NFIB

Stress Reduction Not a Simple Resolution
03/ 25/ 2002

by Carol Wissmann

Resolved: To reduce stress in 2001.There. I've committed it to paper. Now where do I begin?

Still resolved: (2 days later) But also overwhelmed. I turn to the experts. Krs Edstrom has been coaching the harried for more than 20 years. Through her retreats, radio program and lectures, her business Get Motivated helps those such as I. "Exercise," Edstrom advises—and it needn't be of the "drive to the gym and work out for one hour" variety. Her "No Time to Exercise" program offers 60 second at-your-desk exercise breaks, like isometric stomach contractions. Climbing two flights of stairs takes only a few minutes. Edstrom says movement helps counteract the adrenaline that is our body's natural reaction to stress.

More resolved: I can do this, I think. In fact, "doing" rates at the top of the list of stress reducers. Thinking about doing, doesn't. Movement, even in small increments, is highly satisfying, even before the final result is accomplished. I consult Paul Westphal, former head coach of the Seattle Supersonics. "Prepare, practice, play the percentages and then let-'er-rip," he says. "The more prepared you are, the better; after that, the looser you are, the better. And you need to understand you might fail. You have before, and you probably will again. You just do your very best at the moment."

Resolved and relaxed: Stress reduction is a lifestyle, I realize. It involves learning to make daily, conscious choices to take control of our lives. It's not so much the circumstances as our choice of reactions to those circumstances.I breathe a sigh of relief. It's largely in my control, I muse. And for what's not, forget it.

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This article originally appeared in the January/February 2001 issue of MyBusiness Magazine, NFIB's member magazine.

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