52 Tips to Help You

Stress Lessand

Be Your Best

52 Stress TipsWe developed these stress tip cards to help trainers. Use these to supplement your stress training or to do a “lunch and learn” discussion on stress reduction techniques.

Three Ways to use the Stress Cards:1. Set up four teams of participants. Give each team

one portion of the cards (heart-healthy ideas, fun-filled ideas, relaxation ideas, or organization ideas). Have each team review the cards and discuss which tips they use. Task each team with teaching the other teams about their set of ideas. Allow each team 15-20 minutes to prepare their presentation and 10 minutes to present.

2. Pass out one idea from each of the idea groups to each participant. Allow time for the participants to read their four tips. Ask that each participant explain their four to the others. Discuss.

3. Post the tips around the room using double-sided tape. Have participants mill around and discuss them in small groups.

Heart-Healthy Ideas

Fun-Filled Ideas

Relaxation Ideas

Organization Ideas

Sleep Soothes the Soul

Most Americans are sleep deprived running on 6 hours or less per night.

When you are sleep deprived, you are tired, grumpy, fuzzy-headed and

crabby.

Look at ways to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night to help you bust your

stress and be less cranky.

Massage Magic

Massages have great medicinal benefits. Treat yourself to a

reflexology or hot rock massage. Don’t forget to drink lots of water afterwards so you flush the toxins

a massage releases from your system.

Water Works

Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is a good way to flush toxins from your system. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, add a touch

of lemon or lime juice.

Protein Packs a Punch

Go for snacks that are higher in protein, not sugar. The sugar

makes you feel better for a short time, but then you crash.

Almonds are a great afternoon snack.

Physical Fitness

Take care of your body and it will take care of you. Flossing your teeth

every night keeps your gums and your heart healthy. Do monthly self checks, get an annual physical and take care of issues as they arise.

The faster you get medical problems fixed, the easier and less stressful.

Bid Bad Habits Bye-Bye

Limit caffeine to mornings or go caffeine-free since increased caffeine intake only gets you feeling stressed.

Work to go smoke-free since cigarettes add to health woes and to your budget.

Start a sensible eating and exercise program to shed those extra pounds.

Obesity is America’s number one health threat and adds to your stress levels.

Yoga

Yoga is excellent for both exercise and relaxation techniques. It combines exercise and music

with deep breathing and meditation for an amazing overall

experience.

Deep Breathing

Breath deeply while counting to six. Hold it while counting to six. Then slowly release the breath while counting to six. Repeat several times. We often don’t breath deeply enough to get oxygen into our system and

demolish built-up stress hormones.

Aromatherapy

Smells can be used to help you relax or re-energize. Peppermint reinvigorates you while lavender and vanilla relaxes you. Keep candles or scented potpourri

around to change your mood.

Power Naps

A 20-minute afternoon nap can jump-start your afternoon or

evening so you can go for hours. Give yourself a break between

work and home with a short nap. Ask your family for that time to

make the transition.

Dark Chocolate Delivers

Need an excuse to eat chocolate? Dark chocolate has naturally

occurring anti-depressants. Milk chocolate has some and white chocolate has none. So when depressed, reach for the dark

chocolate.

Breakfast Builds a Better Body

A good breakfast is an excellent way to start the day. The brain

needs fuel to function and without breakfast you can’t function your

best. A heart-healthy cereal or oatmeal is an excellent way to

start the day.

Tea Time Totally Transforms You

A cup of herbal tea can soothe your spirit and add antioxidants to your system. Taking time to enjoy it while meditating or listening to

soothing music adds an extra plus. It gives a much needed 5 -10 minute break to rest and re-

energize.

Family Time

Allow time to spend with your family. Have dinner together.

Pick one night a week for game night. Take your teens out to

dinner with their friends once a month or double date with them. Take a vacation together and visit

older family members.

Hobby Time Helps

Take time for whatever hobby you enjoy. When you are stressed, take time out for your favorite

activity whether it is gardening, walking, horseback riding,

painting, playing touch football, or a drive in the country.

Commune with Nature

Take time out to enjoy the world around you. Take a walk, sit and

listen to the trees rustle in the wind, let the sun shine on your face.

Take your lunch outside and eat. Go to the park on Saturdays and

watch the children play.

Cook Up Fun

Cook up some fun with your children and allow them to help.

Make a “dirt cake” and use gummy worms or make s’mores over a fire in the backyard. Look

for ways to have fun in the kitchen with your children or friends.

Play Time

Take time out to joke and play. Play with your teammates at

work, play with your family, play with strangers standing in line. Look for ways to make others

laugh and smile. You’ll laugh and smile with them. It’s a win-win.

Laughter Livens Life

Take time to laugh. Play with children, chat with friends, read the funnies, watch comedies, or just force yourself to laugh about nothing. Whatever makes you laugh is a good thing. It gets oxygen into your system and

energizes you.

Bubble Baths Bathe You in Bliss

Take time for a bubble bath and a long soak. Add music and

candles for aromatherapy and you will have a spa experience that can transport you. Allow

yourself to mentally go on vacation while your body relaxes

for the total experience.

Friends Foster Fun

Take time for a get-together with friends. Make it a potluck or have

everyone meet at a restaurant; just meet. It doesn’t require a

clean house or a lot of prep work to get together.

Lunch Lightens the Load

You may think working through lunch is the best idea, but it adds to

your stress. Taking even 15 minutes to relax and eat lunch is a needed break. Allow yourself that time. If it’s a pretty day, go outside and eat while getting a little natural

Vitamin D from the sun.

Pet Your PetJust owning a pet is great for adding love

and laughter to your life. For unconditional love, get a dog. For a more

complicated relationship, get a cat.

Petting your dog or cat actually can reduce your blood pressure. So go home and pet your pet. They will enjoy it, and so will you. If you don’t have a pet, volunteer

at the rescue shelter.

Treat Yourself

What do you consider a true treat - a facial, going rock climbing, a

pedicure, or going to a casino? Whatever you consider a treat, do it once in a while. Consider your budget as you don’t want to add stress by blowing your budget.

There are budget-friendly versions such as using cosmetology schools for your facials or hosting a casino-

night in your basement.

Creativity Inspires

Creating something new and fun will release your inner artist and make you feel inspired. Paint a

room or a painting, make a piece of furniture, do a flower

arrangement or design new software. Just do something

creative.

Reward Your Hard Work

Look on your to-do list for the most fun task. Then use it as a reward (or

bribe) for finishing the tasks you must do but know you aren’t looking forward

to doing.

Evenings in Earnest

Get yourself organized the night before for less stress in the

morning. For example: lay out your clothes and the children’s

clothes, fix and pack lunches, put everything in your car that needs to go. This also allows you to rest

easier knowing it’s all done.

Start Slowly for Less Stress

Set your alarm early enough to give yourself time to eat breakfast and linger over a cup of coffee or tea while you read the funnies. Giving yourself enough time to piddle and not rush gets your

whole day off to a relaxed start.

Calendar Calm

Just use one calendar for both work and home. One, it will keep you from over-booking. But more

importantly, on hectic days at work, it allows you to see that you have some fun time planned. That

keeps it all in perspective.

Worry Woes Be Gone

70% of what you worry about will never happen. Prove it to yourself. Write down

everything you are worried about happening in the next month. Put the list away for a month then pull it out to see

how much of it actually did happen.

When you start to worry, ask yourself how likely it is that the worry is real. If it IS likely, then DO something to prevent or lessen it. Taking action makes you

feel in control.

A Three-Minute Vacation

When a real vacation isn’t possible, take a three-minute vacation. Put a vacation kit together with photos of your

favorite spot and music. Take three minutes to focus on your

photos and listen to a song. Allow yourself to be transported and

relax.

Music Mellows The Mood

Select some CDs that have mellow music for those stressed-out days. To mellow out, play classical music, jazz, or a mix of nature and classical

music as background music while you work. Keep it low for cubicle courtesy. Use Mozart if you are

working on mathematical problems as it has been shown to improve

math prowess.

Colors Can Calm or Create Energy

Use color to help set your mood. Oranges, reds and yellows make you feel more energetic. Blues

and greens are soothing. Purples and pinks are creative.

De-stress Any Activity

Look at any activity you hate doing and brainstorm ways to de-stress it. Hate paying bills? Then add music

and candles to de-stress the experience. Hate cooking? Purchase

pre-made entrees to spiff up the meals. Hate mowing the lawn? Get an iPod and download your favorite

tunes to mow by.

Curl Up with a Good Book

Read a good book to relax. You can go to a land far away, on

adventures, solve murder mysteries, or learn about famous people. Add a cup of tea, light a

fire or play soft music in the background and really enjoy the

experience.

Meditation and Prayer

Meditation has been shown to alter brain waves and reduce

stress. Turning your worries or problems over to a higher power can be freeing. Practicing either meditation or prayer on a daily

basis can be an excellent stress reduction and prevention

technique.

Forgiveness Figures In

Practicing regular forgiveness is very freeing. Often the person

you are angry with doesn't even know they “wronged you.” Only you hold the anger. And holding onto that anger hurts your body.

By forgiving the person, you release the anger.

Attitude Adjustments

Readjust how you think of a task to make it less stressful. If you

think of weeding as torture, it is. If instead you think of it as your personal time to commune with nature and enjoy time alone, it

becomes a stress-busting activity. Start calling those gruesome tasks playtime and it’ll change

your perspective.

Make Mornings Marvelous

Spend the last hour of the workday setting yourself up for

success the next morning. Clear off the clutter and file away

today’s work that is done. Neaten the space and pull up your

appointments and calls you need to make the next day. Pull

anything you need for those and get them ready to go.

Conquer Your Commute

Alter your commute into an educational or musical experience. Practice forgiveness with other drivers.

Consider alternatives for enhanced calm. Carpooling can transform your commute into a social experience.

Public transportation eliminates driving stress plus helps the environment.

Bicycle or walk and turn shorter commutes into exercise time.

Venting Lets the Pressure Off

When you are frustrated or angry, talking it out can be very

therapeutic. Just be careful at work not to vent in front of

customers or with people who will use it against you later.

Prioritizing Puts You in Pretty

Review your to-do list and highlight the items that must get

done that day. Use a colored marker so you can easily see

them when you look at the list. Focus on getting those top items

done.

Tons of Thank Yous

Write a thank you note to a colleague or friend every day. Watch it lessen their stress and yours at the same time. You’ll

cultivate an attitude of gratitude and develop great relationships.

Divvy Up the Duties

Children need to learn chores and responsibility. Teach them and divvy up the duties around the house so they don’t fall to you.

Then look for ways to make it fun. Rev up the music and rock out

while you clean.

Organize and “Ommm”

It is stressful when you can’t find what you need when you need it.

Take time to get yourself organized to work more efficiently.

Set your desktop up for easy access to what you need most often. Set your hard files and

computer files up for easy access.

Delegate

Look at the tasks on your to-do list that are repetitive and determine who could be trained to take over these tasks. Then train them and

delegate these tasks permanently. Delegate tasks to groom staff and

develop their talents.

Scheduling Success

Guard your schedule at work and home to keep it from becoming too tight. Work to allow 10-15 minutes

between meetings so if one runs late you can still make the next on time. Leave 1 hour a day for actual tasks. When you book meetings solid, you feel overwhelmed at the end of the day since you don’t have time to

actually do any of the tasks you get assigned at the meetings.

Volunteer

One of the ways to put your issues into perspective is to look around at

others who are worse off. Volunteering allows you to help

others and make a positive difference. Choose an organization

that resonates with you and get active.

Swap Shop

If you have an assignment you don’t enjoy, find a colleague who does and swap assignments. For

example, you can run their numbers if they write your

proposal. It can be a win-win and less stress for both of you.

Partner for Progress

Find a partner to help you zap your stress. You want someone at both

work and at home. This person can remind you to take a break, eat right

and exercise, and hold you accountable.

You are more likely to do what you need to do when others are

counting on you.

Exercise Energizes

Exercise is the number one way to bust stress as it reduces the adrenaline

released in a stress event. Adding even small amounts of exercise can be

beneficial. Take a flight of stairs, park further away from the building and walk,

use 10 minutes of your lunch time to walk around the building, or walk up and down every aisle in the grocery store. Any or all of these little things add up to great

ways to add to your exercise.

Potluck Lunches

Have everyone bring something fun to share and have a potluck luncheon at work or with your

neighbors. Allow yourself to enjoy the company of others and share

food and fun together.