Wednesday 19 November 2008

Stress-less!

My next business venture will be a stress-less consultancy for companies.

Everybody is so stressed at the moment with the economy; house prices are going down, food prices are going up, it's such a rollercoaster!

So what can you do to reduce stress at work?

Have you got a room where you can go for a break? How do you "get away from it all" for a few minutes - a quick ciggie outside???!!!

We all need breaks - but we need breaks that actually make us feel better!

The ideal would be a room where you can go to get away from the phone and the computer for half an hour. A comfy chair where you can sit and relax. And preferably an MP3 player with my Stress Relief CD on it! Half an hour of bliss!

But if half an hour is too much in your busy, busy schedule what about 5 minutes of bliss?
A room, a chair, a few deep breaths and maybe a little time taken imaging your favourite place, your favourite person, your favourite pastime. That would make so much difference to your productivity for the rest of the day!

If you're a boss please think about creating a space for your staff to rest. Please encourage them to take a break, a short walk, to eat a healthy lunch - away from their desk!

I read an article today about a wonderful way to de-stress - singing!

Dopamine is the substance that is released when we take drugs or gamble. But having sex (I shall recommend this in my consultancy practice!) and singing release dopamine too. And it gives us positive feelings - and drives us to want to experience them again and again! Endorphins give us a high after exercise and studies show that they are also released into the brain when we sing - giving us that tingling, pleasurable feeling.

Also singing releases nitric oxide into the bloodstream which lower blood pressure and combat harmful bacteria viruses. So singing really is good for you!

So a room, a comfy chair, a choir.....how will you stress-less?