Stress Buffer • Relieving your stress, one post at a time

Silhouette Man Jumping Over "STRESS"

Stressed? Get to the Root Cause!

You feel stressed? You’re not alone! According to a recent Gallup poll, 79% of Americans are afflicted by stress (Dec. 20, 2017). The root causes of stress affect us all. Moreover, many adults believe their stress levels are rising over time. Graph: Percentage of adults who stated their stress level had increased over the previous year in the U.S. when surveyed each year from 2014 to 2017. Source The graph shows that, in 2017, almost 37% of adults said their stress…

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Stress – It’s About Your Body!

Stress is just a state of mind . . . right? No, Sir! Sorry if I'm breaking the news. The majority of stressed individuals do not realize this: A person's natural stress response is mainly a physiological event. Stress Affects Your Body! This means that the effects of stress have never been limited to our minds. As the graphic shows, when a person is stressed, all parts of their body experience it. Vector graphic by Freepik Stress is affecting your body, whether…

Stress Management: Cool & Calm Strategies (Pt. 1 of 2)

Do you find yourself in unavoidable high-stress situations? You feel you have to think fast, respond quickly and say the right thing now -- not regret later what you wish you had or had not said. Many of us have been there! In this post, I'll show you how Stress Management Cool & Calm Strategies enable you to stay cool & calm, clear-thinking and at your best no matter what pressures surround you. Be like a duck: Calm on the…

Two-way Street Sign: STRESS/RELAX

4 Practical Tips to Master Stress Management (Pt. 2 of 2)

Welcome to Part 2 of our Stress Management series. In Part 1 we introduced three fundamental strategies to set you on a successful course of action to master Stress Management. Today's post centers on Practical Tips to help you master Stress Management. Before we get to the Practical Tips, here is a quick refresher of the Cool & Calm Strategies from Part 1 of this series: First, you must identify your particular stressors. What specific things are causing you to feel…

Stress Level On/off Buttons

How to Stop Mental Stress Now!

Frustrated? Feel like a victim? Lots of things bother you? All these annoyances are reversible. A little knowledge of how and why this happens to you will go a long way toward helping you stop mental stress, clear the decks and feel free. What you will learn in this article: • How a negative thought can trigger the cycle of stress • What determines how you respond to stress -- this may surprise you! • How to stop…

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Your Mind on Mindfulness: How It Works (Pt. 1 of 2)

There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full. Henry Kissinger Perhaps you've heard of the legendary American statesman, Henry Kissinger. Widely known in his day for the wise witticisms that peppered his international diplomacy, he always appeared suave and in control. Wouldn't we all like to possess that attractive trait -- to be unnerved by the stress of work demands, family responsibilities, and social pressures. To be in control of our response to external stress.…

Sun Inside Fingers OK Sign

How Mindfulness Replaces Stress – Every Time! (Pt. 2 of 2)

My key to dealing with stress is simple: Just stay cool and stay focused. Ashton Eaton How can you develop mindfulness to replace stress in any situation? As the young, retired athlete, Ashton Eaton, reveals in the quote above, "just stay cool and stay focused." Sure, easier said than done. He certainly employed exceptional skills for staying focused when he broke the world decathlon and heptathlon records. Mr. Eaton is right: It's easier to say cool when we are focused. However,…

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How Organized Are You? Quiz and Excuse List Reveal the Truth! (Pt. 1 of 3)

A friend once told me, "A person with a tidy house is either never home or very boring." Being one to question the basics, I started to wonder if the most interesting and successful people tend to have cluttered and sloppy surroundings. Around the same time, I was working in an office where the chief executive displayed the polar opposite in his work style. Every time I passed his office, I caught sight of his calm, distinguished, aquiline profile, at…

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5 Ways Clutter Causes You Stress! (Pt. 2 of 3)

Welcome to Part 2 of our series: Organized and Clutter-Free At Last Our aim here is to declutter your life for stress relief. In our last post, we helped you personalize your project of getting organized. You scored your level of organization habits against a checklist of common everyday occurrences. We also offered a list of widely used excuses to help you discover whether you, like so many other people, might be justifying a lack of organization. Both of these steps are…

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Clear Clutter Now: Practical and Tactical Tips to Get It Done! (Pt. 3 of 3)

See it: Your space entirely clear and organized! Everything you need is accessible. Whatever was not needed is gone. Your room is refreshing, rejuvenating and stress-free! You are about to make the vision a reality. Prepare yourself mentally. Don't think you have to finish it in one day. Clearing clutter and getting organized is not an overnight endeavor. If you’ve seen TV shows that tackle clutter, you may already have a clue as to how much work it actually takes…

Melange Of Colored Clocks

Time Management Tips: Up Close and Personal (Pt. 1 of 3)

Wouldn’t it be great if we could stretch out time to meet our needs and wants? What a relief to have an extra day here and there to ease the stress of a deadline. If we could just personalize time that way . . . What an absurd stretch of the mind. So, we cannot personalize time itself but we sure can personalize our use of time. And we must because time is our most precious resource for stress relief. Our current blog…

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Magic of Time Management: The No-Stress No-Tech Time Management Super Tool (Pt. 2 of 3)

So much to do, so little time. Is it possible to get more done and get it done well within the constraints of your present schedule? How can you get the maximum benefit for any given amount of time? Could you accomplish this with less stress or no stress? The answers: Yes. Before we reveal how - - - Our previous post, Time Management: Up Close and Personal, delved into three essentials for mastering your time: assessing how you are currently spending…

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Secrets of a To-Do List Virtuoso (Pt. 3 of 3)

Are you a to-do list maker? If yes, congratulations. Read on to become a To-Do List Virtuoso. If not, you likely will be after reading how to implement our No-Stress No-Tech Super Time Management Tool, a special professional way of creating to-do lists. Our previous post detailed the foundational steps. We learned that the No-Stress No-Tech Super Time Management Tool is like a partner that keeps you on target and accountable, realistic and thorough. You accomplish your tasks and you meet your goals. With this…

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Deflecting Distractions: Absolute Distraction Disrupts, Absolutely! (Pt. 1 of 3)

Absolute Distraction Disrupts, Absolutely! Unless you reside or work in a solitary, secluded place, you most likely have exposure to extraneous activity in your surroundings. Sounds, sights, and events totally unrelated to your present task may abruptly and completely grab your attention. Your eyes, ears, mind, and sometimes body quickly switch gears to another point of focus. How does it feel to be jarred from your work? This Udemy In Depth: 2018 Workplace Distraction Report graphs the impact of distraction in…

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Deflecting Electronic Distraction: The Problem is Bigger than You Think (Pt. 2 of 3)

Is electronic distraction stressing you out? We are a society immersed in an Age of Electronics. Pundits call it the Age of Distraction. Still others say we are in the Age of Stress. Every form of sight and sound is readily available in your pocket 24/7. Technology has upgraded electronics from conveniences to necessities. They're easy, fun, and addictive. Electronic Distraction Is a Bigger Problem Than You Think A Scientific American survey revealed -- Adults spend nearly 10 hours every…

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Distraction-Free Workspace: 6 Pro Strategies (Pt. 3 of 3)

Your distraction-free workspace is your sanctuary for success. Give some thought to workspace particulars and enjoy a lower stress level. In a moment, we're going to look at professional prevention strategies. They will ensure outside distractions stay where they belong, on the outside. Not in your private workspace. But first, do you ever find uninvited visitors or electronic media communications interrupting your work? These are arguably the most prevalent distractions in the workplace. Regarding human and electronic distractions, be sure…

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Procrastination Stress — Get Rid of It for Good! (Pt. 1 of 3)

On a regular day, do you tend to - - Start your work with the easier tasks rather than the more difficult ones? Choose pleasurable activities over the tasks that are more important? Leave an item on your To-Do list long after it should have been done? If you find yourself indulging in such behaviors, then you are procrastinating. Many people do this from time to time. On the other hand, if your regular way of doing things, then you…

Fun Doodle: START NOW

How Does a Doer Do Away with Procrastination – Here and Now! (Pt. 2 of 3)

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. Ashleigh Brilliant People complain about not having enough time to do things. There are just too many things to do. Many say too many distractions slow them down and they can't complete their work. How many people attribute their time management issues to procrastination? Here's a recent statistic. …

3D Man W/briefcase Walking Inside Piston

Motivation: The Ultimate Antidote to Procrastination (Pt. 3 of 3)

Patient: Hey, Doc. I have a procrastination problem. Can you help? Doctor: Sure! We have an outpatient procedure called kick in the butt. Or you can cure it yourself with this prescription: A Daily Dose of Motivation. Read about it in this article and you'll never procrastinate again! Patient: Hmm - I'll take the Do It Yourself Daily Dose of Motivation -- doctor's orders. Motivation Cures Procrastination -- without Pain In Part 1 of this series, we investigated the causes of procrastination discovered…

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