How to Recognize Stress Before it Turns Into AngerWritten by Dr. Tony Fiore
Continued from page 1
For instance, notice muscle tension, pounding heart, raising voice, irritation, dry mouth, or erratic movements. What you see is what you get: For a potential stressor to affect us -stress us out - we have to first perceive it or experience it as a stressor. Gaining a new perspective on stressing situation can often drastically change effect it has on us. Our stress response can indeed be a response (something we can control) instead of a knee-jerk reaction (which is automatic). Examples: Cut off on freeway? “It is not personal. That guy has a problem. I will stay calm.” Bullied by a co-worker? “If I react, he wins. Later, I will privately let him know how I feel about what he did. If that doesn’t work, I’ll discuss it with our manager.” Stress-Guard your life: You can also make many life-style changes to reduce or minimize feeling stressed-out, even if you can’t change some of your actual stressors For instance, manage your time better, establish priorities, protect yourself from toxic relationships, and find a way to manage your money better, or consider changing your job or occupation. Other stress-guards include those you have probably heard before, but maybe need to do more frequently such as: ¨getting adequate rest, ¨eating a healthy diet, ¨avoiding excessive alcohol intake, ¨living in a way consistent with your core personal values, ¨developing social networks of friends and support. Stress is most easily defined as a series of bodily responses to demands made upon us called stressors. It’s important to recognize these stress responses and develop techniques to lessen impact.
Dr. Tony Fiore is a So. California licensed psychologist, and anger management trainer. His company, The Anger Coach, provides anger and stress management programs, training and products to individuals, couples, and the workplace. Sign up for his free monthly newsletter "Taming The Anger Bee" at www.angercoach.com and receive two bonus reports.
| | THE IMPORTANCE OF FEELING IMPORTANTWritten by Terry L. Sumerlin
Continued from page 1
The second of these observations came to mind recently, when Sherry came home from doctor. We recently changed doctors and started going to a gentleman who, along with his family, has been coming to J.B.’s Barber Shop for many years. Though switch was solely on my judgment (and I kind of stuck my neck out), Sherry was tremendously impressed following her routine visit. In fact, she couldn’t stop talking about experience. She talked about how he asked her this and that, and checked for this and that. He ran such and such a test. He was very thorough. As she talked non-stop, one thing came to my mind. In her entire adult life, he is probably very first doctor who ever REALLY made her feel important, and like her health (which is very good) was job #1 with him and his staff. She was tremendously impressed! Not once did she mentioned, though, how impressed she was with where he studied medicine, how long he had been in practice, how his office was decorated or how conveniently located it is – all of which is impressive. All such paled in significance when compared to fact that he made her feel special. BARBER-OSOPHY: In business, and all relationships, nothing matters more than making other person feel important. Copyright 2004, Sumerlin Enterprises. Permission is granted for you to copy this article for distribution as long as above copyright and contact information is included. Please reference or include a link to www.barber-osophy.com.
Terry L. Sumerlin, owner of J.B.'s Barber Shop in San Antonio, Texas, is known as "The Barber-osopher," and appears nationally as a humorist and motivational speaker.
|
