Kazira

As you can tell (This is my second blog on stress management), I worry about stress way too much. I stress about stress. Hence I consider myself sort of an expert at managing stress. I feel I must share my experience and tid-bits of techniques that I picked up over the years.

Being a part of the American Corporate world for a while now; I know a thing or two about stress. I have experienced and survived extreme stresses to the point where they became severe strain on my body. I’m sure those working on the Wall Street or at an Air Traffic Control Tower at JFK Airport, NY must experience way more stress than I could ever imagine. But I consider my feat to be worth mentioning. Also, I guess with the current economic and job market woes; we’ll see more and more of stress creeping up on our back. A little stress is healthy – it helps a person propel forward - but when it becomes chronic and starts affecting your life – you need to really watch out then.

Let me start with a real life story – which has made a tremendous impact on my attitude towards stress, work, and life. I thank god for letting me experience this when I was only starting my professional career. I met a distance relative of mine for the first time – he was 65 or so years of age – highly successful in life – retiree VP of a larger Pharmaceutical company – spoke proudly of using corporate jets on his whims. On the swing side, he underwent so much of work related stress, he had two heart by-pass surgeries already and his family-life showed clear evidence of a severe deterioration. He, secretly, confided into me – saying that I should dedicate more time on my family than at work (His idea of stress reduction) – He added that I should take plenty of vacations with the family (again his stress reduction technique) and spend as much time with them as possible. He mentioned all this by giving his own example. He said that at times he was so involved in his work that he thought very soon he will accomplish enough (that he set as goal) for him to take plenty of time off and take care of himself and family. That time, he said, never came. As he climbed up the corporate ladder, there was less and less time for him and family - and more and more of work related stress. He soon died of a heart attach, during one of his business trips, in a hotel room, all by himself.

I took a vow never to get so involved in my work that I forget my health and family. What does this story tell you? Stress is a monkey that once it gets on your back – it feeds on your work habits and family discord culminating into severe body injury or break-up of a family. Here are a few tips to keep this monkey off your back (or at least in check).

WHEN AT WORK –

a) Leave your work bench and take a walk out in the open air for a few minutes everyday. A walk after the afternoon meal is not just de-stressing but also reinvigorating.

b) Manage your time well – Know when to say ‘When’. This may be one of the greatest tricks or stress management.

c) Never miss a meal – No matter how busy you are. If you are that super-busy dude – a critical contributor – working on that precious proposal due by the end of the week – there is still access to some ‘healthy fast food’ (This is not an oxymoron anymore).

d) Keep an iPod with music that relaxes you; handy – listen to it when there is a few minutes of downtime.

e) Don’t sweat over things at work that are beyond your control.

WHEN AT HOME –

a) Alcohol, caffeine, and TV are not your friends when it comes to stress management.

b) Exercise and family time are your best friends in stress reduction. Try Tai-Chi or Yoga – Any of those mind-body harmonizing practice will do. For example, when you are really tired when you come home from work, a simple Yoga posture such as ‘SAVASANA’ helps immensely - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savasana

c) Take regular short family outing trips in addition to the big ones that you plan for every year.

d) Never bring work home. Try to finish everything that you need to do at your work. Not even a thought of your work should cross as you step out. I know, in the age of E-mails on cell phones and Blackberries – I’m fighting a losing battle here.

e) Get hold of a good masseur or a masseuse. An occasional good massage really relaxes and rejuvenates the body. I have noticed these small kiosks of massage parlors pop up at airports and at malls. Just stay away from the massage parlors in San Francisco – They offer way more stress reliving services than I would care to employ.

f) Eat vegetarian when possible. Stay away from red meat diets (big source of stress in your body). ‘Vegetarianism’ is catching up as a source of stress reduction technique and is not for those weirdos anymore.

g) Do some community service on the weekends. In whatever form it may be …

I’ll end this blog by stating a great line of wisdom – probably from native American tribes – “God, give me courage to accept the things that I can not change; give me strength to change the things that I can, and above all – give me the wisdom to know the difference between the two.”

** Image curtsy http://5dresses.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/stress-picture-stress-relief-kit.jpg