Wednesday 28 May 2008

Keeping things in balance - join me in a smile?

It's been another hectic week so far! I was in Slovakia for a long weekend with some very good friends and we had the most amazing time. It's been a while since I've met people for the first time who have been so welcoming.

Makes me wonder whether we are losing a sense of 'good manners' when we greet strangers? Whenever I am in London I find people desperately avoiding each others' gaze and being suddenly interested in the adverts in the tube!

Is this because we are scared of other people, scared of engaging in conversation, exchanging a smile, or have we created so many stereotypes that we are now suspicious of everyone we meet? For goodness sake, the people we are now married to were once strangers - imagine if we had avoided looking at them?!!!

So, tomorrow, when I get to London, I'm going to smile at everyone and see just how many smile back - want to join me and make the world a little brighter tomorrow?


Check out my coaching workshops next week on 5 June (Rutland) and 7 June (Kenilworth) - coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk for more info and to book.

Thursday 15 May 2008

Elephants get stressed too!

I'm just back from a fabulous trip to South Africa, which included trips to various game reserves and even a ride on an elephant. One of the most interesting things I learned was that, in between its eye and their ear, an elephant has a small opening, called the temporal opening which becomes enlarged and secretes a fluid, which resembles tears. It seems this happens most when the animal is stressed or sick. It seems we are not the only species to suffer from stress!

So what is stress and how can we best deal with it?

Stress is excess pressure - a result of the demands made of us outweighing our ability to cope. Some people - when exposed to exactly the same pressures as others -
don't seem to suffer from stress. By looking at how these people cope, we can adopt some of the things they do to prevent stress.

People who cope well with stressful situations tend to have certain things in common:
They take care of themselves – by eating well, getting enough sleep, drinking alcohol sensibly and exercising regularly.

They confide in people they trust

They are realistic about how much they can achieve and are not perfectionists

They have a sensible work-life balance

The enlist help and support to deal with issues

They communicate assertively - they know how to say "no"

They stay calm under pressure

They create positive moments - eg relaxation, yoga, a weekend break.

Think about your ideal day, and what it would contain. Identify and knock down the barriers to change. One small change can make a difference.

Learning to deal with stress isn’t always an easy process. There are, however, a few techniques that you can do at work, even at your desk, to help relieve stress, anxiety and to regain focus. Some people find meditation works. It slows the biochemical reaction within the body and steadies the senses. Others prefer to just drift off, daydream, listen to nature or feel the elements, all of which can clear the mind and help relaxation.

I have hundreds of photos from my trip which I can browse through to remind myself of more relaxed times - what's your way to de-stress?