Stress Management Techniques
Because all distress is of our own making and because it is more productive to work on yourself, the first place to look in dealing with stress and distress is within yourself. As you become more aware of your own responses you will be better able to deal with and impact upon the external factors. Accordingly I am beginning with those techniques that are, by you, for you and on you.
Summaries of 10 of the most common ways to reduce stress and supply balance to life are listed below. Don’t try all 10 at the same time. Pick one and practice it until it becomes a habit. It takes a real commitment and continual practice so that a new learned adaptation becomes part of a behavioral pattern. After one item has been thoroughly incorporated into your life, pick another and work on it until it also becomes a part of your life.
1. Watch your diet. Maintain a balance diet and regular eating habits.
2. Exercise. Increased stress levels due to the “fight or flight syndrome” are best dissipated through physical activity. A recent survey of more than 1,100 CEOs showed that approximately 90 percent were careful about their diet, and 64 percent exercise regularly.
3. Learn time management. In recent study almost half
the lawyers surveyed believed that the greatest source of stress was time
pressures and their need to learn time management.
Procrastination is a problem that seems to affect many lawyers and/or legal
assistants. It appears to be built into the legal system. We have motions for
continuances, and delay may be a part of an attorney’s strategy. Cases can drag
on for years. Overcoming procrastination involves prioritizing and learning to
manage one’s time.
4. Learn relaxation and breathing skills. Learning how to breathe deeply can be a simple exercise, which brings immediate results. Relaxation techniques, such as yoga, transcendental meditation, the Benson relaxation response (constant repetition of a word, such as one, relax, etc.) and other forms of relaxation have been proven to be highly beneficial. A recent study involved individuals with 90 percent blockage in their heart vessels. After several months of using only relaxation techniques, the heart blockage was reduce by 50 percent. The relaxation response is the direct opposite of the stress response. Not only does it reduce stress and improve health, but also it increases clarity of thought and raises energy levels.
5. Learn to play and have fun. We have heard the old adage “all work and no play makes Jack or Jill dull”. If we spend many hours a day in work there should be some time set aside for playing and having fun. If you find it difficult to set aside play and fun time you might try scheduling it. You might enroll in some recreational activity such as arts and crafts, theater, sports activity, dance, etc…. This will require you to be at a certain place at a certain time.
6. Use positive thinking and self-talk. Your attitude toward stressful situations is critical. If you focus on the positive and pleasurable, positive things seem to happen. It is important to talk to yourself using positive affirmations in order to change behavior and reduce stress. Repeating statements such as, “I enjoy managing my time,” “I enjoy eating healthy nutritious food,” “I am choosing to live my life fully,” etc. will produce the intended result. When you start changing how you think, you can change how you feel and you can change how you behave.
7. Develop a detached attitude. Many of us get caught up in the wins and the losses. When the other side prevails in a lawsuit, many times a lawyer will say, “What did I do wrong?” and will become emotionally involved in the outcome. It is important to develop a “let go” attitude. The important thing is to do the best you can and then let go of the results.
8. Use prayer. This technique brings about the same kind of stress reduction that relaxation techniques do. (See; “Beyond the Relaxation Response; the Faith Factor” by Herbert Benson. People need not have any certain form of religious affiliation or belief. For some people a spiritual dimension is an integral part of their lives. Relying on that spiritual source can be of great value in dealing with stress and reducing the threat of burnout. This is an individual choice but a proven effective stress reduction technique.
9. Develop a sense of humour. Humour and laughter are wonderful stress reducers. When you laugh endorphins and neurotransmitters in the pleasure center of the brain are release, creating the relaxation response. The overall relaxation effect can last for up to 45 minutes after laughing. Many times we are able to look back at difficult times and events and see the humour in them. The basic message is lighten up, don’t take things so seriously and laugh a lot.
10. Talk to someone about your stress. In all the literature relating to stress reduction, this is the number one way to reduce stress. Having someone to talk to, whether a spouse, a partner, and associate, friend or mentor, is very important. There is something magical about taking stress that has been internalized and verbally expressing it outwardly. Three is wisdom in the adage, “Get it off your chest.” By verbalizing your stress to another, you can release it. Try it and you will be amazed at the results.
You may also seek professional help. Everybody gets stuck once in awhile. Guidance from a counselor or therapist can help us break through whatever is blocking us.