Tom Asacker: How to deal with stress.

How to deal with stress.

One of my most widely read posts over the past few years was about how to eliminate stress. Considering that I've had conversations with a lot of stressed out people of late, and that I expect to have a lot more in the coming months, I thought I'd repost it again.

Remember, as Mark Twain wrote, "Life does not consist mainly – or even largely – of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one's head." Here's how to quiet the storm:

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"Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it." - Lily Tomlin

Forbes.com just published ten ways for CEO's to cut back on stress. See if you can detect the obvious problem with this list:

Find An Outlet - A hobby, like fishing
Get A Massage - And light a candle
Get Your Zs - Sleep helps
Have A Sense Of Humor - Lighten up, dude
Lead A Healthy Lifestyle - Exercise and eat well
Have An Understanding Spouse Or Partner - Manage the situation
Learn How To Delegate - Let it go
Make Money - Money calms many worries
Meditate - It's not just for Buddhist monks
Schedule Vacations - And then take them

Do you see the problem? Exactly! It doesn't deal with what's causing the stress. Here's my list (and Forbes? Perhaps you folks should switch from business to alternative medicine.):

Be passionate - About how your work improves people's lives
Be clear - About precisely how you provide that value
Stay focused - On what customers truly care about
Communicate unceasingly - Your passion, vision and strategy
Stay tuned in - To the rapid and endless changes in today's marketplace
Be kind - If you want your people to be kind
Stop lying - To your people, shareholders, customers and, especially, yourself
Trust others - Which is not the same as telling them what to do (see #7 above)
Give back - To customers, employees, the needy, and the environment
Take risks - Brand is a verb, not a noun

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Comments

I think that this touches on some key points that people tend to forget especially when they are stressed out. I believe that keeping in mind the value you offer to other people, a company, etc. is a basic aspect in our lives that we need to remember. I agree that being honest is also another important factor in a stressfree environment.

Posted by: Rachel Stelmach | December 02, 2008 at 04:58 PM