Stresstab4: Better Ways of Doing Things

A common stress reduction motto is "If you don't like it, change it." One way to change things is to identify those people and events, which are stressful to us and how we have traditionally responded to them in the past. Once we identify the cause of our stress, we can plan some new ways to respond to them in the future. Practicing our new responses before we actually need them is a good way to better prepare for those situations.

It is easy to fall into the habit of being late for work, meetings and other events in our life. We find ourselves waiting until the last possible moment to get ready for appointments and then get upset if others delay us even more. An easy way to eliminate this kind of stress is to develop a new habit of always being a little early to the events we attend. When we are a few minutes early, we feel more in control of the situation and can still smile.

For many of us, doing things ahead of time instead of putting them off until the last minute is a new response. Procrastination is a stress producer even though we may obtain some short-term relief using it. Taking action on things as soon as possible can dramatically relieve stress. Imagine how much better we can feel when we start on that report a month before it is due.

Speaking up and asserting ourselves is another new behavior for many of us. If others take us for granted and overlook us because we don't say much, we need to try some responsible assertiveness. It may be a bit awkward at first, as all new behaviors are, but it will most likely reduce our stress level if we continue to use it. Remember though, assertiveness is not aggressiveness. It involves the sharing of feelings and thoughts in an appropriate way and under appropriate circumstances.

Some additional ways of doing things differently include: (1) using a different style in dress and grooming, (2) saying "hello" to co-workers we would usually ignore, (3) begin living a spiritual principle we have been putting off for some time, (4) speaking, eating, driving and moving at a slower pace, and (5) trying out for an athletic team or theatrical production.