Are Eu-Stressing or Dis-Stressing?

Do you wake up in the morning and think to yourself, "What do I have to do today? Oh my goodness, look at my long list of things!" Do you feel tired and stressed throughout each work day?

Unfortunately, stress is always going to be a part of our lives. The only people that are not stressed are the ones that aren't alive.

There are actually two different types of stress - distress and eustress. Distress is the negative version, where you feel you want to crawl under a rock and never come out. Eustress is the type of stress that makes you feel good. This type of stress happens when you feel exhilarated or have an adrenaline rush because of something positive that happened, such as going on a roller coaster ride (well, maybe for some of us).

Here are some tips that you can use to decrease the "distress" in your life:

• Delegate - You're not passing on the buck to someone else, but trying to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. How can you help others if you aren't helping yourself first?
  
  
• Take a break - No, not have a Kit Kat (well, unless you really want to). Taking a 5 minute break here and there can really help your mindset. Go out for a short walk and see how much better you will feel when you get back to your desk.
  
  
• Create a to-do list - This one is so important. Having a to-do list will help you figure out what you need to get done. You can prioritize your tasks as needed, create goals and even break down larger tasks into manageable chunks. This will help you get to your goal faster.
  
  
• Don't rush - Take the time to make sure you've dotted your I's and crossed your T's. Rushing through your work will only create mistakes and you will end up doing the same task twice.
  
  
• Just say "No!" - If you feel that you are overwhelmed with work, let the person giving you the extra task(s) know that your plate is full and you would either have to say no to that task or you would delegate one of your other tasks to another person to take on this current one.
  
  
• Take a vacation - You'd be amazed on how many people don't end up taking all of their earned vacation days. The North American lifestyle can be very hectic, as opposed to the European mentality, where workers get a minimum of 5 weeks off each year.

So remember, make sure you take time for yourself, otherwise you will end up going from eustress to distress, which you don't want. You have to take care of yourself first; otherwise, you will be ineffective and inefficient to others and your workplace.

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Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

Post from: Administrative Assistant