Reduce your stress levels

Use these top tips from the UK's leading personal development expert Phil Parker to banish stress from your work this year. You can reduce stresses by a combination of identifying what the problems are, avoiding getting stressed about things as much of as possible in the first place and reducing and releasing any stress that you pick up through the day.

Identify what things are stressing you
Start by making a list and then prioritise. If changing one thing would massively reduce the stress load then focus on that to start with.
The only exception to this rule is if the major stress is something that is difficult to change so for instance if you wish to change a job but it's not quite the right time of year to do that then you will have to accept that you will have to stay in your current employment for while. In this case simply making a commitment to make the change and putting a plan in place will often feel like enough of the change to reduce how stressed you feel about it.  Stress is maximised by not knowing what to do about a situation.

Reduce stress
If you are getting stressed about something at work like a project or a deadline try this simple technique:
Picture the stressful thing in your mind and as soon as you do that have it speed off into the distant horizon; see it getting smaller, shrinking, becoming paler, blurred and more indistinct. Notice how that changes how you feel about it now.

If you have work colleagues that you get stressed about try this simple technique:
The Fish head; picture a colleague that annoys you or upsets you, but additionally imagine they have a large flatfish perched on top of their head! It gently flops about whilst they talk, although they are completely unaware of it. Notice as you see this in your mind how that changes how you feel about them now.

Release stress
Spend some time every day just breathing and focusing on relaxing thoughts, and above all remember to focus on the things that are really important.  Many of the things that you're stressing about at the moment will just disappear and no longer seem hugely relevant in just a few weeks or months, and in a few years time you're barely remember them at all.

For more information visit www.philparker.org

Phil will be holding free talks entitled 'Mind Your Vitality' in the One Life Theatre on Friday at 12:30pm and Saturday at 11:30am. He will also be holding a more in depth and interactive workshop on the topic on Friday at 2pm. Click here to book your workshop.