evening is a powerful stress reducer.

Tools for Physical Health

•Moderate physical activity for 30 minutes daily helps you -

•Release stress and increase energy more effectively than resting

•Prevent and reduce depression and anxiety

•Control weight

Choose activities you like to do

•Try new activities for a change of pace choosing from:

•Endurance activities (walking, cycling, swimming)

•Strength activities (lifting weights, pushups)

•Flexibility activities (stretching, yoga)

When you are feeling stressed or depressed

GET MOVING!

Get Plenty of Rest

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”

--Irish Proverb

Eating Healthy

• When under stress do you skip meals, overeat, crave junk food or comfort foods?

• Eat healthy foods to maintain balanced body chemistry.• Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains• Avoid saturated fats and drink plenty of water

Connecting SociallyTools for Health

Increase your social support• Participate in group activities or social clubs• Take a class and meet others with similar interests• Nurture your close relationships with family members• Visit with a good friend• Volunteer

Tools for Emotional Well Being

Maintain a positive outlook• Listen to your self-talk. Is it positive or negative?• Positive self-talk helps us achieve goals and builds self confidence• Negative self-talk increases stress, reduces self confidence and can

contribute to depression.

Tools for Emotional Well Being

Express your feelings• Feelings are neither good nor bad - they just are• Feelings are a tool for self understanding• Pay attention to your feelings so you can identify, accept and learn

from them

How do you identify a feeling?

Ask questions• What is happening?• Why do I feel so bad?• What is going on in my life right now?• Have I felt this before?

Notice changes in your body

Express and accept feelings

Find constructive ways to express your feelings-• Talk with someone• Release them physically through exercise or hard work• Write a note or e-mail• Express the feelings in a journal

Accept your feelings

Learn from your feelings

Decide if action needs to be taken and ask yourself-• Does something need to change• What can I change• Do I need to let go of something I cannot change?

Make a plan to create change and carry it out. Ask yourself-• What did I learn?• What would I do differently next time?

Tools for Coping with Stress

“Perhaps one of life’s most stressful conditions is the development of an intense

commitment to avoid stress at all costs.”Joan D. Chittister

What are your warning signs of stress?

• Change in appetite• Back Pain• High Blood Pressure• Breathlessness• Chest Pain• Clammy Hands• Constipation or Diarrhea• Dizziness• Fatigue• Racing Heartbeat• Muscle Tension• Rashes• Sleeping Problems• Stomachaches

• Irritability• Inability to Concentrate• Depression• Forgetfulness• Lack of Interest• Negative Thoughts• Pacing• Foot Tapping• Hand Clenching• Gritting Teeth• Temper Outbursts• Headaches• Restlessness

What are your sources of stress?Daily Hassles• Child Care• Oversleeping• Traffic Jams• Waiting in linesWork Related Stressors• Being fired or laid off• A long commute• Changing job• Retirement• Too much work• New responsibilities• Don’t like the jobFinancial Stressors• Bankruptcy• Growing Debts• Fixed Income• Reduced income due to retirement• Taxes

Health Related Stressors

• Weight gain or loss• Illness, injury or disease• Chronic pain• Loss of mobility• Trouble with medicines• Poor eyesight/hearingLife Events

• Marriage• Separation/Divorce• Birth or death in the family• Children leave or return home• Reconciliation• Moving

Results of unmanaged stress

Results may include-• Disrupted relationships• Burnout• Depression• Anxiety

Tools for managing stress

Stress reducers are activities that• Help you relax• Are soothing and pleasurable• Make you feel good• Can be built into your life on a regular basis

Daily stress reducing activitiesto match your stress response

Physical responses like:• High Blood Pressure• Digestive problems• Headaches• Pacing

Try physical relaxers like:• Walking• Swimming/Physical exercise• Massage• Bubble Bath• Gardening

Mental responses like:

• Worrying• Difficulty Concentrating• Forgetfulness

Try mental relaxers like:

• Meditation• Soothing Music• Reading for pleasure• Listening to relaxation CD

Tools for Reducing Stress

• Get a massage• Listen to music• Read a good book• Write in a journal• Talk with a friend• Breathe deeply to relax• Meditate • Take a warm bath• Stretch-Practice Yoga• Garden• Volunteer• Aerobic Exercise• Sleeping/Napping• Read something inspirational

• Spend time with family• Go to the beach/mountains• Get a manicure/pedicure• Laugh, read or watch

something funny• Watch TV or a DVD• Play with your pet• Play an instrument• Cook• Do a crossword puzzle• Watch the sunrise/sunset• Go for a drive• Play cards• Dancing

Tools for immediate coping

Deep Breathing Exercise• Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of six• Hold your breath to the count of six• Exhale slowly through your mouth to the count of six• Continue this breathing cycle until you begin to relax

Tools for immediate coping

Pelvic Relaxation• While sitting, put your hands under your bottom. Feel the two

pointed bones upon which you are sitting• Now, touch the two bony points on your right and left side just below

the waist• You have made a touch memory for 4 distinct points. Connect

those 4 points to make a square.• Now, allow your breath to get to the area in the middle of the

square, and allow the square to expand• Release and relax the muscles in the area of the square so that

there are NO CLENCHED muscles in the square

In Summary…

• Develop and practice lifelong tools• Get plenty of sleep• Eat healthy• Make time for regular exercise• Incorporate daily pleasurable activity• Be optimistic• Express feelings constructively• Practice and use stress reduction techniques

“By perseverance the snail, reached the Ark.”Charles H. Spurgeon