How to Relax Under Pressure
On a day-to-day basis many of us can find ourselves in extremely high pressure situations. From the stresses of work to family life and a myriad of other responsibilities, many of us often find ourselves overworked, underwhelmed and stressed out, making it more difficult to relax and perform well when we really need to.One of my favorite books that I've read recently is a novel by Dr. Robert James Cerfolio, one of the best cardio-thoracic surgeons in the country.
In his book, Super Performing at Work and at Home: The Athleticism of Surgery and Life, Dr. Cerfolio passes on some practical suggestions on how to deal with high pressure situations which are based in techniques he used as an all-American baseball player. Some of his suggestions are as follows:
Controlling your breathing
Engaging in positive self-talk
Staying in the present
Recalling previous success
Like me, Cerfolio also believes in the power of visualization. This can often be a good technique to manage extremely stressful situations, especially if they're anticipated like an upcoming job interview, presentation, or speech.Along with these suggestions, having back-up if available and proper planning can also be key in preventing panic settling in during demanding circumstances. I also think that guided imagery, quick body tension exercises and mindfulness practice can be extremely helpful in battling stress not only in specific instances but for overall mental wellness as well.
Whatever methods you choose, it's vital that identifying potential stressors with prior planning can always help prepare us for potentially tough times. Short of that, practicing some de-stressing skills at other, less extreme times, can also be incredibly helpful when faced with new and unexpected challenges.
App Spotlight: Breathe2Relax
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Today's post features a free app available in the iTunes Store and its called Breathe2Relax.
Diaphragmatic breathing or "belly breathing" has been shown to help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and increase overall feelings of peace and relaxation. Breathe2Relax is an app that helps you learn the skill of belly breathing so that you can enjoy its benefits practically anywhere.
Most of us haven't learned how to breathe deeply to get the benefits of belly breathing. If you suffer from severe anxiety or have a history of trauma, engaging your mind-body connection by using belly breathing can also be extremely helpful. That being said, while this type of breathing can be very therapeutic, it can also be very triggering for some folks so it may be very helpful to have the support of a therapist to guide you through this practice especially if you fit the above criteria.
I think Breathe2Relax is an especially good app because it not only helps create a relaxing ambient environment, but it also features a video demonstration of the proper way to belly breathe. You can also personalize your inhale and exhale timers so that your in-app coaching is tailored to meet your unique needs and abilities. With a quick and easy setup, I think most people could benefit greatly from this cool piece of technology.The Breathe2Relax app is free and available both in the iTunes and Google Play stores.
3 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance
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These days it can be extremely challenging to achieve a healthy balance between work and the rest of your life. And living a balanced life is essential for a healthy mind. It can even help foster productivity. Here are 3 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance.
Keep it simple
It's often all too easy to get caught up in the drama and stress of the workplace, especially when you have complicated office dynamics and mountains of work to get through. The next time you're feeling overwhelmed, take a few moments to re-energize and simplify.Create a to-do list once you arrive to your office ranking the toughest tasks of the day to the easiest. Tackle the tough stuff first in the day when you have a lot of energy and work your way down. That way you can leave the office at the end of the day knowing that you worked through your toughest tasks even if you didn't make your way all through the list. If you're feeling particularly overwhelmed, don't shy away from asking for help. Chances are co-workers will be glad to help you out especially if they know they can rely on you when times get a little tough for them too.
Take a break
Huffington Post recently published an article titled, "Americans Are Too Afraid and Stressed to Take Days Off from Work" in which author Jillian Berman reported that about 40% of Americans don't plan to use all their paid time off this year. That's a high number! While some of us may feel that our jobs really need us for our excellent work, as humans with full lives we also need (and deserve) a break. Taking time off for a vacation is a simple and obvious way to give yourself a little break. If traveling isn't your thing, or not cost-effective for the moment, consider a staycation and visit some local sights in your city or town or catch up on some much-needed leisurely reading.
Unplug
Over the past thirty or so years, technology has become an increasingly bigger part of our daily lives. That can often leave us feeling stressed out and overworked if we spend time away from the office answering emails and taking calls. Every job can stand a little down time during the day so if you struggle to step away from your gadgets, try starting with a 15 minute tech break and gradually increase your time until you reach a time you're comfortable with. You may even want to take a nice long bath to ensure you can't hear or see that phone of yours.
While everyone's work circumstances differ greatly I hope that these simple tips might help you gain a little more balance in your daily life.