Stress – What Is It?

The SaVVy Club^® is an exclusive social events club run for the professional executive. We always strive to bring you articles of interest and therefore we have invited Recovering Workaholics to contribute to our blog.

The first thing to understand is that stress in itself is not a bad thing. It is how we react to stressful situations that make the difference.

Stress can cause major health problems or in extreme cases be fatal. If you are experiencing any health problems brought on or made worse by stress or if you are feeling significantly unhappy it is extremely important that you seek professional health advice. You should always seek the advice of your medical practitioner before any significant change in diet or exercise routine.

Stress is sited as the cause of over 500,000 days of absence a year in the UK alone. It represents a huge cost in both economic and personal terms. In order to deal with it we must first understand what it is and what causes it.

Below are definitions for the word “stress.”

“Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” (Attributed to Richard S Lazarus)

“Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxation) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature “
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(medicine)

“An emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health which can be characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability and depression.” http://www.achenet.org/resources/glossary.php

There is no doubt that people generally respond well to a challenge particularly if they are involved in creating or something they find exciting. Where those involved believe what they do matters, and they feel they have some ownership and control over their situation, there is a positive payback even when working extremely hard over long hours. We could debate whether the pressure involved in such situations constitutes stress.

Where stress is detrimental, people are often in situations where they feel they have little control, feedback is non existent or overly negative, failure, humiliation, lack of support results in the person feeling that what they do has little value or they themselves are not valued. Sustained exposure to such negative situations can have serious implications for the health and well being of the individual and ultimately for the organization as a whole.

Gina Gardiner, Recovering Workaholics, http://www.recoveringworkaholics.com

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Top ten tips to learning to live in the moment

In the ongoing struggle to achieve ever more success there is no time just to be… to stop and stare or to smell the roses. Talk to most workaholics and they have little idea how to relax and enjoy the moment. The concept is alien to them and they find it most uncomfortable. They see no reason why anyone would want to do it.

Here are my top ten tips to learning to live in the moment, they are designed to fit in with a busy schedule and are just a starting point, they may appear inconsequential but done regularly they start to have a profound effect.

1) As you wake up each morning spend a couple of minutes breathing deeply. Breathe in deeply to the count of 2, hold it for 4 and breathe out to 4. As you breathe be conscious of exactly how each part of your body is feeling.

2) Tell yourself that you choose to be happy today and that you will find time to enjoy this day to the full. (Once past it is gone forever.)

3) As you take your shower or bath in the morning be conscious of how the water feels on your skin. Feel the temperature of the water and the sensation of the soap or shower gel on your skin. Contrast that with the roughness of the towel or the softness of your robe.

4) During the day stop and take a small amount of time to consciously notice your surroundings. Use each of your senses in turn, what can you smell or hear, look for the colour or texture of things around you. Be aware of how you are feeling. Even five minutes out of your busy day done on a regular basis will make a difference.

5) Smile, and make a conscious decision to make someone you pass in the corridor or lift to smile back. Be aware of how it makes you feel.

6) Create five small random acts of kindness during your day. They could be a simple as letting a fellow driver out of a side turning or helping someone with their bag. Notice how it makes you feel.

7) Do something, which makes you smile or laugh each day. Be conscious of how you feel when you laugh.

8) As you travel to or from work take the opportunity to observe an aspect of nature. Look at the sky – see the cloud formation or look at how the trees are moving with the wind, look at the individual petals of a flower, or watch the raindrops making a pattern on the train window.

9) Set time aside within your busy timetable. Plan your time over a week or fortnightly cycle. Set aside time each week to enjoy simply for now. A quiet time to walk with no other intention than to enjoy it, or time to spend with your significant other.

10) Just before you go to sleep think of five things which you have been grateful for during the day. They can be as small or as significant as you choose.

May be it is time to start living now rather than waiting for your real “life” to begin once you have achieved professional success. The danger is that by the time you are ready to “live” you may be on your own or your health will have suffered in the mean time.

Guest Blogger/Author: Gina Gardiner, Recovering Workaholics, http://www.ginagardiner.com

Gina is a member of The SaVVy Club^®– London’s first boutique social events club

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