Stress Tips

How to cut down on stress and deal with telephone interruptions

2007-07-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

I can't speak for you...but I get tons of phone calls per day than I would want to admit. Even with my phones on the National "Do not Call" registry, the calls still come. So, how do I deal with this calls, while, at the same time keep the stress level under control. Below are a few tips. Hope you can use them.

Telephone interruptions

1. When you are working on a project, and don’t want to be
side-tracked, take the phone off the hook. If you are like
most people, and have a answering machine or service through
your telephone provider, the caller will leave a message and
you can answer and return the calls on YOUR schedule. It is
OK not to be at everyone’s beckoned call 24 hours a day.

2.Most phone systems have a method for leaving an "out of
office" message. Do it. Say something like "I am in
conference at the moment and unable to get to the phone---
but will return your call as soon as I am free". Most
people will understand your dilemma, and wish they had
thought of using this technique themselves.

3. When the phone rings and it is someone who asks that
really dumb, stupid question, you can just say I am with a
client or can’t talk right now. Say you will get back to
them at your earliest convenience and then say "goodbye".
Chances are, you are just a "habit" they formed along time
ago to call to answer their questions. What might happen is
they will go down the list of numbers they have until they
find a willing victim. Either way, you are off the hook.

4. If you learn to rate the call on a scale of 1 to 4, then
it becomes easy to determine what call is really important
and which one can be put on the back burner and dealt with
at a later time. It’s up to you which number is lest
important and which is most important. What IS important
here is what you control.

Until next time...
Stay stress free
/Brad

More on "Learning to say No" and Stress reduction

2007-06-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

More on "Learning to say No" and Stress reduction

Hi. Imagine this. You come to work on Monday after having a great weekend with the family. Once inside your work space, you settle in with a sip of coffee, and a desire to "slide" into the new week ahead of you. Then, around the corner comes a co-worker carrying a stack of stuff in his arms. Before you can say anything, he lays this "stuff on your desk, says the work needs to be done by 4pm and then heads to the coffee machine. To complicate things even more, this guy isn't your boss, but just an equal "co-worker" with a bully complex.

Another few minutes go by and yet another person drops into your cubicle, sits down in the open seat and proceeds to tell you about "their weekend". Before you know it, 15 minutes go by with no relief in sight. Stress, burnout, anger...and all before the first coffee break.

So, what do you do?

The answer is allot simpler than most people think. Just say "NO" to what I call "fly-ins". We have all had them come into our office from time to time...robbing us of our time.

Really learn to say "NO" and do it often. Most of the time, these folks are looking for the easiest pray to drop their work onto...and, if you aren't careful, it could be you.

Be diplomatic but firm and say "No, I can't do this for you". Then, gentle hand it back to them, turn around and call someone. Be nice, but let them know that you are in control of your life...not them.

With practice, this becomes easier and easier. Try it.

The more you practice, the better you get, and the lower your blood pressure, the less the anger, few episodes of stress and a reduction in stress reduction.

Something to think about.

Until next time...
Brad

Dealing with Stress on the Job

2007-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

12 Tips for surviving Job Burnout©

We all have stress on the job. But,...can it be tamed? I think so.

A few stats about the damage that excess stress has on us all.
The following is from the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) report on the results of job stress.

40% of workers reported the job they were doing to be very or extremely stressful.
25% of the workers viewed their job as being the most stress situation in their lives.
75% of the workers believe that they have more on-the-job stress than the generation before them.
25% of the workers surveyed said they were "burned out" by their work.

Give 10 percent effort to a 10 percent problem and 100 percent effort to a 100 percent problem.
Learn to say "No" more often. It’s easier than you think.
Don't always be tied to the desk. If you can get out of the office and go sit on the grass and write that memo, do it.
Share with others: Don't hold in your frustration.
Keep your workspace clean and organized. Keeping your area clean gives you a sense of control over your work environment.
Don't be an isolationist. Make friends at work that you can have lunch with, talk to, and socialize with.
Don't be expecting to do it all...right now!. Plan you work and work your plan.
Act enthusiastically and you will be enthusiastically. Being is a great mood will keep your stress down to a minimum.
Laugh and find humor in life. Don't take yourself or the job to seriously.
Recognize when you are under stress. As it has been said "recognizing the problem is half solved".
Learn to have good time management. Prioritize your life (both at work and at home).
Learn to relax. Just a few moments away from the emails, phone calls, cell phones, meetings, etc., can make all the difference.

And most importantly one more to consider:

Learn to have fun. Find a job that you love to do. It makes all the difference in your qualify of life.

Until tomorrow...
Have a great day.

So you have job stress. Now what?

2007-06-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone. I have found a few great sites for information on job stress and how to keep from being buried by it.

Insititute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
See what the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) say about Job Stress. Great source.

http://www.stress.org/job.htm

Attacking Anxiety Program & the Midwest Center - Official Site
Lucinda Bassett¹s Attacking Anxiety and Depression program is the #1 non-pharmaceutical depression and anxiety solution. 902,417 people have been helped to overcome stress, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.

http://www.stresscenter.com/

Hope you all have a great and stress-free day.

Until next time.

/Brad

2007-06-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone; to kick off the new Stresstips Blog, I wanted to offer you something that is F R E E.

Have a great and stress free day...
/brad

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