Stress Management in the Workplace
I'm sure you have read countless
articles about stress.
LASTING BENEFITS
The superficial nature of
most conventional stress management solutions doesn't cause a lasting internal
transformation of the individual. When a person lacks a strong baseline experience of
inner happiness and positive energy, he or she becomes too dependent upon the environment
for psychological well being.
An article in New Age Magazine wrote about bringing Spirituality into the workplace called “Is the workplace killing your spirit?” included thirteen well thought out points and included breathing as last. I would have placed it close to first.
There is a relationship between your stress coping skills and immune system. According to the Trimbos Institute in the Netherlands, acute stress (sudden, short-lived) actually improves our immune system temporarily. But chronic stress (long term) decreases the effectiveness of our immune system. They point out that depression is particularly detrimental to our immune system. Chronic stress occurs when problems outweigh our coping skills. Stress reduction and coping skills may need to be an integral part of our curriculum, especially with today's increasing appearance of adolescent depression. Olff, Psychiatry Research, 1999, v.85,1, 7-15.
Stop now and try this simple exercise.
Sit with feet flat on the floor, or stand. Either needs an erect but not stiff posture. Be "tallest". If you stand, bend your knees slightly so as to unlock them. Place your thumbs over your kidneys. Wrap your fingers around your sides. Squeeze gently as you nose breathe long slow deep breaths into your squeezed fingers and thumbs. Let your tongue lightly touch the roof or your mouth and your jaw relax. Let the exhale happen on its own and do the "Squeeze and Breathe" (c). Repeat as often as needed, even every 30 minutes.
When you feel good and in control of yourself and your life, you transfer that energy to your life, work and work-force. The results are more personal and work satisfaction, improved performance, reduced work days lost due to personal illness, less desire to change jobs or less stress when one does. Acronyms like JOB that stood for “Just Over Broke,” now stand for the “Joy Of Being.”
Optimal Breathing will consciously show how easy it is to make one’s self feel good and have lots of extra energy, a second wind even when they thought they were exhausted. One’s life-force is one’s primary energy reserve. The least energy we expend attaining that reserve is often the most efficient means of going that extra mile. Optimal Breathing™ also replaces or buffers certain stress inducing exercise regimens and shows chronic over-trainers an exercise style that strengthens and conditions rather then stresses.
COST COMPARISONS OF OPTIMAL BREATHING™
Biofeedback can be very
effectively used to establish a baseline and track progress as well as refine inner
sensing abilities; on an as-needed or wanted and affordable basis. Optimal Breathing™
techniques and breathing exercises cassettes and videos can be delivered to
from 1 to100,000 simultaneously. A
greatly reduced cost over Transcendental Meditation (TM) and biofeedback.
Business, education, and government utilization of simple stress management and personal development skills will foster the opening up of feelings of caring, and motivation for self advancement due to improved self image, a sense of happiness and being supported by one’s inner self; a healthier bodymind. A bottom line of more satisfied trainers, useful managers, contented employees, and responsible citizens. The foundation for all of which is intention, a little quiet time, and simple breathing development.
Whether or not you are sick and if you just want to maximize your energy in the most efficient way possible, here is my list of priorities:
1. Rapid Breathing-Improvement. Develop your breathing FIRST.
3. Use specific breathing exercises to relax or energize or concentrate and focus.
4. Detox
9. Optimize your drinking water
10. Eliminate "surprise" foods that may be harming you.
11. Learn as much as you can about breathing
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