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Beat Stress Now! 10 Easy Tips

colleen@colleenspeaks.

colleen@colleenspeaks.com.

Best regards

Colleen Kettenhofen
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com

Beat Stress Now! 10 Easy Tips
Copyright (c) 2006 Colleen Kettenhofen

"Never complain about your troubles; they are responsible
for more than half of your income." Robert R. Updegraff

Everyone's busy. Today many of us feel added pressure with
fax machines, cell phones, kids and co-workers. The average
worker fields 52 phone calls, 36 emails and 23 voice mails
a day. And, the holidays and the stress that sometimes
comes with it are fast approaching. Here are 10 quick and
easy tips for managing stress. Please feel free to share
them with your friends and colleagues.

1) Focus on your strengths not on your weaknesses.
Perfectionists take note: the average American is 32 years
old, married, laughs 15 times a day, and has 27 trillion
fat cells. Nobody's perfect. Beat stress by going easy on
yourself. Focus on your strengths and work on your
weaknesses. Don't obsess over your weaknesses because
perfectionism often leads to procrastination.

2) Get up in the morning 30 minutes earlier.Start your day
with solitude and more clarity by rising a half hour
earlier than those in your household. Spend quiet time
journaling, praying or meditating. Just begin by writing
your thoughts, dreams, goals and fears. Start thinking
about how to organize your day.

3) Break the worry habit. 95% of what you worry about never
happens. Ask yourself, "Even if the worst happened, what
could I learn from this experience?" Have a plan B just in
case.

4) Spend time outdoors and out in nature. Especially in
fall and winter when the days get shorter, it's important
to spend time outdoors every day in the natural daylight.
Even if it's gray and overcast, research shows that time
spent in daylight, especially in the morning, helps reduce
Seasonal Affect Disorder or "SAD." Where I live in the
Pacific Northwest, I can actually notice a positive shift
in my mood and that of others when late spring arrives and
it's light until 8:45 p.m.

5) Remember the formula E + R = 0. Event + (your) Reaction
= Outcome. You can't always controls the events or outside
circumstances around you, but you CAN control how you
react. This isn't a new concept, but sometimes we need to
be reminded of it. Most of us spend more time worrying
about the things outside of our control. I conducted a
speaking engagement recently in Seattle on "Dealing with
Difficult People." I reminded everyone of the importance
that their response plays in determining their outcomes.

6) Laughter is a serious business! Laugh to reduce stress.
It's a well-known fact that laughter helps reduce stress
and build the immune system. Laughter IS the best medicine.
It gets those endorphins or "feel-good" hormones into the
brain and elevates your mood.

7) Don't overreact when dealing with difficult people -
especially antagonists. Antagonists, otherwise known as
"pot stirrers," often have a desire for dissention. They're
looking to purposely rattle your cage, ruffle your
feathers, and get you to say something you'll regret. As
Zig Ziglar once said, "No one can get your goat if they
don't know where it's tied up."

8) Reward yourself for a job well done. Indulge in a
massage, manicure or pedicure. Recently I had the glorious
pleasure of staying at the Phoenician hotel in Scottsdale,
Arizona. Splurging on an hour-plus massage worked wonders!
Not to mention laying out by the pool enjoying the
beautiful desert scenery of Camelback Mountain, and later,
Sedona.

9) Check your adult at the door. Act like a kid again!
Play, run, engage in a favorite sport or hobby like golf,
tennis, or hanging out with your children at the park. Make
sure to have a date night with your spouse or significant
other. Take a day off and play at the beach doing something
you haven't done in years like playing Frisbee or building
sand castles.

10) Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. List 10 things
you're grateful to have in your life. Revisit and
appreciate the simplest of pleasures. Sip your favorite cup
of gourmet coffee. Sit outside in the springtime in the
garden of a friend's house. Enjoy sunset on the coast.
Appreciate the feeling of being more energized after a
workout. Be grateful for your health.

Decide today to make a commitment to do one activity that
will reduce stress and maximize success. Do it now. What
you do in the present determines your future. Enjoy!

----------------------------------------------------
Colleen Kettenhofen is a speaker, workplace expert and
co-author of The Masters of Success, as featured on the
Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield.For
more free articles and e-newsletter, visit
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Most popular topics:
leadership, management skills, public speaking, dealing
with difficult people. Colleen is available for keynotes,
breakout sessions and seminars by calling (971)212-2412.
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com
You are free to reprint or repost this article provided
Colleen's name, website and phone are provided with the
article.

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