Stress And … | Cognitus UK Ltd - stress relief workshops and coaching for businesses and individuals

Ten Personalities of Stress

Written by katherine on February 10, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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.

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

Stress and the Big Red Button

Written by katherine on November 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I received a joke present from a friend in the form of a Big Red USB Stress Button. I’m having fun pressing the button and watching a countdown to a big explosion. It’s totally silly, but most importantly it makes me feel better to push the button. I think that we all have big, red, stress buttons inside. The problem is that sometimes they go off all on their own. Read more »

Three Common Beliefs which Trigger Stress

Written by katherine on September 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment

There are three very common beliefs which can often lead to stress. They are:

I don’t deserve this
I must be perfect
I cannot fail

Each of these three beliefs set up “no-win” scenarios. When something starts to go wrong (as it inevitably does) these beliefs tip you into stress.

The next time you find yourself in a situation of high stress, stop and see if one of these beliefs (or something similar) was active just before the stress happened. If you find one of these beliefs at the core of your stress, stop and ask yourself the following questions: Read more »

Stress and a Healthy Desk

Written by admin on September 5, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Have you ever considered that you might be stressed because your desk is unhealthy? A recent survey says that 68% of office workers never clean their desks. Stop and think for a minute about what might be lurking in and around your desk. Experts estimate that 10 million bacteria may be hanging around under your hands on the surface of your desk. One study goes so far as to suggest that the average office desk is 100x dirtier than a kitchen counter and 400x dirtier than a toilet seat. Ooh Yuck!

How can this be, your office has a cleaner, right? Why should you have to clean your desk yourself? Cleaning companies report that most cleaners are hesitant to clean people’s desks for fear of disturbing papers and personal memorabilia. So if you don’t clean your desk, it’s not going to get done.

Here are some tips for keeping your desk a clean and healthy place: Read more »

Stress and Dreams

Written by katherine on August 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I read a little article on the meaning of dreams on the internet today and it suggested that many of the most common dream themes are related to stress in your life. That got me thinking about what comes first: the dream or the stress?

I often find that I’m stressed in the morning if I’ve had exceptionally vivid and odd dreams. Sometimes I just start the day angry because of my dreams.

A trawl of the internet suggests that increased stress can cause vivid dreams. There is also a suggestion that strange, vivid or traumatic dreams may reduce the quality of our sleep. Can you see the vicious circle developing; poor quality sleep leading to more stress, and stress leading back to more and stranger dreams? Read more »

Stress and Tears

Written by katherine on July 18, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Have you ever been in a meeting and felt your eyes welling up with tears? Whether they are tears of disappointment or tears of anger it can be embarrassing. I’ve been watching “The Apprentice” recently and I watched the eyes of the candidates who are on the chopping block. Universally, they all tear up.

Tears are seen as a sign of weakness at work. We can debate all day whether they are normal and natural, but they just aren’t cool in business. However, help is at hand. There are two brilliant moves you can make to reduce tears. I’ve tried both successfully. Read more »

Gardening to Reduce Stress

Written by katherine on June 12, 2011 · 1 Comment

The NHS is planning on offering an 8 week gardening course for people who are stressed, depressed, anxious or of low mood. One newspaper reports that “each two hour session – covering subjects such as plant types, soil testing and common pests – is designed to boost morale.” The article goes on to say that “The ‘therapeutic’ course is expected to prove popular with people who are stressed at work or facing redundancy.”

This may not be as daft as it sounds. Read more »

Stress and Gadget Obsolescence

Written by katherine on December 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment

I had to say goodbye to my beloved Palm pda this week. I know that to many people it’s an ancient piece of kit, but to me it’s a trusted friend. I don’t enjoy new technology. I don’t get any pleasure from having the newest gadget-bling, the moment it hits the shops. I like to know how to use the tools I have and find comfort in knowing it will always work the same way. I must be a gadget-luddite. Read more »

Stress and False Eyelashes

Written by katherine on September 22, 2010 · 2 Comments

I needed a new headshot, not one of the five I already had would do for my new venture. I needed a “grown-up in a suit, light-background” kind of head shot. Little did I know that this picture would be the most stressful thing to enter my life in the last month.

I heard that my favourite photographer was going to be taking headshots at a business expo I was scheduled to attend, for a ridiculously low price. Looking to grab a bargain, I decided this was the easy way to multi-task. I overlooked one key item in selecting this option; false eyelashes.