Quiet Mind; A Powerful Tool That Gives You More Time, Creativity, And Productivity And Takes Just 10 – Stress-Management
Quiet Mind; A Powerful Tool That Gives You More Time, Creativity, And Productivity And Takes Just 10
The National Center for health statistics reported that in 1997, doctors made two million diagnoses of "Acute reaction to stress" when patients were seen for check-ups or complaints of headaches, stomach problems, immune system disturbances and some heart problems. These were usually a direct result of chronic stress and overwhelm, patients were trying to do it all with no time just for themselves, the resulting complaints were making it harder to get things done and causing lasting health problems.By spending a minimum of ten minutes a day alone you can reduce your stress hormones and improve your immune functions. Using the refrain I'm just too busy to have ten minutes of quiet all to myself is really slowing us down, making us less productive, and opening us to the risk of severe stress related disorders. Periods of solitude have been proven to be as vital to our health as good food, sleep, and water.There are many ways and places to give yourself your daily solitude; some people like to sit quietly and meditate, others find listening to soothing music helps them recharge. Walking your dog or gardening are also great ways to get your solitude. A few requirements to make sure you are getting the full benefits of your quiet time are to make sure you are being present in the silence or activity you are doing, rather than running over that to-do list again, or thinking of all the things you need to accomplish once you get done with this 10 minute solitude break you are having. The real value of taking at least a 10 minute daily break is that you give your mind a rest. If thoughts come up you can just notice them and release them, or write them down on a small pad so you can look at them again later. We have a great wealth of insight and wisdom within us but we never stop to tap into it.Make the 10 minutes a priority in your day and you'll find you have more energy, greater clarity, and are able to be creative and focus on the things you would like to achieve and make them happen with ease and be more fulfilled then you had ever imagined.I usually introduce this idea of taking a solitude break to my clients during the first month of our coaching, there is resistance at first but once they have experienced the feeling of being recharged and the insights they gain they schedule time every day sometimes twice a day for a break just to be alone. One of my clients was stuck in a position she didn't like. The money was terrific and she used that as an excuse to put up with the long hours and the lack of passion she felt day in and day out. I made a request that she set aside 10 minutes a day to just be by herself.As I requested this she became fidgety and spent the next five minutes listing all of the reasons why it wouldn't be possible to add this one more thing to here overwhelmed schedule. After talking a bit more my client acknowledged that she never had any time just to herself and she found the idea appealing, she started with five minutes a day.Early in the morning before work she would sit in her sunny kitchen window seat and just watch the sun begin its day. After only four days of this she called me to say that spending this time alone had given here a recharge and she was ready to explore new career ideas and make a change.She increased her solitude time to 30 minutes a day and within 4 months she had found a job in a similar field doing work that paid more but also gave an outlet for here creativity and left her feeling happy, with a sense she was making a difference at the end of the day.About The Author
Chewing On Mindfulness: Gum Is Your Secret – Stress-Management
Chewing On Mindfulness: Gum Is Your Secret
My grandmother, a feisty and athletic woman in her younger years, was a gum-chewer. She was never without a pack or two of Wrigley's Doublemint gum. She wasn't a snapper or
bubble-blower--she viewed that as highly uncivilized.Grandma kept her mouth closed, thank you very much, and her chewing silent. She insisted that it helped her concentrate. It turns out that she was right. Research has shown that chewing does indeed increase our ability to concentrate and to retain what we've learned.In fact, studies indicate that, for both kids and adults, mental tasks are completed up to 20% more effectively when we chew gum. Here's why: When we chew--whether it's food, gum or just air--we respond by salivating, which releases a surge of insulin. Our body gets ready for a meal. The insulin leads to an increased heart rate and sends glucose and oxygen to our brain.The result? This blast of brain food helps us learn faster and retain this information longer. If that's all it takes to boost learning, I'm all for it! In fact, I'd like to suggest that we chew gum as a mindfulness exercise. Really. Perhaps instead of "Om" we should be chanting "Grom-grom-grom".Why not? We already know that mindfulness can be very effectively practiced during repetitive physical activity. It's hard to find a more repetitive and less demanding activity than chewing gum!Try this: Sit comfortably in any position that allows you to breathe with a relaxed belly. Pop some gum into your mouth and begin chewing. Pay attention to the burst of flavor and accompanying saliva. Feel the texture of the gum as it softens and stretches.Focus on chewing the gum on only one side of your mouth ten times, then switch to the other side. Continue as you slowly chew, allowing yourself to count to ten before switching sides again. Keep this up for about two minutes while concentrating on the chewing motion.Simple? Sure. Mindfulness IS simple. And it can become pretty easy to focus for short periods, especially if we have a particular physical activity as the center of our attention.Many people find this a much easier and more effective way to experience mindfulness than simply sitting and watching thoughts. There's no need to make mindfulness difficult, uncomfortable or woo-woo. If chewing gum is good for your brain, take advantage of it as an easy way to practice mindfulness.On a bus? At your desk? Take a two-minute break to chew gum. Nobody needs to know what you're doing. It will be your minty little secret.Salvation? Okay, maybe not. Here's to salivation!Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com
Overcome the Top 10 Causes of Workplace Stress – Stress-Management
Overcome the Top 10 Causes of Workplace Stress
Workplace stress is on the rise and it's costing
corporate America a fortune. Some estimate that
80% of health care costs are stress related, and
these expenses go right to the bottom line.According to CNN-Money.com, Americans spent more
than $17 billion for anti-depressants and anti-
anxiety drugs in 2002, up 10% from the year before
and nearly 30% over a two year period.The Institute for Management Excellence reports
that American industry spends more than $26
billion each year for medical bills and disability
payments with another $10 billion for executive's
lost workdays, hospitalization, and early death.In addition to these staggering figures, stress
takes its toll through the added costs of quality
control, legal challenges, lost opportunities,
poor performance, bad attitudes, and training.We cannot do much about the skyrocketing costs of
medical care and prescription drugs, but we can
take immediate action to control the top ten
causes of stress as identified by The Global
Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and
Mental Health.The countdown is:10. "Workload" ? Employees report that they are
often stressed when they have too little or too
much to do. Managers need to divide
responsibilities and help employees prioritize
work that must be done. Make sure you understand
the impact before shifting responsibilities. Take
into account the cost of stress before you
increase anyone's workload or hire more people.9. "Random interruptions" - Telephones, pagers,
walk-in visits, and spontaneous demands from
supervisors all contribute to increased stress.
Time management, delegation of responsibilities,
and clarification of expectations can reduce these
stressors. 8. "Pervasive uncertainty" ? Stress
levels increase rapidly when people are confronted
by new requirements and procedures. Keeping
people informed controls stress and increases
productivity. Put details in a memo so they can
review the facts following your explanations.7. "Mistrust and unfairness" - These situations
keep everyone on edge, create bad attitudes, and
lower productivity. It is important to keep an
open line of communication to avoid
misunderstanding and know what people are thinking
about your decisions. Managers must consistently
build trust and give equal treatment - just do the
right thing.6. "Unclear policies and no sense of direction" -
Lack of focus causes uncertainty and undermines
confidence in management. You need more than a
well-written policy manual. Enforcement of
policies and clear communications are essential.To make sure everyone gets the message, you can
repeat your explanation in a variety of ways ?
repetition and feedback are important. Reinforce
policies through memos, articles, bulletin board
postings, personal meetings, and small group
discussions.5. "Career and job ambiguity" - If people are
uncertain about their jobs and careers, there is a
feeling of helplessness and of being out of
control. In addition to the trusted job
descriptions and annual personnel reviews, people
need to understand a broad range of issues that
affect the company.News of mergers, consolidations, plant closings,
and restructuring contribute to a feeling of
helplessness. Management must keep people informed
about situations that will affect their jobs, or
the rumor mill will add to an already stressful
situation.4. "No feedback - good or bad" ? People want to
know whether they are meeting expectations.
Consistent, written and verbal, personalized
feedback is required. Some people need more
attention than others, but everyone's performance
is enhanced if leaders frequently affirm
individual efforts.3. "No appreciation" - Failure to show
appreciation generates stress that endangers
productivity throughout the company. There are
many ways to demonstrate appreciation, but the
most effective is a sincere comment about how much
the person means to you and the company.2. "Lack of communications" - Poor communication
leads to decreased performance and increased
stress. Management memos and announcements work
well for distributing information, but two-way
conversation improves communication and solicits
ideas and suggestions while reducing stress and
complaints.1. "Lack of control" ? Workplace stress is at its
greatest when employees have no say regarding
things that affect them. You can decrease
sensitivity to all the other stressors and give a
sense of being in control by involving employees
in operating and administrative decisions and
acting on their input. Frontline employees know
what they are talking about. Listening to what
they have to say reduces stress and increases
productivity.Effective managers understand that stress control
is a leadership responsibility and give it just as
much attention as any other management function.
For those who want to explore stress control
further, a free 3-session e-course is available by
email request at stresscontrol@sendfree.comGrasping the concepts and reducing stress one step
at a time can have an amazing impact on your
bottom line --and on the lives of those who do the
heavy work.Dale Collie - professional speaker, former
US Army Ranger, CEO, and a Fast Company top
50 innovative leader. Author of "Winning
Under Fire." (McGraw-Hill) collie@couragebuilders.com