Play Office Party Bingo for Easy Stress-Free Gatherings

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Play Office Party Bingo for Stress-less Office PartiesThis technique works well if you are going to a party with a friend but you can also play on your own.

Create a list of sterotypical party behaviours prior to the party and then see how many you can spot.  For example:

  1. Inappropriately/trashily dressed
  2. Couple hooking up for the first time
  3. Sucking up to the boss
  4. Having an argument
  5. Getting stuck talking to the biggest bore
  6. Married but flirting heavily with the opposite sex
  7. Too drunk to know they are being an idiot
  8. Career suicide conversation
  9. Old man leering at younger woman
  10. First woman to ditch her heels
  11. Someone drinking a “Shirley Temple”
  12. Table or chair dancing
  13. Best dancers
  14. Worst dancers
  15. First person to fall asleep

Have fun and make up your own categories.   Having a silly Party Bingo list will assist you to stay interested in what is occurring and provides lots of internal amusement when you spot something on your list.

This technique works equally well for office parties and family gatherings.  Let me know what categories you come up with!

Grabbit, Wrappit, Zappit

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Got stress? Here’s a handy little technique to get control when you’ve got something bothering you. I must warn you that you’re going to need a trusty weapon. I like the index-finger laser pistol as my weapon of choice. I’ve heard that the invisible, shoulder-mounted bazooka works well too. (wink,wink)

1. Grabbit! Snare the bothersome issue in your hands. Hold on tight because some issues are really squirmy.

2. Wrappit! Take the problem and wrap it up really securely so it can’t get loose. You might choose newspaper, plastic wrap or even cement. Choose a wrapping material that you think will contain the problem from here to eternity.

3. Zappit! Now pull out your trusty pocket weapon, toss your securely-wrapped problem in the air, and zap it to smithereens!

This is a great visualisation technique, but I like to actually go through the motions on this one. I envision that the problem I’m grabbing is a little gremlin. I hold him very tightly in my two hands. I wrap him securely in plastic wrap and then throw him in the air like I’m serving a tennis ball with my left hand. I do a quick draw with my right hand and POW, I blast him with my laser-index-finger-pistol. I’ll have to admit I even blow on the end of my finger, before re-holstering.

There you have it, stress control in three easy steps. It makes me smile every time, and I just love zapping my problems!

What to Do When a Lack of Choices Creates Stress

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I was speaking to a friend this week who was complaining about feeling rather stressed.  She commented that she felt out of control.  But she quickly went on to say that it wasn’t the “I’m a control freak and I need to be in control of every single detail, kind of thing; it’s something else that I don’t recognise.”  We talked for a while about what was going on in her life; choices narrowing, lack of good options, pressure to do things that she didn’t want to do at a time that didn’t suit her.  She suddenly had an ‘A-ha’ moment and said, “I’m not out-of-control, I’m out-of-choices.”

‘Out of Choices,’ what an absolutely brilliant turn of phrase to describe one of the major creators of stress.  Stress Relief with Cognitus (UK) Ltd. Read more »

What is the Opposite of Stress?

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I recently asked my network, ‘What is the Opposite of Stress?’   As you might expect there was a wide variety of answers.   Some folks shared a single word, whilst others shared a scenario.   The answers grouped into several broad categories:

 

1.     Relaxed, Calm and Peaceful

This category received the highest number of votes.  Many people mentioned relaxing on a beach, often accompanied by drinks with paper umbrellas.   I often ask peoStress Relief at www.cognitusuk.comple to visualise serene or peaceful scenes to counteract the pressures of stress.   When we think of ‘peaceful’, we envision a lowered heart rate, a oneness with nature and an absence of tension.  For many people, this nirvana is definitely not in an urban environment.  Read more »

De-stress Your Feet

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One of the side effects of my new contract job is having to wear “proper” shoes to work, the kind with 3″ heels.   When I work at home I live in slippers (and yes, they do have Winnie the Pooh on them!)  After three consecutive days in high heels my feet were protesting loudly.  You can’t always stop for a foot massage in the middle of the working day.  So if your feet are bothering you, what can you do?   I’ve found 3 great techniques that you can do under the desk to give your tootsies a break.   And gentlemen, these will work for you too!

Stress Relief from Cognitus (UK) Ltd.

I highly recommend that you slip off your shoes under the desk.   You might want to make sure you have no holes in your socks and that your feet aren’t too pungent!  For all three techniques, make sure you are sitting  comfortably, with your back straight and feet on the floor about hip width apart.  Note that all three stretches can be done in a standing position as well.

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Celebrate the Small Stuff

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I’m a firm believer in celebrating.   I celebrate getting through the day without spilling my coffee on my shirt.  I celebrate completing my to-do’s for the week.  I also share celebrations.  My hubby and I celebrate completing a challenging level on a video game, finishing onerous chores or even just Friday.  
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Taking time to enjoy and savour the small things balances out all the boring have-to-do’s and missed opportunities.  It is so easy to get caught up in the necessary administrivia and stress of life that we lose track of small victories.   We tend to focus on achieving big audacious goals and forget that we climb mountains by taking lots of single steps.   Read more »

Ten Personalities of Stress

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One of the odd things about stress is that it is different for everyone.  Some of us have it bad and others not at all.  After working with stressed-out professionals for a number of years I’ve identified ten different stress personalities.  Surprisingly, not everyone wants to eliminate stress from their life. Are you shocked?  I was. There are some folks who relish the role of stress in their life.   

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Do you recognise yourself or a friend or co-worker in one of these 10 ‘Stress Personalities’? Read more »

Coping with Saying No to Your Aging Parent

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It’s the age-old dilemma, how do you care for your aging parent while holding down a full-time job and managing your own family?   The answer is; with grace, angst and guilt.  I’m finding that as my parents are getting older they need more and more help.  I am willing to assist as much as possible (given the 5000 mile distance and 5 time zones), but there are times when I can’t drop everything and go to their aid.   This weekend was one of those times.   I was racked with guilt, but when they yelled at me and implied that I was heartless it was suddenly much easier to say no.

This is the first time I’ve had to say “no,” and it probably won’t be the last.   What do you need to put in place to move through the experience with grace?  Read more »

Stress-less Family Fun with Christmas I-Spy

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At holiday gatherings it it often hard to keep everyone engaged and interested.  This game is great for all ages and can be played inside and outside the house.  There are several different ways to play this game; collect points for each item you find and at the end of the day the person with the highest total wins or see who can collect the entire list in the shortest time.  Read more »