Play Office Party Bingo for Easy Stress-Free Gatherings

Written by katherine on November 19, 2012 · Leave a Comment

This 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:

Inappropriately/trashily dressed
Couple hooking up for the first time
Sucking up to the boss
Having an argument
Getting stuck talking to the biggest bore
Married but flirting heavily with the opposite sex
Too drunk to know they are being an idiot
Career suicide conversation
Old man leering at younger woman
First woman to ditch her heels
Someone drinking a “Shirley Temple”
Table or chair dancing
Best dancers
Worst dancers
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

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

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!

One Year Yardstick

Written by admin on March 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment

When I was a kid and really upset about something, my mother always used to say to me, “what difference will it make in a year.” I hated that question. I thought she wasn’t paying any attention to my problems. As I’ve gotten older I realized that this was a really excellent rule of thumb. The big things in life will still be important in a year, while the little things; like a ruined dinner, being late to a meeting or choosing a vacation destination aren’t really worth the negative impact of stress and anxiety.

So when something is really stressing you out, stop and ask yourself the question:

“What difference will it make a year from now?”

If one year feels too long for a ‘will-it-matter’ yardstick, then choose the interval that works for you; 1 week, 1 month, 3 months or 6 months. Carefully consider whether the issue is important enough to demand some of your limited and precious time & energy. If the answer is yes, by all means give the issue everything it requires. However, if the answer is no, stop stressing un-necessarily.

If today’s choices have no impact a year from now, just roll with the flow and let it go.

What to Do When a Lack of Choices Creates Stress

Written by katherine on March 18, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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. Read more »

What is the Opposite of Stress?

Written by katherine on March 4, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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 people 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

Written by katherine on February 28, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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!

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.

Read more »

Celebrate the Small Stuff

Written by katherine on February 19, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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.

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

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 »

Reduce Stress with Office Christmas Bingo

Written by katherine on December 12, 2011 · Leave a Comment

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.

Accurately guess the first person to decorate their desk
Someone breaking up a romance to avoid buying a gift
Accurately guess who will flout the no-Xmas-card rule Read more »

5 Simple Steps for Reducing Stress

Written by katherine on November 27, 2011 · 1 Comment

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 »