“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
—Marcus Aurelius
This quote, from the great Roman Leader in 162 AD shows that the affiliation to
stress has been around for many years in many forms. I like the quote because it reiterates how it is within us all to control, manage and act on the stresses of life.
As it is the start of term.
Why not make “reduction of stress” a priority?
Why not change the way you deal with stress on a daily basis?
Here is a big stress reducer strategy that can be implemented asap-
Taking work home.
We are all guilty of taking work home. Especially now that technology has interrupted our personal life by being ever available.
At the end of the day, as you leave for home and either the thought enters your
head or you pick up the paperwork to complete at home, ask yourself this one
question: “What time will I do this work?”
This immediately makes you allocate your personal time to work time. It makes you think of what the night has instore for you. Your turn to cook dinner. Pick up the kids. Friends over. Super tired. Seriously are you really going to do the work?
The problem is, if you don’t allocate the time then you feel guilty while you are at home trying to relax with the family, partner, friends, Netflix. The mind is saying, “Hey Luke, you should be completing that report /marking /lesson plan.”
And then the guilt gets even bigger as you return to work with the “proposed work” in the exact situation as you left it the day before. Now the stress is amplified as you get down on yourself for not following through with your intentions. So, the spiral continues.
Back to the question:
“What time will I do this work?”
“At 6.30 after dinner as my partner is going out.” Continue with original plan to work at home.
“No time tonight, as I am tired and need to pick up kids.” Leave everything where it is and enjoy the night guilt and stress free.
You have the power to respond to the stresses of life.
You can choose the action and the outcome.
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