3 Creative Ways to De-Stress

Stress often comes from being overwhelmed by just looking at or listening to all the clutter and chaos in your surroundings. Is clutter in the form of stacks of magazines, tons of paperwork, piles of clothes, boxes and books, 24/7 media, electronic devices constantly interrupting or… creating stress and standing in your way? When you have so many things to do in a limited amount of time, with so much clutter and noise chatter in the background causing chaos, nothing gets done leading to further stress and chaos. Clutter in any form is a personal energy drainer that makes everything you do more difficult and time consuming. It is also a distraction that inhibits focus and productivity. De-cluttering and eliminating chaos leads to de-stressing and increased personal energy which results in more efficiency and effectiveness. De-stressing and feeling calmer is all about my favorite saying everything you think, say and do matters. Whatever you think, talk about and act upon is what creates your future. If you think about, talk about and act upon negative things and thinking such as clutter in your workplace and the bad economy in the news, the result will be more clutter and confusion, more stress and less income. First eliminate the clutter in your surroundings to create calm open space flowing with motivating fresh new energy. Then do the same with your thinking. Replace negative thoughts with positive will do thinking. Then work with the next three creative ways to de-stress. De-stressing Creates Calm and Success One: To distress during working hours create two or three relaxing escape scenes you can mentally travel to in a moments notice. An escape scene is a visual imprint on your mind of a relaxing place like the beach, sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, gazing at peaceful snow covered mountains, or a thing like the sounds of a concert that create the feeling of calm. Take a deep breath and mentally go to your escape scene when in need of de-stressing. A thirty second mental vacation works great, a minute is even better. Always go there for a full minute before leaving work at the day’s end. Based on the importance of balance in Feng Shui, mentally travelling to your relaxing escape scene creates balance by replacing stress. Two: On your drive home, check the radio for traffic conditions only, no news or talk shows. Then listen to your favorite relaxing music. Have several choices available because different ones will work better on different days. Check out New Age type music that has been created specifically for tranquility and relaxation. If you pick the children up on your way home you can switch the music to something they will enjoy that is lighthearted but soothing. This will reduce the distracting noise level and be calming for all. By returning home at peace within after a long day at work, relationships will improve. Three: Get clarity on what is important. Time is an asset unless you over-schedule, over-commit and over-extend it. Without clarity, time controls you and your stress level goes up while your productivity diminishes and the joy in your life disappears. Make a list of the most important things you need to do for the day or the entire week and rank them by order of importance. Then do the most important ones first. By following this procedure you will always get the most important things done and reduce stress. Make a perpetual clarity Will do List of the most important three items to help you focus so you can be more efficient, effective and productive. Keep you Will do List visible at all times and check each item off as you complete it. You will accomplish more with much less stress and balance the inner with the outer so you can create the future you want. De-stressing puts you in control of your surroundings, thinking and time while creating a balanced life at home and at work. The result is a healthier happier more prosperous you that is calmer, more efficient and effective. © Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2009