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Dear Friends and Clients,

My clients tend to be highly accomplished people who have worked hard to succeed in many spheres. I feel proud and am awed by their achievements.

But occasionally I also feel sad because some of my wonderful clients seem to be so burdened by stress that it’s hard for them to fully enjoy the fruits of their years of work.

Actually, most of us struggle with stress at least some of the time. And for many Americans stress is a major health concern. It can make us feel intolerably anxious, it can lead to weight gain and many forms of body pain, and it even can shorten our lives.

There is no single mechanism for coping with stress, but there are many approaches that can help us to considerably reduce the impact stress can have on our lives. And that is what I’ll discuss in this issue.

Warmly, Bev


Try These Simple Ways
To Reduce Your Stress
& Enjoy Your Life

May 15, 2007 * Number 60

Stress begins with the “fight-or-flight response,” which is our normal reaction to some form of threat or challenge. The stimulant can be anything from a physical threat to a worrisome thought, like the awareness that you have forgotten an important meeting.

The stress response is a survival mechanism in which we automatically react to possible danger. When you perceive a threat, your brain starts sending messenger chemicals, like adrenaline and cortisol, that change systems throughout your body. For example, your heart rate and blood pressure rise, and more blood is directed to your heart and brain, sometimes making it difficult for you to think clearly.

“Acute stress,” which is a one-time response, actually can be good for you. Occasional stress reactions can strengthen your immune system and help you to become stronger. Life can be dull and boring without the positive stress that comes with new challenges.

The real problem is “chronic stress,” which results from a continuing stream of stressors. When life is flowing smoothly, all your systems return to normal after a stress event and you are able to relax. But with chronic stress, there is no let-up, and the threatening situation continues.

Sometimes the sense of threat continues not because of the external situation, but simply because our own thoughts won’t let us move on. For example, think about a friend who went through a difficult divorce and now can’t get over her anger. In that angry divorcee’s body, the stress reaction is locked at “on,” and the physical response is the same as it would be if the negative event were continuing to happen.

Too often what happens is that we fall into a negative stress cycle. Stressful events trigger physical and psychological symptoms, which in turn increase our stress. Chronic stress is widespread and linked to numerous health and emotional problems, including:

  • Physical aches and pains, like headaches, back pain, and sore necks and shoulders.

  • Sleep difficulties, and feelings of fatigue even when you do sleep.
  • Digestive problems, including indigestion that can exacerbate sleep problems.

  • Cognitive difficulties, including forgetfulness, constant worry and an inability to think clearly, be creative or make decisions.

  • Emotional symptoms, including crying, anxiety, anger, loneliness and a sense of being powerless.

  • Depression, which is magnified by stress and also can lead to more stress.

  • Excess weight, in part because the stress hormone cortisol can stimulate your appetite and stimulate enzymes to cause fat to be stored in your fat cells.

    The good news is that there is a growing list of techniques shown to be effective in mitigating stress. For many people, the best approach is to explore a variety of techniques and develop a menu of practices that collectively can bring stress to a more acceptable level. If you want to tackle your stress, consider these strategies:

  • Exercise. Numerous studies demonstrate that regular aerobic exercise – even moderate exercise like walking – can significantly reduce the physical symptoms of stress and improve your mood. Repetitive or rhythmic exercises, like jogging, dancing or biking, seem to be particularly effective.

  • Talk to somebody. The isolation common in today’s frantic lifestyles magnifies the impact of other stressors. Find ways to have meaningful conversations. Beyond that, make eye contact, actually listen to others, and look for opportunities to connect with people in casual ways throughout your work day.

  • Be creative. Try painting or playing a musical instrument, or take up a repetitive craft like knitting.

  • Express yourself in other ways. Keeping a journal is a great way to change your perspective and grapple with tension.

  • Connect with nature. Research suggests that being in nature – or being aware of nature through something as limited as looking at houseplants – can reduce your stress symptoms.

  • Choose optimism. Neural science now suggests that, to some degree, you can elect to be happy and optimistic, rather than pessimistic and depressed. See Bev’s 3/6/07 and 5/17/05 ezines.

  • Meditate. You can explore countless forms of meditation, from physical activities like yoga, to spiritual practices like repeating prayers. Researchers have demonstrated success in reducing symptoms by stimulating a “relaxation response” through these four steps:
    • Find a quiet environment.
    • Consciously relax your muscles.
    • Choose a word or phrase that you find meaningful and, for about 10 minutes, repeat it in your mind, in rhythm with your breathing. In other words, say the word (known as a “mantra”) over and over, as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
    • When other thoughts intrude, just notice them, let them drift by, then take your mind back to your breath and your mantra.
    • Want to Read More About
    Powerful Speaking?

    Below is a brief description of a book, as well as a link that will allow you to buy the book directly from Amazon.com. For reviews of other helpful books, along with Amazon links go to: ClearWays Books and Services. If you buy a book this way it will contribute to the cost of distributing Bev’s Tips, and be much appreciated.

    10 Simple Solutions to Stress, by Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, Ph.D.

    This simply written little book actually describes more than 10 strategies for taming stress. It offers a quick look at many approaches ranging from exercise and careful eating to meditation and a focus on gratitude.

    The author also summarizes some of the latest mind-body research and explains just how chronic stress can transform our bodies. For example, she describes how cortisol causes you to eat more, and particularly to crave foods that are high in sugar and fat.

    One key suggestion is that you keep a journal for writing exercises and for collecting insights related to your stressors. Another is that you use your journal as a way to emphasize your commitment to managing your stress. Wheeler suggests that you write a contract with yourself. She advises you to open your journal to a blank page, then write -- and sign -- a statement describing your intention to overcome the stress in your life.

    Click here to buy this book.




    Are you looking for a coach or speaker? Bev does one-on-one executive coaching in person or by phone, and she is available to speak about a broad range of issues related to your work life. Visit her website at www.ClearWaysConsulting.com or email to Bev directly. Bev is associated with Executive Coaching & Consulting Associates.





    Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life is published on the first and third Tuesday of each month by Beverly E. Jones of ClearWays Consulting, LLC.   Bev is a lawyer and former executive who now coaches accomplished CEO's, public afffairs executives, and other professionals to bring new direction, energy and enjoyment to their work lives.

    Copyright ©2006, ClearWays Consulting, LLC  & Beverly E. Jones

    All rights in all media reserved.  However, the content of Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life may be forwarded in full without special permission on the condition that (1) it is for non-profit use and (2) full attribution and copyright notice are given.  For other uses please contact Bev Jones.

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