Your De-Stress Kit

Your Personal De-Stress Kit

This De-stress kit is for anyone experiencing extra stress from the ongoing financial meltdown, or any other challenging event.

The global community is becoming aware of a need to shift from pursuit of self gain at other’s expense, to a balanced system of care for the rights and needs of everyone. Even as we become aware of this need, people are going through different emotional stages - shock, denial, anger, blame and despair.

Eventually we need to engage in thoughts and actions of self-care and health concerns to reach a point where we can rebuild our coping capacity and create a psychological turn-around.

Doc Childre of the HeartMath Institute suggests the following practices to reduce stress and reset our systems to move forward.

1. Communicate and interact with others - Take advantage of the free Cope with the Economy support group on this website.

2. Re-open your heart feelings by offering kindness and compassionate support to others.

3. Practice appreciation and gratitude.

4. Decrease drama.

5. Manage your reactions to the news - Listen from a neutral position.

6. Prayer or Meditation

7. Heart focused breathing to reduce stress and anxiety.

8. Sleep

9. Exercise

10. Reduce comparing the present with the past - stay in the now.

11. Reduce Fear.

12. Engage with your family.

13. Don’t blame yourself.

14. Write a letter to yourself - with a commitment to move forward.

A complete 15 page booklet describing these suggestions in detail is available from:

www.heartmath.org/destresskit

Marcia S. Seeberg, MS,LMHC

www.Marciaseeberg.com

Don't Pass It On

I called a company with whom I deal last Friday. I explained to the woman on the line that I was sorry I lost their maintenance contract and needed her to fax a new one.

When she began talking, I realized that she either had a bad head cold or had been crying. The Psychologist in me said,” Are you ok?” She said, “People are being so mean. I almost didn’t pick up your call because I just can’t take anymore people yelling at me.” The therapist responded on automatic pilot, “People are stressed to the max. Don’t personalize it. Have a standard response prepared like:

If you talk to me like a human being I will do my best to help you.
If you don’t I won’t.

I hear the same message over and over. It seems that many people are taking their angst and anger out on others. Parents on children, employers on employees, husbands and wives, siblings, coworkers and friends on each other.

The moral and message is clear. Displaced aggression is well known and common. Please strive not to take out your frustrations on innocent strangers or loved ones or anyone. I will repeat Plato’s encouragement as told

by Danny Boyle of Slumdog fame:

“ BE KIND, FOR EVERYONE YOU MEET IS FIGHTING A HARD BATTLE.”

In my words, we need to support and strengthen our team, not weaken or destroy it. During these challenging times we need to be on the same team. Let’s learn from the wonderful people of North Dakota. They have been there for each other during a challenging time. We need to do the same. Supporting each other will help us get through this triumphantly. Beating each other up will only take us down!

Bye for now,

Bill

www.williampenzer.com

954-475-1371 X 301
561-361-1898 X 301

check 3/17/09 welcome blog to know our goals