In John Murphy’s recent book, Zentrepreneur: Get Out of the Way and Lead, he argues that letting go of stress that makes us less effective and productive isn’t easy, but like a muscle, it can be developed and mastered. Getting there requires finding the right balance of accepting some things and changing others. Below are seven steps to help you achieve this:
1. REALISE YOU HAVE A CHOICE. Regardless of how much stress you’re experiencing in the workplace you are sitting at your desk because you choose to be there. Think about it – assuming you’re not being detained against your will, you could leave at any time. Shifting your mindset from “have to” to “choose to” gives you control over the situation. Feeling out of control is a major stressor.
2. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL NOW. Of course, even though you could choose to leave, quitting your job could cause even more stress. Make a list of the things you can control in this moment. Whenever you feel your attention drifting to stressors, refocus on the most immediate task that will produce a positive outcome.
3. WATCH THE CAFFEINE. Before you have another coffee, know that “ingesting too much caffeine can lead to headache, muscle tremors, sleep disturbance, and unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels that can have a huge impact on energy, ability to cope with extra stress, and depressive-like symptoms,” says US based psychologist Dr Joseph Cilona. Also don’t drink it on an empty stomach. A study in America found that people who drank coffee or other caffeinated drinks before eating in the morning had spikes in blood sugar 250% higher than those who ate something before their morning caffeinated drinks.
4. GET SOME AIR. It’s well documented that deep breathing helps reduce stress. If you don’t remember to stop and take some deep breaths throughout the day, schedule reminders in your calendar or include them on your task list.
5. QUIT CATASTROPHISING. Just because you’ve hit a bump in the road doesn’t mean you’re in a multi car pileup. Stop assuming the worst. Being able to let go of negative feelings and fears isn’t easy, but it’s essential to your mental well-being. Practice turning around negative thinking to focus on what’s going right and what you can change about your situation. Then make that change happen.
6. CHANGE YOUR INFORMATION INTAKE. When you bombard yourself with negative information, it’s going to exacerbate your stressed state of mind. Turn off the news. Stop hanging out with people who thrive on drama. You’ll feel better if you start your day with 10 minutes of meditation or breathing exercises instead of 10 minutes of television news.
7. LET YOURSELF LAUGH. We’ve all heard the old chestnut: “Laughter is the best medicine.” A series of studiesin the US has found that even just anticipating laughter, like watching a favourite humorous video on YouTube, caused significant reduction in three highly detrimental stress hormones.
