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 »

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 »

Stress Relief in Just Ten Sounds

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Sometimes when we are stressed we go inwards and get stuck in an unproductive whirlwind of thoughts, emotions and feelings.   This was brought home to me recently during a very fraught and hectic commute.   I was due to chair a meeting and my public transportation choices were not co-operating with my aim to arrive on time.  All the signs of stresVisit Cognitus for great stress relief techniquess were there; shallow breathing, racing heart and spiralling thoughts. 

As I paced at the train station, I was comparing all the possible connection options, weighing stairs and time against cost and taxi ranks.   Then I started on a cycle of questions; is it un-professional to be late, would I be forgiven, did it really matter and why hadn’t I started earlier?   

I really needed to “get out of myself” and calm down.   I opted for one of my favourite techniques, Ten Sounds.    This technique is based on stilling the mind, tuning into the world outside yourself and raising your awareness of sound in the world around you.  Read more »

Reduce Stress with Office Christmas Bingo

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You can reduce stress and have immense fun playing Office Christmas Bingo.   Score one point for each of the following items.   Feel free to make up new categories of your own.

  1. Accurately guess the first person to decorate their desk
  2. Someone breaking up a romance to avoid buying a gift Visit www.cognitusuk.com/blog for Christmas stress relief tips
  3. Accurately guess who will flout the no-Xmas-card rule  Read more »

Stress-Less Christmas Prep

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With only two weeks left to Christmas, I’m in a flurry of preparation.  Here are five simple tips that I’ve discovered to help you prepare for a stress-less Christmas season.  These forward planning tips can help to eliminate last minute glitches and get your holiday off to a smooth start.

  1. Have spares on hand.  Just like the Scouts, “be prepared”.   Have extra essentials on hand: batteries, xmas light bulbs, camera memory cards (or film).   Take time to review your holiday gifts an make sure you have the right size batteries on hand.   Check your gaming equipment and stock up on rechargeable batteries.  Ensure you have off-loaded all the pictures in your camera and will be ready to capture those candid holiday moments. Read more »

5 Simple Steps for Reducing Stress

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People often ask for the secrets to reducing stress.  You don’t have to sit cross-legged and chant ‘om’ to make a difference in your life.   Simple changes can produce BIG results. Practicing these 5 simple steps for thirty days will build new habits which support a “stress-less” life.  Read more »

Stress and the Big Red Button

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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 »

Change your Language, Change your Stress

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Are you aware that the language you use to describe your daily life can be creating or adding to stress?    Neuroscientists tell us that it takes just seven (7) repetitions of a statement to create a belief.  That works for positive statements as well as negative statements.   It is just as easy to create a positive belief as it is to create a negative one. Read more »

10 Ways to Find Time to De-stress

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Are you one of those people who are just too busy to find time to de-stress?  It often feels like there is no time for stress reduction in the midst of life: work, chores, chauffeuring, socialising and parenting all take precedence over our personal stress relief.  Carving out some time for yourself requires a little creativity and a hint of multitasking.

With these 10 tips for finding 10 minutes, you’ll always have time to de-stress! Read more »