“. . .I’d love to, Dad, if I could find the time. You see my new job’s a hassle, and the kid’s have the flu. . .” Harry Chapin
Isn’t that just the way our lives work? We never seem to have the time to do anything that we enjoy because one thing or another interferes with our plans. This not only creates quite a bit of stress in our lives, it also makes us less productive as individuals.
Statistics indicate that $300 billion per year is spent by the workplace on stress related claims whether it’s lost work days or stress related illnesses. If we feel stress, we are more likely to experience job burn out, depression, and serious physical illnesses.
Relieving stress, though, is easier than you think.
First, figure out why you’re experiencing so much stress.
Is there an aspect of your job that bothers you?
Too many bills at home causing a measure of anxiety in your life?
Are you concerned about your family’s personal problems?
Once you understand the primary cause of stress in your life, figure out the best way for you to manage it.
Can you change jobs? If not, can you speak with your boss about finding someone else to handle the aspect of your job that causes so much stress?
If you have financial problems, would a solution like debt management help? What about a work-from-home job you could do in your spare time?
If you have family problems, might a counselor be able to relieve some of the stress in your life?
When you have a plan in place to manage your primary stress factor, make sure you stick to it. It’s easy to think about solving something, but much harder to stay with it. Just remember to follow through, and soon you, too, can live a stress free life.


{ 3 comments }
That’s reality. Stress is always present when we need to workout something that’s hard to do.
Some stress are probably caused by our minds being tired of all the thinking. Our mind needs a break from what is causing it. Work is a one good example. Giving it a day off can help in relaxing the mind from all the worries.
I agree with Wally. Sometimes when I have too much worries going on my mind, whether it is about work or home, I give myself a break. I pause for a moment or even take a day off to clear my mind. Having stress may cause you to stay home anyway. So it’s better to prevent someting than to cure it.
It was only recently that I started giving myself permission to take these sort of breaks. I used to have the Doors philosophy: break on through to the other side. No matter if I was exhausted or burnt out, I’d keep pushing. All that ever got me was tired.