Preventing stress – how you can help yourself

In my last blog I mentioned how our bodies respond to stress by releasing adrenaline.  There are ways in which you can get rid of this adrenaline and one of these is by exercise getting the muscles to use it up.

Most adults do not take the recommended levels of exercise in order to help prevent heart disease, diabetes, cancers , blood pressure problems and  a host of other health issues that come from being overweight.  Add to this smoking and drinking and no wonder we sometimes find to hard to cope with daily life.  Additionally if you are under pressure running your own business then the stress combined with the lack of exercise and poor lifestyle can very soon start to have a detrimental effect.

Taking moderate exercise(by moderate I mean brisk walking, light cycling, light jogging) for 30 mins 5 time a week can help prevent health problems and reduce stress levels. (note consult your GP before beginning any exercise programme). What’s this got to do with business you might ask……

Taking time out to relax and switch off from your business is also very important.  Steven Covey in The 7 Habits of Effective People talks about the carpenter who stopped regularly to sharpen his saw had a much higher work rate than the man who did not.

Next time you feel tired, that there is just too much to do, or you want to “get off the merry-go round”, then do just that.  Go for a half hour walk, stop and look around you , take in the scenery or notice the buildings around you.  One of my favourite poems is Leisure by W.H.Davies “What is this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare…”

What is the worst thing that could happen  to your business if you stopped for half an hour??

Me?  I really do try to get a morning walk in or in the evening if I have a breakfast meeting to go to.  It sets me up for the day.. everyday I see something different.  I am lucky enough to be able to walk in the countryside but there are many things to see that we miss in our daily hectic lives in towns and cities . When working with my clients I see the difference it makes to their  stress levels by having someone there who can take responsibility for certain areas of their business, giving them the time to stand and stare…..

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