Hi everyone,

Welcome to the essential training workshops blog.  I am glad you stopped by for a visit!  We’re all about the topic of stress and how to deal with it effectively.

Being “Stressed out” is a topic of conversation for many people today.  We can discuss the stress of our economic times, people losing jobs, their homes, the threat of terrorism, heavier workloads, having to do more with less, etc.  Who isn’t experiencing stress these days?

How Stress Caught Me Unexpectedly

Have you ever started a new job with little experience in the field?  Stress.  Have you been transferred to a new job within your company because your position has been eliminated?  Stress.  Have you had to take on new responsibilities without some knowledge and skills of what is required for the job?  More stress.

Well, welcome to my world currently.  This is the first post for this blog.  I could tell you a lot about stress right now.  I have been a corporate educational trainer/consultant for the past 20 years.  I love what I did.  No stress, except maybe deadlines.  I was confident and self-assured.  I knew what I was doing.  No stress.

Then, I got a bright idea!  I decided to take the programs I designed for corporations, redesign them some, and deliver training programs over the internet to reach more people.  Redesign was no problem.  Little stress.  Then there was the computer, the internet and unfamiliar territory for the first time in a long time.  Big-time stress for me. 

I was overwhelmed!  There is soooooo much information. I struggled with information overload about websites, marketing, selling, growing lists, etc.  More stress. 

When I started to write this first article, I sat in front of the computer for ten minutes wondering what I should write.  I knew my subject matter was going to be stress, its physical, mental and emotional effects on our wellbeing, and talking about the tips and techniques to help us cope with the stress we are feeling.  I began to notice (awareness) that I had stopped breathing normally.  I was actually holding my breath.  I felt nervous.  That happens a lot when we are faced with stressful situations.  Do you have a tendency to hold your breath?  How would you react if I asked you to speak before an audience of 500 people?

To Relieve the Stress You Feel

So, the first tip about dealing with stress is, breathe.   Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.  Do this three times, and each time let go of some of the stress.

When you are faced with any stressful situation, you need extra oxygen getting to your brain to help you think clearly.  So, just when you need more oxygen, you may be getting less.  That doesn’t help the situation.

Once I became aware of what I was doing, I took a deep breath, gathered in my energy and began to write.  Several deep breaths along the way have helped calm the nervousness.  Try it.  It may work for you as well.  The Result?  Less stress.

Stay tuned!  There will be more tips and techniques to help you deal with the stress you are feeling in your life—whatever the circumstance.  Next time I’ll share some statistics about stress.

Have a wonderful day, and return again soon for the latest updates!

Blessings,

Karen