Stay in Touch - for Stress ReliefWritten by Susan Dunn, Personal and Professional Development Coach
Staying in touch … we say it so lightly, yet it’s an important concept for our wellness. Staying in touch with others, staying in touch with ourselves, and staying in actual physical touch with our lives are all important. One of ways to reach relaxation and give ourselves some relief from daily stress is to touch someone or something. It stills our brain which is always thinking, and allows us to go somewhere else for a change. Our “self-talk” can be a great source of stress, and one we can change and eliminate. It’s not just things that are going on in our world that stress us, but how we look at it, which in turn becomes what we “say” to ourselves about it. We may say, “This is awful,” or “I’m an idiot,” or “I’ll never get through this.” These are not helpful statements, and in fact add to our stress. But our brain keeps generating these things until we learn to manage what goes on in there better. This may be origin of phrase, “An idle mind is devil’s workshop.” When our “minds” aren’t occupied we can generate thoughts that are upsetting to us. I have also heard this quoted as “Idle hands are devil’s tools.” So why not keep those hands and that mind occupied so it doesn’t “go there”. Anger doesn’t help, worry doesn’t help, pessimism and ruminating don’t help. Whether we use word “brain” or “mind” or a part of brain (left), you’re probably familiar with that voice in your head … it usually comes up when you need it least, and it is rarely helpful. The best way to deal with stress is to remove sources of it. Then develop your Emotional Intelligence. Here are ways some people use to give themselves some relief from stress for a while. KNITTING Knitting is having a comeback. If you’re old enough to remember Rosie Grier (football player), you’ll remember that he at one time took up knitting, and how surprised everyone was. So if you’re a guy and would like to give it a try, you’re in good company. I’ve also known doctors who do needlepoint, and many others who enjoy crafts of this sort. You have to think just enough to knit to quiet brain, and then your hands are busy. I used it a lot to handle tension when I was in college. More people are taking it up all time. CHI GONG No one knows for sure when practice of Chi Gong (pronounced “chee gung”) began, but it may have been 4-5,000 years ago. It gave birth to Tai Chi, earliest martial art, which led to more aggressive martial arts of karate and judo. Spelled various ways, including Qi Gong, “Qi” means “energy” and “gong” means “work” or “practice.” It combines discipline of mind and body, regulating body through posture, regulating mind through relaxation and concentration, regulating breath through self-massage and movement of limbs. It’s based on external movement combined with internal quiet and practice in control of mind.
| | How To Leave Your Dead End JobWritten by Liz Sumner, M.A. CPC
This is for everyone who is sticking with a job that no longer fits. Maybe it was right for awhile, for a certain time and place in your life. But not anymore. When was last time you jumped out of bed with excitement about what day would bring?"But I love people I work with." "It's so convenient." "The money's pretty decent, considering…" I've heard all excuses. Hell, I've made them. You know that job is sucking your soul and it's time to leave. The only thing left to decide is how. Above all, you want it to be your decision. Don't let boredom and apathy lead to an attitude that gets you fired or passed over. Who wants to work with a burnout no matter how skilled they are? The number one reason people stay in bad jobs is fear of unknown. Are you hanging on to something that doesn't fit just because it's familiar? What if unknown wasn't scary? What if it was filled with joy and delightful possibilities? Sure, there's that transition period where you leave what you can do in your sleep and head into new territory. I assure you that downhill slide of staying too long is far greater than steepness of a little learning curve. How might you make unknown territory more comfortable? 1. Make It Known Learn about it. Do research. Talk to people. Do informational interviews. Volunteer, be a trainee. Find ways to educate yourself. Go to school. Hire a trainer. Shine some light on stuff scary ignorance and it's no big deal. If you're drawn to it you probably have a knack. 2. Make It Up There are a lot of successful people in world who just decide that they know what they're doing. I'll never forget my friend Susan, a beautiful and confident woman who discovered her gift for public speaking in Toastmaster's and went on to become a highly paid consultant just because she decided she was worth listening to. I had just finished grad school and was trying to get my nerve up to go pitch companies. She read a book or two, made a presentation, and was suddenly crossing country getting big fees. There's a lot to be said for chutzpah. 3. Try It On A Small Scale Part-time or pilot projects work well particularly if you're thinking of venturing out on your own. The hours are long when you don't give up your day job but if you're pursuing your passion you generally can find energy. Cater a friend's party for cost of supplies. Print some business cards on your computer. Do some pro bono work for a civic group for testimonials. Before long you'll feel ready to go for it.
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