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Stress-Proof Your Day
by
Pamela Kramer
Woman's Day, February 1, 2006
It's 7:30 A.M. Your kids are all ready for school,
you have your to-do's under control and you're
sitting peacefully enjoying a cup of coffee as you
gear up for the day.
We know, we know:
Your life doesn't look remotely like this on a busy
weekday morning. But it could. Try these
fool-proof tactics to transform the chaos into calm
in no time at all. It's going to be a great day!
Beat the Morning Rush
Pressure point: You
wake up stressed about your jam-packed schedule.
Stress reliever: Take
five the moment you open your eyes. “The morning is
the best time to set a new direction for how you
will be in your day,” says Jeffrey Brantley, M.D.,
coauthor of Five Good Minutes: 100 Morning Practices
to Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long. Try
this quick exercise: Let your eyes close, focus on
your breathing and set your intention by saying to
yourself: “May this practice support a deeper ease
within me.” Spend a few minutes picturing yourself
calmly handling the day’s obligations. End by
opening your eyes and moving gently.
Pressure point: You
are running late and can’t decide what you want to
wear.
Stress reliever: Don't plan just your outfit the
night before; decide on shoes and jewelry, too.
Organize clothes by function, such as casual,
travel, exercise. “That way you can go to your
closet and easily find an outfit,” says Dianna
Booher, a communications training consultant, in
Dallas. Streamline your morning with an easy hair
style and make-up routine that doesn't require a lot
of steps. Laura Palmer Noone, an executive in
Phoenix, uses a compact that holds her blush, shadow
and liner. “The colors work together and I don’t
have to open different containers,” she says.
Pressure point: Your
child takes too long to get ready.
Stress reliever: On Sunday evening assemble your
child’s outfits for the week ahead. Place them in a
hanging clothes organizer printed with the days of
the week. Post a list of steps she needs to
accomplish each morning so you don’t have to nag.
Lee Mahla, a professional organizer in Sacramento,
California, took digital photos of her kids, 8 and
4, doing parts of their morning routine, such as
brushing their teeth and getting dresses. Then she
had both children put the photos in proper sequence
on posterboard. “Creating the charts helped cement
the routines in their minds,” says Lee. Each night
have your child pack her backpack and set it by the
door.
Get Through Your Day
Pressure point: A big
report is due but you keep getting interrupted.
Stress reliever: Take a few minutes to prioritize
your to-do list, and plan to work on the most
important tasks first. “If a crisis occurs, you will
have the highest priority tasks done and that way
you won’t have to panic,” says Booher. Angle your
chair away from the door to let others know you
don’t want to be disturbed. Let calls go to voice
mail and close your e-mail program. Establish a
regular time for returning calls, suggests Kimberly
McWaters, a CEO in Phoenix. “People will know when
they can expect to hear from you and won’t keep
calling back.”
Pressure point: Your boss or client gives you an
impossible deadline.
Stress reliever: Ask for a longer deadline if you
know you can't deliver a good result in the allotted
time. Say, “That’s going to be a stretch. Can I get
this to you on (date) instead?” “Many deadlines can
be negotiated,” says Suzanne Adele Schmidt, Ph.D., a
workplace consultant and co-author of Running on
Plenty at Work. Ask if you can turn in the most
important part of the project by the deadline and
the rest later.
Pressure point: Your work piles up at the end of the
day.
Stress reliever: Plan your daily schedule with some
slack in it so you have time to respond to
unexpected requests and questions. “I try not to
schedule back-to-back meetings or more than two or
three appointments on the same day,” says Booher.
AUse your downtime to work on lower-priority tasks.
Up your productivity by working on one task at a
time. Keep a notecard nearby so you can jot down
ideas without disrupting your flow.
Pressure Point: Your
child’s after school activity conflicts with an
important business meeting.
Stress reliever: Avoid schedule mix-ups by keeping
your work and family functions on one calendar, and
carry it with you. Before making any plans –- work
or play –- check your calendar first. On Sunday
night print out a copy of your family’s schedule for
the week ahead and post it on your fridge. In the
morning, review the day’s schedule with each family
member. Keep phone numbers for your child’s school,
coaches and friends with you so you can call if
plans change at the last minute.
Have a Lovely Evening
Pressure point: You are still frazzled from work
when you get home.
Stress reliever: Take 30 minutes at the end of the
day to write your to-do's for the next morning.
wrap up what you’re working on and jot down your
to-dos for the next day. “That way you won’t take
all that stress home with you,” says McWaters. When
you get home, relax for 10 minutes before jumping
into the family fray. Judi Mackey, a public
relations director and mother of one, in New York
City, kicks off her shoes, pulls on her jeans and
washes off her make-up. “It helps me shift into my
other role,” she says.
Pressure point: You
don’t have enough time for yourself.
Stress reliever: Post on the fridge a list of
dinners that are a snap to throw together, such as
BLT’s and pasta salad. Keep the ingredients on hand
so you don’t have to stop at the supermarket. After
dinner, take 30 minutes to do something you enjoy ,
whether it’s going for a stroll, calling a friend or
sitting on the patio. Post evening chores for each
child, and rotate the list weekly. Nancy Kelleher,
of Brookline, Massachusetts, leaves the kitchen
clean-up to her three children, and sits down to
read the newspaper. “I tell them to ask homework
questions and get papers signed before dinner or
later in the evening –- not during my down time."
Pressure point: It’s
time for bed but you’re too wound up to fall asleep.
Stress reliever: Establish a routine to signal your
mind and body that it’s time to rest, like a cup of
chamomile tea or a warm bath scented with lavender .
A comfy mattress and pillows plus soft sheets in
soothing shades should also help. Before turning
in, list the things you want to do. “Getting
everything that’s in your head down on paper helps
you relax and avoid waking up two hours later
because you’re worried you might forget something,”
says Jo Anne White, Ph.D., a therapist and professor
at Temple University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Instant Serenity
No time for yoga or a
nap? Here are some ways to restore your energy and
boost your spirits in 60 seconds or less.
* Take a vacation in
your mind. Feel the warm sand between your feet or
the cool mountain air on your face.
* Find something nice
to say about someone around you. Tell your child
how much you love his smile.
* Smooth on some
delicious-smelling hand lotion, or inhale the aroma
of an essential oil,
* Sit up straight with
your feet flat on the floor. Breath deeply
allowing your abdomen to expand. Notice the
sensation in your nose and lungs. Slowly exhale.
Repeat 3 times.
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