Stress Free Living in the Now
Year:
2009
by Camile Sumilang
(University of Perpetual Help - Las Piñas)
We all know how tiring working could be. However, there are still some ways to find that zest that would make you look forward to the next day, and the next, and the next (no, I’m not pertaining to the paycheck) while at the same time, lose that sense of ritualistic adherence to your work that might just snap you out of your nerves. We’re not objective robots and most importantly, we have a life to live. So below are 21 ways to a stress free living in this fast-paced urban setting.
1. Don't let your emotions get "bottled up" inside. Communication is a very powerful thing and it seems not everybody is too keen on it: share your feelings with others—talk! To anyone, anything. Even talking to yourself in the mirror helps—that’s a fact, mind you.
2. Manage your time efficiently. One key factor of stress is time mismanagement! Ever experienced the ‘had I not forgotten this,’ ‘if only I’ve done it before the deadline,’ ‘had I not crammed the report…’ Cramming most times can be exhilarating but very few people manage it very well and still give very satisfactory results—such people are gifted. But no, not everyone is gifted. Too bad.
3. Avoid unnecessary quarrels. We are civilized individuals. Civility dictates that we not engage in fist fights and cat fights. Such deeds are for the miseducated or the severely emotionally unstable. Nobody wants to be labeled uneducated nor psychotic, right?
4. Do a "stress rehearsal." Prepare for stressful events. Anticipate the worst possible thing that could happen. Yes, be a little pessimistic but—with calculation.
5. Minimize your exposure to things that cause distress. Hello?! What sane individual would willingly put himself in peril?
6. Practice a relaxation technique daily. Ah! The wonders of meditation! Let’s not take for granted the application of some thousand-year-old technique of zen monks. They wouldn’t have kept at it had it not had benefits.
7. Be a good Samaritan. Spend time helping others. Believe it or not, doing good paves the road to feeling good. So chances are if you are a grouchy severe person it means that…
8. Balance work and play. Engage in activities you enjoy and look forward to. Learn to have fun. All work and no play makes for a high salary but you’ll be gray. Now, nobody wants to age fast, don’t we?
9. Engage in activities that you look forward to. Learn to have a little fun even in the office. Whether it be calling your favorite client or having a little chit-chat with your crush in the office, simple things or similar nature to that would most times make your day.
10. He who laughs, lasts. Improve your laugh life. No love life mentioned there huh? Well, that figures. As Reader’s Digest goes, laughter is still the best medicine.
11. Participate in activities with people who share your interests. Not only could monotony of your work grind you to a bore till you’re mindlessly numb—it could also, well, in a sense—kill you. Now, you don’t want that to happen, right? Organize your own geeks club or the let’s go golfing every weekend club. It would also improve your social life, not to mention your workplace.
12. Reward yourself with little things that make you feel good. Whether it be an occasional spa by the weekend or an entire night of party, you my friend, deserve every bit of enjoyment you could afford.
13. Live a healthy lifestyle (i.e., eat well, exercise, and get sufficient sleep). Feeling good comes after looking good most times anyway. Remember, you are what you eat. Now, you don’t want to be that slab of pork thigh do you?
14. Do something new. Not only would this refresh you from the usualness of things, it would also give that excitement of randomness or let’s call it, the spice once in a while.
15. Surround yourself with cheery people. Avoid stress carriers. Birds of the same feathers flock together. Be with people who are geared to win—people with a sound outlook and goal in life who almost always smile as they strut towards glory.
16. Shun the "superman" or "superwoman" syndrome. No one is perfect. You’re no god. S*** happens, that’s a reality we all have to live up to.
17. Set realistic goals. There’s no room for dreaming around here. Shun that Alice in Wonderland principle you’ve got—you’re no character in a novel who’s always stuck in the age of seven or so.
18. Be flexible in dealing with people and events. Or rather, be transparent. Reflect what they desire to see or hear without losing your credibility. People are a little bit easier to manage than you think.
19. Forgive yourself for mistakes. Oops, what I meant was errors. A repeated error makes for a mistake so there pretty much is no room for mistakes. It could only happen once but if it happened the second time, it definitely would happen the third time. Get what I mean? Just avoid mistakes and you’ll be all right.
20. Take satisfaction in your accomplishments. Don't dwell on your shortcomings. This not only boosts your morale, it also powers up self-esteem, not to mention your confidence. Don’t forget to give yourself a mental pat on the back for a job well done.
21. Clean up "psychological pollution." See the "positive" in events. Program yourself to let go of negative thinking. Thinking never really resolved anything, right? Dwelling on the ‘what could have’ and ‘what if I…’ concretizes the past which is obviously not what you have at that moment. For really, there isn’t some such thing as the past nor the future. All that we have is the now. What past and future we think are but memories of what was and assumptions of what could be. Technically, today passes but tomorrow never comes. That’s why it’s called tomorrow, for cryin’ out loud.
