How is your average day? Busy? Buzzy? Or just plain STRESSFUL?!  -We all need an amount of pressure to give our lives excitement, drive and that certain 'buzz'. The problem comes when we have too much or too little to do. At times like these, beneficial levels of 'Pressure' turn into unhelpful 'Stress'.

So how do we know if we are "suffering from stress"? In my experience, we each have our own danger zones, which are likely to flare up under pressure. It can be helpful to think of these as falling into the categories of Physical (frequent colds, stomach problems, cold sores, palpitations...), Psychological (depressive tendencies, mood-swings, anger, daydreaming...) and Behavioural (reduced work performance, absenteeism, comfort eating, disturbed sleep...). 

Since the creation of Life Focus in 1998, interest in Stress Management has grown enormously, yet still most of us have never been shown how to recognise or manage our stressors. So take a moment to think how one or more of these three areas might manifest in your life. For example, most of us can identify with reaching for a beer after work, just because "I need one after the kind of day I've had!"  By becoming more aware of ourselves and the reasons behind our actions, we make significant steps towards preventing stress from becoming toxic. 

So how do we go about having a less pressurised day or achieving better 'Work/Life Balance'? In my view, de-stressing isn't all about 'downshifting' or learning yoga! It's about remembering what makes you tick ... and creating room for it.  You don't have to change your job - or your children! But you DO need to commit to rediscovering your personal priorities, listening to your body and reassessing the way you approach your life.

In the workplace, it makes excellent business sense to devote HR or Consultancy resources to investigating tension hotspots and endorsing Stress Management training. UK Government figures estimate that 6.5 million working days per year are lost due to sickness brought on by workplace stress. Add to this the absenteeism caused by external stresses such as family pressures or money worries and freefalling stress is clearly a key factor in decreased productivity, increased staff turnover, burnout, bullying - and costly insurance settlements. To help you to adopt a constructive approach, companies such as Life Focus offer tools and feedback (e.g. tailored Stress Audit programmes), help and training (Management Masterclasses, Consultancy or Workshops) and practical advice or innovative ideas, such as how to participate in the HSE's European 'Working on Stress' week.

So here is another question for you to consider a little more deeply than before. -How is an average week of your life? What is it really like for your mind, body and behaviours?

I have designed my '7 Steps to a Stress-Less Week' to help you with this process of reflection and change. It gives a simple, fresh approach that can be used by everybody to begin to handle life's pressures and discover a happier, healthier and more productive 'Self'. I have included here single 'Daily Thoughts' from the full '7 Steps' I use in training courses and consultations. Written by days of the week to give you focus and create mental prompts, the important thing is to begin to integrate all of these elements into your daily life. Do this and pretty soon you will have stress-proofed not only today or this week - but the rest of your life!

Lia's original article, from which this was adapted, first appeared in WHAT IF!... - the Newsletter for Active Personal Development (Issue 10). Please contact the HelpDesk if you want to reproduce the material in this article in any way, or would like to receive a copy of WHAT IF!...