5 Tips to Reduce Stress and Increase Productivity
Do you get less done when you are distracted? Do you find yourself starting at a computer screen thinking that you could certainly get done and go to bed if only the pain in your neck would subside? Do you find yourself asking ridiculous questions like these just because some blogger wrote them?
Below you will find five things that I have done in my life to reduce my stress level and generally feel better. I am not a doctor (or a “healer-man” as the old guy next door neighbor calls them), so I can not say that these will work for everyone. But, I can say that they worked for me and I hope they work for you too!
Understand your situation
When does short-term tension = long term relaxation?
I have also found that taking five or six really slow, deep breaths while focusing only on that action also helps a great deal. Alternatively, you can focus on your “happy place” while doing this.
Reducing how much you have to do
No kidding, right? This is the one that I have the hardest time doing. There are two important steps to reducing how much you have to do.
- Keep a to-do list and review it to ensure that you have set reasonable goals. If there are more items in your list than you can reasonably expect to achieve, then it will likely cause you to feel stress.
- Stop procrastinating. This is the hardest part for me, and probably the most effective. There is no secret here – just force yourself to focus on the tasks at hand, one at a time.
Stop, think, balance
Some people, under stress, have negative and/or irrational thoughts. When your thoughts start taking a different road than you, try to stop them and teach them a lesson. Is your life really over because you burnt dinner? Are you really going to lose your house because you did not cut the grass today?
Probably not, so make sure you tell yourself so. It seems to me that sane people talk to themselves too, and this is why.
Learn how to say ‘No’
Your Turn
So, what methods do you use to reduce stress in your daily life?
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Twitter: philjpjohnson
said:
Hi mate. Great post. I really do have to agree with the last part… you can say NO if you really do want to! Yet it is something that so many people find hard to do. I used to be one of them!
However, now that I have become a “no” man, as opposed to a “yes” man, excuse the pun! …I feel that I get so much more done! And actually, I really don’t feel bad about saying NO at all!
.-= Phil Johnson´s last blog ..Food for Thought =-.
Ha. Thanks for stopping by Phil! I completely agree – the ability to say ‘no’ is quite helpful.
Have a great day!
Twitter: Ileane
said:
Hi Mark, the Happy Gilmore clip is a riot! LOL
I’m having a lot of stress right now and I practice yoga to help deal with it. It’s similar to the second tip you have here – just add deep breathing as you tense and relax and your on your way.
Thanks for the tips.
.-= Ileane @Blogging´s last blog ..A Growing List of Top Google Buzz Tips =-.
Hey Ileane – thanks for stopping by! A co-worker of mine does Yoga and seems to love it – great suggestion!
Have a great day!
Twitter: paysonweb
said:
Loved the Motrin ad! I could use some when saying no – it gives me a pain in the a** but if I don’t say no to MYSELF FIRST that’s when I get into trouble. I’m the guy always willing to go the extra mile. When I am teaching a small business owner about the power of social media to generate leads for example, I have to rein myself in when that person shows me 3 things, passionate about their business, not afraid of change, and enthusiasm for the subject. If they have all that, look out! cause I am the guy that will give waaayyy beyond what is paid for, and that’s when time seems to speed up – as in you aint got enough of it, you regret making all those promises that you must now fulfill. Long ago I should have listened to Nancy Regan when she was talking about “just say no”
Twitter: TheJohnSoares
said:
Mark, you provide some excellent insight here, and thanks so much for linking to my “Learn to Say No” post.
I like your blog and it now has an honored place on my feed reader.
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..Living Well — Or Slowly Killing Yourself? =-.
Thank you very much John. I started reading your blog after I wrote this and thought your post might improve the effectiveness of this article, so I added that link.
I really appreciate your visit.
Have a great day!
Twitter: snadkis
said:
I am so glad you put saying no on the list as it too, is one of the most difficult things to tackle when managing stress. Very useful tips these are, thanks!
Kim@How To Manage Stress´s last [type] ..How To Overcome Procrastination: The Only 5 Letter Word You Need