~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JJ's Tips in this issue: 1. Keeping Productive & Healthy During Stress 2. Change of Subject Line 3. JJ's Favorite Quotes 4. Tele-Coaching & Tele-Mentoring ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use the following tips as training tools. Present the problem to your group and brainstorm solutions together, or submit your own situation question to be answered in an upcoming newsletter. ------------------------------------- SITUATION QUESTION: ------------------------------------- A reader wrote: How can I keep my new and productive habits I worked so hard to develop six months ago. My boss and everyone around me at work have commented on my positive changes, but recently I've become overwhelmed and more stressed. I have the feeling I'm slipping back to my bad habits, and I'm feeling out of control again. What can I do to prevent this? --------------------- SOLUTIONS: --------------------- Look around at what has changed in your workplace and at home recently. How are your challenges different now? You won't be able to meet all your challenges at once when you're overwhelmed, so remember what is important to you in life and why you changed those old habits in the first place. To retain good habits and remain productive and healthy during difficult and stressful times, look at your priorities. 1) YOUR HEALTH and well being must be at the top of the list. If you don't have your health, you don't have anything. Ask any very ill person. 2) FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS take second place as you can't take care of others if you have not taken care of yourself first. Become a good example for them to model. 3) WORK RELATIONSHIPS with internal and external customers will always be better if your 1st and 2nd priorities are in place. Otherwise you will be preoccupied with your illnesses, marriage that is on the rocks or disturbed and unstable problem children. 4) FRIENDS AND OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES (if chosen well) help you keep your balance and add variety (a change-of-scenery) to your life. They recharge you and provide a mini vacation from your stress. Getting these priorities out of order can help to wreck your marriage, or health, and alienate children, relatives, friends and co-workers. You may be thinking, what does this have to do with becoming a better manager, CSR (customer service rep/customer sales rep) help desk manager, call center director, president or CEO of a company? It has everything to do with it! Stress and overwhelm undermine your resolve to make and keep better work and personal habits. They will trigger undesirable habits, illnesses and behavioral problems in you and others. And less productivity, lowered morale and mounting health care costs can affect the bottom line of your department or company. Somehow, most of us learn how to adapt to such stresses or at least cling to the hope that this, too, will pass. This attitude helps us cope better, reprioritize and resist bringing out the worst in ourselves. These negative reactions of feeling irritable, anxious, depressed, experiencing mood swings -- these are temporary and normal, how our bodies respond to uncertainty and lack of control. This was explained by Dr. Barrie Cassileth a medical social worker and psychologist who is the director of integrative medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Cassileth said that even though these feelings are normal, you can do something about them by looking at your priorities. Start with yourself. "Take things one at a time, deal with what you have to deal with and gradually things will fall into place. * Cassileth suggests you seek support from friends, family, colleagues and doctors. * Get back to your exercise program or develop one, as physical exercise releases stress and makes you feel stronger. Invite others to join you. * Stick to a routine, and schedule regular times for exercise, meals and sleep. * Exercise the mind-body connection. If you can relax your mind, your muscles will follow and vice versa. Learn to take 5 Minutes of Quiet Time technique from my seminars), yoga, meditation, self hypnosis. Using these slow, deep-breathing tools will relax your mind to help you get control back. * Open lines of communication with others involved in your stress after you have exercised and relaxed your mind and body. Get yourself in their shoes and really see their point of view. Give them the benefit of doubt and work to understand them before you expect them to understand and help you. *Remember your priorities. Do something TODAY to nurture yourself back on track! Look for ways to reduce stress, and form and retain good habits. You'll soon be back
in control and productive again! |