Stress Education Center - Dstress.com Newsletter

"Dedicated to serving by providing information, products, and services to create awareness and then offer control of stress and the process of change."

In this issue:

1. Introduction and Welcome

2. Stress Management Tip of the Month: Great Relaxation Technique

3. Life Balance... 10 Essential Areas

4. Article: Stress and Performance!

5. Product of the Month: Basic Progressive Relaxation #101

6. Thank you

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1. Introduction of the Stress Education Center's - Dstress.com Newsletter

May, 2003 is the beginning of the Summer season for us in the Northern Hemisphere. It is time to put on our sun screen and think about vacation travel and working in the "dog-days" of Summer. Our travel habits have been reviewed if not changed. Our world is different and the goals we have of seeing the far reaches of the planet may have been altered as well. Recreation and fun are essential for most of us and we must invest some of our resources in fun adventures or deeply relaxing times of renewal.

One focus of this edition will be on Life Balance. Making time for all the important, but often overlooked, requirements for a healthy life. We will list the ten areas to acknowledge and in which to invest resources for a better quality of life. These are also the prime areas that I deem important as I ask you to "take good care of yourself!"

As I requested in the most recent past newsletter:

Stop for a minute in whatever busy place you are, take one deep breath, relax your shoulders, your forehead, and your jaw. Put the news into perspective. React but do not over-react. Be present...enjoy the moment! And please, take good care of yourself.

As I requested in the most recent past newsletter:

Stop for a minute in whatever busy place you are, take one deep breath, relax your shoulders, your forehead, and your jaw. Put the news into perspective. React but do not over-react. Be present...enjoy the moment! And please, take good care of yourself.

Thanks for reading

L. John Mason, Ph.D.

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2. Stress Management Tip of the Month: Guided Relaxation

Formula for Deep Relaxation: A simple guided relaxation

1. Get in your body... in the present moment... and in a positive way
   (Easier said than done.)
   
   To do this, sit back (or lie back) comfortably. Let your shoulders release. Let your neck sink back into the pillow or the chair. Close your eyes while relaxing your forehead and loosening your jaw. Take three deep, slow, diaphragmatic breaths, pausing after you inhale, and then exhaling fully and completely. Perhaps you can even feel cool air as you inhale and the warmth of the breath as you slowly exhale.
   
   After the first three breaths, then continue breathing slow and naturally. Let yourself sink a step deeper into relaxation with every exhale.
   
   
2. Become aware of any tensions in your body and gradually allow these to be released. Slow down and let go of unwanted energy (tension). Sometimes you may feel your arms or legs get so relaxed they seem to sink back into whatever you are sitting or lying upon. The muscle tensions can gradually melt away, as if you could release this tension with every exhale, letting it flow from you with the breath that you exhale.
   
   
3. After releasing tension by breathing slowly, you can begin to allow your body to heal and recharge itself. Remember that as you relax your body will let blood with oxygen and nutrients flow more easily to every cell of your body. Every cell like a sponge will soak up these nutrients and begin to heal and recharge. Though you remain comfortable and relaxed, you may begin the feel the health and happiness begin to burn more brightly within your body.
   
   Finally, picture yourself (or feel yourself) healthy and energized with a positive feelings of health and happiness. Let this burn more brightly until you can picture yourself as if you are healthy and active, celebrating in perfect health....
   
   With practice these three steps will relax you and also energize you. You will be better able to focus and then be more productive. Give this a try.

END Relaxation...

I have said this before and I will say this again... make time for your self-care. It will save you time in the long run. You will have a better quality of life, more energy, and you will be able to produce more! Try this relaxation approach for 8-12 weeks and let me know how it works for you.

For more tips on what you can do to get back in control of your responses when you are stressed, use the tips from the article "ten timely tips" at www.dstress.com/10-tips.htm. These are very useful. Let me know what you think.

Along the way, do not forget to take good care of yourself!

Good Health!
L. John Mason, Ph.D.

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3. Life Balance...10 Essential Areas

I was recently speaking to a Women in Law group. They had requested a program about stress management from the perspective of balancing work and life. After talking about time management (managing priorities), we were lead to the obvious concern about what is essential for a happy, healthy life. I listed the following areas important for your consideration.

Remember, making time and putting energy into these areas for your healthy life will actually save you time and energy in the long term. You must plan your time to include these various areas in your busy life. Some of these areas will not be actively pursued daily or even weekly, but you need to schedule them into times in your life when appropriate.

Planning your life is easily overlooked. You probably plan your Christmas party more thoroughly than you really plan your life. Remember, you deserve this and no one else will make these plans with your health and happiness in mind.

Career and Work...Taking Care of Business
If you have a plan, it will work out better. Just remember that you can never control all the factors, so be ready to let go and not take it too seriously. Unless you are involved in a life threatening activity, stay focused and take necessary risks, without fearing a life-death scenario. You always have choices. Do not allow yourself to feel "painted into a corner." Boring jobs are stressful and potentially unhealthy, so consider your options if you find yourself in a work situation that is not using your full potential. Even if it takes time to investigate and then to retrain or get things organized, you can make efforts to move yourself into a more positive situation. It helps to focus on the end goals and results as you move along your path.

Money and Finance
Security, recreation, and personal development all require attention to your finances. Though you can not buy happiness, you may suffer without sufficient funding. Warning: Be careful that money, and even security, do not become overly worshipped as an exclusive use for your time and resources.

Health and Self-care
Wealth means nothing if you do not have your health. Prevention and health maintenance is worth every bit of time and energy you use. Today, more than ever before, we must take good care of ourselves, not just for survival, but for quality of life and increased productivity. The efforts will save you time and energy.

Family
Not every family is perfect. In fact, most families are dysfunctional and quirky. When you are born into a family, you may not feel that you had a choice and can even have difficulty relating to other family members. Even though your family may act like they just dropped in from Mars, they are family. If you do not have a family or access to your family, then make one of your own. A close knit connection for support is what we all require. It takes effort but there are times when you can be there for them or they will be there for you. Very few people could actually be full fledged hermits. But remember, we each have different needs and requirements for intense family relationships. Some times we need more contact and sometimes we need more solitude... Allow for your needs in every stage of your life.

Friends and Social Connections
Almost everyone needs friendship and support that comes from outside your family. Even with a close knit supportive family, we sometimes need the perspective that a good friend can bring. To have close friends, you need to be a good friend. Unlike family, people can walk away from friendships and this offers the opportunity for you to work things out with friends if you feel that the relationship is a healthy one and worth this effort. Protect yourself from negative and costly emotional ties to family and friends.

Education and Intellectual Development
If you do not use it, you will lose it. The mind is a horrible thing to waste. People who are engaged in learning and growing are healthier both physically and mentally. Do not give up on life or yourself. There are so many things to learn and not enough to learn them all, so work consistently down the list (and keep adding to it.) Remember, it is OK, in fact, healthy to turn off the TV and read a book or have a conversation that expands your base of knowledge. Better still, take a class. Get Challenged!

Spiritual and Aesthetic Pursuits
There are places, objects, rituals, people, or experiences that can bring light to your heart and reasons to move forward. Do not forget the importance of your spirit to your health and well being. Even if it is only a few moments to appreciate the sunset or a breath of fresh air, find time and create the space for your heart to celebrate life. It is more a feeling than a thought for most people. Bask in the warmth and light of your blossoming spirit.

Creativity and Hobbies
People are usually curious and creative. Allow for time and activities that allow you to celebrate the range of emotions that come from thinking new thoughts, making new things, or being deeply absorbed in passion. Do not be too harsh in your self-judgments. Celebrate your attempts and your efforts to create.

Emotional Growth and Well Being
"When we stop growing we start dying." We never have all the answers, but it is important to be searchers of truth. The frontier that we all have, deep within us, is ourselves. Search your limits of mind, body, and spirit. Get support from healthy fellow seekers or at least have people to share your new insights with, and you will gain the perspective that makes the trip more exciting. There are times when we need support or even professional assistance. Find a great person to work out your issues with. (Professional therapist, coach, clergy, or counselor... check their credentials if you do not trust their approach. Do not believe that everything that is said to you, applies to you!)

Fun and Recreation
Life without fun and activity may be less rewarding. We need to make time for fun. We often have to set the stage for fun. It helps to invite other people to share in this fun. This make great memories. Continue to make memories. Recreation is a necessity. People actually die of boredom. Children who do not have stimulation often die or have developmental concerns. Watch babies, poppies, kittens, and baby mammals and you find them engaged in play for learning and development. I am told that laughter in healing... and I believe this to be true.

If you know anyone who has had their quality of life or health adversely affected by stress, please consider sharing these thoughts with them.

Thank you.

Along the way, please take good care of yourself.

Send me your comments regarding what strategies you believe work for your self-care and how you most benefit from regular self-care practices.

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4. Article: Stress and Performance!

Effects of Stress on Performance

Too much stress can contribute to health problems. This is not a new statement. Stress can also reduce your ability to perform at the highest levels. The negative effects of stress can impact profitability and quality of life.

The Physical response:

The Stress Response will:
Increase heart rate, speed breathing or you might hold your breath, tightens muscle to prepare to fight or to flee, directs blood to brain and major muscles (away from digestion, hands/feet, Reproductive organs), releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, slows or stops digestion, causes the brain to be more reactive/less thoughtful, increases perspiration, reduces immune system response. Any of these systems can become your habitual way to respond to stressful situations.

Symptoms of Stress can include:

Tension headaches, neck/back/shoulder pain, tight jaw, TMJ problems, sleeping problems, fatigue, loss of concentration, learning problems can increase, irregular or rapid heartrate, migraine headaches, poor circulation, Raynaud Syndrome, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction (in men and women), digestive problems, upset stomach, ulcers, colitis, hormone imbalances, reduction of immune system function, over reaction by immune system (allergies or autoimmune diseases worse), increased asthma activity, increased aging rate, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, poor habit control, over-eating, low energy, prone to accidents or mistakes, can impair communication, poor performance, etc.

It is not so much the amount of stress, but how you respond to it. Some people thrive on stress and may be addicted to the adrenaline rush that accompanies high stress or dangerous activities. Most people develop a "habit pattern" from an early age as a response to stress. Sometimes we inherit a physical pattern from our parents or we may learn a way of responding from our immediate family or friends. These can include the muscle tension that you get when you respond to a physical or emotional stressor. The expression "uptight" comes from the tension to certain muscles groups, particularly the neck/shoulders, jaw, and back. It can make you look rigid. This muscle tension can also create muscle spasms that take the form of tension headaches, soreness in the neck and shoulders, and increased back pain. Lessor amounts of muscle tension can also cause fatigue (from wasted energy) or sleeping problems when the muscle do not relax and this irritation keeps you from falling asleep, returning to sleep if you awaken, or resting properly when you are asleep. Small amounts of muscle tension can exist below the level of your awareness. This muscle tension can be distracting when we must concentrate on our work or our activities. If we lose focus when this distraction occurs we can slow down or make mistakes that require more time and energy to correct.

Competitive athletes have been aware of the negative effects of stress on their performance. Tight muscles can drop their time in a track and field sprint by fractions of a second. This can be the difference between winning or losing an event. Since the Eastern European athletes began their mental training in the 1970's, world class athletes have begun spending as much as 70% of their training time in mental preparation for controlling stress during competition. I have coached golfers, tennis players, softball players, pilots, even law students preparing for the state bar examinations. Their performance has been enhanced with the use of a program that includes stress management, visualization, and skill development. This process has also worked for managers, executives, policemen, professional sales people, teachers, and even dentists.

Increasing Profits:

Learning to control your response to stress and to "Get out of your own way" has saved companies money, increased production, encouraged creativity, enabled teams to communicate more effectively, reduced the anxieties which surround the process of change, increased the pace of professional learning and development, and even reduced accidents and harassment claims.

If your organization needs to save money, reduce turn over, increase sales and productivity, or just improve the quality of work life, you should give consideration to the return on investment of stress management coaching or training. Every organization is different and requires a tailored approach when installing an effective program. When the process is most successful, I find the commitment and "buy-in" to this program is supported by "top-down" leadership involvement. (The process will work without full leadership support, but it takes longer and may reach its full potential.) Leaders who are familiar with the beneficial results of Executive Coaching are often open to the successful uses of these techniques (combined with stress management consulting) and can see the achievements of their business goals.

The process can work with individuals, teams, departments, or company wide. It is recommended that you test the process by working with a sampling from the departments from the company. The process may require time for assessments and benchmarking, and then implementation. Obviously, some departments such as sales, can show improvement in solid dollar figures. Results from other departments may require different metrics to define and then demonstrate positive change.

Please contact the Stress Education Center if you wish to have your current program evaluated or if you wish to install a cost saving and performance enhancing stress management program.

If you require additional information regarding stress management or executive coaching, you can investigate the information available through the Stress Education Center's website at http://www.dstress.com.

Since 1978, the Stress Education Center has provided consulting and training services for individuals and organizations. The books, tapes, training seminars, on-line courses, and executive coaching have assisted thousands of motivated business people to improve their performance and enhance the quality of their lives.

I hope that this article offers you useful information.
Along the way, do not forget to take good care of yourself!

Good Health!
L. John Mason, Ph.D.