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Stress Reduction
3 Quick Tips to manage your stress and anger:
- Use your work-out time to process your stress and anger
- Use "On-the-Spot Tension Tamers"
- Have an "Emergency Exit Strategy"
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I'd like to offer you 3 quick tips on managing the stress or anger in
your life. Although I've written more extensively on this in other
publications, this is just a quick, short list of three things you
can do to tone things down a notch and improve your life.
First, make sure that you are exercising regularly. While you
exercise, become aware of what is bothering you. As you focus on
your stressors, let the physiological energy generated by your anger
or angst be burned off by your body. Let the exertion cleanse you...
body, mind and soul. This is what I call Anger Work.
Second, use "On-the-Spot Tension Tamers." These are helpful when you
are in the middle of a conflict or stressful meeting, or waiting in a
long line. For example, you could use the hand-squeezing technique.
You may let your anger out by simply rolling one or both hands up
into a fist and squeezing. If you hide your hands, no one will
notice. Alternatively, you could press down on the floor with your
feet or tighten the muscles in some other part of the body. These
are forms of isometric exercise which you can do when you are with
people.
If the situation is especially aggravating, you are going to need to
address it again during your work-out time; however these techniques
should help you make it through the conversation or situation.
Third, have what I call an "Emergency Exit Strategy." This only
comes into play if you are in the middle of a conflict which is more
than you can deal with at the moment. If you are ever in the middle
of a conversation with a family member and feel like you are about to
lose your temper and do or say something regrettable, here is my
advice. Simply tell the person you are talking to that you need to
take a break and finish the discussion later.
If you are in a professional situation where this doesn't seem
acceptable, then simply excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. If
you are on the phone with the person, simply ask her to hold or tell
her you will call her back. This may still seem odd, but excusing
yourself for a few minutes to do some quick Anger Work or just cool
down and let yourself think will put you back in control of yourself.
This trick of excusing yourself and walking away for a few minutes is
not only helpful for people who have flaring temper problems, but
also those who are used to being victimized and are trying to learn
to create boundaries and stand up for themselves.
I hope you find these tips helpful in teaching your mind and body to
work together to bring about greater health for yourself as a whole
being.
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