Stress and Time Management Tips

Analyze your stress patterns

Keep a stress log. Any time you feel symptoms of stress or feel overwhelmed, record the time, what you're doing or thinking, and the symptoms. Analyze your log for patterns and you'll quickly learn your stress-triggers.

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Breathe to Relax

Breathing for relaxation

Take a deep breath in, slowly, through your nose. As you breathe in, your abdomen should rise as if you're inflating a balloon. Raise your shoulders up towards your ears as you inhale. Let the air fill and raise your body. Feel the air fill your abdomen, and then your chest. Hold for a few comfortable seconds. Exhale slowly through your nose. Release your shoulders, chest, and abdomen as you exhale. Repeat once or twice and you'll feel much better!

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Progressive Relaxation

Stressed out? Try progressive relaxation. This is a technique designed to reduce the muscle tension that accompanies stress.

Lie down or sit with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands at your side or in your lap. Breathe in deeply and flex your toes for a count of three. Release and breathe out. Do the same for your calves, then your thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders, and neck. Move back down your body, repeatedly tense and release all of your major muscle groups as you breathe deeply.

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Symptoms of Stress

Symptoms of Stress:

*tight muscles
*nervous tics
*restlessness
*throat clearing
*frequent illness
walking or talking too fast
*irritation with delays
*nervous habits
*confusion
*poor memory
*excessive worry
*crying
*anger outbursts
*tiredness
*boredom
*heavy sighing
*bad dreams

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Managing Stress

Exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress. Exercise that makes the heart and lungs work harder helps the body use up excessive stress-induced hormones and energy.

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Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Signs and Symptoms of Stress
Irritability
Elevated heart rate
Increased Blood Pressure
Feeling anxious for no specific reason
Trembling
Eye-twitches
Insomnia
Headaches
Indigestion
Tight neck muscles and/or lower back muscles

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What is stress?

What is stress? Simply put, stress is the body's response to any demand made upon it. Stress is a physiological response, it's not just "in your head."

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deep breathing

In times of high stress or for feelings of anxiety take a few minutes to center yourself with deep breathing exercises. Most of us normally breath with only the top part of our chest cavity. To maximise relaxation breath in and fill the whole "square" of your chest. Breath in to the count of 4, and release to the count of four.

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Deal with stress

When you begin to feel tense and overwhelmed, stop what your doing and try to look at your situation from a fresh perspective. Ask yourself, "Why am I feeling this way? If this task doesn't get done, what's the worst thing that can happen?" Be realistic. Is it really the end of the world? A year from now, will it be important? All too often we get stressed out over everyday things whose consequences are minimal. Try to look at the "big picture."

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