Reducing stress

Well, I can't believe that it is five days since I last wrote a post for this blog. We all get times when we  have literally too much to do, not enough hours in the day, and we have to prioritise. Sadly, the blog was put on a back-burner for a few days. The reason that we get stressed is that our priority list doesn't  agree with our partners, our family, our community, work colleagues etc etc. It is hardly suprising that all these "To Do" lists are different! It is then that we start to feel the tension rising and we need to have our de-stress strategy ready. How do you de-stress - we are all different, but here's what I do. In a stressful situation I will

1. Mentally count to ten, slowly and precisely,

2. Make sure that I am breathing properly and deeply and

3. Say nothing if it is going to make the situation worse

4. Analyse if the people around me are in control of themselves, if not try to help them gain control

5. Suggest a period of time to withdraw from the meeting/discussion to regain composure

So in essence I gain control and help others to regain theirs.

At the end of the day we should all have a calming ritual. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a ritual that is designed to calm and relax and in developing our own process we will help ourselves to leave those stresses, thoughts, worries behind. With children you are encouraged to have a routine - bath, drink, story, bed time in a room that has been designed not to over stimulate, when do we start to break that rule for ourselves as adults? What can you do on your journey home to relax, certain music, audio book, novel, newspaper. If we take our stress home with us then it quickly becomes contagious!