Types of Stress - The Different Faces of Stress

Stress is something that we all deal with on a daily basis. It has made itself a big part of everyday life. No matter how much we might wish or hope a world without stress would not be very good for us. We would have no reason to choose to excel which means we would soon fade into obscurity. It is true that the type of stress does not matter when it comes to the effects that they can have upon the body. The benefit to be gained comes in by being able to tell the difference between good and bad stress. By being able to correctly identify what type of stress you are suffering from you will then be able to know whether or not you should address it.

Types of Positive Stress

Stress Management

The first type of stress that must be addressed is positive stress. Positive stress can help you to achieve your goals in life. One example of positive stress can be found in the workplace. The corporate executive who wears his power tie to the board meetings and thrives on getting up in front of everyone to give a proposal is making use of stress in a positive manner. It allows him to give the best possible presentation while not worrying about the stress of trying to make sure each of the board members will be pleased. Another type of positive stress is that faced by "soccer moms." They seem to be able to balance a hectic schedule of running between sports games, dance recitals, and band practice while still maintaining a clean and well balanced household. This stress can help her to juggle all the odd hours and schedules that she must maintain to keep her household running.

Types of Stress - The Different Faces of Stress

Types of Negative Stress

The next sort of stress that we can examine is the negative sort. Negative stress can affect you on a psychological level as well as a physical one. An example of negative stress in the workplace is easily found. Take the foreman of a manufacturing plant for example. He is pushed by his superiors to maintain a high level of quality but also must meet many short deadlines. He also deals with employees who are less than willing to give a full day's work and could care less about the quality of goods they are producing. This person is liable to have extremely high levels of stress which can affect his health. He may have high blood pressure and get sick easily. He may also require medication for his depression that is stress linked. You also have stress that is family related that can be quite harmful as well. Take the single mother who is trying to raise three children, make ends meet, and works two jobs. Odds are that she faces a great deal of negative stress. Just trying to make sure that her children have a hot meal and are ready for bed on time can be hard sometimes.

Sometimes it seems as if we should examine where the stress comes from rather than label it a certain type of stress. Everyone's individual stress is different. By knowing whether it is stress in the home, workplace, school, or wherever that is causing your own certain stress then you can better know how to reduce that stress to a manageable level and change it from a negative type into a positive one.

Types of Stress - The Different Faces of Stress

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Five Stress Relief Games for Groups

Stress can be defined as the external forces of the outside world impacting on the individual. Yet stress is also a normal part of life that can help us develop and grow as people. On the other hand, stress can cause us significant problems.

Stress releases potent neurochemicals and hormones these prepare us for action. The common reason for stress is to either fight or flee. If we don't take action, the stress response can lead to health problems. Prolonged, uninterrupted, unexpected, and unmanageable stresses are the most damaging types of stress.

Stress Management

Day in and day out we face stressful situations. They meet us at every corner of our life. We can face to face and with stress in life's low valleys as well as on the mountaintops where we experience life's real joys. The good and the bad both come with there own patterns of stress.

Five Stress Relief Games for Groups

Meeting groups of people can be particularly problematic. Everybody, no matter how experienced they may be, will feel a degree of stress when faced with a group situation.

Bear in mind that if you are feeling under stress then everyone else in the group is feeling in much the same way. However, if you've been called to lead that group then the stress on you is going to be that much greater. You will be concerned about how others perceive you, about whether you will be accepted or not and you will be thinking about the task that the group must face as well. Never lose sight of the big picture, the reason for the existence of the group.

The group will operate and perform their task much better if they are feeling comfortable with the group. The group dynamics can be influenced by the degree of interaction of the members of the group. If you are the leader then it's your responsibility to get the group performing.

You will find the task much easier and less stressful if you are adequately prepared. One way you can prepare is to have a bank of stress relief games for groups at hand, or at least have an idea of how these stress relief games for groups work.

You'll find that these games will help to break down the natural barriers that exist as groups begin to form and develop.

Stress Relief Games for Groups #1: If I Were A...

These stress relief games is extremely good at getting people out of their shells and begin communicating. Good communication assists with group performance and without it the group would never achieve its stated aims.

Its best to have the group stand or sit in a circle, this will create a sense of the belonging. The leader starts by turning to the person on his right and ask the question "if you work and animal what animal which you be?" That person will answer the question and turn to the person on his right and ask a similar question, such as if you were a famous writer who would you be? The game that continues and everyone has a chance to ask a question and give an answer. Just remember that nobody is allowed to repeat a category.

This is a very simple game with no preparation beforehand and that is the best type of stress relief game for a group.

Stress Relief Games for Groups #2: Who Likes What?

In this game everybody has a pencil and a piece of paper on which to list five categories. Basically the categories can be about anything such as "composers", "actors" or any other category like a fancy.

Now everybody is simply lists their favourite item in each part of the category.

Give everyone a piece of paper and a pencil. Then list five categories such as "foods" or "musicians." Everyone should list his or her favourite thing in each category. All the slips of paper should then be given back to you (the leader). As you read each list aloud, the other members of the group try to guess whose list you are reading.

Stress Relief Games for Groups #3: Liar, Liar

Here we have each person in the group making three or four comments about themselves. Some of the comments should be true and some should be false, its up to the rest of the group to decide which are true and which are false.

Stress Relief Games for Groups #4: Gossip

This one's especially great for groups that have to go on to develop a serious sense of communication but you do need at least 10 people for it to be most effective. The maximum for this game is 20. so bear these details in mind if you plan to use it.

The idea is that the leader begins by whispering a long sentence to the person on his right. That person passes the message onto the person to her right and so the message goes around the group.

Its amazing how the message will turn out as it gets passed on. This game will demonstrate just how informal communication gets changed form its original idea into something that never happened. It'll stress the need to write down important notes as the need arises. We cannot always rely on word of mouth alone.

Stress Relief Games for Groups #5: Ethics

This game works well for a small group of adults who know each other who love to discuss/argue issues and don't get offended easily. The leader starts the game by turning to a random group member and presenting an ethical dilemma. For instance, "If you knew someone was going to kill your worst enemy, would you try to warn him?" The person answers the question and explains his or her rationale. Then the group votes on whether or not they believe the person would really act as they said they would. If the majority of participants think the person is lying, he or she is out of the game. If the majority thinks he/she is telling the truth, that person picks another "victim" and poses another ethical dilemma. Last player left is the winner.

Five Stress Relief Games for Groups

Peter Wellington writes for www.shrinkstress.com, a website providing a comprehensive archive of free information on simple techniques to rapidly reduce stress in your life

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12 Stress Management Tips For People With Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Most people with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis can do a better job of managing the stress in their lives. While this holds true for most people in general, and not just those with an autoimmune hypothyroid disorder, the fact remains that stress can be one of the causes behind this condition. And if it isn't the cause of your disorder, then without question it can make your condition worse if you don't do a good job of handling it.

What you need to realize is that our bodies were not designed to handle chronic stress, but instead was meant to deal with acute stress situations. So what happens is when a person has chronic stress (which seems to describe most of us in this society), this in turn can weaken the immune system, and can also have a negative effect on other areas of the body, such as the adrenal glands. This compromised immune system or stressed adrenal glands can ultimately lead to the formation of an autoimmune condition, such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

Stress Management

So the goal here is to give you twelve stress management tips that can help restore your health back to normal, prevent your condition from becoming worse, and/or reduce the likelihood of developing other conditions in the future. This might sound too good to be true. But when you understand that chronic stress is not something your body was designed to handle AND that there a number of things you need to do to manage the stress in your life, you'll realize that following the advice I'm about to give can do wonders when it comes to your health.

12 Stress Management Tips For People With Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Here Are The 12 Stress Management Tips:

Tip #1: Try to keep a positive attitude most of the time. While a positive attitude alone isn't enough to manage your stress, having one can definitely help. Obviously nobody can be positive 100% of the time. But many people seem to always carry a negative attitude with them, which definitely won't help you cope with the stress in your life.

Tip #2: Begin a regular exercise program. You want to engage in some type of cardiovascular activity at least 3-4 times each week, ideally for at least 30 minutes each time. This can include taking a walk outside or on a treadmill, going on the elliptical machine or stationary bike, or anything else that will make you sweat a little. I realize some people with autoimmune disorders might not have the energy to exercise. If this describes you, even 20 to 30 minutes of walking will be beneficial. Besides engaging in cardiovascular exercise, other activities that can help you to manage stress include yoga and Pilates.

Tip #3: Eat healthier foods. Most of us can do a much better job of incorporating healthier foods into our diets. I don't expect anyone who has been eating poorly to immediately give up all of the "bad foods" they love. But even making small changes in what you eat can have a big impact on your health.

Tip #4: Drink plenty of purified water each day. Many sources suggest that you should drink at least eight tall glasses of water each day. The problem with this is that everyone has different needs based on their weight, and so I recommend that you should drink half of your body weight in ounces. So for example, if you weigh 140 pounds, then you would want to drink at least 70 ounces of water each day. And please don't drink tap water, as you really should be drinking purified water.

Tip #5: Take quality nutritional supplements. Since most of us don't eat a perfect diet, it's important to take some quality nutritional supplements on a daily basis. At the very least you should take a quality multi-mineral vitamin and fatty acid each day. There are a lot of poor-absorbing supplements being sold, and so you do need to be careful. I personally recommend whole food supplements to my patients, rather than the synthetic vitamins that are sold by most retailers.

Tip #6: Get at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night. I know this might seem difficult to do, especially if you need to wake up early for work. And once again, some people with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis will have difficulty falling to sleep and/or will wake up in the middle of the night. So until they get this problem addressed then it admittedly will be difficult for them to get eight hours of quality sleep on a regular basis. Often times sleep problems are caused by stressed out adrenal glands, which most endocrinologists and medical doctors don't address.

Tip #7: Avoid environmental toxins as much as possible. While it's not possible to avoid these completely, you need to realize that these toxins really do affect our health. I'm not going to discuss everything you can do to avoid these toxins, but I will tell you two things you can do to that will help you in the long term. First of all, install a filter in your shower that removes chlorine, as this can really help boost your energy levels. Second, stop buying household cleaners with harsh chemicals, and instead get some natural household cleaners at your local health food store.

Tip #8: Make love more often. Having sex increases the endorphins in your body, which also will help you to manage stress. So make love with your partner more often.

Tip #9: Get a monthly massage. Schedule an appointment with a licensed massage therapist and treat yourself to a monthly massage. Massage therapy is not just about stress management, as there are many other benefits as well. But one of the big benefits of massage therapy is that it can help to relieve stress.

Tip #10: Consider seeing a chiropractor. Okay, I'm admittedly a little bit biased here, being that I have a chiropractic background. But since spinal adjustments help to balance out the nervous system, receiving them from a chiropractor can also help to relieve stress. Like massage therapy, there are so many other benefits when it comes to chiropractic.

Tip #11: Talk to someone. Sometimes speaking with someone can help relieve your stress. This doesn't necessarily mean talking with a counselor, although in some cases this can be helpful. But even talking with a good friend, family member, or acquaintance can really help.

Tip #12: Don't take life so seriously. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't take certain aspects of your life seriously. But on the other hand, many of us let things stress out that really shouldn't. Write down a list of some of the things that cause stress in your life, and then take a look at these tips I have just given you, and determine how you can apply this advice to those things that stress you out on a regular basis.

For example, if you have a job that stresses you out, then perhaps you need to change your attitude (or change your job!). Or it might be that you're not eating well and/or not getting enough sleep. These lifestyle changes won't get rid of the stress in your life, but will help you better manage it. If your spouse is stressing you out, then perhaps counseling is the answer for you.

So here you have it, as if you follow at least 75% of these tips (9 of 12), including all of the first six I listed, you will do wonders in managing your stress. This admittedly is an incomplete list, as there are other things you can do to manage your stress. But these are some of the more important ones that can truly help to restore your health, and help you to maintain your health.

12 Stress Management Tips For People With Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Dr. Eric Osansky is a licensed healthcare professional who personally used natural treatment methods to restore his health when he was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorder. For more information on how to use natural treatment methods to treat Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, including a free video and 46-page guide that shows you how to treat your autoimmune thyroid disorder naturally, please visit his website at http://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com.

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Therapeutic Communication in the Nursing Profession

Nursing is a caring profession. It is also a profession that is more and more evidenced based in practice. In as much as the scientific aspects of nursing is increasing due to the complex technological advancement of medicine and the machinery that is used at the patients bedside, the fact remains that the nurse is the first person that the client usually comes in contact with in any emergency or hospital setting.

Having said this, the term, "caring" is an essential emotion that all nurses, for that matter, all individuals in the health profession must possess. With caring comes the trained ability of the nurse to facilitate therapeutic communication. One might ask, what is therapeutic communication? To better answer this question, the term communication should first be defined.

Stress Management

Communication can be defined as "The Process of transmitting messages and interpreting meaning." (Wilson and others, 1995) With therapeutic communication, the sender, or nurse seeks to illicit a response from the receiver, the patient that is beneficial to the patients mental and physical health. Just as stress has been proven to adversely affect the health of individuals, the therapeutic approach to communication can actually help. In any given situation everyone uses communication.

Therapeutic Communication in the Nursing Profession

Everyone has seen the individual that looks like they are either angry, stressed, feeling ill or maybe sad. These emotions are communicated to others not always by words, but by gestures and facial expressions. A nurse must always be aware of these expressions in clients, for these expressions may be the only way that the nurse can tell if there is something else going on that needs their attention. The term given to this type of non-verbal communication is called, meta-communication. In meta-communication, the client may look at their amputated stump and say that it doesn't really look that bad, while at the same time tears are rolling down from their eyes.

In a case such as this the nurse should stay and further explore how the person actually feels. There are many factors associated with the healing and comforting aspects of therapeutic communication. Circumstances, surroundings, and timing all play a role in the effect of therapeutic communication. If a client is being rushed down for an emergency surgery there might not be time for a bedside conversation, but the holding of a hand could convey much more than words to the client at such a moment.

Ideally, for therapeutic communication to be effective the nurse must be aware of how they appear to the client. If a nurse appears rushed, for example, they are speaking quickly, their countenance looks harried, and they are breathing heavily, their eyes not on the client but perhaps on an intravenous bag on the client in the next bed. In a case like this, there is nothing that this nurse could say to the client in a therapeutic manner that the client would believe. The helping relationship has not been established and therefore therapeutic communication cannot be facilitated. Some of the emotions associated with therapeutic communication include but are not limited to the following: Professionalism, Confidentiality, Courtesy, Trust, Availability, Empathy, and Sympathy. (Potter, Patricia A., Perry, Anne G., Co. 2003, Basic Nursing Essentials for Practice, pg. 123, Mosby)

All of these emotions go into the client nurse relationship, which must be established by the nurse as soon as possible upon first meeting the client. To begin to establish this nurse client relationship, the nurse must assess the overall message that the client is communicating to the nurse, such as fear, pain, sadness, anxiety or apathy. The nurse should be trained in keying into the message that the client is sending. Only then can the nurse determine the best therapeutic approach. Anyone that has to be thrust in to a hospital or emergency room environment has level of anxiety.

This level can go up considerably when the client feels that they have been abandoned or that there is no one there that really cares about how they feel. When a client is the recipient of therapeutic communication from a caring individual, a level of trust is achieved and more than, that the clients entire countenance can change for the better. Their blood pressure, respirations and levels of stress can simultaneously decrease. When this takes place, the management of pain, if any is involved, can be resolved more quickly. The goal for a nurse is to become proficient in the medical

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Therapeutic Communication in the Nursing Profession

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Stress And Anxiety - Do You Need 'Nerve Pills'?

"It requires a great deal of inexperience to be beyond the reach of anxiety". (anon)

This is the age of anxiety! Seventy percent of people today are stressed out from overload - working harder for the same pay, juggling family and work, and worrying about money. As well, some people have Anxiety disorders such as panic, phobias, obsessions and compulsions - illnesses in which anxiety comes from within. To reduce stress and anxiety effectively we need to understand our symptoms and emotions, worry accurately, learn coping strategies, and find support. But there must be an easier way - what about 'nerve pills'?

Stress Management

A tranquillizer can calm racing minds, slow pounding hearts, ease tight breathing, relax tight, painful muscles and help us sleep. The Benzodiazepines, such as 'Xanax' (alprazolam - short-acting) or 'Rivotril' (clonazepam - longer acting) can help in dealing with major life stresses especially if taken at night when anxiety symptoms such as insomnia interfere significantly with work or caring for a child.

Stress And Anxiety - Do You Need 'Nerve Pills'?

But taking more than just occasional doses can cause problems. Tranquillizers have potentially dangerous side effects including reduced mental alertness, concentration and memory, as well as physical unsteadiness. Driving may become dangerous, they may precipitate a depression and react badly with alcohol. Regular use can lead to tolerance and increasing doses - people in abusive situations or who have problems with alcohol or other drugs seem to be especially at risk for this. Tranquillizers must be stopped gradually, or you risk dangerous withdrawal symptoms, including seizures. In most stressful situations, it would be better to experience and express our emotions rather than just numbing them, and apply the energy of anxiety to finding healthier ways to become equal to the stress.

Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, panic, phobias, obsessions and compulsions, have much more severe symptoms and anti-anxiety medications may be invaluable in allowing us to function, at least in the early stages. But in the long run it's best to correct any underlying biochemical imbalance using antidepressant drugs such as 'Paxil' or 'Zoloft'. These damp down excessive or obsessional worry without making you dopey, reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks and treat the depression which is often part of mood disorders. Knowing you can control your anxiety improves motivation to find more long lasting success through self-management. However, a few people need to take medication indefinitely just to function adequately, and they shouldn't feel any more guilty about it then a person with diabetes taking insulin.

Anxiety disorders can start young - many students quit high school because of a phobia about public speaking. If we started teaching about anxiety and coping skills early, perhaps we could reduce the rates of serious anxiety disorders and alcohol and drug abuse.

Tranquilizers really help in disabling anxiety, but using drugs (or alcohol) to handle the common stresses of modern life is dangerous - like painting over a rust spot on your car without removing the rust. If you do take tranquilizers, work closely with your doctor, aiming to gradually reduce the dose while learning effective coping techniques. Ask your doctor about cognitive-behavioural therapy, anxiety programs, and support groups. Yoga, relaxation, some herbal remedies and acupuncture can also be helpful. Read books and learn from others who have recovered, because with knowledge, skills, support and persistence, the battle against anxiety can be won!

Stress And Anxiety - Do You Need 'Nerve Pills'?

Dr. Dave Rainham teaches Stress Management and Stress Relief at Stresswinner.com.

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Creating a Culture of Workplace Accountability

In an earlier article we defined accountability as being answerable for your actions or lack of actions. It's doing what you say you will do...doing what you have agreed to do, even when it means going outside of your comfort zone. It is a serious matter because without systematic accountability in an organization there is little chance of high performance.

What happens where there is a lack of accountability? Nonperformers thrive while the diligent staff picks up the slack. The stress level rises, communication drops and territorialism is rampant.

Stress Management

How does an organization go about creating a culture of accountability where everyone agrees to work together for the good of the organization and actually does so. The culture of a company takes on an element of accountability when employees are self-motivated to contribute to the overall success of the company. Throughout history however there have been many examples of companies that relied on threats and intimidation in order to assure accountability. This works so long as the supervisor is always present with a gun to everyone's head to assure compliance. When the overseer turns his/her back however, the employee's behavior may revert to something less than accountable. This kind of work environment fosters an adversarial relationship between management and line workers where the best case is that line workers will only do the minimum level of production in order to avoid getting fired.

Creating a Culture of Workplace Accountability

So, the standard of accountability must rely on something other than external control. Experts have noted that organizational success happens when all staff are focused on the same goal. But how does this happen? First of all, everyone needs to hear what the organization's mission, vision and goals are...and hear about it repeatedly. This necessitates a lot of interaction between management and line staff. The second part of these conversations includes a specific plan for everyone in the organization to follow in order that their piece of meeting the organizational objective is followed. Everyone from top to bottom should feel like they own an important piece of the process in order for the organization's overall goal to be achieved. They should see that their job and the way it is done makes a difference. This awareness should guide their work behavior from one hour to the next. Company leaders need to help everyone see what specific behaviors will lead to the company realizing its goals and which ones will reduce the possibility of that happening. When achieving the company's goal becomes important to the employee so that it drives specific behavior, accountability levels tend to be very high and remain so on a consistent basis. Finally, employees need regular feedback about how the company is doing and about the importance of their efforts to organizational success. When success is not achieved, leaders need to search for systemic reasons why rather than look for some employee to blame. Success on the other hand needs to be recognized, celebrated and rewarded.

Creating a Culture of Workplace Accountability

If you want to increase the performance of your organization and save thousands of wasted dollars from going down the drain because of unaccountable and unmotivated staff, check out leadership newsletter. It's free and is distributed weekly. Each issue is short, to the point and has an article of interest to organizational leaders. To subscribe, click on lwenger@workforceperformancegroup.net and type "Sign Me Up" in the subject line. Do it now, while you're thinking about it.

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The Top 10 Steps to De-Stress

Do you feel tense and anxious at work? Do your co-workers and/or boss make you crazy? Is your personal life less than blissful? If so, you've got stress. If you're like most people you've sought refuge from this situation by trying a quick fix or two like calling a friend, walking the dog, or going away for the weekend in an attempt to escape it all. While these strategies may serve as temporary diversions, nothing in your life changes when you return to your routine.

Stress is internal, which explains why it can wreak havoc on your health. It feels awful...it's the sense that you're not in control. The easiest way to mitigate its effect is to take charge of the one and only thing you have the power to control...YOU, and let go of what you can't control. The beauty of this recipe is that by taking control of your life, external or outside things will change in response to your internal changes. Here are 10 steps to destress for your present and future:

Stress Management

1. Heal yourself.

The Top 10 Steps to De-Stress

Dr. Bruce McEwen, who wrote The End of Stress As We Know It, suggests that eliminating stress comes right from your grandmother's journal. He says the most effective steps you can take are the simplest: exercise, a healthy diet, regular sleep, moderate to minimal alcohol intake, and no smoking. This, he notes, is the most sophisticated, up to the minute, cutting edge science available!

2. Get organized.

Physical clutter reminds us of things that need to be done and that's stressful. Remove your physical clutter and you'll eradicate your mental clutter, plus you'll feel energized. The recipe for eliminating clutter is the same regardless of the room or space you're working on. In short, begin by defining the purpose of your room, then identify the major categories to be kept in your space, sort all your belongings into those categories, edit each category, and finally, put your possessions in a pleasing and practical place.

3. Set boundaries.

Boundaries act as a filter to keep you safe from the hurtful behavior of others while allowing in the love, support and nurturing actions we all need. Set your boundaries by: (a) determining what others cannot do to you or in your presence and (b) sharing this information respectfully with anyone who is stepping over one of your boundaries.

4. Take time for yourself.

Put together a list of all the things you love to do but haven't regularly made time to do. Put your list in priority order and enter the top five to seven items into your daily calendar. Your list may include things as simple as journaling, reading a great book, taking a bubble bath, yoga, etc. You'll be more successful getting to these activities when you give them a time and place on your calendar.

5. Be positive.

William James, the father of modern psychology said, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind." In other words, what you say and what you tell yourself impact the present and create your future. Love yourself and use the power of positive words, pleasing thoughts and affirming beliefs to live the life you want to live.

6. Work in a career you love.

If you're like most people, you spend the majority of your waking hours at work. You'll know you're in the right profession when: you wake up anxious to go to work, you want to do your best daily, and you know your work is important.

7. Surround yourself with a supportive community.

You are who you spend time with. Hang out with people who love and accept you just the way you are, are interested in you (not what you can do for them), lift you up (not wear you down), solve problems quickly, don't gossip or complain, and know how to have fun. Anything is possible with the right support.

8. Learn to say, "No."

We've all been influenced by people in our life who tell us we should do this or we ought to do that. As a result, we may end up living a life that others have decided for us versus living the life we want. So, the next time you think of something you ought to do or someone else suggests you should do, take a breath and ask yourself if it's something you want to do. If not, just say, "no" or "no thank you." When you say no to things you don't care to do, you are saying yes to you and this will free up your time and energy for the things you choose to do. Bottom line - you'll be happier.

9. Zap tolerations.

A toleration is something that irritates you and drains your energy because it needs to be done, fixed, removed, or changed. If you're like most people you may be tolerating 100 or more things! Put together a list of all the things that bug you, e.g. a dripping faucet, money concerns, your weight, shopping and running errands, not enough time, computer files out of control, your hair, a room that needs to be painted, etc. When your list is complete, group like items and see if one solution will eliminate multiple tolerations. For example, if you have piles of clothing in each bedroom, dirty windows and dust bunnies on your floor, hiring a housekeeper will zap all three tolerations. Line up a housekeeper, today. Then, commit to spending a chunk of time each week to zap your other tolerations. If you have a toleration that you don't have the skill or know-how to fix, consider calling an expert or seek out a skilled professional to trade services with.

10. Get your needs met.

A "need" is not an option, it is something you must have to function fully. It is differentiated from a "want" in that a want is optional. Unmet needs can drive you to distraction and worse. Determine what needs you have that aren't being met, if any, and then take the appropriate action to get them fulfilled. Example: If you've taken a big hit and are going through a career transition, ask a good friend to call you two or three times a week to check in with you and give you support. Other options include calling your own voice mail and leaving supportive messages or hiring a coach who specializes in career transitions. When you acknowledge and satisfy your needs, you will be free to focus on other areas of your life.

If you want to be happier and more successful, focus on the things you have the power to control.

The Top 10 Steps to De-Stress

Pam N. Woods is co-author of a bestselling book, Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World's Greatest Mentors; endorsed by Ken Blanchard and Dr. Stephen Covey. She is a Coach U graduate and President of Smart WorkLife Solutions, a coaching and consulting company devoted to co-creating customized solutions to fit clients business and personal organizing needs. Prior to founding her own firm she had a successful 20+ year career as an insurance executive and Vice President of Human Resources. For more free how-to articles and advice, or to contact Woods, visit http://www.worklifecoach.com. Copyright 2004 - Pam Woods

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