Checklist to Reduce Stress

This exercise will take about ½ hour of your time and will save you hours of time in the long run. In this exercise you will need your calendar and a small memo pad.

Phase 1 Priorities

a. Option A-Write down 5 things that are important to your health and include these in your life first. This includes time for yourself.

b. Option B-Take a bristal board, cut out pictures of things that inspire you from magazines and paste on your board. Write down the 5 most important.

From Option A or B Put these in your calendar on a regular cycle.

93% of Adults polled don’t have enough time for fun-yet the average woman has gained 9-11 hours more leisure time per week over the past 40 years, says a study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Research shows that 65% of people who said they were very happy and had minimal stress made time for themselves.

2.____Mission Statement- Write down your mission statement of life from these 5 priorities and place it in a nice picture frame where you can readily see it throughout the day. For example … My life mission is to stimulate balance, vitality, empowerment through nature for my friends and family. When someone asks you to stay and work late, you can be reminded that you exercise class is just as important and is your priority to live your life in wellness.

3.____Time Off- Put in your calendar a minimum 1 week vacation every 6 months and mini vacations every 3 months ie trip to Nordic Spa, Weekend away

4.____Live your Life Selflessly- For example if I knit a scarf for you and are disappointed that you did not say thank you , who did I knit the scarf for? Exactly for me! Instead perhaps I might bake a cake because I love to bake, then it is not important if I receive thanks as the process itself was what made me happy! In this process learn to accept where people are in their lives and what they can give , not your expectation of what they should do or give.

Phase 2 Simplify

5.____Write Down all the things where you Really Spend Your Time. The key question by Randy Pausche a University Professor who’s mission in his last days from pancreatic cancer was to urge everyone to live every moment,….Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have.

6.____Reduce your list of things to do by outsourcing and allow others to do the things that you are not passionate about and by deligating others you do not enjoy. Once you finish your list challenge yourself by crossing out one more additional item.

7.____Choose Where to Strive for Excellence- Write down 3 things that it is important to give your all. In other areas learn how to ask yourself will this make a life changing difference? For example will it change someone’s life to buy just the right present or is it more important to take the time to be present at the birthday party and give the gift of the memory.

Phase 3 Plan

8.____ Be Proactive versus Reactive- Put in your calendar the items that are in your reduced list of things to do on a regular basis . For example annual raking of leaves to be done the first week of Sept ( perhaps make it fun and turn it into a Fall Leaf Raking Party where neighbours can bring a pot luck dish).

9.____Breaks- The optimal amount of time to spend on a task is 40-90 minutes, thus taking a break hourly is most ideal for productivity.

10.____Goal Set- Where do you want to go? How do you get there? Many people say I want to travel the world, but do not lay out a plan on how to get there. For example if you want to travel the world in 5 years you need to plan:

a. How much time would be needed?…. ie 8 weeks

b. How much money would be needed?….ie 10,000

Break you needs into daily steps to understand what your daily one needs to be

For example: 5 years is 1825 days. In order to save 10,000. Your daily one is to save 5.48 dollars a day. This is great motivation to pack your lunch or skip your stop at the coffee shop.

11.____Your Daily One-Use a small memo pad and put only 3 items per day, highlighting your most important as your daily one. If you see that in your daily list you put out fires regularly, plan more with regularity the things that need to get done. For example at tax time do you open your shoe box of receipts? If so set up files for each category , so they can be sorted as they come and each Sunday night spend 15 minutes summarizing.

12.____Re-evaluate every Friday- spend ½ hr every Friday evaluating what you did and what you wish to accomplish next week.

Phase 4 Focus

13.____Focus- Schedule your time to do your daily tasks and close your door or put a sign on your chair indicating that you are available after 3pm for example. A 2004 study found that when office workers where interrupted, on average every 3 minutes. The study also found that once interrupted it would take on average 23 minutes for people to get back into the task they were taken away from.

14.____Warm Up- Do a quick brainless task first allowing you to feel a sense of accomplishment first

15.____Tackle the elephants next- Focus on your biggest priority of the day and as you need a break fill in with those tasks that don’t require focus or take less than 5 minutes of your time. For example check email only at noon and at 4pm. For TV watch the show you love then turn off the TV. North American’s spend 2.4 hours a day in front of the tube. By watching one show you are left with an additional 1.5 hours to play a game with your kids.

Phase 5- Humor and Community

16.____Add Humor and a Sense of Community to mundane things that you may not enjoy thoroughly. There is comfort in numbers. For example cleaning out the garage and house may not be the best way you would choose your time. You can however turn this into an annual street garage sale and then street party where everyone brings a potluck meal.

17____.Ask for Help-many people who are stressed have a very difficult time saying no and asking for help. People are much more creative and productive in a team.