DEALING WITH STRESS - Maintaining a Successful and Healthy Life
07:03
The Rere Platform
This whole week has been somehow for me and to top it off I saw the
scariest thing this morning. On my way to work, there was this car in front of
us that wasn’t moving, all the cars behind were getting angry because they
obviously felt the car was broken down or the person was absent-minded. Lo and
behold when we switched lanes to pass by the car, the person driving had his
head on the steering and he was not moving.
Sigh…
For the past few weeks I have been feeling out of
sorts at work, I am not sure why. Most times, I feel tired, disengaged and
unmotivated, and I constantly check my watch hoping for 5pm.
This week, I was down with malaria and that’s why I couldn’t post yesterday;
I couldn’t even go to work but - please forgive me.
Let me tell you a story, some days back I made this
new friend who is on holiday to Nigeria, she stays in America, she’s a year
younger than I am and she’s in third year of university. She asked what
year I am and I said I’m working, done with school and even NYSC. LOL, she was
shocked; she asked where I was rushing to and added that I’m still young I
should be living life without responsibilities and obligations.
Later that day it occurred to me that she did have
a point, but we also have to realize that here in Nigeria things are different.
We rush into university. If you don’t get admission by 18, some people see you
as old or wasting time. When you spend more than the stipulated 4 - 6 years in
university (depending on your course) they say you’re dumb or simply unserious
about life. When you don’t get a job after university, they say you’re doing
something wrong or you are just unlucky. When you get a job, but you’re not
raking in thousands of naira, they’ll still find a way to blame you for that.
But today I want to remind you that; yes
we all have our different lives to live but we cannot all achieve these things
at the same pace. With each passing day that you push yourself
harder than you should, you are draining yourself. Don’t forget that quote that
says; “He that fights and runs away may live to fight
another day.”
Steps To Living A Stress Free Life
1. Figure out what makes you stressed.
2. Cut down on it and start saying “no.”
3. Ensure you protect your energy.
a. It is okay to cancel an appointment.
b. It is okay to switch off your phone and
want to be alone.
c. It is okay to change your mind from a
decision previously made.
d. It is okay to take a day off and do nothing.
e. It is okay speak up and let go of
whatever is bugging you.
4. Rest your brain.
5. Stop being a perfectionist for others;
start satisfying yourself.
Stress can be a barrier to success, because when
you exert yourself to the point where you break down, of what use is your body
to you? It is hard living in the world today, running around to make ends meet,
to make money, to be successful but it is absolutely necessary to take
time off. If it seems like it is getting too stressful, try to take
a complete break from work and/or the world. Go on vacation,
use up your sick days, ask for a temporary leave-of-absence—anything to remove
yourself from the situation. Use the time away to recharge your batteries.
Just
Breathe.
1 comments
Rest is very very vital if we are to live a successful and fulfilled life. God rested on the seventh day. Much more us humans. Thanks for the article. I will surely be taking my long and overdue leave this summer.
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